It’s not uncommon for Bill Self to play through a big man. Over Self’s nearly two-decade tenure at KU, such a thing has been documented numerous times.
He has spoken about the idea of using a paint touch in order to create space for an open shot, even when his teams have had good shooters. The Jayhawks take on Eastern Washington at 12:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, and starting big man David McCormack could miss the game because of an ankle injury.
When McCormack returns to the team on Friday, the day before the tournament begins, it is expected that he will have tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
This means that for at least the first game, things will be very different for a KU basketball team that will be without starting forward Jalen Wilson as well as backup wing Tristan Enaruna.
If they do come back, (here’s a look at when they might) This season, the Jayhawks have used a five-guard lineup around Wilson or Enaruna, but the team’s size could shrink even further on Saturday.
A significant number of minutes from [McCormack] aren’t likely on Saturday, according to Self, even though it would be nice if they were.
As a result, either Christian [Braun] or Marcus [Garrett] could move up from starting wing to backup five. Tyon [Grant-Foster] might be able to play a little bit of that, too.
Because we’ll be so small, it won’t have much of an impact on our offense. There has never been a team this small that we’ve sent out before. In order to win this battle, we’ll need to be extremely savage and aggressive.”
Self isn’t joking when he says he likes to “play small” when he talks.
While Grant-Foster is listed as a 6-7 centre, his actual weight is closer to 205 pounds. Although he’s only 6-5 and 205 pounds, Garrett is a starter at point guard for the Sooners and has faced bigger opponents like Oklahoma’s Brady Manek and West Virginia’s Derek Culver. Braun is 6-6 and 210 pounds, but he has shown he can rebound at times.
Self predicted that the next five-man rotation after Mitch Lightfoot, the Jayhawks’ usual backup big man who has been thrust into the starting role, would go through an adjustment period.
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It will take some time to catch up, Self conceded. Even though they are not used in every game, they are a common part of many sets.
For the record, we’ve got somewhere in the neighbourhood of 70 sets. And given that we may only run seven plays in a given game, we’ll need to focus our efforts on developing five or seven different playcalls that either CB or Marcus can run.
Given how his season has gone, Grant-Foster stands out as an interesting case among the players Self mentioned.
Grant-Foster had eight points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in KU’s win over North Dakota State earlier this year, including the game-winning basket and block. A 13-point outburst against Omaha and nine points and five rebounds in an eight-point win over TCU were his best performances of the season.
The Jayhawks cut Grant-Foster from their rotation after injured freshman guard Bryce Thompson returned, and he hasn’t played more than five minutes in a game since the beginning of February. As far as Grant-Foster is concerned, things are looking up. He is a strong athlete with good shot blocking instincts and the confidence to shoot off the bounce.
It’s safe to say that Self and the rest of the coaching staff believe he will play. “He’ll be one of our four outside shooters. As you all know, we’re a tiny, tiny team. As for how much we can use David, that will depend on how he feels, when he feels it, and other factors.”
As a result, going into Saturday, the depth chart might look like this:
- G: Marcus Garrett — Dajuan Harris — Latrell Jossell#
- G: Bryce Thompson — Tyon Grant-Foster
- G: Ochai Agbaji
- G: Christian Braun
- C: Mitch Lightfoot — David McCormack* — Gethro Muscadin#
*Limited due to returning from COVID-19
If McCormack is unable to play, you could have Garrett and Braun back up Lightfoot, while Grant-Foster could play anywhere on the wing. Dajuan Harris and Thompson are both capable of filling in at the point guard position if either is unavailable.
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Self has been preparing for the new rotation since the Jayhawks’ exit from the Big 12 Tournament.
If the Jayhawks can rely heavily on Lightfoot, that adjustment will not be as great. In fact, the Jayhawks’ lone game at the Big 12 Tournament was won by the team’s backup five men, who scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
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