With five days until the #3 ranked Kansas basketball team play the #11 ranked Indiana Hoosiers in Hawaii, they have one final exhibition game against the Emporia State Hornets. Here are three things to watch.
Coach Self called out the bigs after the game against Washburn because they didn’t aggressively go after rebounds. Will they dominate the glass against Emporia State?
In a total of 31 minutes, Landen Lucas and Carlton Bragg had 3 combined rebounds and that is a great way to lose playing time in Coach Self’s system. It was especially disappointing against a much smaller Washburn front line. Such a poor performance against Indiana or Duke is a sure-fire way to lose a game.
There is no doubt that going aggressively to the glass was a major point of emphasis in the last few practices. Landen Lucas is an accomplished rebounder and he should be able to get to double digits against Emporia State. If Lucas or Bragg don’t go strong on a possession, expect them to get a quick hook.
Turnovers were also a huge problem in the first exhibition, will the ball be less slippery in this game?
It might be understandable for the freshmen to turn the ball over in their first game. Four turnovers by junior Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and three each from seniors Landen Lucas and Frank Mason are too many. Another good way to earn a ticket to the bench will be throwing the ball away carelessly.
There were a total of 24 turnovers in the exhibition opener and a nice target would be to keep it under 15 against the Hornets. This is a very reasonable goal with the veteran players on the Jayhawks roster.
Will the four guard lineup start to perform as a well-oiled machine instead of an early work in progress?
Given that the Jayhawks played a four guard lineup for a total of four possessions in the entirety of the 2015-16 season, it wasn’t surprising to see it wasn’t yet the weapon it can be later in the season. Playing against smaller teams is a perfect test for this lightning quick lineup and the team has had time to review their performance on film.
It shouldn’t be expected to have it perfect, though it should be a big improvement going against another team from the MIAA. In previous seasons, Coach Self has referred to three pointers as “fools gold”. With the four guard lineup, he is putting a team of great shooters on the court. Whether they are driving for a layup or dishing out to an open shooter, this needs to be a lineup that can quickly light up the scoreboard.
Bottom Line
Even though the outcome of the game against Washburn was never in doubt, it left a very bad taste in the mouths of fans and the coaching staff. With the extra points of emphasis in practice on being tough and aggressive, there should be a very driven Jayhawks team on the court against Emporia State. With the next two games on the schedule, this should be a runaway soon after the opening tip. My prediction, 107-62 Kansas.
More from Through the Phog
This article originally appeared on 
