The development of Kansas’ guards pivotal for postseason run

Coming off of two incredibly different outcomes (the loss to Texas Tech and victory over K-State) for the Jayhawks, many fans are unsure of what to expect for this team. The jury is out as to whether or not Kansas is capable of finishing the season stronger than it started the year.

I am going to inform you why the only thing that matters at this point is the season is the continued development of sophomore guard Marcus Garrett and freshman guard Quentin Grimes.

Look, I know big play for the Jayhawks this season has been suspect at best, but we know what to expect from both sides of the ball. Kansas boasts a mediocre defense, a surprisingly stout offensive rebounding attack and consistent scoring out of junior forward Dedric Lawson.

The guard play is what will make or break the Jayhawks season, which is not what many expected to occur prior to the start of the year.

Garrett came into the season as the Jayhawks lone defensive ace with an incredibly awkward jump shot and limited scoring ability. However, he has flashed an improvement in offense and has similar defensive numbers that allow him to be the swiss army knife of Kansas’ attack.

Garrett ranks fifth in the Big 12 in defensive plus/minus (5.1) and ranks third in steals per game (1.7), but only averages a mere 7.23 points per game.

If, with if being the key word, Garrett develops into simply an above average scorer, the impact he would have from just being on the court would be enormous for Kansas.

The real guard in question is Grimes. The freshman contains a great amount of potential, but thus far, much like most of Kansas’ roster, he has been incredibly inconsistent and well, young.

While fellow 5-star guard Devon Dotson has finally began to look in control and comfortable, the opposite seems to be true for Grimes. His play has been very inconsistent and his unfamiliarity with the offense at this point in the season is concerning.

Grimes averages 7.6 points per game, while shooting 38.3% from the field and 32.7% from the three-point line. When Grimes catches fire, he lifts the play of guards around him, but those moments have come few and far between.

Grimes needs to mature to reach his full potential this season, Bill self was asked about Grimes temperament for which he responded, “(Grimes) has a tendency to not go all-in on every possession” (via 247sports.com).

The fact of the matter is none of the coaching Grimes receives will help until he diced to commit to the program and listen to Bill Self.