No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks (9-1) vs. No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers (8-2)
time: Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 11:00 am
position: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
tv set: ESPN2 | wireless: Jayhawk radio network via rearfield
kansas key
1. What happens at that point?
Kansas fans know all too well how important Dahuan Harris Jr. is to the Jayhawks lineup.
Not only is he one of the best defenders in the country, his assist-to-turnover ratio leads the Big 12, and his basketball mentality and IQ are among the best ever coached by Bill Self. Just as good, Harris brings a degree of poise and poise. on the floor whenever he is there.
They come in a variety of packages, but Indiana has the highly talented freshman guard Jalen Hood, a former five-star prospect ranked 18th in Rivals.com’s 2022 class. Schifino also has that type of player.
“He’s one of the best freshmen in the country,” Self said of the Hoosiers’ 6-foot-6, 213-pound point guard on Thursday. “He can score and he can handle it. He’s strong, he’s confident, he plays with swagger. They’re fine without him, but they’re obviously better with him.”
There lies the biggest question of the whole. Will Hood Schifino play Kansas?
He has been sidelined for the past few weeks with back problems and returned to practice for the first time on Thursday. How it goes and how he feels on Friday will play a big part in how well he can and will play on Saturday.
With him there, Harris will have his hands full. He has started seven times for the Hood so far this season and his Schifino is averaging 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. His individual defensive rebound percentage leads the team and is among the best in the country. It also brings another scoring punch to the Hoosiers’ roster that they just can’t get without him.
Given his size and mobility, his presence will put a lot of pressure on KU’s backcourt and will be a big challenge for Harris, who has shown a tendency to get into foul trouble at times this season.
Another big guard, 6-3, 200-pound senior Xavier Johnson (10.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists per game) will almost certainly start at that point, whether or not Hood Schiffino plays. play a big role without
However, when talented freshmen are out there, the Hoosiers become more dangerous and Harris’ job becomes more difficult.
2. Be a better version of yourself
In anticipation of the matchup against Indiana, Kansas manager Bill Self said Thursday that the two teams are “a bit like each other in terms of how we try to play.”
Of course, it starts with defense, but it also includes elements of how to attack on both sides.
Indiana likes to run and looks like she’ll score quickly, but she’s also comfortable playing grindout-type games.
The Hoosiers average more points per game than Kansas (81.4 to 79.4) and give opponents fewer points per game (63.8 to 65.6). However, both teams try to play to put as much pressure on their opponents on both ends of the floor as possible.
Offensively, that means ball movement and balance, playing through All-American contender Trace Jackson-Davis. But like Kansas, the Hoosiers have multiple players, and if the defense focuses too much attention on the big man underneath, it can score and hurt the team.
Most notable among them is senior Miller Kopp, who has shot 49% (23 of 47 games) from the 3-point range this season, leading the Hoosiers in three appearances (1 16 points per match).
While some of the styles and philosophies and even positional size combinations are similar, one area where Indiana differs significantly from what KU brings to the floor is the experience.
The Hoosiers’ roster features 2.74 years of Division I experience per player, which ranks them 39th in the nation, nearly a year higher than the national average of 1.90.
Meanwhile, Kansas ranks 244th nationally in this category with 1.60 years of Division I experience per player.
3. How to identify Trace Jackson Davis
Self’s familiarity with Indiana All-American candidate Trace Jackson-Davis goes far beyond anything he’s seen in a game movie.
Self actually coached Jackson Davis in USA Basketball a few years ago. Jackson Davis was a young roll his player on that team, but Self was well aware of his talent. And he made it clear when comparing his athleticism to former Jayhawk Andrew Wiggins.
“He’s fast,” Self said of Jackson Davis. “I don’t play against someone who has a fast second jump like Trace. You can to be.”
IU’s big man will be averaging 16.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and just over two blocks per game on Saturday. In addition, he often has an advantage because he shoots from the floor 65% of the time and is left-handed.
“Our team has never fielded a player like him. It’s going to be a tough matchup for us,” Self said. We have to help and do some things, but he’s a great player and he’s going to score, no doubt about that, to make it a (big) number can not.”
University of Kansas Junior Jaren Wilson is also familiar with Jackson Davis dating back to his high school days. Wilson said the version of Indiana’s Big Man he sees today is a lot like the one he remembered back then.
“He’s really just a beast,” said Wilson. “He was bigger than a lot of people. He’s still. He can still use his dominant hand in the paint. So things have to really change to accommodate a guy like that.” He’s a player who can win games.”
marquee matchup
KU’s half-court offense and Indiana’s defense
The last time Kansas faced an elite-sized team, they lost to Tennessee in the finals of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
Indiana is not the same team as Tennessee, the Vols were overall more athletic and a longer team. is not.
If anything, Kansas learned a lot from that game about how to attack inside. It all starts with ball movement and team his basketball and is rooted in smart decisions.
Jackson-Davis is a legitimate shot blocker, and Self says KU wants to “move him” and get him off the basket a bit.
This only happens when KU plays offensive, disciplined team basketball and sees a lot of players trying to beat their opponents one-on-one as individuals.
Kansas also need to get a paint touch from their guard (which is always the goal).
“Their style is so wholesome,” Self said of the Hoosiers. “They defend and don’t give up easy goals. At 9 feet, they start next to him at 6 feet 9 inches, so it’s definitely a size advantage.”
jayhawk pulse
Saturday’s game marks a battle between two of the biggest names in college basketball history, and the Jayhawks and Hoosiers will meet for the 15th time.
“Indiana is blueblood and we certainly are,” Self said Thursday.
Indiana leads the all-time series against Kansas, 8-6, and the Hoosiers, in the final matchup between the two programs, were 103-10 in overtime in the opening game of the 2016-17 season in Honolulu, Hawaii. 99 won.
In the mid-1990s, these two schools played one of the most memorable games in Allen Fieldhouse history, with the University of Kansas winning on then-freshman Jack Vaughan’s 3-point buzzer-beater.
Coached by IU alum Mike Woodson, a second-year head coach under legendary Indiana coach Bob Knight, the Hoosiers closed the season after opening the season with seven straight wins. entered the contest after losing 2 of their 3 games.
Kansas, on the other hand, have won three in a row since dropping to No. 6 Tennessee, averaging 28.7 points per win over those three games.
Kansas opened as a 6-point favorite over Indiana, according to the DraftKings. KenPom.com’s spread is 73-68 for him, and his winning percentage is 69% in favor of the Jayhawks.
Possible starter
No.8 Kansas
G – Dahuan Harris Jr., 6-1, 175, Jr.
G – Kevin McCuller Jr., 6-6, 210, Sr.
G – Grady Dick, 6-8, 205, Fr.
F – Jalen Wilson, 6-8, 225, Sof.
F – KJ Adams, 6-7, 225, Sof.
No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers
G – Xavier Johnson, 6-3, 200, Sr.
G – Trey Galloway, 6-4, 203, Jr.
G – Miller Kop, 6-7, 215, Sr.
F – Race Thompson, 6-8, 235, Sr.
F – Trace Jackson-Davis, 6-9, 245, Sr.
