After getting off to a slow start, the Jayhawks blitzed the Sea Wolves for a 29 point victory. It is the team’s final game before heading to Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend. KU will face North Texas on Thursday afternoon.

Once again, Ochai Agbaji earned team MVP honors. After scoring 25 last night, he is averaging 26.3 ppg on the season, with his shooting percentages as 71%/42%/90% (2pt/3pt/FT).

Below are each player’s offensive and defensive efficiencies, followed by the Adj. PPG +/- player values from the Stony Brook game. The efficiency score calculates points produced over possessions (if on offense) or points allowed over possessions (if on defense). Player value incorporates these efficiency scores, along with measures of player production.

Ochai Agbaji: 1.16 Off_Eff 0.80 Def_Eff +10.29

Zach Clemence: 1.75 Off_Eff 0.71 Def_Eff +4.20

David McCormack: 1.67 Off_Eff 0.64 Def Eff +4.04

Jalen Coleman-Lands: 1.83 Off_Eff 0.67 Def_Eff +3.74

Christian Braun: 2.25 Off_Eff 0.90 Def_Eff +3.20

Dejuan Harris: 0.95 Off_Eff 0.00 Def_Eff +3.18

Mitch Lightfoot: 1.40 Off_Eff 0.60 Def_Eff +1.57

Michael Jankovich: 1.20 Off_Eff No Def_Eff +0.97

K.J. Adams 0.00 Off_Eff 0.00 Def_Eff +0.51

Joseph Yesufu 1.50 Off_Eff 1.67 Def_Eff -2.05

Chris Teahan 0.00 Off_Eff 3.00 Def_Eff -3.65

Bobby Pettiford 0.90 Off_Eff 1.10 Def_Eff -4.82

Remy Martin 0.50 Off_Eff 1.43 Def_Eff -7.91

TEAM 1.28 Off_Eff 0.86 Def_Eff +13.27

Grade: A

Context: Beating Stony Brook by 29 points at home is similar to beating a bubble-team by 13.27 at a neutral site. If KU could perform at this level throughout the season, it would win 95% of its games and earn a 1 seed. This is the reason for the A grade. Looking at individual performances, Agbaji’s +10.29 score means he was 10.29 points better than an average player of a bubble-team, or about that many points better than the typical KU-level replacement player (think 7th or 8th man). Martin’s -7.91 score was the result of little offensive output and getting scored on. Hopefully it will be his worse game this season.

Defensive scores tend to vary more game to game. Stony Brook hit some tough shots over good defense, which will result in worse defensive scores for certain players than their actual skill level. This should even it self out over the course of 30-40 games.

Ochai Agbaji once again receives game MVP honors. His offensive game looked professional last night, but he has been playing very good defense as well. The Adj PPG +/- scores are similar to what BPM provides but take into account more information on the defensive end such as individual points allowed and other non-box metrics like charges drawn. It gets adjusted against opponent quality/game location. The number can be used to rate the quality of overall performance for each player.

Ochai Agbaji: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 0 turnovers. +9.64

Christian Braun: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 assists. +4.22

Jalen Coleman-Lands: 10 points, 4-4 FGs, 1 steal. +3.67

Remy Martin: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists. +2.72

Zach Clemence: 3 points, 1-1 FGs, 1 assist. +2.40

Bobby Pettiford: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers. +0.43

Michael Jankovich: 0 points. +0.36

Chris Teahan: 3 points, 1-1 FGs. -0.93

K.J. Adams: 2 points, 2 rebounds. -1.06

Mitch Lightfoot: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist. -1.16

David McCormack: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks. -2.56

Dejuan Harris: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists. -3.17

Joseph Yesufu: 2 points, 3 assists, 1 steal. -4.73

Below are the stat-lines for each KU player from last night. The +/- value score is adjusted to account for Michigan State’s current rating. Players are sorted from best to worst performers.

Ochai Agbaji: 29 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0 blocks. +12.47

Bobby Pettiford: 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks. +4.09

Zach Clemence: 7 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks. +3.69

Remy Martin: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks. +2.53

Jalen Coleman-Lands: 5 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks. +1.46

K.J. Adams: 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 1 block. +1.44

Mitch Lightfoot: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 1 block. +0.46

Christian Braun: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks. +0.39

Joseph Yesufu: 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks. -0.37

Dejuan Harris: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 0 blocks. -0.69

David McCormack: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 2 blocks. -9.53

TEAM: +15.95 (Off: +13.45 Def: +2.49)

Kansas went to 1-0 after defeating Michigan State by a score of 87-74. Ochai Agbaji easily earned game MVP honors. His 29 points were a career high, but he also played solid defense. The three freshmen; Bobby Pettiford, Zach Clemence, and K.J. Adams; all made positive contributions in their first career regular season games as Jayhawks. Incoming transfer Remy Martin score 15 second-half points to produce a solid offensive outing but gave up some points on defense which reduced his contribution overall. Jalen Coleman-Lands was defensively solid in his 9 1/2 minutes of play off the bench. Returning veterans Mitch Lightfoot and Christian Braun each produced slight positive value. Braun struggled offensively but rebounded and defended. Dejuan Harris made some contributions on defense and was efficient offensively, but his lack of production meant a negative value score. Josephy Yesufu did little of note in 6 1/2 minutes of play. Last, David McCormack struggled mightily on defense, and his offensive efficiency hurt his output on that end.

