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Here is the Cliff's Notes version of Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self's comments at his weekly press conference today.

• Full audio has been posted.

• Self says flopping was something that has been talked about with officials in the past, but there haven't been a lot of games where KU has had a lot of that going on against it. Some players get reputations as being floppers. Self said he had the all-time greatest one at Illinois, Lucas Johnson. Self called him "Fake Hustle" because he fell down every possession, then acted tough when he got a call. Self thinks for the most part, officials have done a better job with the flop, and he's saying that after KU had six charges against Missouri.

• Self has never had a team that has relied on its bench this little, but that's how it's going to be. The thing that was disappointing to Self on Saturday was that KU was forced to play small because Jeff Withey wasn't a factor. That forced Thomas to play out on the floor defensively, which is not KU's strength.

• Self thought Justin Wesley did a great job against Missouri. He was energized and defended out on the floor better than what he's practiced. Self thought KU did a decent job with its bench against Missouri. Conner Teahan played pretty well and hit two big shots. The bottom line is, KU's starters have to be ready to play 32-35 minutes.

• Self doesn't know what happened with Withey against Missouri. KU wanted to throw it inside early, and it didn't. That's on KU's guards too. KU was just a better team when it could play Thomas Robinson alone on the post. KU scored almost every possession the second half. MU's matchup didn't take advantage of KU, but KU's matchup didn't take advantage of MU.

• If you study the game, MU didn't guard the perimeter in the first half. It's hard to get it inside when all of a team's defenders are around a guy in the paint. The best way to open it up is make a shot or two.

• Self thinks his team is pretty tough. He's glad his team is not playing Monday. That would be a quick turnaround. He thinks his guys will bounce back. If KU doesn't play well or win Wednesday, it won't because of the Missouri game. Coaches don't let it go. Kids have girlfriends and go to class. They have other things that occupy their mind. Players bounce back better than coaches.

• Self says his team made two bad plays down the stretch against Missouri. Taylor turned it over and he charged. Other than that offensively, KU didn't make any bad plays. Self doesn't consider missing free throws a bad play. Defensively, KU had to get stops, and it didn't. Robinson got called for a walk up eight, and Self hinted that he didn't see it on the tape. Self said the charge on Robinson ... he wants him to make that play every day of every situation of every game. That has nothing to do with closing. KU did make a couple bad plays, and MU made a lot of good plays. MU's Marcus Denmon made a lot of great plays. He made three straight three-point plays, and if any of those go the other way, the outcome's different. KU could have almost had a shot-clock violation every possession and won the game, if MU had backed off. That's what's frustrating as a coach. Self said he won't let this one go.

• Self says his team played well against Missouri. Self left the game with three things: 1. MU's really good; 2. KU has to close better; 3. KU's really good. If anything, Self is leaving out of Columbia thinking KU has a chance to be a really good team.

• Self thinks Baylor will have a good home court on Wednesday. In the past, KU has had between 1,500 and 2,500 fans there. That might not be possible Wednesday because of the excitement at Baylor with this year's team. MU's home crowd didn't keep KU from leading by eight with three minutes left, though. It's not impossible to play in tough environments.

• Tyshawn Taylor played great against Missouri. If Self had it do all over again, he'd want Taylor on the free throw line more than anyone on the team. Taylor likes that moment more than anybody else. Self doesn't have anything remotely negative to say about Taylor. He lost the ball once and charged once. Self doesn't dwell on missing free throws. The first half, Taylor played so well, KU had a couple bad possessions because Taylor was feeling it too much. Self would run a play, and Taylor thought he saw an opening and would try to make something happen. Still, Taylor had 17 the first half, and defensively he was really good against MU's Phil Pressey.

• Baylor is long. But what makes Baylor different this year is guard Pierre Jackson. He's one of the premier players in the league. He's getting assists, but the Bears are putting the ball in his hands at game point, and he's delivered. Taylor could do a better job against Jackson than he did in KU's home game against BU.

• It's much easier for big guys to play better against big guys. You see that all the time in high school basketball. Big guys can dominate bigs, but playing against small guys throws them off a little bit. Self thinks Withey will play better against Baylor's tall guys.

• Self says Baylor is best at playing around the rim and playing in transition.

