Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Locked On Jayhawks - 10.23.19

Episode Date: October 23, 2019

Bill Self and KU players talk at Big 12 Media Day; Les Miles talks KU D/ST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's up everyone? Welcome into Locked On Jayhawks. I am Sean Kellerman, Learfield IMG College Broadcaster and University of Kansas Insider. This is Locked On Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, giving you insight, numbers, and a chance to hear from all the voices within Kansas athletics. Big day today for KU basketball as today marked the unofficial beginning of basketball season. Bill Self and the rest of the Big 12 coaches took the podium at Big 12 Media Day at Sprint Center in Kansas City, and KU players Devon Dotson, Yudoka Azubuki, and Ochai Abadji were also in attendance and spoke to reporters as well. We're going to get a chance to hear from all those guys, and of course we'll get a chance to hear from head coach Les Miles as well, as the KU football team prepares to hopefully get their first conference win of the season

as they take on the Red Raiders from Texas Tech. That game at home at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 6 o'clock. But first, let's get right to it with KU basketball. Bill Self, of course, is looking forward to coaching. He's looking forward to the good stuff of his job and not so much all the things that have gone on and transpired in the offseason with the NCAA investigation and everything. But Coach Self met with reporters at Media Day, and this was his opening statement. I'm probably more excited about getting to basketball this year than i have been in in most years uh it's been uh i really like

our team i i think that we are we have some things that that you when you when you try to construct a team that you would definitely look to try to do and there's there's still a lot of unknowns about us as as well. But I like our guys. I think we've got big bodies. I think we've got a little bit of depth. We've got some speed on the perimeter. And a big question will be, can we defend the perimeter? And obviously, can we shoot it consistently beyond the arc?

But if we're able to do those things, I think this could be a pretty fun season for us. We'll talk a lot about specifics of this KU team in the second segment. But, of course, we're not going to pretend like this NCAA investigation is not happening. About half of the questions asked to Coach Self were in reference to it, and the other half were in reference to actual basketball stuff, like his team and the potential that he sees in some certain guys. But he was, of course, asked about this NCAA investigation, and in particular he was asked about his relationship with TJ Gasnola,

the former Adidas consultant, and how he would characterize his relationship with him following Self's statement saying that there have been a lot of mischaracterizations and false news regarding this and that Kansas needed to be able to tell its story too. So upon being asked that question about his relationship, Coach Self responded with this. I made the statement and then I also said that we cannot comment to any details of anything going on with the allegations due to the NCAA process. And so I'm going to follow that. I'm going to stick to that. And certainly the things that you just ask will be things that will be answered at the appropriate time whenever it can be answered.

But certainly this is not the time for that. And throughout these past couple of years, with all this drama going on surrounding this KU basketball program and hovering over the head of Coach Self and company there were many KU fans who were wondering if Coach Self was just gonna get up and leave and be done with this and all the drama with the NCAA and perhaps he would go to the NBA perhaps he would just be done because of all this unnecessary fluff that's surrounding the program. And then recently when the investigation came in and basically said that Coach Self had a lack of institutional control, then I felt like the fans around the program started thinking,

oh, well, is there going to be some sort of change where Bill Self is let go or something like that? So that was kind of the change. Bill Self was asked at Media Day today about his job status and if it's something he's concerned about amid all these allegations. I know that our chancellor and our athlete director and department, the basketball program, are totally aligned in this. And there's been a lot of people say certain things which everybody's entitled to opinion. And certainly you can't be angry or bitter because people are writing and commenting

on this because it actually has been, you know, big news in the college basketball world. But I just know that the things that have taken place thus far have, you know, obviously nobody likes to deal with it, and certainly I haven't liked it. But it's also, in a strange way, motivated me, probably in a way that maybe I never have been, to combat this by taking care of our business on the basketball court. Coach, of course, a couple years ago was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and as a follow-up to that, he was asked if he's concerned about his legacy at the University of Kansas.

I probably know me better than anybody else knows me, and I know the people that I worked with over the years know me and everything. And so I know that we have to go through this and we'll get through this and be very happy when it is behind us. But, you know, my legacy is the least of my concerns right now. I just want to do the best job I can coaching that place that I absolutely love. Of course, there was the NCAA investigation that came in at the end of this past summer. And then late night in the fog took place on October 4th. And there was all sorts of drama with that too, where Snoop Dogg came in and that was big news, getting such a big name, one of the greatest performers of all time to come in and perform in front of 16-3 at Allen Fieldhouse.

