By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
No. 10 Baylor plays host to No. 5 Kansas at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
It’s a game the Bears need to remain a Big 12 regular season title contender. Kansas won the first meeting Feb. 5 at the Allen Fieldhouse, 83-59.
SicEmSports and our Kansas Rivals colleague Shay Wildeboor from Jayhawk Slant went through a Q&A for each side leading up to this game.
Baylor head coach Scott Drew said guard Adam Flagler (knee) is cleared to play. Guard LJ Cryer (foot) is once again, a game time decision.
SicEmSports To Jayhawk Slant
1. While the first game at the Phog didn't have any sizzle to it, Baylor vs. Kansas has turned into a pretty good rivalry. How does the KU side view this against Baylor?
Kansas and Baylor have played some pretty big games in the past and I expect Saturday to have that same type of vibe. The first time around, Baylor wasn’t healthy and was missing LJ Cryer and Kansas played lights out from start to finish. A week earlier, Kentucky came into Allen Fieldhouse and dominated Kansas in a game that was never close. Kentucky would have beaten any team that day, and the same can be said for Kansas during the first meeting in Lawrence. On that particular day, everything clicked for Kansas. I don’t know if rivalry is the best term when describing this game, but Kansas and Baylor have certainly played some memorable games in Lawrence and Waco. I look for another memorable outing on Saturday night.
2. Bill Self has always had great scoring teams. But this one looks a little more efficient than others. Is it more about Agbaji having a phenomenal season? Christian Braun coming of age?
I think it has to do with a little bit of both, and also the emergence of Jalen Wilson. When the season first started, a lot of people looked at Remy Martin as the guy that had the potential to really play a major role for Kansas. Martin was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and was coming off a season in which he averaged close to 20 points per game for Arizona State. He’s been out with an injury for much of the season, and that has really allowed Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, and a few others to really assert themselves this season. Before the season, nobody saw Agbaji as a 20 point per game scorer, but that’s exactly what he’s become. His ability to score from all three levels has had a huge impact on this team. Christian Braun has been solid for Kansas all season long and David McCormack has been very good in Big 12 play, but a big key lately has also been the emergence of Jalen Wilson. After being suspended early on in the season, Wilson got off to somewhat of a slow start, but lately, he’s been a star for Kansas.
3. KU teams have always been known for shooting a high percentage. What makes this group that way?
Well, they’ve got guys that are capable of making shots and they do an amazing job of sharing the basketball. With this team, and this is generally the case with a Bill Self coached team, guys do a great job of moving the ball and looking to get others involved. Generally, guys don’t force shots and don’t look to play outside of their comfort zone or level of comfort. Having a big man in the paint that can score helps as well, as that generally frees up guys on the perimeter and forces teams to play honest. This team, with Agbaji, Braun, Wilson, Dajuan Harris, and Jalen Coleman-Lands all have the ability to shoot the ball.
4. Really looks like Texas product Jalen Wilson has come into his own this season. What have you seen in his growth?
I mentioned this above, but Jalen Wilson is finally starting to play at the level that many expected when he returned from his suspension. He really struggled early on in the season and is really playing at a high level right now. In fact, Wilson may very well be playing the best basketball of his college career. The thing with Wilson, and he’s talked about this several times this season, is he’s playing for his teammates and is doing whatever the coaching staff asks him to do. Instead of forcing the issue or trying to make plays on his own, he’s allowed the game to come to him and is playing to his strengths. I think there was a time, especially early on, when he was thinking too much and trying to do too much. A few games early on in the season, Wilson had little to no impact at all on the outcome of a game, but that is simply no longer the case. Kansas, with Agbaji, Braun, and Wilson, has a three-headed monster that’s tough to match on the perimeter and in transition.
5. Anything about this season surprise you about this team this year? Have they played above expectations? Any injuries?
Really, this is pretty much the same team as last year. The fact that Kansas is 23-4 isn’t a surprise, but how Bill Self’s squad has arrived at this point is somewhat surprising. In the offseason, Kansas added Bobby Pettiford (HS), Joseph Yesufu (Portal), Kyle Cuffe, Jr. (HS), Remy Martin (Portal), Zach Clemence (HS), KJ Adams, Jr. (HS), Cam Martin (Portal), and Jalen Coleman-Lands (Portal).
However, KU’s starting rotation consists of Christian Braun, Dajuan Harris, Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji, and David McCormack. Off the bench, you’ve got Mitch Lightfoot, Joseph Yesufu, Zach Clemence, KJ Adams, and Jalen Coleman-Lands.