The updated KUsports.com App is now available for download at the iTunes store.

KUsports.com app by jnewell

The app — which is free — contains a new look and also added features aimed at providing more comprehensive coverage for those who follow KU sports. Those with the first version of the KUsports.com App will simply need to download the update through the iTunes store.

KUsports.com news by jnewell

The new app features all the latest news and feature stories from KUsports.com's writers, along with an added feature of offline reading capability.

KUsports.com stories by jnewell

The app also will be a useful source of information during men's basketball and football games, providing live stats and also up-to-the-second commentary from KUsports.com writers like Tom Keegan, Gary Bedore and Matt Tait.

Another useful feature will be expanded statistics, which will include box scores and also comprehensive player and team stats. These statistics are available for football, men's basketball and women's basketball.

Stats by jnewell

The app also provides an easy-to-navigate schedule, making it simple to reflect on KU's past games or plan for the ones coming up.

Schedule by jnewell

This version of the app has been updated for iOS 5 and also is current with the 2011-12 basketball season.

More features also will be added in the near future, which will include Android availability and access to photos, videos and other exclusive content from KUsports.com.

Here is the Cliff's Notes version of Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self's comments at his weekly press conference today.

• Jeff Withey has developed as much as anyone this year for KU. He's developed into a presence defensively. He keys KU's success as much as anyone when he's on. He makes it tough for other teams to score in tight.

• Most big guys in the NCAA now are 4 men. There are not as many true 5 men like Jeff Withey out there. Kentucky's dominant center is a 4 man. So is Ohio State's. North Carolina is playing with two 4 men. There just aren't that many anchors out there. The schools that can get those guys in recruiting have an advantage in some ways.

• Iowa State's Royce White controlled the first game against KU. Self thought KU didn't play as active as it could have against ISU. KU isn't a good rebounding team if it's not amped up. KU needs to have its guards do a better job of cleaning up rebounds. Long shots mean long rebounds, so KU's big men need help defensive rebounding against ISU.

• Self says this is the toughest stretch of KU's season, starting right now. KU's next four road games are against ISU, Missouri, Baylor and Kansas State.

• Self likes what he's seen on the road from his team so far this year. KU hasn't played unbelievably well on the road, but it's guarded well. Self doesn't think KU has had a performance on the road that would guarantee a win any of its next four road games, though.

• Coaches can change gameplans from game to game against a team. Self doesn't think ISU dared KU to shoot in the first game, but the Cyclones didn't guard KU's high-post players out top in that game.

• Self doesn't like to put numbers on guys, but he thought Taylor could be a 40-percent three-point shooter this year, which is a good percentage. He's shot it much better than that (Taylor is shooting 46 percent from three). If you take away a stretch to start Big 12 play, he's shot well above 50 percent from three. But still the best thing he does is get tot he basket.

• Self thinks Elijah Johnson has played better than his numbers. He struggled last game badly, but Self thinks he's really a good player. His numbers shooting the basketball haven't been good at all. He's shot 29 percent from three, and Self thinks he's a 40-percent three-point shooter at worst. It's going to happen. If it's going to happen, now would be a good time, because KU needs him to be a double-figure scorer from here on out.

• Self thinks Johnson can still become a better defender. Self says there was an article not too long ago written about the pride he takes in his defense. He should have read that article before the last game. Self thinks he can become a much more solid defender, because there's been times he's been really good in that area, and there's times he's not. If you worry about your shot, you're not going to shoot it good. If you have to make shots to play well, you're probably not a complete player. Self just wants Johnson to focus in on being a guard.

• The way Johnson was shooting threes the other day, he wasn't too worried about what happened on the previous shot. Self thinks that's a positive, though his shot selection wasn't great. It was almost like he was pressing, just trying to make one. He had a bad game against Texas A&M, but he also made the biggest shot of the game against Texas. So he's done a lot of really good things. He just hasn't shot consistently from behind the arc.

• Iowa State is good. That's an NCAA Tournament team. That's pretty good in just two years for coach Fred Hoiberg. He went through the transfer route. It seems to be working pretty well.