And then there was all sorts of drama with the money gun and the pole dancers and the video where Coach Self had on the Adidas shirt and the gold dollar money sign chains, whatever you want to call them. He had all that going on too. So then there was backlash for that, and Jeff Long had to release an apology for that. So if you're not a fan of Kansas, as many people out there are, particularly because of all the success that our program has had, you've got a lot of ammo now in regards to this KU basketball team, whether it's social media or anything like that. But particularly when this KU

basketball team gets going on the road. Coach Self was asked about if he expects fan bases to be a little more fiery because of all that's going on. I think that we've probably given some rabid fan bases some ammunition to help in some areas to fire them up. But to be honest with you, we deal in hostile environments everywhere we go for the most part. So I can't imagine that playing a factor into our success away from home.

I will tell you this, our guys have always enjoyed playing in the toughest atmospheres. And so usually that bonds us together, unites us, and so hopefully we'll put a better performance out because of that. I don't think that that will have any input whatsoever whether or not we're successful. We certainly hope this team is successful, particularly on the road. We saw a lot of success during that 14-year streak of winning Big 12 titles for this KU team on the road, and that was really what set Kansas apart. Not only would they most years go undefeated at home, but on record with wins over Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma State,

and all of those were struggles as well. So this Kansas team is going to be returning some veterans. They're going to be returning some tough guys. Of course, you're going to get Devon Dotson back and Silvio DeSosa, two of the toughest guys on this team, in my opinion. So we'll be excited about that, and hopefully this KU team can use that ammunition in their favor when they go on the road and have to deal with fans of opposing bases,

have to deal with opposing fan bases regarding everything that's gone on. All right, we're going to switch to basketball when we come back. We got an update on a player who was in a walking boot today and might not play tomorrow in the exhibition opener. And then we're going to hear a lot more from Bill Self and some of the other guys as well about some individuals

on the team and about perhaps some strategy that KU will be looking to this season. That's all coming up next on Locked On Jayhawks, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Just finished up hearing from Bill Self regarding a lot of questions that were asked to him this morning at Big 12 Media Day regarding the NCAA investigation into the University of Kansas basketball program. And we're going to put that in the rearview mirror now and focus on the court.

Of course, Kansas has their first exhibition game tomorrow night at Allen Fieldhouse against Fort Hayes State. That's a 7 p.m. tip. And Kansas is going to be without their starting point guard in all likelihood. Devon Dotson has been in a walking boot, and Bill Self talked today about Devon and potentially how long this injury could keep him out. He hurt it yesterday, and I think whenever anything happens to a foot, you automatically put a boot on it these days, but he probably will not play tomorrow. I wouldn't think he would in our

exhibition game, but it's a day-to-day thing. I can't anticipate him missing more than three or four days. So not a good sight to see Devon in a walking boot, but that's good news. Hopefully Devon will be back if he does not play tomorrow for the second exhibition game against Pitt State. That'll be a week from tomorrow, November 1st. Same place, same time, 7 o'clock at Allen Fieldhouse, and hopefully KU gets Devon back rather quickly. He's very important without question to the success of this team moving forward. Kansas does not have a ton of depth at point guard. Of course, Isaac McBride is no longer with the program. DeJuan Harris not going to play, so you're going to have basically Marcus

Garrett and Ochai Abadji, a couple guys who perhaps are more naturally wing guys, going to be handling the point guard duties, or at least the ball handling duties, tomorrow night in the absence of Devon Dotson. So with Marcus and Ochai perhaps both getting an opportunity to play some point, that's going to lead to more minutes perhaps for Isaiah Moss, the graduate transfer from Iowa who hits 41% from deep in Iowa City last year and has certainly been a welcome sight and hopefully will be a big boost to that three-point shooting for Kansas, which they did not succeed in very much last season.

Bill Self talked today about Isaiah Moss. I think he should be our best shooter. He's the most proven shooter we have in our program without question because he's done it obviously for three years in Iowa City. So I think he's going to be a contributor. Whether or not he's a starter or not, I don't know because I haven't settled in on anything. And he's been hampered by a tweaked hamstring. But I really believe that Isaiah Moss gives our big guys a chance to be the best they can possibly be

because he can stretch the defense. And he obviously has experience and has played in big games and will certainly help our young guys in that area everybody likes the three-point shot particularly fans of course it's worth more but as bill self pointed out something that isaiah moss can do and hopefully a lot of the guys who can be improved shooters on this team can do is stroke it from deep to give the guys on the interior a chance to move around and have their way inside, specifically Silvio De Sosa, David McCormick, and Yudoka Azubuki. And the big thing with Doak, of course, is that he stays healthy. Bill Self was asked about having a healthy Doak and what kind of

impact that could be for this KU team. If Doak comes back, he's got a chance to be as good as any five men in the country. And we expect him to play to an all-American type level, you know, as long as he's healthy. So I do believe that he changes our team in a way that few can just because of his presence, athletic ability, and certainly size. So he's been dealt a rough hand his college career so far. He's played, I believe, nine games one season, 11 one season. And then the year that he was healthy, we go the final four. So and last year, we were actually pretty good until I think we were 9-0 in rank number one or two whenever he got injured.