Last season, Braun, Wilson (26 of 29 games), Agbaji, and McCormack started for Kansas. This season, guys like Remy Martin, Joseph Yesufu, Cam Martin, and others were expected to play major minutes, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case. Yesufu has started to come on late in the season, Clemence is just returning from an injury, Martin could return for the Baylor game or in the very near future, and others have played limited minutes.
Self, this season, has done an amazing job getting this team to where its at today.
6. Kansas wins if....
Kansas needs to defend, hit shots, rebound, and take care of the basketball. This isn’t a game where Agbaji can come in and score 35 points and be the only Kansas player to score in double-digits. Agbaji, Braun, Wilson, McCormack, and Harris all need to play a role against Baylor and have an impact on both ends of the court. In the first meeting, James Akinjo was held scoreless for the entire game. In 24 minutes of action, he was 0-of-11 from the field and 0-of-5 from behind the arc.
That isn’t going to be the case on Saturday night. When Baylor makes a run, and Baylor is going to make a run, Kansas needs to weather the storm and find a way to respond. Winning on the road, especially after what took place in Lawrence, is going to take a group effort. The starters will need to play lights outs for 40 minutes and then bench, when called upon, needs to be productive.
Jayhawk Slant to SicEmSports
1. The last game was lopsided between these two teams. Baylor is a proud program how did they take that loss?
They were pretty humbled by it. It was probably the worst they've looked in three years. Nothing went right. Drew burning two early timeouts only delayed how bad it was going to get.
But bad nights happen to even the best teams. And when you're coming off a national championship, you understand even the blue bloods want to show you something. The Bears get that and understand that.
The good thing for them is that they bounced back quickly with a road win at Kansas State and then turned around and beat up Texas. Baylor didn't let the Kansas loss define it. That didn't surprise me.
2. Coaches will always downplay the revenge factor. But do you that think is extra motivation for this game?
I think there is the natural incentive to show the team that beat you the first time badly that the performance isn't who you really are. The Bears just did that at Oklahoma State. Didn't work out against Texas Tech.
Revenge can be a factor but just staying in the Big 12 regular season title race is the No. 1 objective. They have to win this if they feel like they have any chance to either tie or climb over the Jayhawks to get there.
3. Baylor has had players in and out of the line-up recently. How do you expect the overall team health to be and will they be back at full strength?
Ask me 15 minutes before game time because that's really how it has been since Jan. 29 at Alabama (BTW, I was at Coleman Coliseum for that game, and it had an old school fieldhouse aura to it. Pretty cool.).
Obviously, everyone knows forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua is done for the year with a severe knee injury.
They haven't had leading scorer LJ Cryer for eight of the last night games with a foot injury. Guard Adam Flagler has missed a couple with a nagging knee injury. Their status is usually announced shortly before game time. I don't expect Saturday evening to be any different.
This team will not be at full strength for the season. But it finds a way to compete and win. They only played with six last Saturday against TCU. Well, there was a seventh but for only two minutes.
4. How important are the next two games as the Bears face Kansas and Texas?
Like I mentioned above, the fate of staying in the Big 12 regular season championship hunt comes down to these 48 hours. Must wins or else they're out of it.
Kansas is difficult enough as it is. While Baylor has won 11 of the last 12 against Texas, this the final game in the Erwin Center for the Longhorns. Hmmm.
5. Talk about what to expect from Baylor. What do they do well and what have they struggled with?
They share the ball really well. Arizona transfer guard James Akinjo has been a real solid facilitator. The freshmen Kendall Brown and Jeremy Sochan have come on as of late and become more all-around players especially when it comes to scoring. I hope for Baylor's sake Matthew Mayer is taking it up a notch. He's been in double figures the last couple of games. They need that because he will take over just as quickly as he will disappear.
The Bears were a really good rebounding team until JTT got hurt. Now, they have to scrap and claw on the boards. They're not as good a shooting team as they were during the NC season. But they're pretty solid.
6. Give your thoughts and expectations for the game?
Baylor has really fed off the Ferrell Center crowd more than I can recall. The Bears really tapped into that against Texas and TCU. They need that sixth man to be a factor and maybe rattle Kansas a little bit.
They have to stay out of foul trouble and they need Mayer and Akinjo to be good offensively.
