I knew it was a dangerous question, but I had to ask it anyway. So as I stood alone with Roy Williams in a Madison Square Garden hallway shortly after Kansas' 83-73 loss to Florida in last Friday night's NIT consolation game, I asked him, point-blank: "Did your team get exposed this week?" Roy smiled at me (more with his lips than his eyes) and, referring to Sports Illustrated's preseason rankings from our college hoops preview issue, said, "I don't know. I'm not the one who said we were No. 2 in the country; you guys were. So if we were exposed, it's your mistake, not ours."
Touché. Of course, just about every other preseason publication also had the Jayhawks ranked second, and most of the ones that didn't had them at No. 1. So, yes, one thing that Kansas' double-digit losses to North Carolina and Florida revealed was that Williams, who several weeks ago told my colleague Grant Wahl that he was "absolutely stunned" his team was being picked so high, knows a lot more about basketball than sportswriters do.
But we knew that already. We also knew that Kansas, like every other team in America, has some weaknesses. What we didn't know was that those weaknesses were so numerous and so problematic. Yes, it's only the first week of December, and teams have come back from early losses before to have great seasons (most notably Maryland last year). Still, as November games go, Kansas' poor showings at the Garden last week were as shocking as they come. Williams may have known already about his team's shortcomings, but for the rest of us, here are the deficiencies that were -- gotta say it -- exposed last week:
1. 3-point shooting. Certainly, Kirk Hinrich's strained back affected his play, especially against Florida, but it's obvious that any coach preparing a scouting report on the Jayhawks will instruct his players to leave everyone but Hinrich alone from behind the arc. Kansas shot a combined 5-for-25 from deep range in the two games. Aaron Miles was 4-for-18 from the floor (1-for-5 on 3-pointers). That makes life much more difficult for Nick Collison, because defenses are free to double him in the post. Which brings us to ...
2. Nick Collison's life is much more difficult this year. It is indeed a different ballgame for Collison without Drew Gooden drawing defenders to all corners of the court. Williams agreed with this point Friday night: "I've always said it's easier when the other team's defense is aimed at somebody else." Collison's numbers were more than respectable last week (he averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds), but several times Kansas needed a bucket to staunch the bleeding, and Collison was unable to deliver. In order to get more scoring opportunities in the future, Collison might have to move off the block, which is a plausible option because he has the skills to score from outside. Still, given that he's one of the best rebounders in the country, that's not the ideal place for him to set up shop.
3. Help defense. Kansas is plenty quick, but the Jayhawks had a terrible time keeping their opponents from beating them off the dribble. Given that they love to gamble on defense, that meant a lot of easy baskets for the opposition. As one coach who scouted Kansas put it, "Their style is to overplay on defense and attack the passing lanes. So if you can beat them off the dribble, they don't have a lot of help."
4. Lack of depth. Even us yahoos on press row knew this was a weakness, but KU will keep reading about it until its reserves prove otherwise. In the two losses in New York, Kansas' five starters averaged 33.6 minutes. One can envision a decent seven-man rotation if Jeff Graves and Bryant Nash improve, but in the meantime the Jayhawks can expect to see lots of fullcourt pressure from opponents who hope to wear out the starters' legs. Said Williams, "I can't draft anybody. We just have to coach what we have, and we have to make sure the guys on our bench get better."
It would be folly to read too much into the losses, and though Collison said he was "embarrassed" by the way North Carolina thrashed Kansas, the Tar Heels did prove themselves to be legit when they romped past Stanford two nights later. And though the Jayhawks should never have waited until the second half against Florida to turn up the defensive intensity, at least they learned how much effort they'll have to put in to be successful. "I know we can play a lot better than we played here," Collison said. "It doesn't do us any good to be undefeated in November. It's a long season."
True enough. But for Kansas, the season just got a little longer.
Other Hoop Thoughts
For all of the well-deserved praise heaped on North Carolina's freshmen, Florida's first-year wonder, 6-foot-6 swingman Matt Walsh, has been one of the real revelations of the young season. Walsh leads the Gators in scoring (20.8), assists (5.0) and steals (3.4), and his shooting percentages are off the charts: 60.7 percent from the floor, 48 percent from 3-point range. The number that really endears him to Gators coach Billy Donovan, however, is his 5.4 rebounds per game, second on the team. "The best thing about Matt is he has no regard for his body," Donovan said. "He gets hit in the face every day in practice, but he keeps coming back for more. I thought he'd be a good player, but you never know how good a guy is until the competition starts."