So he and Devon are as key for us as probably any two players are for any team in America. So there you go. Hopefully a healthy Doak and a soon-to-be-healthy Devon Dotson as Dotson in that walking boot. But hopefully that's off by the weekend and he can get back to being 100% and back to being on this court where this KU team needs him. Of course, Devon has always been a very confident guy. You could tell by the way he plays, by the way he talks to the media. He just carries around confidence. He was asked today at Media Day if he's got even more confidence

entering his sophomore year. I guess you could say as the season went on last year, more confidence and more pizzazz came as the games went on, just me being more comfortable out there. And, well, yeah, year two, just, yeah, I could say more confidence, you know, just more improving in my game, working all summer. So, yeah, definitely. A healthy and confident Devon Dotson, certainly going to be vital to KU's success this year. KU, if you missed it, will enter as the number three ranked team in the AP poll. Of course, those rankings will be taken in to the first game of the regular season,

Kansas against Duke, November 5th. That's Tuesday. It's kind of an early tip, 6 o'clock. So make sure you are off work early enough to get home and catch the opening tip. That'll be 3 vs. 4 in the country in advance of one versus two, Michigan State versus Kentucky. Both those games in the Champions Classic this year taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. And in regards to another returning sophomore for the Jayhawks, Ochai Abadji, he's just ready to get things going. Just an exhibition, but you know, we're going to take it as a serious game. We're all going to come in, work hard, play hard, so I'm excited for that. Ochai and the Jayhawks taking on Fort Hays State

in the exhibition opener tomorrow night at 7 o'clock at Allen Fieldhouse. We'll preview that game more on tomorrow's show. When we come back, we're going to transition to Kansas football. We're going to hear from Les Miles regarding the Jayhawks as they hope to pick up that third win overall and first Big 12 win. A couple winnable games at home coming up. Texas Tech on Saturday at 6 and Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown presented by Dillon's. That's a week from Saturday at 2.30. Both games right there at

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The Locked On Podcast Network. The local experts on the biggest stories. Let's transition a little bit now to Kansas football. We've spent a lot of time the past couple days talking about the gaudy numbers that the KU offense put up against Texas. 569 yards, including 310 through the air from Carter Stanley. 259 on the ground, including 190 and two touchdowns from Puka Williams. Carter Stanley, by the way, also had 65 rush yards in that one. And really just impressive across the board. KU was 10 of 19 on third down, meaning they missed nine,

but then they picked up two of those on fourth down. So extremely efficient. They had 19 third down opportunities in 86 plays, and essentially they connected on 12 of them. 11.5 yards per completion, nearly 7 yards per rush, and again, the KU offense did not turn the ball over. We're going to transition and talk a little bit about the KU defense now. First, the negatives. The negatives are that the Texas offense numbers were as good, if not a little bit better, than KU's offense as UT outgained Kansas with 638 total yards.

Sam Ellinger passed for 399 and Keontae Ingram ran for 101. Ellinger had 91 rushing yards as well. Texas was 9 of 14 on third downs and they were even better in the red zone than Kansas. Kansas was 6 out of 7 in the red zone, and Texas was 6 out of 6. KU did hold Texas to just 1 of 3 on fourth down conversions, stopping them twice in the first half, and eventually that led to two KU touchdowns. But Texas just a little bit better, 13 yards per completion, and as I mentioned, they were perfect in the red zone. It was really pretty evenly matched game. I think both teams walked away feeling pretty good about their offense

not so hot about their defense and you look at the defensive numbers for Kansas individually it was Gavin Potter leading the way and let's talk about some of the positives from the defensive side. Gavin Potter led the way with nine tackles. He had 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. And this is a guy who Les Miles said in his press conference, give him a couple years because this guy, to me, has the ability to be a Joe Dineen-type playmaker as a linebacker for Kansas. KU was without Drew Prox once again, and Potter and company had to pick up the slack. Bryce Tornadin had eight tackles, including a fumble recovery, and Mike

