Is KU basketball’s defense elite? These stats tell the story — with room to grow
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KU defense carried team through 10-3 nonconference stretch, shaping identity.
- Jayhawks top-6 nationally in FG defense, third in 3-point defense.
- Coaching staff targets more steals, rebounds and turnover pressure for Big 12 play.
Fifth-year transfer Melvin Council Jr. arrived on Kansas’ campus for two months of summer workouts last June determined to absorb quickly what coach Bill Self valued most in his KU men’s basketball teams.
“He was preaching in the summertime about how his best teams were his defensive teams, and they went so far. Defense wins championships,” Council, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound former Monroe College, Wagner College and St. Bonaventure guard said in a recent interview. “And you know, we don’t have a lot of offense. So I try to picture that if we get stops, our offense can be great.”
Council and his No. 17-ranked teammates are off to a solid, if not spectacular, start to the season on the defensive end.
KU (10-3), which ranks 15th in the Big 12 and 227th nationally in scoring average (75.8 points per game), is tied for 13th nationally and fourth in the conference in points allowed per contest (63.3). Houston is fourth nationally in points allowed (60.0), West Virginia fifth (60.2) and Iowa State 10th (63.0).
The Jayhawks entering this current holiday break rank sixth nationally and first in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (36.6%). Houston is second of all league teams at 38.2%.
Even more impressive, KU ranks third nationally and first in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.2%). Only mid-majors UT Arlington (24.1%) and Louisiana Tech (24.3%) have guarded the 3 better.
“We think our identity is really in the defense and that leads to offense as well,” freshman wing Kohl Rosario said.
Despite the overall success on defense — KU has held nine teams to 61 points or fewer — the Jayhawks are last in the league in steals (5.4 per game) and forced turnovers (9.5 per game). KU is first in the conference in blocked shots (6.2 per contest).
“Practice … we’ve got to do it in practice,” Council said of coming up with steals. He leads the team with 13 steals in 13 games. Only one other player — Tre White — is in double figures in steals with 11.
“Talk more, use our arms, because we are long. We don’t really take advantage of that. Keep doing it in practice and then in games it should become easier for us. I love it,” Council added of pressure defense. “I like to pick up 94 feet. It’s something I need to do for the next level, just play a role, and if I can do it, my teammates will piggyback off me and then we’ll get stops.”
KU coach Self entered the team’s five-day Christmas vacation feeling better about his team’s ability to eventually force a lot of turnovers. Senior guard White had four steals and the Jayhawks tied a season high with 13 thefts in a 90-61 win over Davidson on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse. Davidson committed 16 turnovers.
“We haven’t been forcing any (turnovers), but I did think our hands were more active and we got our hands on more basketballs, which led to some transition points,” Self said after the Davidson game. “You look at forcing 16 turnovers, but even a bigger stat to me would be 13 steals out of 16 turnovers because we only average about five steals.
“So that was good. I’ll go home thinking our first-shot defense is getting better. We just don’t rebound the ball the way we’re capable of rebounding the ball.”
KU ranks No. 56 nationally and fifth in the league in rebounds per game (40.2). KU’s foes are grabbing 35.0 rebounds per contest, which puts KU at 14th in the league in allowing opponents rebounds.
“I do think we have a chance to be a really good defensive team,” Self added. “I don’t think we are yet, but when we get all our pieces out there and have some time to play together, I see the thing coming together in a way we haven’t seen yet.”
KU would welcome its defense leading to more offense. Only Cincinnati is worse in the conference at 74.7 points per game to KU’s 75.8.
“I’ve been saying it all year. We’re the most versatile team in the country,” said senior wing White. “I feel we’re the most dangerous team in the country when everybody is being aggressive. I felt like (vs. Davidson) everybody was being selfless while being aggressive.”
Council said he looks at more than the offensive and defensive numbers when judging KU’s potential. He likes this team’s intangibles.
“The first part of the season was fun,” he said. “Coach preaches that we should play for the front, not the back of our jersey, and that’s what we do every game.”
The Jayhawks were to return to campus Saturday night and begin preparation for their next game, the league opener against UCF (1 p.m., Jan 3, in Florida).
