Tanner Groves looks to lead Eastern Washington Basketball over Kansas Jayhawks
3. Score the ball inside
It’s easier said than done but scoring the ball inside is gonna be pretty important. Kansas is a lot more athletic than Eastern and should be able to do a pretty good job at contesting everything. The Jayhawks had the number 1 two-point defense and adjusted defense in league play to go along with being 2nd in block rate.
McCormack is 157th in the country in block percentage according to Kenpom and will be important defensively. When Kansas allows less than 48 percent from two-point land the Jayhawks are 19-1 when they don’t they are 1-7. For Eastern to win they have to be efficient with their floaters, two-point jump shots, and around the rim.
The older Groves is gonna be really important. He’s not only their best player but he takes 59.4 percent of his shots at the rim according to Hoop-Math. His ability to score in the post and from the free-throw line where he shoots 76.5 percent is gonna be important not only to get Kansas into foul trouble but to hang around. Even with being shorthanded Kansas is a really good team.
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For Eastern to win, they are gonna have to shoot the ball behind the arc well, control the glass and make sure they are efficient from inside. But regardless, Eastern is a good offensive team and runs a good offense that you should watch for sure.