How did Iowa State make KU basketball look so bad? Here’s Bill Self’s take
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Iowa State’s pressure and trapping disrupted Kansas’ offense and ball movement.
- KU managed only 24 paint points and zero fast-break points against Cyclones.
- Darryn Peterson faced constant doubles, forcing jump shots and scoring just 10 points.
Kansas guard Melvin Council has a phrase that embodies his play on the court.
“If you want to be a dog, you’ve got to be a dog,” Council has said, “because if you’re not a dog, you’re dog food.”
For much of the season, the Jayhawks have lived that phrase, playing with heart and a “dog mentality.” But the Jayhawks were certainly not the aggressor in Ames, Iowa, as Iowa State blew out the Jayhawks 74-56 on Saturday.
“They just took (it at) us,” Council said. “They were being aggressive with us. That’s what really happened. They were just being aggressive, taking us off our offense.”
Kansas (19-6, 9-3 Big 12 play) hasn’t won in Ames since 2022.
After the game, coach Bill Self gave his take on KU’s lackluster performance. He praised Iowa State’s quality players over the years and gave credit to an always-rowdy crowd at Hilton Coliseum.
On Saturday, Self said Iowa State’s defense made the difference. The Cyclones swarmed KU players, trapped on ball screens and didn’t allow many open lanes to the rim.
When a KU ball handler got past an initial defender, Iowa State packed the paint to prevent shots inside. Kansas finished with only 24 paint points. The Jayhawks had no fast-break points.
The Cyclones’ length and physicality bothered KU, which committed 10 first-half turnovers.
“They pressured the crap out of us,” Self said. “They strung out and trapped us on ball screens, and we didn’t handle that well at all. Our ability to move the ball and drive gaps to force help was pretty weak the entire first half.
“They had so much pressure on the ball, when guys were open, we didn’t even think about passing it because we were just trying to survive.”
Self said KU did a better job of handling Iowa State’s pressure in the second half, but the Jayhawks still struggled to score. Kansas shot 31% from the field, including 12.5% on 3-pointers, in the second period.
Then, there was the Darryn Peterson factor. The KU star never had an easy path to the rim. He, too, was swarmed by defenders when he drove. They also doubled him on ball screens and never gave him open looks.
The Cyclones forced Peterson to rely on his jump shot. The strategy worked.
Peterson finished with a KU-career low 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting. He played just 24 minutes after returning from a one-game absence due to illness.
“I didn’t think he was great, but he hadn’t practiced much,” Self said of Peterson. “I don’t think he was bad, but I don’t think anyone was great today.”