• Self isn't a big guy to mess with a player's shots, but he says you can make minor adjustments. Your release point can be too low, or your follow-through can be too flat. There are some minor things you can do. For some, though, to change their shot, you almost have to red-shirt them. In golf and basketball, if things don't go well, you go back to the way you've always done it. That's why Self thinks so much of shooting is between the ears. You can have poor form, but if you have a good follow-through, you have a chance to make shots. Tweaking is the most that Self would like to do for a guy that is playing. With a guy like Jamari Traylor, who is red-shirting, the coaches can work with his shot as much as they'd like, because it doesn't matter if he misses a lot of shots in the next week. With other guys, the coaches can't do as much. They might talk through minor stuff.

• Self says there's nothing wrong with Johnson's shot. It can get a little flat sometimes. The thing about shooters ... if you're a good shooter, you miss short or long. You never miss right or left. Almost all of Johnson's misses have been a little long. He's just a notch off.

• Self is confident putting Travis Releford defensively on the opponent's best guard, but that might not always be best for KU, because that might put Johnson on the other team's best rebounder. But Self is comfortable with Releford guarding anybody. He's become a smart defender.

Kansas coach Bill Self had some interesting comments about his team's defense following the Jayhawks' 64-54 victory over Texas A&M on Monday.

The coach was most upset with his team's late-clock defense against the Aggies. Here's his quote:

"I think if you were to go back and look at us statistically — which I don't have any way to do this, but we probably need to start charting this — I would say the percentage of people scoring against us is far higher in the last seven to eight seconds of a possession than it is in the first 27. We don't finish possessions. How many times tonight did they score under five on the shot clock, or we foul? That's the thing that's so frustrating, because we're not finishing possessions, and that's something that we really emphasize."

So how poor was KU's late-clock defense against Texas A&M?

Let's take a look.

After going back to the tape, here is a graph showing each Texas A&M field goal, along with how much time was left on the shot clock. Please note I did not include Dash Harris' shot right before the halftime buzzer, as the shot clock was turned off.

Texas A&M field goals by jnewell

As you can see, KU's late-clock defense doesn't appear to be as bad as Self remembered.

A&M scored only twice with less than 8 seconds left on the shot clock. That's only 10 percent of its field goals (two out of 20), which is much lower than Self's original prediction.

If you calculate it, the Aggies' average field goal came with 22.7 seconds left on the shot clock (among those 19 shots when the shot clock was on). That appears to be relatively early, especially considering A&M plays at a slow pace.

Here are the three times when KU was scored upon with less than 10 seconds on the shot clock.

With 12:20 left in the first half, KU center Jeff Withey switches on a ball screen, then doesn't get out far enough to contest Elston Turner's three-pointer.

On A&M's next possession (and perhaps this is why it stuck in Self's mind), A&M's Dash Harris gets by Elijah Johnson off the dribble, which forces help from Withey. Harris sees the help coming and dishes to Keith Davis, who puts in an easy layup.

Then, with 16:52 left in the second half, Withey helps with a ball screen, then trips and falls down in traffic. Elston Turner realizes this and is able to find David Loubeau for a wide-open layup.

To be fair, Self also said that KU fouling at the end of the shot clock should be considered as poor late-clock defense as well.

"I think it's breakdowns," Self said, explaining why his team was struggling late in possessions. "Travis (Releford) fouled twice because he reached. Or guys forget we're switching or trapping or whatever it could be. Then the other thing is, offensive teams are always most aggressive in the last five or six seconds of the shot clock because they've got to get a shot. So I think it's just a combination of things."

Going back to the tape, there were two instances of KU fouling with less than 10 seconds on the shot clock.

With 15:15 left in the first half, Tyshawn Taylor is whistled for an apparent blocking call ...

and with 17:40 left in the second half, Releford is called for a reach when he had help from Thomas Robinson behind him.

Taking the whole game into account, it doesn't appear that KU's late-clock defense is as much of an issue as perhaps the eye test told Self it was.

That doesn't mean the Jayhawks can't (and won't try to) improve in that area before their next game against Iowa State.

Postscript: A few commenters said they would like to see a graph that included KU's fouls and also the times when A&M scored points off an offensive rebound.

After going back to the tape, here's a graph that includes those two elements.