I wouldn't be surprised if Scott Drew pulls out the 1-3-1 zone for this one just to give the Jayhawks something to think about. He's used it more lately, but I think he has to because of the depth.
They're going to have to limit Ochai Agbaji to an extent. If he goes off, they're in trouble.
Key Scott Drew Quotes
(Motivation after the first Kansas game) "Definitely, we didn’t play our best basketball game, they had a lot to do with that. They’re a very good team. As competitors go, obviously, you want to put your best foot forward. In the Big 12, you can play well and lose. But, we didn’t feel like we played to our best and fullest capability. So, we’ll definitely try to correct some things. Starting with transition defense, try to do a much better job there. Try to do a much better job on the glass."
(Being able to grind out that OT win at OSU) I think it shows a lot of toughness, a lot of grit, a lot of togetherness. You’re playing two games – Saturday, Monday – and we didn’t have a big rotation, so guys are fatigued, they’re tired. To fight through that, persevere, win on the road, says a lot, because it’s hard to do.
(Being able to have some practices this week) I think definitely each and every day, we get more and more comfortable, and more opportunities to add some things, change some things. At the same time, it’s also a little tough because the more you do with contact in practice, the more chance you have of another injury. If you practice a lot, put a lot in, and we have two players out, then it’s all for naught. So really, it’s a challenge this time of the year. But definitely, each and every day that you have an opportunity like we had the last two days are beneficial.
Key Adam Flagler Quotes
(Focusing on after that first Kansas game) Just going back to who we are. We did a lot of different things, in a sense of not getting back on defense, boxing out, ball-screen reads. Everything that makes us who we are. We’re just focused on practicing that constantly these past two days, and we feel confident in just going out there and putting our best foot forward.
(Take confidence into Kansas after the OSU performance) Definitely. The confidence, regardless if I’m making shots or missing, is not going to change. But definitely, I’m going to have a target on my back. So, it’s my job to just go out there and continue to play a solid game, whether it’s taking charges or just finding open guys like Flo, and just playing the right way.
(Expecting to see in the Ferrell Center Saturday) Rocking! I can’t wait. I know they’re going to come out and support, and I hope they’re able to come out and support the girls as well. Got two big games, it’s going to be exciting tomorrow. And we’re just going to be thankful for them to even be out there.
Publisher
No. 10 Baylor plays host to No. 5 Kansas at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at the Ferrell Center.
It’s a game the Bears need to remain a Big 12 regular season title contender. Kansas won the first meeting Feb. 5 at the Allen Fieldhouse, 83-59.
SicEmSports and our Kansas Rivals colleague Shay Wildeboor from Jayhawk Slant went through a Q&A for each side leading up to this game.
Baylor head coach Scott Drew said guard Adam Flagler (knee) is cleared to play. Guard LJ Cryer (foot) is once again, a game time decision.
SicEmSports To Jayhawk Slant
1. While the first game at the Phog didn't have any sizzle to it, Baylor vs. Kansas has turned into a pretty good rivalry. How does the KU side view this against Baylor?
Kansas and Baylor have played some pretty big games in the past and I expect Saturday to have that same type of vibe. The first time around, Baylor wasn’t healthy and was missing LJ Cryer and Kansas played lights out from start to finish. A week earlier, Kentucky came into Allen Fieldhouse and dominated Kansas in a game that was never close. Kentucky would have beaten any team that day, and the same can be said for Kansas during the first meeting in Lawrence. On that particular day, everything clicked for Kansas. I don’t know if rivalry is the best term when describing this game, but Kansas and Baylor have certainly played some memorable games in Lawrence and Waco. I look for another memorable outing on Saturday night.
2. Bill Self has always had great scoring teams. But this one looks a little more efficient than others. Is it more about Agbaji having a phenomenal season? Christian Braun coming of age?
I think it has to do with a little bit of both, and also the emergence of Jalen Wilson. When the season first started, a lot of people looked at Remy Martin as the guy that had the potential to really play a major role for Kansas. Martin was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and was coming off a season in which he averaged close to 20 points per game for Arizona State. He’s been out with an injury for much of the season, and that has really allowed Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, and a few others to really assert themselves this season. Before the season, nobody saw Agbaji as a 20 point per game scorer, but that’s exactly what he’s become. His ability to score from all three levels has had a huge impact on this team. Christian Braun has been solid for Kansas all season long and David McCormack has been very good in Big 12 play, but a big key lately has also been the emergence of Jalen Wilson. After being suspended early on in the season, Wilson got off to somewhat of a slow start, but lately, he’s been a star for Kansas.
