Why Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball is improving in an area it’s struggled all season
Kansas coach Bill Self has not always liked switching defensively.
Back in the day, he saw it as the easy way out. You should be able to fight through screens. Be tough. Guard your man.
That was years ago, of course, and Self has changed with the times. College basketball has moved toward pick-and-rolls and perimeter shooting, and with that, a switching defense isn’t a matter of comfort anymore; it’s about being more nimble in an increasingly fluid and chaotic game.
This discussion all leads to the most encouraging aspect of KU’s 75-62 victory over TCU in Friday’s Big 12 Tournament semifinals at T-Mobile Center.
“I thought our defense,” Self said afterward, “was the best it’s been in a while.”
Start with this: This end has been KU’s weakness for most of this season.
And switching, to be honest, was frequently a big part of the problem.
Specifically with single-point-guard lineups, Self too often had a reacting team instead of an attacking one. Communicating switches, in other words, often left KU’s defense a step behind rather than one ahead. That passive style especially was reflected in the team’s Big 12-worst steal numbers during conference play.
It’s worth watching, then, what things look like when everything operates in this facet like it potentially can.
TCU’s first shot-clock violation at the 14:10 mark of the first half gives an excellent look.
For this example, focus away from the ball and instead on the pointing from the Jayhawks’ players. This is the most important gesture that helps KU teammates communicate switches early and effectively, which makes nearly every pass difficult for TCU’s ballhandlers.
Here’s a rundown:
• First point, 14:33: Christian Braun tells Ochai Agbaji to take TCU’s No. 0 Micah Peavy;
• Second point, 14:24: Braun tells Remy Martin to take TCU’s No. 10 Damion Baugh;
• Third point, 14:21: Braun tells Martin to take TCU’s No. 3 Francisco Farabello;
• Fourth point, 14:17: Jalen Wilson tells Braun to take TCU’s No. 10 Baugh;
• Fifth point, 14:13: Ochai Agbaji tells Wilson to take TCU’s No. 0 Peavy;
• Sixth point, 14:13: Wilson acknowledges the switch, tells Agbaji to take TCU’s No. 21 JaKobe Coles.
All those micro-moments added up to this: Baugh desperate at the end of the shot clock, hoisting up a deep contested three that didn’t come close to hitting the rim.
Turnover TCU.
It’s a small glimpse of why playing good defense can be so tricky. A brief lack of focus — or a beat when one of five players isn’t seeing the entire picture defensively — can result in a full possession’s efforts being wasted.
KU, for a night, showed how dangerous it could be with a magic level of intensity. Yes, it helped that TCU lacks three-point shooters — covering for each other defensively in the lane is easier that way — but even that shouldn’t take away from the Jayhawks’ encouraging effort on their most concerning end.
“I think when we’re turned up, we can be a great defensive team,” KU forward Mitch Lightfoot said. “But when we’re out there going through the motions, it allows teams to get comfortable, and that’s a recipe for disaster.”
The Jayhawks have mostly avoided that type of catastrophe during a late-season upswing.
KU has now held four straight opponents to less than a point per possession. If you only consider games played after Feb. 1 this season, the Jayhawks’ defense would rank 15th nationally according to Bart Torvik’s adjusted numbers.
Self said it succinctly afterward: Take care of the ball on one end and defend on the other, and you give yourself a chance in any contest.
The Jayhawks embraced that belief Friday, achieving great accomplishments by executing small details.
And doing so one point at a time.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 8:54 PM with the headline "Why Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball is improving in an area it’s struggled all season."
