Trustworthy: Freshman Oubre delivers after Self keeps him on floor

Kansas guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) maneuvers for a shot against Kent State guard Devareaux Manley (0) during the second half on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014 at Allen Fieldhouse.

It’s common for a college basketball starter to be banished to the bench after picking up his second foul of the first half.

Freshman wing Kelly Oubre Jr. was given no such hook by Kansas University coach Bill Self after committing foul No. 2 just two minutes, five seconds into Tuesday’s KU-Kent State game. 

The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder from New Orleans responded with 16 first-half points (in 18 minutes) and 20 points and seven rebounds overall (in 31 minutes) in the Jayhawks’ 78-62 victory over the Golden Flashes in Allen Fieldhouse.

KANSAS 78, KENT STATE 62

Box score

Oubre’s four first-half threes — he was 6-of-6 from the field in the half and 8-of-12 for the game — were definitely needed as KU led just, 39-33 at the break.

“No, not really,” Self said, asked if he was tempted to sit Oubre after the second whistle. “Fortunately we didn’t because he absolutely carried us the first 10 minutes of the game.

“In a situation like that, I don’t know if that would have done us a lot of good to take him out to try to protect a guy … in all honesty, who knows how effective he’d be in the second half (with three fouls)? He has not had a chance to play the role he played tonight. Fortunately for us we didn’t (take him out) and he was great,” Self added.

Oubre and Perry Ellis combined for 28 of KU’s 39 first-half points. They were 12 of 19 from the field (63 percent) and everybody else four of 17 for 23.5 percent.

“He just told me I’ve got to play with my head now,” Oubre said of Self’s instructions after his second foul. “He tried to put me in a different scenario. I guess it was coach’s decision to leave me in.”

Oubre’s sensational half followed some shaky play out of the gate. He suffered a turnover on the first possession and committed a foul right after that.

“I knew in order to stay in the game I had to do something,” Oubre said. “After that, I pretty much refocused myself, tried to get stops on the defensive end. That led to me scoring on offense.

“I got into rhythm early. I was playing within the confines of the game. Frank (Mason, 14 points, five assists, five rebounds, one turnover) did a good job pushing the ball and attacking the rim. He kicked it out. I just shot it. It was going in for me tonight.”

Self said that Oubre has “solidified himself” as starting wing over Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Brannen Greene, who each had two points.

“What we have to do is get one of those two playing well off the bench,” Self said. “If we get Devonté (Graham, injured point guard) back, that can change things. It’s Kelly’s spot. That doesn’t mean Svi or Brannen can’t crack the lineup. Right now I’d say Kelly has been our best wing player and most consistent.

“I don’t see that changing. I hope it doesn’t. I’d like to see Brannen and Svi play more to put more pressure not only on Kelly but Wayne (Selden, five points, 1-of-7 shooting). We’ve got to get Wayne being more productive and consistent, too.”

Down 28-25 with 6:44 left in the first half, the slow-starting Jayhawks used a 29-9 surge to grab a 54-37 advantage with 11:55 to play. The lead did dip to nine, but the outcome was never in jeopardy after the surge.

Ellis finished with 15 points and eight boards, Mason 14 points, while Cliff Alexander had eight points and four boards and Jamari Traylor eight points and three boards. KU wound up hitting 49.2 percent of its shots for the game after sizzling to 56 percent the final half.

Self said Oubre, who had seven boards and two steals — he finished 4-of-7 from three — was KU’s best player in the game.

“Probably not shooting the ball like that,” Self said, asked if he’d seen Oubre faring well in practice of late. “What’d he start out, 4-4 from three? You don’t see that a lot of times with guys who have a reputations of being great shooters. It is nice when Svi hadn’t made shots and Brannen has been inconsistent in minutes he’s gotten. It’s nice to have another guy maybe you were not banking on who can give you a perimeter threat. Wayne has not shot very well. We need someone to step up and do it. He’s been the most consistent we’ve had here of late without question. He has good hands. He gets hands on a lot of balls. His activity level is pretty high, probably higher than a majority of the guys we’ve got.” 

And he’s confident.

“I’m giving all I have for my teammates. I’m playing for them,” Oubre said.

KU will next meet UNLV at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, in Allen.


More news and notes from Kansas vs. Kent State