Texas A&M FGs, ORs; KU defensive fouls by jnewell

This seems to only support the statement above: KU's late-clock defense — at least against Texas A&M — did not hurt the Jayhawks as much as it might have originally appeared.

Here is the Cliff's Notes version of Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self's comments at his weekly press conference today.

• Full press conference audio has been posted.

• KU's players have pleased Self as of late. Self joked that he didn't like his players much — and they didn't like him much — up until after Christmas, except for a couple outings. The team has pleased Self with its toughness and effort. KU is a work in progress. Self thinks KU can play better. Some guys can make more shots. Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor can't play much better than they have been playing, but other guys around them could still be better.

• More than any team he's had at KU, Self believes energy level keys this year's team. Before the common denominator was talent or depth. This year, KU has to be turned up to play really well.

• Self doesn't believe Tyshawn Taylor is doing too much differently in his last few games. He's been making shots, and the basket has looked bigger to him. He's been aggressive all year. Most of the time, that's really good for KU. Self said Taylor made a great play against Baylor when he was wide-open in the corner, waited for about three seconds, then drove in for a layup. He's showing good patience, too. Talent-wise, Self thinks Taylor is one of the top five guards in the country.

• Self doesn't think this team scores off its defense as well as the 2006-07 or 2007-08 teams. Those teams were relentless. It's hard to keep defensive pressure turned up for 40 minutes when a team doesn't sub much. So this team has become a good defensive spurt team. There are times when KU doesn't get any steals but still plays its best defense because it's solid.

• Thomas Robinson was a very raw, energetic, active guy when KU recruited him. The coaches thought he could be really good. His hands have been a pleasant surprise. If he gets his mitt on the ball, more than likely he's going to get it. Also, his body has continued to develop. He also has a "want-to" that is about as good as anybody Self has had at KU. Right now, he's driven and focused. Coaches get too much credit when players improve. When you have a ball in your hands for three hours a day, you're going to get better. Robinson has been a guy that has wanted to get better.

• This is the one-year anniversary for Thomas Robinson's mother passing. Self says he couldn't have handled the situation Robinson has been through as well as he has. He's a remarkable kid and deserves the things he has coming his way. Self is sure this weekend will be emotional for him. Robinson will be off-limits to the media before this game. Self is amazed at how well he's done. Robinson is playing with a smile on his face and seems happy, when we know he has a bigger burden than he's showing.

• Self was proud of KU's administration after last year and proud of the NCAA for allowing KU to help Robinson with his mother's funeral. Last year was an example of a group of guys becoming a family.

• If Texas' J'Covan Brown played against KU every game, he'd have been national player of the year the last two years. He's killed KU. The Jayhawks need to do a good job with him. Texas is young and talented. KU will have to combat UT's speed.

• Texas' Myck Kabongo will be a pro. He's fast. KU recruited him. He's got a great personality. He's a good leader.

• Self thinks you can pre-judge players inaccurately if guys don't play hard in high school. You shouldn't judge them then, because you need to see how they do in a different environment. When the Morris twins were in high school, Self sent Joe Dooley to watch them work out and asked to rate their work ethic from one to 10. Dooley rated it as a negative-3. Dooley told them they'd never make it through a practice. And they almost didn't early, but then their mind-set changed. Self says to give him athletes that can shoot and that are tough, and he thinks KU can get them to work hard.

• It's hard to limit J'Covan Brown's touches. You have to try to limit his good touches. It's hard to keep the ball from guards.

• Self says this isn't like a Kansas State or Missouri game, but it still feels like a big rivalry to KU. It should get more that way as the teams play twice a year.

• Self remembers a lot about KU's 2001-02 team. While Self was coach at Illinois, the Illini had a wide-open 16-footer to put that game into overtime in the Sweet 16. KU got a bad draw that year, because Illinois was playing really well, and KU drew it as a 4-seed. Self thought KU was the best team in the country that year. Any team that can bring Wayne Simien and Keith Langford off the bench is going to be good. KU honored that team against Iowa State, but that team needs to be honored later as well so the guys that are playing now can come back when they're retired.

• Self thinks it will be hard for any other team to go undefeated in the Big 12 like the 2001-02 team. Self believes that team was close to Roy's earlier teams in the late '90s with Jacque Vaughn, Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz.

