Gameday Breakdown: No. 3 KU basketball vs. Emporia State

Kansas forward Carlton Bragg Jr. (15) pulls up for a three against Washburn forward Brandon Fagins (24) during the first half, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse.

No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks (0-0) vs. Emporia State Hornets (0-0)

Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas

TV: Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network

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Keys for Kansas

1. Little details matter

KU coach Bill Self was asked earlier this week what areas he hoped his team would improve the most from Tuesday’s exhibition victory over Washburn to today’s exhibition finale against Emporia State and he pointed to several minor things that could make a major difference.

“Hopefully (we) pay attention to detail better,” Self said. “It wasn’t that we didn’t play hard the other night. It’s just that we didn’t play alert and we played passive and soft at times. But it wasn’t that we didn’t try. I mean, I watched the tape. We looked quick. We did some things, but we just didn’t put ourselves in the right position as much.”

First-game rust and jitters accounted for at least some of that, but neither Self nor his players were willing to use the opener as an excuse for an overall sluggish win over Washburn. Instead, they talked about their disappointment in the slow start and how they could improve in a hurry, both in time for today vs. Emporia State and Friday in the regular season opener against Indiana in Honolulu.

“I think the guys know that we didn’t play particularly well in a couple areas,” Self said. “And (practice has been) pretty spirited. I was fairly demanding and they responded pretty well to it.”

2. Defensive improvements

Whether it was on the wing, in transition, on second-chance buckets or even in the paint, Self and the Jayhawks thought their defense on Tuesday could have been much better than it was. Too often the Ichabods got open looks or drove the ball to the rim, creating an open shot for a teammate, drawing a foul or clearing the way for an offensive rebound. Self said earlier this week that the key to a better all-around defensive performance starts with improvement in one key area.

“I would like to see us take a lot more pride in our first two steps in defensive transition,” Self said, “getting in motion with the ball earlier, big guys sprinting back so that way they can help guard the ball in transition. I mean, there’s so many things like that that we didn’t do the other night that are correctible that we’ve got to get good at real fast.”

3. Up the energy

Asked why he thought his team was unable to pull away from Washburn and play a more clean game in the exhibition opener, junior guard Devonte’ Graham pinpointed one easy solution.

“We’ve just gotta play with way more energy, be active, flying around, stuff like that,” Graham said.

The quickest and easiest way to deliver in those areas figures to come on defense, where Self has said he’d like to see more tenacity from players like Lagerald Vick and Josh Jackson. And while things like extending the pressure, active hands and better work on the boards no doubt will help, freshman forward Mitch Lightfoot said the mere fact that today’s contest no longer is the first time out there also should play a big part in allowing the Jayhawks to play with more poise and deliver better results.

“We’re gonna have less jitters and I feel like we’re going to really be able to get into our game and play up to our potential,” Lightfoot said. “We’re gonna be fine. It’s just a matter of us calming down.”

Mega Matchup

KU big men vs. ESU big men

The Hornets were out-rebounded 41-26 during this week’s 94-44, exhibition loss at Arkansas. Given the fact that ESU is another under-sized team and the Jayhawks really put an emphasis on rebounding this week, it seems as if the activity on the glass could determine how competitive this one is or isn’t. Self has challenged his entire team to deliver a better rebounding performance in this one, and not just because they were out-rebounded by Washburn, but because Self knows that if the Jayhawks don’t find a way to get some confidence and positive feedback from their work on the boards, it could prove problematic during the regular season openers against No. 11 Indiana and No. 1 Duke.

Jayhawk Pulse

Tuesday night’s exhibition opener was a dud, but that might have bothered Kansas fans more than it bothered the Kansas players.

Here’s why: KU fans could do nothing about KU’s win over Washburn but analyze it, read breakdowns of what went wrong and wonder if all of those positive things they thought about this team two weeks ago were a little off base. The players themselves, however, were able to get back in the gym and go to work on improving the things that plagued them with a newfound focus and commitment, not to mention sense of urgency.

Exhibition games are tough. The players and coaches always say the right things and want to treat these like all other games, but there’s almost no denying the fact that a solid showing means more to the heavy underdog than it does the college basketball powerhouse. It’s human nature for teams and players to play to the level of their competition and the Jayhawks seemed to do that a little in the exhibition opener. Because of that, it seems likely that they’ll bring a much more hungry mindset against Emporia State, not only to atone for the Washburn outing but also to deliver the confidence they need to prepare to take on Indiana and Duke.