Kansas Basketball: Five keys heading into the Champions Classic

The 2020 season is underway for Kansas basketball! Here are five keys for the Jayhawks to focus on as they meet No. 20 Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

After opening their season In a loss to Gonzaga, the Kansas Jayhawks rebounded nicely with a commanding win over Saint Joseph’s. Next up for the Jayhawks is an appearance in the Champions Classic, which will begin on Tuesday evening against No. 20 Kentucky. Let’s take a look at five keys for the Jayhawks as they take on the Wildcats.

5. Exercise the advantage from the 3-point line.

Kansas has an excellent presentation from the line with young talent Christian Braun and Jalen Wilson. These two had solid showings in Fort Myers but did not get as many looks as we’d hoped for against Gonzaga. They got the chance to stretch their legs a little more vs. St. Joesph’s and had much more consistency. The pair combined for 44 points vs. SJU and they’ll need to find similar action to give themselves an advantage against the Wildcats.

4. Find Marcus Garrett.

One of the more exciting players to watch out of the gate has been Marcus Garrett. He’s been the playmaker for the Jayhawks so far, and his endurance vs. Gonzaga is dearly noted. Garrett leads Kansas with 22 points in the loss to the Bulldogs and demonstrated his ability to crash inside the paint. He has a knack for quick decision making, and this will help Kansas in pinch situations.

3. Work on the starting five.

It’s no doubt Bill Self has been working on finding his starting five for the year and with solid names such as Jalen Wilson, Tristian Enaruna, and Tyon Grant-Foster battling to find their role in the starting five. The good news is that Kansas has some young talent to rely on, and finding these guys more time on the hardwood can only make solid progress for the Jayhawks.

2. Physicality in the paint.

Recently, we’ve seen Kansas be more dominant with the ball in the paint. Strong guys like junior Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack have been huge weapons for the Jayhawks down low. We’ve even seen Christian Braun getting more comfortable under pressure, which should make him more productive inside. Let’s hope Kansas can be consistent with this, it’s only going to improve our presence on both ends of the court.

1. Tightening up the defense.

Kansas’ shortcoming falls on the defensive side of the ball. Kansas let up 23 points to Gonzaga center Corey Kispert, who was an absolute powerhouse against the Jayhawks last weekend. Kansas is going to have to bring more pressure against the inside attack, as quick looks inside often become an issue for the Jayhawks early on.

This will be vital against the Wildcats, as the Jayhawks will already have their hands tied sustaining pressure up top. This will require larger defenders McCormack and Lightfoot to be on their toes against Kentucky.

Rock Chalk!