Kansas Basketball: 5 Adjustments Jayhawks Should Make in 2013-14
Kansas could enter conference play with a perfect 13-0 record, shooting the lights out and playing suffocating defense, yet Bill Self would be giddy in suggesting adjustments for his team.
Entering Friday's Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal game against Villanova, the Jayhawks remain undefeated at 5-0, have eclipsed 80 points in each game and boast a bevy of talent at every position.
However, there is room for significant improvement and adjustments as they rumble toward a potential tournament title in the Bahamas and tenth straight conference title.
Trust the Bigs
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Bill Self lost one of the most talented centers in Kansas history with the graduation of 7-footer Jeff Withey, but he has three supremely talented frontcourt players in Joel Embiid, Tarik Black and Perry Ellis along with the energetic Jamari Traylor off the bench.
Embiid, Black and Ellis are shooting a combined 70 percent from the field through five games. The trio is only committing one combined turnover per 18 combined minutes played and have accounted for nearly half of KU's rebounds.
The versatile group, including Traylor, is title worthy and must be trusted by the supremely talented, yet inexperienced, Kansas playmakers.
Run the Offense
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The transition run-and-gun attack will work against lower tier mid-majors and the bottom half of the Big 12 but, as slightly evident against Wake Forest on Thursday, plenty of mistakes can occur in the 94-foot five second offense.
Kansas has the talent and athleticism to run against any team in the country, but that talent and athleticism also allows the Jayhawks to perfectly execute the rotational high-low offense.
Trust the system and KU will reap huge benefits come March.
Emphasize Transition Defense...
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Because the Jayhawks are running the court more than any Bill Self team in 11 seasons, their awareness on the subsequent possession is imperative—a possession that is becoming increasingly transition-heavy.
An inexperienced roster usually yields growing pains in helping defense and transition communication. With an incredibly versatile group of bigs that are willing the run the floor, the Kansas guards are finding themselves in mismatches against opposing frontcourts in transition.
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...and Three-Point Defense
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After appearing overwhelmed by Kansas early in the first half on Thursday, Wake Forest started finding the open perimeter shots and subsequently kept the game within reach for much of the next 30 minutes.
While the Jayhawks are only allowing opponents to hit 33 percent (108th in the nation) of their three-point shots, an 8-for-19 defensive performance against the Demon Deacons left significant room for improvement.
Self's dynamic roster has the tools to defend all 94 feet of the floor, but stronger awareness and communication is needed along the perimeter.
Capitalize at the Free-Throw Line
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Kansas entered Thursday's game with the 200th-best free-throw percentage in the nation at 68 percent.
Twelve more misses from the line in the Bahamas, including five on 11 combined attempts from Andrew Wiggins and Wayne Selden, kept Wake Forest within striking distance for much of the second half.
The Jayhawks are attempting 33 free throws per game and must capitalize on their aggressiveness in the lane alongside the new meticulous officiating.
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