Game Links:
Tortilla Tossin’ Player of the Game: I’m going to go with Kevin McCullar, but could also go with Marcus Santos-Silva. Santos Silva scored his 1,000th collegiate career point so huzzah and congrats. As to McCullar, he led the team with 12 points, along with Santos-Silva, grabbed 7 boards, had 2 assists, and a block with zero turnovers.
The Motion:
- Winning in Lawrence isn’t easy. It is especially not easy when no one really plays well. And that’s not fair, there were some good moments, but I’ve written before that this team needs a big-three. Three players who you know you can count on each and every game to carry the load offensively, because that’s what this team needs and when they don’t get it, then it’s going to struggle.
- The most difficult thing to watch is lack of ball movement on the offense and Kansas did a great job of stopping that swing of the ball and guys getting open shots. Conversely, I thought that Kansas did a terrific job of passing out of double-teams to open mates on the perimeter and they got a handful of cleaner shots.
- Mac McClung did not have a good day, but he kept putting up shots and there’s a part of me that appreciates that. I didn’t think he shot Texas Tech out of the game because he was being asked to take shots because no one else can really take those shots or wants to take those shots, usually late in the shot clock as well. McClung’s 4 of 13 for the game and 2 of 6 from the three-point line isn’t great, but he did have 5 boards, 4 assists, and just 2 turnovers, that were really pretty early in the game.
- I have an issue with Kyler Edwards taking 1 shot for the entire first half and 3 shots total. This team needs him, but it seems like he’s waiting for the perfect shot or perfect opportunity. Those opportunities aren’t going to be there in these types of games and when he plays that way, he puts so much pressure on McClung to produce or take shots that are probably ill-advised.
- I can’t recall how many possessions there were, where the shot-clock was run down to about 8, the ball-handler taps his head for the post player to come up for a pick and roll and then just sort of hope for the best.
- Santos-Silva certainly made an effort and I am glad that he played 27 minutes. The downside is that McCormack feasted opposite Santos-Silva where he had 17 points for the Jayhawks. Santos-Silva can’t do much about a player like McCormack and if players leave to double- he was finding open Jayhawks on the perimeter.
- I don’t know what’s up with Terrence Shannon. He played 15 minutes, just a couple in the first half. I don’t know if he’s not healthy or just out of sorts, but he’s got some issues to figure out because he looks out of sorts.
- Some stats. Texas Tech only forced 6 Kansas turnovers. That rarely happens, but KU was really good with the ball and that’s something the Texas Tech defense usually feasts on, other team’s mistakes. Kansas only shot 41% and only made 31% of their three-point shots. Believe it or not, Texas Tech actually shot better, 42.3% from the field and 33.3% from the three-point line. The defense was there. Texas Tech could have made this closer with a bit of a better performance at the free throw line, only making 12 of 19, and McCullar missing 3 of 6 and Peavy missing 2 of 4. Texas only had 9 turnovers, but just 11 assists. The rebounds were pretty even, 36-35 in favor of Kansas.
- The perfect shot doesn’t exist, but good shots do exist. Take more good shots and stop waiting for the perfect shot.
- Up next? Oklahoma State in Stillwater at 8:00 p.m. on Monday night.
Highlights