• Brett Ballard is a rock. Baker is fortunate to have him as a coach. He's going to do a great job there.

Note: Here is a listing of definitions for some terms used in this blog. Also, feel free to ask questions in the comments section below if something doesn't make sense.

If you haven't yet do yourself a favor and read this well-researched blog by RealGM.com's Dan Hanner.

In it, he talks more about Kansas and the KenPom rankings, also why some teams are ranked as highly as they are.

Following Kansas' 81-46 victory over Texas Tech, the Jayhawks have jumped all the way up to second in KenPom's rankings, behind only Ohio State.

A toothless Justin Wesley laughs with Elijah Johnson on the bench late in the second half Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at United Spirit Arena. Wesley had the tooth knocked out during a recent practice. by Nick Krug

A big reason for that was on display Wednesday: KU has drubbed the weaker teams it has played this year.

Against teams that are ranked 101 or worse in KenPom's rankings, KU is 7-0 with the second-best KenPom ranking in the country.

Hanner does a nice job of explaining that these types of blowouts aren't insignificant, while also discussing why margin of victory is one tool that is important when evaluating teams.

M.O.J. (Most Outstanding Jayhawk)

Thomas Robinson runs away with this award despite only playing only 19 minutes.

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson stretches out while awaiting a couple of Jayhawk free throws after a technical foul against Texas Tech during the first half Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at United Spirit Arena. by Nick Krug

The junior was efficient, posting 1.84 points per possession used while ending 26.7 percent of KU's possessions.

Still, what was even more impressive was his rebounding.

Robinson grabbed 12 rebounds in his 19 minutes, which left him with some ridiculous rebounding percentages. Not only was he able to grab 22.5 percent of KU's misses, he also came away with 52.6 percent of the available defensive rebounds.

Just think about it. When Texas Tech put up a shot and missed, there were 10 players on the court who could have grabbed it. While Robinson was out there, he grabbed those misses 52.6 percent of the time, while the other nine players combined for the other 47.4 percent.

Robinson's 77.2 effective field goal percentage also was second on the team to guard Naadir Tharpe, who was a perfect 3-for-3.

Through three games in conference, Robinson is playing at a national-player-of-the-year level. KU fans need to enjoy him while he's still here.

Room for Improvement

Man, this one's tough, as we're going to have to get really nit-picky to fill this category with something.

The Jayhawks and Red Raiders chase a rebound during the first half Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at United Spirit Arena. by Nick Krug

I guess KU could have done a little better job of forcing turnovers against the Big 12's most careless team. KU forced turnovers on 19 percent of Texas Tech's possessions, which was below KU's season defensive average (22.8 percent) and also well below Texas Tech's season average (24.6 percent).

Still, Texas Tech finished with just 0.73 points per possession and also had its lowest point total in nearly five years (since March 2007 against Kansas State). So even without forcing a lot of turnovers, KU's defense was outstanding.

Tough-Luck Line

Other than an impressive dunk off a lob from Robinson, Elijah Johnson had a quiet night.

Kansas guard Elijah Johnson flashes a smile during a Jayhawk run against Texas Tech during the second half Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at United Spirit Arena. by Nick Krug

The junior posted just 0.60 points per possession used while ending just 11.7 percent of the possessions he was in.

In his 27 minutes, he was 1-for-4 from the floor with three rebounds, two assists, two turnovers and a steal.

Johnson also is in his worst shooting slump of the season. With an 0-for-2 effort from three Wednesday, Johnson has made just five of his last 25 long-range attempts (20 percent) spanning the last five games.

With the two misses, his season three-point percentage is down to 29.3 percent (27 of 92). That's almost five percentage points lower than the NCAA average three-point percentage (34.2 percent).

Johnson should still keep firing away with open looks from three, but he's probably also at the point where he should pass up semi-guarded ones until he sees a few more go through.

Bottom Line

KU's 81-46 victory over Texas Tech ends up being even more impressive considering the slow pace.

Kansas forward Kevin Young elevates for a dunk on the Texas Tech defense late in the first half Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at United Spirit Arena. by Nick Krug

The game had just 63 possessions for both sides, which tied for the slowest-paced game KU played this season (the UCLA game also had 63).

