Kansas basketball: What we learned from Showdown for Relief

Kansas basketball gave fans a fun Sunday afternoon exhibition fund-raiser. Here is what we learned about the Jayhawks after Sunday’s Showdown for Relief.

Kansas Basketball fans miss the old Border War and  loved Sunday’s Showdown for relief.  I know a lot of people who wanted to be there especially those who attended the last meeting between the teams on February 25, 2012.  As a matter of fact, when the word first leaked that the Jayhawks might play this game I didn’t like the idea. I learned I was wrong. Bill Self was right.

The game showed the Jayhawks have a lot of work to do. That’s expected in mid-October. Devonte Graham looked like he is already in mid-season form. The senior Big-12 preseason Player-of-the-Year started and stayed strong. He looked confident and led all scorers with 25 points. Did you expect anything else?

The bad news— Devonte also had to go get 10 rebounds.  Another guard Malik Newman had 6 rebounds. The Jayhawk big-men need to work on rebounding. Udoka Azubuike wowed the crowd with his offensive play. On the other hand, Azubuike, Billy Preston and Mitch Lightfoot combined for 10 rebounds. The Tigers won the battle on the boards. That won’t cut it in the battle for another Big 12 championship.

The Jayhawks need to get Svi more involved.  The senior from Ukraine attempted just 4 shots in 27-minutes of action and finished the game with only 2 points. Svi is a great shooter. His participation from beyond-the-arc and driving to basket are critical to the success of this team.

More defense

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Billy Preston’s future is bright. The freshman  has a lot to learn in the Bill Self system. His 12 points and 4 rebounds were just exactly what I wanted to see. Lagerald Vick got off to a slow start but he can do so many good things. He will be ready when Self needs him.  Freshman Marcus Garrett played well in 19 minutes.  He showed his hustle in one of this summer’s Italy games and is going to be a valuable member of this team.

Obviously, the team needs work on defense. Self and the Kansas basketball coaching staff will drill that into their brains over the next few months. It’s only October. The Jayhawks won the game but there were many other winners in this showdown for relief. That’s what matters. The $1.75 million raised says a lot about Kansas basketball and the Border War.