Lee forced that fumble to go along with five tackles. And Najee Stevens-McKenzie had another phenomenal interception. He has two interceptions in his last two games, so he picked up the slack on that part. And again, as I mentioned, a big positive for this defense was forcing two turnovers, and Texas, the best turnover team in the Big 12, ended up minus two in terms of turnover margin on Saturday in Austin. Speaking of positives, Les Miles, aside from the turnovers, talked about some of the other positives that this KU defense did on Saturday. I thought we tackled the ball. I thought we tackled hard. I think, as an example, Mike Lee's tackle and severing of the ball,

and Bryce Tornaden. Bryce Tornaden got to that ball faster than I could see how anybody could. And then once he got there, there was no chance that that ball was going to go to anybody other than him. So I like those things. Now I mentioned that the linebackers are having to pick up some slack left by some injuries. Most notably, it was KU's leading tackler through the beginning part of this season, Drew Prox. He has not played in quite some time, and what we've heard from Coach Miles is not a lot. We have not heard about a timeline or anything of that nature. So it's

getting to the point now where we're thinking, all right, well, we're seven games in, five to go. If Prox is not going to return anytime soon, is there a possibility that he could qualify for a medical red shirt and potentially gain a year on the back end of his tenure here at KU? Les Miles spoke on that at his press conference. I don't know, haven't done the research on it. I promise you that that research will be done before he goes onto the field again. But we'd love to have him for another year, you know, should that be the case.

Do you think he'll play this year? You know, I'm going to check on that. It'd be a late call, I promise you. So not horribly optimistic sounding is Coach Miles in regards to Drew Prox. So it gets late early out there. I promise you. I think that's going to have to be where it starts for KU is getting the ability on the outside to cut off runs, getting the ability to force the quarterback into uncomfortable situations and passing situations as well. So Potter and company are going to be a highlight and something to look out for, particularly on Saturday against Texas Tech. See if KU can get any sort of pressure on Jet Duffy and perhaps win the turnover battle once again. The big issue that happened in the game on Saturday, which no one can really debate, is the special teams and the fact that Kansas did not do what they needed to in terms of special

teams execution, particularly in the two Liam Jones blocked kicks. One was a field goal early in the first half, and then the one that really stung early in the fourth quarter, Puka Williams had just scored his second touchdown of the day, and it was 31-30 UT with the PAT pending, and Jones's PAT was blocked and returned by Texas for a two-point conversion. So instead of the score being 31-31, it was 33-30 in favor of Texas. So that's a three-point swing, and of course Texas ends up winning this game on that three-pointer by Cameron Dicker, the field goal at the buzzer. They win 50-48. Les Miles spoke on the special teams Monday at his press conference.

You have to do the things that are basic and fundamental to teams. And you line up to kick a field goal, you line up to kick an extra point. You have to have protection, period. If I'm Liam, I'm saying, hey guys, there's some leakage up here. So that being said, I think we'll be fine in special teams just keep going babe and after the game on saturday coach miles was talking about how it is in fact a rookie coach mike eckler is in his first year as a special teams coach here at kansas and obviously there are some things that need to be cleaned up on that front.

And Les Miles talking about how if I'm Liam Jones, I'm going to tell the guys up front, hey, we've got to get better about this. And the two block kicks, Coach Miles did mention, it was two different guys up front that allowed the UT line to get on through and block those kicks. So that certainly stung, and Kansas is going to have to clean that up, particularly if they're going to be in many close games throughout the year, which I think is the hope.

This Jayhawk team plans on being competitive throughout the rest of the year. Of course, next two games are winnable games in my book, extremely winnable games against some talented but perhaps middling teams in the conference in Texas Tech and Kansas State. Texas Tech kickoff is at 6, and we now know that the Kansas State kickoff on November 2nd is at 2.30, so make sure you get out and support our guys at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium each of the next two weeks. This has been Locked On Jayhawks. I'm Sean Kellerman. Thanks so much for tuning in. Remember to follow the show at LO underscore Jayhawks. I'm Sean Kellerman. Thanks so much for tuning in. Remember to follow the show at LO underscore

Jayhawks. We heard a lot from Bill Self and KU players, and we're going to hear more from them. Tomorrow is game day. The first game of the season against Fort Hayes State Exhibition, and we're going to preview that more on tomorrow's show. Can't wait to hear more from the guys and get the

basketball season underway here in Lawrence. Locked On Jayhawks, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And Rock Chalk Jayhawk.