Last night, the new look Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Emporia State Hornets 86-60 in the team’s only preseason exhibition matchup. They will start the regular season Tuesday against Michigan State.

Chris Teahan, starter

Predicting who the starting five was going to be has been a much-debated exercise among KU fans in the recent weeks, but I don’t think anyone had walk-on super Senior Chris Teahan in the lineup. With Jalen Wilson out on suspension and Remy Martin apparently not practicing in the way Self wants, Coach went with Chris Teahan alongside Dejuan Harris, Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, and David McCormack. Teahan didn’t score in nearly 7 minutes of play.

From best to worst, here is how KU players performed. Keep in mind that this is just one game, and it was against a team that is far less competitive than KU’s normal opponents. The three PPG +/- numbers below reflect the unadjusted value score, the opponent-adjusted value score, and the per 60 possession estimated score. The per 60 possessions is made to normalize a player’s score over 60 possessions (or about what a key starter would play in an important, close game). Basically, it lets us see what the player would have contributed had he played at his value level for a full-length game.

Ochai Agbaji: 17 pts (6-12, 0-0), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals in 23 minutes. +10.68 +7.24 +10.64

Ochai was excellent on both ends of the floor, drilling 5-7 from 3 while playing good on-ball defense. He only gave up 2 points in 23 minutes. Despite being last season’s leading scorer, Och has been overlooked somewhat coming into the season. But it is clear from last night that he will be a key piece of the puzzle.

David McCormack: 16 pts (5-8, 6-6), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal in 15 minutes. +8.75 +6.54 +14.94

D-Mac got off to a slow start but finished the first half strong and dominated inside during his second half minutes as well. It would have been nice to see more playing time out of the team’s best center, but Self wanted to see how the other post guys would do. He posted a 1.78 offensive efficiency score and should quietly be one of the team’s most valuable guys this year.

Remy Martin: 15 pts (7-10, 0-0), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal in 18 minutes. +6.84 +4.18 +7.92

The most-expected performance was that of Remy Martin, and it didn’t disappoint. Benched to start as an obvious motivation ploy by his head coach, Remy came in and immediately started to score, posting 13 points in the first half. His defense wasn’t great at times, getting beat off the bounce and then over the top on a lob as well. Shot selection will be key this season. Keep in mind, however, that he is the best Jayhawk at getting his own shot and scoring is the most important element in basketball statistics.

Mitch Lightfoot: 5 pts (1-4, 2-2), 5 rebounds, 2 blocks in 8 minutes. +3.05 +1.90 +8.41

Mitch was the team’s best interior defender yesterday, as he finished with a 0.20 defensive efficiency score (lower is better) by giving up only 2 points. To translate that number, if everyone had played as good of ball defense as Lightfoot the team would have given up 51 points instead of 60. And while he hit his only 3-point field goal, his inability to score in tight was a frustrating reminder of his offensive ceiling.

Christian Braun: 10 pts (4-10, 0-0), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal in 24 minutes. +2.96 -0.58 -0.83

Braun played fine, and his adjusted number could have easily been on the plus side if the ball bounced slightly differently. Still, he continues to struggle to score on his own. He should benefit from better point guard play this year.

Joseph Yesufu: 4 pts (2-7, 0-0), 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals in 21 minutes. +2.30 -0.78 -1.28

Yesufu’s value score looks better than what the eye-test says. But he actually defended adequately, giving up only 2 points while swiping 3 steals. He missed some shots inside, but shared the ball well to add value with assists. Still figuring out his role, if he continues to defend he should be a nice addition to this year’s squad.

Dejuan Harris: 6 pts (3-3, 0-0), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal in 22 minutes. +2.12 -1.16 -1.80

Harris was super-efficient (1.69 offensive efficiency), but like last season it was his limited production that contributed to a lower value score. He played 4 more minutes than Remy Martin, but produced nearly 11 fewer points of offense than his backcourt teammate. Defensively he bothered ball-handlers but gave up a few buckets. His value will increase with more transition opportunities.

Michael Jankovich: 2 pts (0-2, 2-2), 1 rebound in 4 minutes. +1.03 +0.49 +4.63

Jank outscored his man 2 to 0, while grabbing a defensive rebound as well in mop-up minutes. Would be nice for him if he can get in more games than last year when he was injured and only played in 1.

