KU’s Carlton Bragg still chasing the Perry Ellis standard … on defense

Carlton Bragg immediately knew what he’d done wrong.

Kansas coach Bill Self called “41,” which means all ball screens are switched from the 1 through 4 positions. But Bragg forgot, allowing a layup attempt and prompting Self to scream: “Carlton, forty-one!”

Bragg remembered the moment in the postgame interview session following KU’s 86-65 victory over Siena on Friday night.

“Coach was on me,” he said with a half-grin.

In many ways, this was a breakout effort for Bragg. After being stuck in what Self described as a “funk” during the early part of the season, the 6-foot-10 forward posted career highs in both points and rebounds.

Yet, the question surrounding Bragg isn’t about his offense, as he’s actually been productive there all season while making 70 percent of his twos.

The biggest uncertainty, instead, is his defense. What type of player is he best guarding? And how does that work within this KU team’s structure?

At this point, the Jayhawks desperately need defensive rebounding, which is why Friday was so encouraging. Bragg’s eight defensive rebounds were a career high, topping the six he pulled down last season against Division II Chaminade.

“It’s been tough,” Bragg said of grabbing defensive boards. “It’s been a struggle going against Landen (Lucas) and Udoka (Azubuike) every day in practice, but it’s helping me getting a lot better.”

The other part of defense for Bragg will be chasing the high standard set by Perry Ellis, who didn’t get enough credit for his defensive role with the Jayhawks last season.

Ellis was the biggest reason that “41” defensive play call ran effectively. Essentially, when his man set a ball screen, Ellis could hold his own defending a driving point guard, which left the Jayhawks with a flexible defense.

Kansas State coach Bruce Weber explained the challenges this created during Big 12 media days last month.

“Perry’d just switch on our guard, and our guard couldn’t get by him,” Weber said. “It makes you stagnant.”

Whether Bragg can transform himself into that type of defender remains to be seen.

Though it could have been matchup-dependent, Bragg defended both the 4 and 5 positions against Siena. He also spent time switching and hedging ball screens following different Self calls from the bench.

Self spoke about Bragg’s defense in a media session Thursday. He said he feels confident Bragg can guard someone his size. He also feels OK when he’s going against a pick-and-pop player.

But someone like 6-foot-5 Matt Jones, whom he had to defend on Tuesday?

“You’re asking a 6-10 guy to guard a guard,” Self said. “I think those are the tough matchups.”

Bragg is an efficient offensive player. He’s great on the offensive glass, quick enough to create steals and skilled enough to make jump shots when he’s left open.

The true test of his season, though, will be how far he can come on the defensive end while matching up with KU’s other talented defenders.

For now, he’ll take pride in accomplishing the first step Friday, proving that he could hold his own with wider bodies on the defensive glass.

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 11:02 PM with the headline "KU’s Carlton Bragg still chasing the Perry Ellis standard … on defense."