Kansas basketball: Bill Self has few options left
By Stan Unruh
There are only eight Big 12 games remaining on the Kansas basketball schedule. Bill Self is taking action to get the attention of his team.
The Kansas basketball regular season is in the home stretch. The Jayhawks are tied for the conference lead but certainly can’t take anything for granted. Thirteen consecutive conference titles provide no guarantee this season. That is especially true with this team’s thin lineup and coming off that lackluster performance against Oklahoma State Saturday.
Hall of Fame coach Bill Self has to do something to wake this team up. He didn’t get their attention in time Saturday. The Jayhawks late rally came up short. The team simply had little energy and the Cowboys wanted to win more. You have to feel sorry for the coach.
With his thin bench, Self has few options. I like the option he announced Monday. Mitch Lightfoot deserves an opportunity to start as Matt Tait reported on KUsports.com. This is perfect timing considering the TCU game. Lightfoot scored 9 points and blocked 6 shots in the Jayhawks 4-point win over the Frogs last month.
It will be interesting to see how this team plays with both Lightfoot and Udoka Azubuike on the court at the same time. I don’t think we’ll see that lineup on the court for an extended period. I think Marcus Garrett will now be the first option off the bench. The freshman played 33 minutes in that win in Fort Worth and gives tremendous effort.
Even more interesting will be how Lagerald Vick responds to Self’s decision. As a matter of fact, it is one thing to get benched. It is something else indeed to have the coach put you on notice in the media. He may not have mentioned Vick’s name but referred to him following Saturday’s loss and again Monday.
Next: Jayhawks can still accomplish their goal
In early December, Vick missed a practice or two because of an abscessed tooth, according to Matt Tait at KUsports.com. I doubt Vick’s health is the reason for his unusual performance the past few games. On the other hand, something is not right with the junior from Memphis. Vick needs to bring some energy off the bench. Time is running out on the season. Let’s home Vick responds with a big finish to the Big 12 season.