It's harder to blow a team out by 35 when you don't have the ball as often. The Jayhawks posted 1.29 points per possession (their third-highest mark of the year) while holding the Red Raiders to 0.73 PPP (also the third-worst for a KU opponent this season). That's a PPP differential of 0.56 PPP that you won't see often, especially in conference road games.

Meanwhile, TTU's 0.73 PPP was its worst mark since March 3, 2008 — when it scored just 0.70 PPP in a 109-51 drubbing during KU's senior night.

The Red Raiders' effective field-goal percentage of 32.4 percent also was its worst since the 2006-07 season.

Kansas center Jeff Withey defends a shot by Texas Tech forward Jaye Crockett during the first half Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at United Spirit Arena. by Nick Krug

In other words, it was another great night for KU's defense, which seems to only be getting better as this season continues.

Here is the Cliff's Notes version of Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self's comments at his weekly press conference today.

• Full press conference audio has been posted.

• Travis Releford has practiced well. When Self worries about Travis, it's when he's not aggressive. He's scoring more and not worried about scoring. Statistically, he's a good three-point shooter. He's not going to be a high-volume three-point shooter, but he's a guy you have to guard. Self likes it when the shot leaves his hand. He's a shot-maker.

• Some players have to shoot well to play well. Tyshawn Taylor is not one of those players. Self thought Taylor did a lot of nice things against OU. He tried to do a little too much late, but he was aggressive, and he's defending better.

• Self likes what KU has done in the last two games because it's scored off its defense. The Jayhawks have been more active with their hands defensively. There's a skill to that. Self is not saying to reach, but getting more deflections and touches defensively. That was the difference in the OU game.

• Sometimes guys play to please the coach and not to screw up. Releford has gotten to the point where he's comfortable enough that he knows what he's doing and has figured out that being aggressive is what the coaches want from him as well.

• Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie has had the itch to get back coaching the last couple years. Self thinks the time off probably was good for him, especially so he could spend some time with his family, as his mother had some health issues. He's going to be able to recruit guys down there.

• Texas Tech had its chances against Baylor. It could have won the Oklahoma State game as well. It was a one-possession game late. The Red Raiders are getting better.

• KU's coaches show their players film of opposing teams when they're running their stuff the best and playing well. Self thinks most coaches do that.

• Self talked to Gillispie about getting back in the Big 12 last year and getting back to his home state and an area where he could recruit. Kentucky is a different deal. Gillispie will do a good job of taking good players and making them do great things.

• TTU's Jordan Tolbert puts pressure on the defense. He's a prototypical undersized four-man that drive it. He's good. He's been the most dominant production freshman in the league.

• Self thinks there are a lot of times when stereotypes are made about kids that are young who make mistakes that they wish they can have back. Athletics, in many instances, allow those kids to make a good life for themselves and be productive. Jamari Traylor is an example, not from a legal standpoint, but he's been able to use basketball to get an education. Sherron Collins is the same way. Self says it might be a bad analogy, but it's kind of like the movie, "Trading Places," where Eddie Murphy and Dan Akyroyd switch places. So much of decisions that are made are environment-based. Self rarely passes judgment until you give kids opportunities. If they screw those up, that's one thing. But everybody deserves a second chance.

• It doesn't do Self much good to watch last year's film of Texas Tech. This year has different players and different schemes.

• Self believes Jeff Withey has been great the last two second halves. He thinks the biggest reason is that he's played with more fire and energy. When he plays with fire and energy, he plays athletically. KU needs him from the tip.

• Travis is a great kid. There are a lot of things that depth does. It allows you to keep guys on the bench. It allows you to play through fouls. It also allows you to red-shirt guys. Three of KU's top six players spent an extra year here because of KU's past depth. The biggest reason why players get better is because they want to get better. If you have a mind-set of, "I want to do something with this," you're probably going to do it. Travis has bought it, both feet in, and he's benefiting from that. Releford is a defender, loose ball, energy guy that scores out of making simple plays. He's done a really good job of that. Travis knows who he is, and he plays to his strengths. Self says Releford needs to average double-figure scoring from here on out.

• Red-shirting allows you to substitute age 18 for 23. That's the biggest thing that red-shirting does.