3. KU teams have always been known for shooting a high percentage. What makes this group that way?
Well, they’ve got guys that are capable of making shots and they do an amazing job of sharing the basketball. With this team, and this is generally the case with a Bill Self coached team, guys do a great job of moving the ball and looking to get others involved. Generally, guys don’t force shots and don’t look to play outside of their comfort zone or level of comfort. Having a big man in the paint that can score helps as well, as that generally frees up guys on the perimeter and forces teams to play honest. This team, with Agbaji, Braun, Wilson, Dajuan Harris, and Jalen Coleman-Lands all have the ability to shoot the ball.
4. Really looks like Texas product Jalen Wilson has come into his own this season. What have you seen in his growth?
I mentioned this above, but Jalen Wilson is finally starting to play at the level that many expected when he returned from his suspension. He really struggled early on in the season and is really playing at a high level right now. In fact, Wilson may very well be playing the best basketball of his college career. The thing with Wilson, and he’s talked about this several times this season, is he’s playing for his teammates and is doing whatever the coaching staff asks him to do. Instead of forcing the issue or trying to make plays on his own, he’s allowed the game to come to him and is playing to his strengths. I think there was a time, especially early on, when he was thinking too much and trying to do too much. A few games early on in the season, Wilson had little to no impact at all on the outcome of a game, but that is simply no longer the case. Kansas, with Agbaji, Braun, and Wilson, has a three-headed monster that’s tough to match on the perimeter and in transition.
5. Anything about this season surprise you about this team this year? Have they played above expectations? Any injuries?
Really, this is pretty much the same team as last year. The fact that Kansas is 23-4 isn’t a surprise, but how Bill Self’s squad has arrived at this point is somewhat surprising. In the offseason, Kansas added Bobby Pettiford (HS), Joseph Yesufu (Portal), Kyle Cuffe, Jr. (HS), Remy Martin (Portal), Zach Clemence (HS), KJ Adams, Jr. (HS), Cam Martin (Portal), and Jalen Coleman-Lands (Portal).
However, KU’s starting rotation consists of Christian Braun, Dajuan Harris, Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji, and David McCormack. Off the bench, you’ve got Mitch Lightfoot, Joseph Yesufu, Zach Clemence, KJ Adams, and Jalen Coleman-Lands.
Last season, Braun, Wilson (26 of 29 games), Agbaji, and McCormack started for Kansas. This season, guys like Remy Martin, Joseph Yesufu, Cam Martin, and others were expected to play major minutes, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case. Yesufu has started to come on late in the season, Clemence is just returning from an injury, Martin could return for the Baylor game or in the very near future, and others have played limited minutes.
Self, this season, has done an amazing job getting this team to where its at today.
6. Kansas wins if....
Kansas needs to defend, hit shots, rebound, and take care of the basketball. This isn’t a game where Agbaji can come in and score 35 points and be the only Kansas player to score in double-digits. Agbaji, Braun, Wilson, McCormack, and Harris all need to play a role against Baylor and have an impact on both ends of the court. In the first meeting, James Akinjo was held scoreless for the entire game. In 24 minutes of action, he was 0-of-11 from the field and 0-of-5 from behind the arc.
That isn’t going to be the case on Saturday night. When Baylor makes a run, and Baylor is going to make a run, Kansas needs to weather the storm and find a way to respond. Winning on the road, especially after what took place in Lawrence, is going to take a group effort. The starters will need to play lights outs for 40 minutes and then bench, when called upon, needs to be productive.
Jayhawk Slant to SicEmSports
1. The last game was lopsided between these two teams. Baylor is a proud program how did they take that loss?
They were pretty humbled by it. It was probably the worst they've looked in three years. Nothing went right. Drew burning two early timeouts only delayed how bad it was going to get.
But bad nights happen to even the best teams. And when you're coming off a national championship, you understand even the blue bloods want to show you something. The Bears get that and understand that.
The good thing for them is that they bounced back quickly with a road win at Kansas State and then turned around and beat up Texas. Baylor didn't let the Kansas loss define it. That didn't surprise me.
2. Coaches will always downplay the revenge factor. But do you that think is extra motivation for this game?
I think there is the natural incentive to show the team that beat you the first time badly that the performance isn't who you really are. The Bears just did that at Oklahoma State. Didn't work out against Texas Tech.
