A clever playcall. A Self halftime adjustment. One Jayhawk’s debut made both possible
Kansas center Udoka Azubuike turned to his teammate before the play began: “You’re going to be open.”
It was early in the second half of KU’s 74-62 victory over UNC Greensboro on Friday night, and Isaiah Moss — before he even made a cut — had a feeling his buddy was going to be right.
This was a sideline out of bounds play KU works on often. Moss stood in the lane, then after the ball was thrown in, he quickly ran to the perimeter to catch a pass for a potential three.
Behind him was an elevator screen ... with Azubuike and Marcus Garrett converging like retractable doors to shield Moss’ defender from the play.
“With Doke down there, that’s pretty much going to be open,” Moss said. “I don’t know too many guys that are going to be able to get past Doke.”
UNC Greensboro’s Angelo Allegri, in this instance, did not make it. He stuck to the joined hips of Azubuike and Garrett, leaving Moss plenty of time and space for an open three-pointer.
KU’s bench knew how this was going to end. A few players stood up before Moss had even released the shot, starting to celebrate the made three before it went through the net.
If KU fans were looking for a positive on Friday night ... this was the biggest one. Moss, who sat out KU’s opener against Duke because of a hamstring injury, made his regular season debut, scoring eight points in 25 minutes.
His impact was much bigger than that, though.
Moss — for this particular play and many others — gave a glimpse into what he can provide for the Jayhawks.
And that is potentially a perfect complement to Azubuike’s skill set.
“You just see what he did today,” Azubuike said. “He’s good for us.”
How Moss helped Azubuike
Azubuike can do so many things for an offense. He draws constant attention, can catch lobs and also forces opposing big men to always be wary about holding their ground.
Against Duke, though, all that didn’t create much of an offensive advantage. KU struggled to find someone to play off those strengths, as the Jayhawks’ two-big and four-guard lineups both labored to score.
Things were different Friday, and much of that was because of Moss.
In actuality, Azubuike set up Moss’ open three a couple minutes earlier. KU ran a sideline out of bounds play, but this time, Garrett threw inside to Azubuike, who was able to score against a single defender.
The reason the double-team couldn’t come? Moss was standing in the corner, and his threat as a shooter limited the help defense.
See how this works? Moss helps give Azubuike space. Then when the defense starts thinking the Azubuike play is coming again ... KU is able to counter with something that caters to Moss’ strengths as a 39% career three-point shooter.
It’s like a play-action pass when the defense is expecting a run, or a burying a change-up following two good fastballs.
KU was able to properly counter its opponent Friday, making the Spartans pay for a defense that briefly focused too much on taking away Azubuike.
It’s early, yes, but listening to Azubuike also would make you believe he’s developing confidence in Moss.
“I always tell him in practice, ‘Once I get a double team and you’re wide open, just come to my side. I’m kicking it to you. Be ready to shoot it,’” Azubuike said. “We have that chemistry together.”
Self saw some of that too. When Moss was asked for the coach’s message to him after the game, he said, “He wants me to continue to get healthy. They’re going to need me; they’re going to need my perimeter shooting to help the big fella space it out a little bit.”
How Moss helped Self
There was one other notable example of how Moss provided value on Friday: His ability allowed Self to make a second-half adjustment against UNC Greensboro’s defense.
Early on — with either David McCormack or Tristan Enaruna playing the 4 — Self positioned that particular player well past the three-point line while his guards worked to break the press. This wasn’t particularly helpful, as it allowed UNC Greensboro’s defenders to shrink the floor while crowding the middle.
A change came after halftime. Self — with outside-shooting threats Moss and Ochai Agbaji in — sent both players to the corners, overextending the Spartans’ defenders who were unable to recover quickly enough.
This led to two open shots — one from Moss and one from Agbaji — in the first four minutes of the second half.
It all relates back to the same concept: Azubuike sucks defenders in, while Moss draws those same players out.
That results in defenses having to scramble — the inherent challenge of having to cover each of the 50 feet along the baseline.
For a game, it was a perfect pairing. Moss provided a boost to KU’s top player, helping him become the best version of himself.
Self has been searching for that piece for awhile now.
And if Moss continues to fill that role like he did Friday, his playing time should only increase from here.
This story was originally published November 9, 2019 at 4:27 AM with the headline "A clever playcall. A Self halftime adjustment. One Jayhawk’s debut made both possible."