One of the reasons Walsh has played so many minutes is that prized recruit Christian Drejer, a 6-9 swingman from Denmark, is still out of action because of an infection he developed in his leg after a stress fracture in his foot. Drejer didn't make the trip to New York because he was in the hospital getting treatment, and now it looks like the earliest he'll be available will be in January for the start of SEC play. Drejer's return will upgrade Florida's talent considerably, but for a foreign player, who has to acclimate himself to the American style of play, to be out this long is definitely a concern.
I have to say it was hard not to smile when Williams walked by Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley Friday night and congratulated Foley on the Gators' win. There's still a lot of bad blood flowing between these two programs, stemming from Williams' very public contention that Donovan broke NCAA rules while recruiting Mike Miller. The NCAA virtually opened up a satellite office in Gainesville looking into those charges but found nothing. Foley later wrote Williams a letter asking him to issue a public mea culpa, but Williams declined.
North Carolina's two seniors, Will Johnson and Jonathan Holmes, won't get a lot of recognition this season, but their value to the Tar Heels far exceeds their stats. Chemistry is vital to a team's success, and nothing helps create chemistry like two seniors coming off the bench who understand the system and accept their roles. A lot of coaches would love to have two players like that on their team.
From the Curious Stats Dept.: Stanford point guard Julius Barnes has a higher shooting percentage from 3-point range (32 percent) than from inside the arc (28.9 percent). Of course, neither of those numbers is very good.
Kentucky senior Jules Camara has always been talked about in terms of his great potential, but he has scarcely improved at all since arriving in Lexington. Ditto for UCLA senior Jason Kapono.
Just 13 weeks to go until the NCAA tournament selection committee screws over the mid-majors. In the meantime, let's give some props to two of the best mid-major players in the country, both of whom turned in great performances last week: Kyle Korver, a 6-7 senior who had 24 points and 10 rebounds in Creighton's win over Notre Dame in the Guardians Classic final, and San Diego center Jason Keep, a 6-10 transfer from Oklahoma State who had 30 points and 16 rebounds in the Toreros' OT upset at UCLA.
Can we get all fans to agree not to storm the court after any games this season unless they're truly exceptional wins? Exhibit A: Stanford fans, who are supposed to be smart, rushing the floor after the Cardinal beat Xavier.
Coolest celebrity sighting of the young season: Peter Boyle, aka Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, at the Garden last week. Boyle is a big-time Knicks fan and friend of Ernie Grunfeld's, and he was at the NIT to watch Grunfeld's son, Dan, play for Stanford. Incidentally, I have two Separated at Birth suggestions for Grant's Mailbag: Boyle and Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli; Stanford junior center Joe Kirchofer and Gabe Kaplan.
You have to figure this will be Jerry Dunn's last year coaching at Penn State.
Sad to see Ball State senior forward Theron Smith sidelined for the season because of lingering tendinitis in his knee. Smith is a bona fide NBA prospect, and he will still be a great prospect at the end of next year. Smith also has shown great character in dealing with a severe speech impediment that has plagued him since he was a child. Smith's speech has improved since he started receiving regular therapy when he arrived at Ball State, and his communication skills also have gotten better through mock interviews conducted regularly with members of the local media. Smith submitted his name for the NBA draft last spring, but he blew out his knee during his only workout, with the Toronto Raptors, and never truly recovered.
Speaking of injuries, there's still no word on when Chris Marcus will be back in action for Western Kentucky. If he hasn't returned by early January, it's going to hurt his stock with NBA scouts, regardless of how he plays the rest of the way.
Isn't it long past time for Vanderbilt to rearrange its court so that teams are sitting along the sideline, not on opposite baselines? It was cute for about the first 20 years. Now it's just annoying.
If you're looking for something to stuff the stocking of your favorite basketball fan, here are two great books that any Hoophead will want. String Music: Inside the Rise of SEC Basketball, is written by Chris Dortch, editor of the estimable Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Also look out for The Men of March by Brian Curtis, an intriguing look at the college basketball coaching profession. Curtis had in-depth access last season to four of the most compelling coaches in the country: Iowa's Steve Alford, Notre Dame's Mike Brey, UCLA's Steve Lavin and Illinois' Bill Self.
Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers college basketball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