Revenge can be a factor but just staying in the Big 12 regular season title race is the No. 1 objective. They have to win this if they feel like they have any chance to either tie or climb over the Jayhawks to get there.
3. Baylor has had players in and out of the line-up recently. How do you expect the overall team health to be and will they be back at full strength?
Ask me 15 minutes before game time because that's really how it has been since Jan. 29 at Alabama (BTW, I was at Coleman Coliseum for that game, and it had an old school fieldhouse aura to it. Pretty cool.).
Obviously, everyone knows forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua is done for the year with a severe knee injury.
They haven't had leading scorer LJ Cryer for eight of the last night games with a foot injury. Guard Adam Flagler has missed a couple with a nagging knee injury. Their status is usually announced shortly before game time. I don't expect Saturday evening to be any different.
This team will not be at full strength for the season. But it finds a way to compete and win. They only played with six last Saturday against TCU. Well, there was a seventh but for only two minutes.
4. How important are the next two games as the Bears face Kansas and Texas?
Like I mentioned above, the fate of staying in the Big 12 regular season championship hunt comes down to these 48 hours. Must wins or else they're out of it.
Kansas is difficult enough as it is. While Baylor has won 11 of the last 12 against Texas, this the final game in the Erwin Center for the Longhorns. Hmmm.
5. Talk about what to expect from Baylor. What do they do well and what have they struggled with?
They share the ball really well. Arizona transfer guard James Akinjo has been a real solid facilitator. The freshmen Kendall Brown and Jeremy Sochan have come on as of late and become more all-around players especially when it comes to scoring. I hope for Baylor's sake Matthew Mayer is taking it up a notch. He's been in double figures the last couple of games. They need that because he will take over just as quickly as he will disappear.
The Bears were a really good rebounding team until JTT got hurt. Now, they have to scrap and claw on the boards. They're not as good a shooting team as they were during the NC season. But they're pretty solid.
6. Give your thoughts and expectations for the game?
Baylor has really fed off the Ferrell Center crowd more than I can recall. The Bears really tapped into that against Texas and TCU. They need that sixth man to be a factor and maybe rattle Kansas a little bit.
They have to stay out of foul trouble and they need Mayer and Akinjo to be good offensively.
I wouldn't be surprised if Scott Drew pulls out the 1-3-1 zone for this one just to give the Jayhawks something to think about. He's used it more lately, but I think he has to because of the depth.
They're going to have to limit Ochai Agbaji to an extent. If he goes off, they're in trouble.
Key Scott Drew Quotes
(Motivation after the first Kansas game) "Definitely, we didn’t play our best basketball game, they had a lot to do with that. They’re a very good team. As competitors go, obviously, you want to put your best foot forward. In the Big 12, you can play well and lose. But, we didn’t feel like we played to our best and fullest capability. So, we’ll definitely try to correct some things. Starting with transition defense, try to do a much better job there. Try to do a much better job on the glass."
(Being able to grind out that OT win at OSU) I think it shows a lot of toughness, a lot of grit, a lot of togetherness. You’re playing two games – Saturday, Monday – and we didn’t have a big rotation, so guys are fatigued, they’re tired. To fight through that, persevere, win on the road, says a lot, because it’s hard to do.
(Being able to have some practices this week) I think definitely each and every day, we get more and more comfortable, and more opportunities to add some things, change some things. At the same time, it’s also a little tough because the more you do with contact in practice, the more chance you have of another injury. If you practice a lot, put a lot in, and we have two players out, then it’s all for naught. So really, it’s a challenge this time of the year. But definitely, each and every day that you have an opportunity like we had the last two days are beneficial.
Key Adam Flagler Quotes
(Focusing on after that first Kansas game) Just going back to who we are. We did a lot of different things, in a sense of not getting back on defense, boxing out, ball-screen reads. Everything that makes us who we are. We’re just focused on practicing that constantly these past two days, and we feel confident in just going out there and putting our best foot forward.
(Take confidence into Kansas after the OSU performance) Definitely. The confidence, regardless if I’m making shots or missing, is not going to change. But definitely, I’m going to have a target on my back. So, it’s my job to just go out there and continue to play a solid game, whether it’s taking charges or just finding open guys like Flo, and just playing the right way.
(Expecting to see in the Ferrell Center Saturday) Rocking! I can’t wait. I know they’re going to come out and support, and I hope they’re able to come out and support the girls as well. Got two big games, it’s going to be exciting tomorrow. And we’re just going to be thankful for them to even be out there.
