Showing posts with label Jayhawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jayhawks. Show all posts

Sunday, March 27, 2011

NBA News 2011: VCU stuns Kansas

Virginia Commonwealth University Rams athletic...Image via Wikipedia
VCU stunned the Jayhawks 71-61 on Sunday, becoming just the third 11th seed to make the Final Four. The Jayhawks had been the last top seed standing, but what looked like an easy path to the final weekend ended in a stunning collapse.

Kansas (36-3) hadn’t trailed by more than two points the entire tournament. With five minutes left in the first half, the Jayhawks trailed by 17.

Marcus Morris had 20 points and 16 rebounds, and his brother had 13 and 12. They played in disbelief as VCU, which ousted Florida State on 3-pointers on Friday night, used the long ball to bury the Jayhawks early this time.

The Rams hit 9 of their 12 3-pointers in the first half. Kansas trailed 41-27 at halftime and closed the lead to 46-44 with 13:11 left, but a 10-2 VCU run put the Jayhawks right back where they started.



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Friday, March 18, 2011

NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Josh Selby

LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 29:  Josh Selby #32 of...Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Josh Selby, 6-2, Shooting Guard, Freshman, Kansas
8.7 points, 2.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 2.3 turnovers, 38% FG, 37% 3P, 76% FT

Billed as an incredibly creative and explosive scorer with outstanding athletic tools coming into college, Selby has shown flashes of that potential, putting it all together for a handful of games this season, but has struggled heavily with inconsistency and turnovers.

In the half-court setting, Selby is a very dangerous scorer when he catches the ball on the move, having an outstanding first step to go along with strong change of direction ability and body control in the lane, making him very dynamic within the flow of the offense. The problem for Selby is this had made up just a small part of his game this season, as he's attacked the basket very infrequently, getting to the line and getting shots in the lane at a poor rate. He averages just 1.7 free throws compared to 7.9 field goal attempts per game, and according to Synergy Sports Technology, in the half-court setting he's attempted 95 jumpers compared to 30 shots around the basket.

Overall, he's converting just 39% of his 2-point attempts, which would be the lowest percentage of any player drafted in the last ten years, if he indeed decided to enter. Combine that with his paltry 37 free throw attempts in 22 games, and it's no surprise why Selby ranks as the least efficient scorer amongst players in our top-100 prospects ranking.

Selby's ability to create in isolation settings isn't something that has fully translated to the college level in the halfcourt, as he seems to have had some trouble adapting to the tougher defense, struggling with turnovers and not getting past his man as frequently as he was used to in high school. He's prone to committing offensive fouls by pushing off on spin moves and commonly loses control of the ball in not-so-difficult situations, something that's been exacerbated late in the season with his foot problems. His prolonged absence to start the year combined with the very short leash Bill Self has him on surely isn't helping matters, but it's clear that he hasn't been able to translate his scoring prowess at the high school level the way many expected him to.

As a shooter, Selby's done a solid job contributing for the Jayhawks, shooting a solid 36.9% on 3.8 three-point attempts per game, showing decent but occasionally sloppy mechanics and a great ability to put the ball in the basket. He's doing most of his work here spotting up, however, taking very few jumpers off the dribble and having less freedom to go out and create his own shot like he was known for the past.



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Thursday, February 17, 2011

NBA News 2011: NBA Prospect Tyshawn Taylor

Tyshawn TaylorImage via Wikipedia
Playing the most amount of minutes on the #1 ranked team in the country, Tyshawn Taylor is having his best season as a collegian, even if he still has a fairly modest stat line. He is also leading his team in assists despite spending as much time off as on the ball, and is performing more consistently than he has in any of his previous seasons.

On the offensive end, Taylor is the team's primary point guard, usually bringing the ball up the court and getting the Jayhawks into their offense, making quick decisions and rarely unnecessarily holding onto the ball. Using his excellent size, good first step, quickness, and change of direction ability, Taylor has a knack for finding open spaces on the floor and can get by most college opponents with ease. He's done a good job developing his vision and feel over the years, showing nice ability to recognize double teams and find the open man. He shows excellent ability on drive-and-dishes when he keeps his head up, and also makes a lot of simple passes in the flow of the offense.

While Taylor's point guard abilities have grown noticeably in his time in college, he's clearly still developing and is prone to making errant decisions with his dribble at times. That said, playing in Kansas' offense where he spends so much time off the ball and is forced to make quick reads and rarely overdribble should definitely be helpful in his transition to the NBA, where he won't have to make the play style adjustment most college point guards do.

In terms of his own offense, Taylor has a decent groundwork of skills in all areas but doesn't really excel in any one. He shows the most potential with his ability to attack the rim due to his speed off the dribble combined with his body control and ability to change direction. He relies mostly on simple moves going to the basket, doing a great job utilizing screens to get the step on his man and showing a strong second gear in the lane.

On the defensive end is where Taylor is perhaps most impressive, as he has ideal physical tools for a point guard with his 6'3 frame and excellent lateral quickness and instincts. His fundamentals are very good and he shows great tenacity on this end, often getting into his stance well past the three-point arc. He's prone to overextending himself at times and can bite on pump fakes, but when he's zoned in he's very tough to shake off the dribble while he's also consistent with getting his hands up to contest shots.



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