K.J. Adams: 2 pts (1-3, 0-0), 1 rebound, 1 assist in 14 minutes. +1.01 -1.08 -2.62

The last remaining Jayhawk who outperformed his Emporia State opponent, KJ showed some versatility on both ends (and didn’t give up any points). With both Jalens out to begin the season, he might get an opportunity when the regular season starts. If he can defend and rebound, he can add some value.

Cam Martin: 0 pts (0-2, 0-0), 4 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal in 8 minutes. -0.59 -1.72 -7.68

Cam didn’t seem to get into the offensive flow much while he was in. As a scorer in D-II, the question of how he can help this team in a different role is still unanswered. Still, his size and rebounding shows that he can be a factor, particularly in the half-court. He will likely get more minutes in certain games as opposed to others.

Chris Teahan: 0 pts (0-0, 0-0), 1 rebound in 7 minutes. -1.50 -2.49 -12.70

Surprisingly Teahan didn’t get a shot off in 7 minutes of action. His only negative play was giving up 2 points during second-half action, so while he was with the starters, he mostly played a complimentary piece and did well to not hurt the team.

Bobby Pettiford: 3 pts (1-4, 1-1), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals in 20 minutes. -2.13 -5.13 -8.65

The eye-test judged him more favorably, as he can clearly handle the ball, score, distribute, and defend at this level. His defensive score fared worse than his offense, and that was him missing some shots. I don’t find it likely that he redshirts.

Kyle Cuffe: 2 pts (1-3, 0-0), 0 rebounds, 0 assists in 7 minutes. -3.44 -4.42 -22.69

Struggled on both ends, but did get a nice finish and 2 points late in the game. He is likely to redshirt.

Zach Clemence: 4 pts (2-2, 0-0), 4 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals in 10 minutes. -5.09 -6.50 – 23.29

Zach finished with a decent offensive efficiency of 1.25, but he gave up multiple 3-point baskets which killed his defensive value. Over the course of more minutes and more games, that number wouldn’t look as bad. As a freshman, expect little playing time if he doesn’t redshirt.

Lineups, lineups, lineups

As I wrote yesterday, the lineups in November buy games can get quite fun. Yesterday was certainly no different. Self stuck exclusively with four-guard/wing lineups, meaning that the four post players (McCormack, Lightfoot, Cam Martin, Clemence) shared 40 minutes of action. Self made comments before the game that since the team has only practiced 4-out 1-in, he won’t be playing 2 posts together. If he stuck with this strategy during a pre-season game, I believe him.

But playing this way also meant that the team had 3 “little” guards (under 6’1) in the game at the same time (Harris, Remy Martin, Yesufu, Pettiford). Going this small caused some defensive problems, and Emporia State was able to throw the ball over the top or dump it inside easier at these moments. This was especially true when it ran an inverted offense, i.e. it brought its big man out to clear space and gain the advantage inside at the “3” position.

For these reasons, it seems that the depth chart will look like this come Tuesday.

PG/SG (1/2 position): 2 of Remy Martin, Dejuan Harris, Joseph Yesufu, Bobby Pettiford

SF/PF (3/4 position): 2 of Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, KJ Adams

C (5 position): 1 of David McCormack, Mitch Lightfoot, Cam Martin, Zach Clemence

With Jalen Wilson (PF) and Jalen Coleman-Lands (SF) out, this gives KJ Adams an opportunity. Even if both Och and CB played 32 minutes Tuesday, this would still leave 16 minutes for KJ Adams. Of course, Self could still go with 3 small guards for some of the game, but Adams will certainly play. David McCormack averaged 23 minutes per game last season, so unless he dramatically improves his ability to stay on the court, this leaves a decent amount of back-up time for the likes of Lightfoot, Cam Martin, and even Clemence. Expect the team to run a more guard-oriented offense when McCormack is out. What the backup posts can do is defend and rebound, and so far, Lightfoot looks like the most capable.

Closing Thoughts

The 2022 Kansas Jayhawks will be fun to watch. They will be able to stay in games since they can score at so many positions. The team’s depth should allow it to play better defense than it might otherwise be able to. At least initially, guys like Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun will get more minutes than fans think they should. This perception will especially hold if either struggle to make shots. But we know Self won’t play two posts together, and the other option of playing three small guards will make half-court defense and rebounding worse. Also, keep in mind that both Agbaji and Braun are KU’s most prolific 3-point shooters. Ironically going small can take away shooting and spacing for this year’s team.

Remy Martin will take over some games and pull the team out of the fire. But in playing so freely, he will also take ill-advised shots that will get him a seat next to the coaches. Self will want to get the ball into David McCormack, and this is a good thing. D-Mac can be inconsistent, but give him 25+ minutes and enough touches and his offensive efficiency and production tends to be quite good. He played absolutely great during last year’s Big 12 play (+4.97 Adj PPG +/- in 18 games), demonstrating he was the league’s best center. Feed him the ball and those force teams who want to play small to stop him.

