Kansas Jayhawks: Three Observations From Saturday’s Win Over Montana

The Kansas Jayhawks won big over the Montana Grizzlies on Saturday 88-46. They also broke a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing holiday sweaters!

This has nothing to do with actual college basketball, but I thought it was pretty cool. It was also hilarious to watch a basketball game where half the crowd is wearing hideous, Kansas Jayhawks-inspired Christmas sweaters.

Anyway, here are three observations from the game.

1.  Wayne Selden is so much more than just a shooter

As a Jayhawks fan, I’ve been terrified that once Wayne Selden cools off from three-point range (he was shooting greater than 60% from behind the arc coming into Saturday’s game), he will come back down to Earth and revert back to his mediocre form from last season.

However, Selden went 0-4 from three on Saturday though he was still one of the better players on the floor, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists with just one turnover. He was also all over the place on defense and diving on the floor for every loose ball. Most impressively, he threw this half-court alley-oop to Carlton Bragg:

Selden is a different player this year. He’s playing with swagger, is more involved in the offense, isn’t afraid to try something crazy, and is always giving 100%. Let’s just enjoy the ride.

2. Bill Self’s frontcourt rotation is still very fluid

The good news for the Jayhawks is that their rotation is a legitimate 11 deep. The bad news is that the rotation won’t be sustained for the whole season.

Frank Mason, Devonte Graham, Wayne Selden, and Perry Ellis are cemented as their four best players, and four starters for the remainder of the season. The fifth spot has been occupied by Jamari Traylor, Hunter Mickelson, or Landen Lucas, none of which have really impressed so far.

Self also has freshmen Cheick Diallo and Carlton Bragg to man that last spot.

Diallo was just ruled eligible a few weeks ago, and while he was the favorite for that spot in the preseason, it’s clear he’s still adjusting, and hasn’t been very effective in his limited playing time this season.

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On Saturday, Carlton Bragg, the least likely of all to become the starter, may have stolen the job. He came out to start the second half on Saturday, and put up 7 points in that time frame.

Bragg has always been the best offensive option of KU’s wealth of bigs. He has a very nice touch on his midrange jump shot, and is useful on the block as well. Kansas has looked good with him occupying the paint and Perry Ellis attacking from the perimeter.

We’ll have to see where Self goes from here. Generally, college basketball teams only play eight or so guys, so Self is going to have to cut three, maybe two, guys from his current rotation.

It won’t be Brannen Greene or Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, as they’re the only guards off the bench. A couple of these bigs are on the outside looking in, but Carlton Bragg may have gained a head start on them on Saturday.

3. Brannen Greene Needs to Figure Things Out on the Defensive End

Brannen Greene just might be the best shooter in the country. He made 3 of 4 three-point field goals on Saturday and his three-point percentage went down. He was eight for ten previously. He’s now shooting 11 for 14.

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But he will never get the minutes to prove his worth, mostly because he is a sieve on the defensive end, and the one way to earn minutes on a Bill Self team is to play defense. Just ask Russell Robinson.

Greene’s defensive rating is last among the Kansas regulars at 100.3. That’s a whole three points worse than the next closest player. His ineffectiveness is impossible to miss during a Kansas game. Watch him for one defensive possession and see someone drive right by him, leaving the defense scrambling.

The shooting, though, may just be too good for Self to leave him off the floor. His offensive rating coming into Saturday was 177.1. That is not a typo! Sure, it’s a small sample size, but just like it’s easy to see his defensive ineffectiveness, it’s easy to see his offensive effectiveness.

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No defender wants to help off of him because he’s deadly when left wide open. Driving lanes are wide open for Selden, Mason, and Graham. The lane is clear for Ellis to go to work. The offense just flows beautifully.

His defense is a perfectly acceptable reason to leave him on the bench. However, when Kansas needs an offensive boost, Self has to ride Brannen Greene. Or he needs to start defending better. His shooting is too valuable.