Self’s warning: If KU doesn’t make shots, ‘it’s going to be a long conference season’
One bright spot in No. 2-ranked Kansas’ hard-earned 75-60 victory over mid-major Yale on Friday night had to be the Jayhawks’ 3-point shooting.
KU (11-1) knocked down nine 3s in 20 attempts for 45%. That tied for the Jayhawks’ third-most productive game from beyond the arc through 12 nonconference games of the 2023-24 season.
KU also hit nine in a 69-65 victory over UConn on Dec. 1 at Allen Fieldhouse, going 9-of-14. The Jayhawks were 13-of-23 from 3-point range in a 99-56 win over North Carolina Central and 10-of-26 in a 99-61 victory over Manhattan in November games at Allen Fieldhouse.
For the year, KU has converted 81 of 211 3s for 38.4%. Opponents are 96 of 311 from 3-point range, for 30.9%.
“Guys, if we don’t make perimeter shots it’s going to be a long conference season,” KU coach Bill Self said Friday night. “I’m not being negative, but the way people are playing (us), we’ve got to figure out a way (to make 3s).”
Teams have been putting more than one man on center Hunter Dickinson and forward KJ Adams when they get the ball inside, not worrying about getting burned by kickout 3-pointers.
“We have done a good job until tonight,” Self said, “but we didn’t do a good job screening so it didn’t open up pocket passes and things we’ve been pretty good at. Tonight it wasn’t an execution thing at all. It was guys stepping up and making shots. That’s how games are won against good defensive teams.”
Senior guard Kevin McCullar was 4-of-7 from 3-point range en route to a career-high 34 points against Yale. Senior guard Nick Timberlake was 3-of-7 from 3-point range and scored 13 points. Senior point guard Dajuan Harris was 2-for-3 beyond the arc and scored 10 points.
Dickinson and freshman guard Elmarko Jackson were 0-for-2 and 0-for-1 from 3-point range, respectively.
“It’s big for us. When we are shooting the ball at a higher rate it will open up a lot of things for us offensively,” said McCullar, who has made 20 of 49 three-point attempts for 40.8%. “The main thing with us is we’ve got guys that we know can put the ball in the hole.”
Timberlake could be an important factor in the Jayhawks’ success or failure from beyond the arc. He’s 10-of-33 for 30.3% heading into KU’s final nonconference game, set for 3 p.m. on Dec. 30 against Wichita State at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center.
“Everybody in the country knows what we brought Nick here to do. He can shoot the ball at a high rate,” McCullar said. “Everybody in the country knows he is a great shooter, but we are trying to push him on other aspects of his game.
“He’s been doing a great job, as you saw tonight on the defensive end — causing havoc, doing little things. The ball happened to go in the hole. We’re going to need it. He can get hot in a hurry.”
As for others who will have to hit some 3-pointers to, in Self’s words, avoid this being “a long conference season,” there’s Harris, who has made 13 of 27 for 48.1%; Jackson (6-of-24 for 25%); freshman guard Johnny Furphy (12-of-31 for 38.7%); freshman guard Jamari McDowell (5-of-16 for 31.3%); and big man Dickinson (11-of-22 for 50%).
“We still aren’t clicking on all cylinders obviously,” Self said.
Of course, 3-point shooting is not the only factor in wielding an efficient offense as conference play begins.
Self said the Jayhawks did not effectively utilize the 7-foot Dickinson against Yale. He had eight points on 4-of-9 shooting. He was 2-of-5 for four points in the first half. The Bulldogs led by one at the break.
“If you follow us over the years,” Self said, “to start every game I want to play inside/out. That didn’t work out too well tonight. They way they guarded, we didn’t do a good job running our stuff. Hunter got off to a bad start.
“Elmarko (two points, 1-of-6 shooting; 0-1 from 3-point range) should drive to pass. He’s driving to score too much, in my opinion. Nick looked like a different guy tonight. He needed something good to happen. We are all very happy for him.”
This story was originally published December 23, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Self’s warning: If KU doesn’t make shots, ‘it’s going to be a long conference season’."