Getting the Jalens back will be the cherry on top of a potent offense. Coleman-Lands will naturally provide the wing spacing and veteran consistency that the team is missing when Agbaji/Braun need a rest. Wilson will bring even more offensive potency to a loaded lineup. The games (and the stats) start to count this Tuesday! Rock Chalk!

It’s here! The 2021-22 Kansas Jayhawk basketball season is finally here. After a virus-shortened end to the 2020 season and a low-attendance, socially-distanced truncated 2021 season; 2022 will be close to back to normal. Allen Fieldhouse will be at full attendance, teams will be playing full 31-game schedules, and hopefully there won’t be any dramatic pauses or shutdowns. Tonight’s game against Emporia State is the only broadcasted exhibition game KU will have.

With that in mind, I wanted to celebrate the period of the season we are in. College basketball gets overlooked this time of year with football still in full swing, Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years holidays approaching, and the more important conference and tournament games still some time away. Even many fans of college basketball in general or KU in particular tend to downplay games in November or December. But here’s why you shouldn’t! Pre-conference KU basketball is a time to be excited about.

Reason 1: College Hoops is Back

This goes without saying, but any games are better than none. It’s been a long time since March. While the off-season has spiced up in recent years with so much roster turnover…who goes to the NBA, who transfers out, who transfers in, what late recruits decide, etc.…there’s nothing like seeing live competition. For KU fans specifically, it’s the return to the Fieldhouse, the Jayhawk on center court, the bright lights, the whistles, the squeaks of the shoes, the substitution horn, the band playing “Living on a Prayer”, the crowd roaring after a fast-break dunk, the Rock Chalk chant, the Alma Mater, the analysis on TV or radio or online before and after, etc. The season is just different than the off-season. This morning many Kansans awoke to frost on the ground for the first time in months. The cold weather has returned. It just feels like basketball season.

Reason 2: Season’s Unlimited Potential

Prognostication is fun, but until the ball is tipped you don’t exactly know how the games will turn out. Will this be the year that KU finally makes it back to the Final Four and cuts down the nets? There are no losses or periods poor play to poor cold water on those dreams yet. The journey begins tonight, even if it is only a preseason game. In the same way, it is fun to finally see how much the returning players have improved, how the freshmen look, and in this new era how the incoming transfers play. Thinking about Remy Martin breaking down his defender and getting to the cup or kicking it to a shooter, or how much Dejuan Harris has improved makes you believe that these are the guys and this is the team that can do it. At Preseason #3, this team has the accolades to be there at the end of the year.

Reason 3: Easy Wins, Less Stress

One-possession away conference games and nail biters in March Madness are fun, but can be very stressful to watch. Games that are basically guaranteed wins allows you to enjoy watching the superior talent and coaching of the Hawks. Looking at non-conference Allen Fieldhouse games against non-power opponents since 2003-04 season, Self’s Jayhawks are 106-3, with the most recent loss being against Oral Roberts in November 2006. And the games themselves are often fun, at least for a while. More fastbreaks, dunks, up-and-down play, and possessions equals more fun. And while these games sometimes find a lull in excitement as the margin gets wider, the walk-ons getting to play and the chance at getting 100 points doesn’t happen every day.

Reason 4: New Faces, Fun Lineups

Once we get into conference play, the rotation is normally shrunk down to about 8 key players. But early-season games allow Self to experiment with lineups and we get to see freshman and others who didn’t contribute much get more court time as they seek to improve the value they bring to the team. The 2022 team has 10 players who played at least 25% of minutes last year for their respective teams. None want to sit on the bench. It also has 4 incoming freshman who want to earn court time. Guys will play hard when they want to.

Reason 5: New Matchups

KU will face Tarleton State for the first time in school history, and then Stony Brook the following week. Where is Stony Brook located you ask? Why Stony Brook, NY of course!

Reason 6: Dave Armstrong

The corny catchphrases and homerism mixed in with the genuine excitement is something you don’t miss until its gone. He’s been doing games for years, and moved over to ESPN+ to call the Jayhawk Network games a few years back. We should get him tonight and also for the Tarleton St., Stony Brook, UTEP (in KC), Stephen F. Austin, and Harvard home games. Wow!

Reason 7: Games Only Get Better from Here

So, you’re not convinced yet? Who remembers what team KU beat by 39 the first game of the 2007-08 season (it was Louisiana Monroe, 107-78 btw), but we all remember how that season ended! Fair point. Sure, not every game of the season is equal. But we have to start somewhere. So even if you don’t find yourself as excited for preseason basketball as I am, try and make the most of it. Enjoy the season!