• Self is picking Alabama in tonight's BCS Championship game. He would like LSU to win, because Les Miles has Oklahoma State ties, but he thinks psychologically, it's tough to beat a team twice in one year. Alabama missed some field goals in the first matchup. He doesn't see the Crimson Tide beating itself again in this game.

Note: Here is a listing of definitions for some terms used in this blog. Also, feel free to ask questions in the comments section below if something doesn't make sense.

Following Kansas' strong two-point shooting in Saturday's 72-61 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday, I thought we'd start this blog by looking at KU's most accurate shooters from inside the arc this season.

As you might have already read in Tom Keegan's column, KU made 25 of 39 two-pointers against OU (64 percent) in a game it only shot four of 19 from three (21 percent).

So who do you think the Jayhawks' best two-point shooters have been this season? Come up with a couple guesses before looking at the full list, which is below this picture.

Kansas head coach Bill Self gets fired up on the sideline during the first half against Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at Lloyd Noble Center. by Nick Krug

1. Travis Releford — 64.5 percent (40 of 62)
2. Elijah Johnson — 63.6 percent (28 of 44)
3. Kevin Young — 63.0 percent (17 of 27)
4. Jeff Withey — 57.1 percent (40 of 70)
5. Conner Teahan — 55.6 percent (10 of 18)
6. Thomas Robinson — 54.1 percent (100 of 185)
7. Justin Wesley — 52.2 percent (12 of 23)
8. Tyshawn Taylor — 44.0 percent (51 of 116)
9. Naadir Tharpe — 40.0 percent (4 of 10)
(NCAA average is 47.6 percent; source: KenPom.com)

I was surprised a bit that Releford tops this list, but he does get a lot of easy shots in transition and also is choosy with his field goal attempts.

Johnson is second for some of the same reasons: He gets quite a few lob dunk attempts and also doesn't force up a lot of guarded two-pointers.

Kansas starters Travis Releford, left, Tyshawn Taylor, Elijah Johnson and Thomas Robinson get a break to chat on the bench late in the game against Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at Lloyd Noble Center. by Nick Krug

The two-point percentage that stands out the most is Taylor's — especially considering he's shot better from two-point range in the past.

Tyshawn Taylor two-point percentages
2008-09 — 56.1 percent (96 of 171)
2009-10 — 47.6 percent (70 of 147)
2010-11 — 50.5 percent (97 of 192)
2011-12 — 44.0 percent (51 of 116)

Taylor obviously has taken a bigger role in this year's offense, as he's taking 23.5 percent of his team's shots while he's in, compared to 17.2 percent last year.

The numbers above also don't take into account that he's been great at getting to the free throw line, as his free throw rate (58.6) ranks 132nd nationally.

Still, Taylor had made 51.6 percent of his career twos coming into this season. With that percentage this year, he'd have nine more made twos, which would be 1.2 more points per game.

I've thought about it, but I can't come up with an explanation for why Taylor's two-point percentage would be down that much this season. Any ideas?

M.O.J. (Most Outstanding Jayhawk)

Travis Releford's individual effort against OU should rank as KU's second best this year, trailing only Thomas Robinson's 30/20 game against North Dakota.

Kansas guard Travis Releford comes away with a steal from Oklahoma guard Cameron Clark during the first half Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at Lloyd Noble Center. by Nick Krug

Releford posted 1.87 points per possession used while ending a healthy 22 percent of KU's possessions while he was in.

The junior also was super-efficient, making 9 of 13 field goals and 3 of 5 threes to give him an effective field goal percentage of 80.7 percent — highest on the team among players with more than one shot.

During Releford's 34 minutes on the floor, KU outscored OU by 17 (65-48). No other Jayhawk was better than plus-12 against the Sooners.

In his last three games, Releford has averaged 19.3 points while making 20 of 34 field goals (59 percent) and six of 13 threes (46 percent).

Room for Improvement

The Jayhawks put the Sooners on the free throw line too often.

Kansas guard Elijah Johnson comes over the top of Oklahoma guard Sam Grooms during the second half Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at Lloyd Noble Center. At left is KU forward Justin Wesley. by Nick Krug

Oklahoma's free throw rate of 56.0 was its highest this year and its 28 free throws attempted were its third-most this season.

