Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, Jayhawks players react to UNC win
Check out everything Kansas basketball coach Bill Self and his players had to say Friday after a win in non-conference play against UNC at home.
LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball will go up against Michigan State on Tuesday in Atlanta, with the Champions Classic tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. (CT).
It’s been some time since these two teams last faced off. That was back during the 2021-22 season, also as a part of the Champions Classic. The Jayhawks beat the Spartans in that matchup, and KU head coach Bill Self will be looking for another win against MSU head coach Tom Izzo.
Here are a few things to consider, as well as a prediction, ahead of No. 1 Kansas (2-0) playing Michigan State (2-0):
How to watch Kansas basketball play Michigan State in Champions Classic
Bill Self previews Michigan State
As Self talked postgame this past Friday, after the win against UNC, he allowed he hadn’t watched Michigan State yet. Although he knew a lot about the Spartans’ personnel, he hadn’t reached the stage where he’d started to study them intently. Self, though, is no stranger to facing Izzo.
Self explained playing Izzo’s teams is different because Izzo runs more sets than anyone. Self will need to get his guys prepared for what MSU is capable of. At the time, ahead of tip-off Tuesday, Self anticipated a multi-day scout of Michigan State.
AJ Storr is coming off of an improved performance
It’s taken some time for junior guard AJ Storr to acclimate to the Kansas program, after transferring in from Wisconsin, but it seemed like Storr took a significant step forward during the Jayhawks’ game against UNC. He scored 13 points, and added a few assists and a couple rebounds. From Self’s perspective, everyone saw a bit of a different player in Storr when the lights came on.
The way Kansas wants to play, Self explained, focuses on ball and body movement so the ball doesn’t stick. Storr, Self added, sometimes tends to hold onto the ball. But that wasn’t as much of a factor against UNC and Self, who praised the approach Storr’s had in recent weeks and highlighted the extent to which Storr got downhill with the ball.
Kansas’ depth is showing up early
With as close as Kansas’ game against UNC was, if this was last season, many might have expected the majority of the Jayhawks’ starters to play upwards of 35 minutes. However, only senior forward KJ Adams — 37 minutes — eclipsed 30. Considering Self thought Dickinson and Harris were both tired at the end, the improved depth Kansas certainly helped.
Self noted he thinks senior guard David Coit, junior guard Rylan Griffen and Storr, all newcomers by way of the transfer portal, are still getting comfortable. But the signs are there that the Jayhawks can be much better this season. Senior guard Zeke Mayo, another transfer, came off of the bench and led the team in scoring against North Carolina.
Kansas vs Michigan State prediction
Kansas isn’t that far removed from its taxing victory at home against a ranked UNC squad, but it’s still early in the season, and it’s not as if this is as quick of a turnaround as it would be in a NCAA tournament weekend. The Jayhawks came into the season as the team with higher expectations nationally and should meet those. Kansas wins 75-67.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
