photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas guard Shakeel Moore (0) defends as Oakland guard DQ Cole (10) brings the ball up the court during the first half on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse.
One of UNC Wilmington’s recent performances clearly made an impact on Kansas coach Bill Self.
As part of an answer to a reporter’s question on Monday about the ongoing development of his rotation, Self pointed out, “We’re playing a team tomorrow that scored 143 points in a game.”
Indeed the Seahawks did, against Division II Mount Olive, with a whopping eight players in double figures, and UNCW has kept up its brisk scoring pace in consecutive victories against higher-level opponents, taking down Georgia Southern at home and USC Upstate on the road.
At this early stage of the season, the Seahawks now average 108 points, which makes them No. 1 in the nation, and they’re doing a lot of their scoring through one somewhat unconventional means.
“They draw fouls,” Self said. “They’ve shot 59 free throws in one game.”
They made 45 of them against Georgia Southern, led by a 19-for-21 showing by guard Donovan Newby, a fifth-year senior averaging 22 points per game. Albeit in a small sample size, UNCW is attempting 42.3 free throws per game — also best in the country — compared to KU’s 16.5, which is tied for 289th.
Besides Newby, also scoring well in the early going are guards Joshua Corbin, a transfer from Robert Morris with eight 3-pointers to his name so far, and Noah Ross, along with redshirt junior forward Khamari McGriff.
Picked to finish third in a tight CAA preseason poll, the Seahawks will now head to Allen Fieldhouse for their first-ever matchup with the also-unbeaten Jayhawks on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Self has a chance to accomplish another milestone; already the winningest coach in KU basketball history, with a newly installed banner to prove it (even though he didn’t know about the banner until hours after it went up in Allen Fieldhouse), he can now become the third active coach to reach 800 career victories if the Jayhawks win on Tuesday. He said, “Whenever it happens, I’ll think about it for at least three to five minutes, and then we’ll go on to the next.”
No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (4-0) vs. UNCW Seahawks (3-0)
• Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, 7 p.m.
• Broadcast: ESPN+
• Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network (in Lawrence, KLWN AM 1320 / K269GB FM 101.7 / KMXN FM 92.9)
Keep an eye out
Less limited: Mississippi State transfer guard Shakeel Moore somewhat surprisingly made his season debut on Saturday after dealing with soreness as he was recovering from a foot injury suffered during the offseason. Moore played just five minutes — Self said that was his limit — and scored once with two rebounds and an assist. Moore’s teammates and Self alike have talked about the guard’s high potential as an on-ball defender. He practiced on Sunday and he’ll have more and more opportunities to demonstrate those capabilities beginning on Tuesday, although Self said his conditioning as he works his way back into action may limit his chances to spend too much time on the floor.
Making the cut: On that note, while a game against UNCW might not necessitate the tightest rotation, Self said after the victory over Oakland, “I’m playing too many guys. That’s going to quit. But I do think there’s a core nine we can put out there, and (be) pretty interchangeable.” The process of determining who fits in that group is ongoing, as Self played 11 scholarship players against the Golden Grizzlies and is trying to determine which personnel groupings work best. A strong showing against the Seahawks could be key for a player, like freshman Rakease Passmore, on the fringes of the rotation; Passmore hit a 3-pointer and had four points, two turnovers, an assist and a rebound in nine minutes against Oakland, but Self said on Monday, “I would say him leaving out of here the other night, he remembered some defensive things more than he remembered the actual made shot, because he knows that’s how he can get on the court and stay.”
Slump or not: Transfer guard Zeke Mayo said on Monday he thinks he’s in a shooting slump, and indeed he’s 5-for-17 overall and 1-for-8 from distance across the last week in his first two starts for the Jayhawks. His head coach pushed back on the notion of a slump, though, saying of Mayo, “If you can play well without making shots, that means you’re a player, and I think he’s a player.” Certainly the Lawrence native has made himself useful otherwise, particularly against Michigan State when he grabbed 10 rebounds and dished seven assists.
Off-kilter observation
This is the second straight opponent KU has played — both mid-majors — that beat Kentucky last season.