Though KU was foul prone early in the season, it actually had done a nice job lately of limiting opposing free throw attempts. In fact, in the Jayhawks' four games before Oklahoma, they had allowed 13, 10, eight and 16 free throws.

KU's defense made up for the deficiency by forcing OU's highest turnover percentage this year (26.6 percent) while also holding the Sooners to their second-worst shooting game (41.0 eFG%).

Tough-Luck Line

Conner Teahan had a rough game offensively in his 18 minutes.

Kansas guard Conner Teahan elevates for a bucket between several Oklahoma defenders during the first half Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at Lloyd Noble Center. by Nick Krug

The senior posted just 0.28 points per possession used while ending 20.8 percent of the possessions he was in.

Not only did Teahan make just one of five shots, he also was uncharacteristically careless with the ball. He posted three turnovers, which tied a career high. His only other game with three turnovers was against USC earlier this year.

Even including his 0-for-3 performance from three against OU, Teahan has still made 10 of 24 long-range shots in his last five games (42 percent).

If KU is in need of a three-pointer, he's still the Jayhawks' best option.

Bottom Line

KU's offense rebounded from a sluggish first half by getting lots of easy shots in the second half.

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson ducks under Oklahoma forward Romero Osby for a bucket during the second half Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at Lloyd Noble Center. by Nick Krug

Two-thirds of the Jayhawks' second-half points (26 of 39) came from inside the paint. That offensive execution helped KU to 1.13 points per possession overall, which is above its season average of 1.09 PPP.

Meanwhile, KU forced steals on 21.9 percent of its defensive possessions — the second-best mark this season behind the Towson game.

The Jayhawks have become a swarming defensive team since failing to force a turnover in the second half of Dec. 19's 80-74 loss to Davidson.

Kansas forward Justin Wesley chases down a loose ball with Oklahoma guard Steven Pledger during the first half Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, at Lloyd Noble Center. by Nick Krug

In KU's first 10 games (including Davidson), it forced turnovers on 21.6 percent of its possessions. Since then, KU has created giveaways on 88 of its 331 defensive possessions (26.6 percent).

The Jayhawks will have the chance to keep that trend going against Texas Tech on Wednesday, as the Red Raiders have the highest turnover percentage in the Big 12 (25 percent).

Note: Here is a listing of definitions for some terms used in this blog. Also, feel free to ask questions in the comments section below if something doesn't make sense.

It's going to be hard to overstate just how important Kansas' rebounding dominance was in Wednesday night's 67-49 victory over Kansas State.

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson wags his tongue with delight behind Kansas State forward Thomas Gipson during a Jayhawk run in the first half on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse. by Nick Krug

Surely you know by now that the Jayhawks outrebounded the Wildcats, 50-26, but the performance on the glass was even better when you compare it to recent history.

KU grabbed 57.6 percent of its misses on Wednesday night, which was the most ever by a Bill Self-coached KU team against a Big 12 opponent.

Looking at it from the other direction, it was Kansas State's worst defensive rebounding effort in nearly 10 years. The last time the Wildcats grabbed less than 42.4 percent of the available defensive rebounds was March 8, 2002 against Oklahoma.

Oklahoma's Jabahri Brown, left, and Daryan Selvy, center, battle for a loose ball with Kansas State's Larry Reid. Oklahoma outrebounded K-State 54-30 on Friday in the Big 12 quarterfinals and rallied for a 63-52 victory at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. by AP Photo

(Just to give you some context, also on March 8, 2002, Jeff Boschee had 21 points, while Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich added 18 points apiece as KU defeated Colorado, 102-73, in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. ... And I was in high school.)

Ku's Jeff Boschee (13) triggers over Stephane Pelle.

KU also limited KSU's offensive rebounding, which is one of the Wildcats' greatest strengths. K-State grabbed just 27.9 percent of the available offensive rebounds, which was its worst mark of the season and second-worst percentage in the last two years.

M.O.J. (Most Outstanding Jayhawk)

Travis Releford was about as good as we've seen him at KU on both ends of the floor.

Kansas State coach Frank Martin greets KU's Travis Releford at the end of the Jayhawks 67-49 win against Kansas State at Allen Fieldhouse, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012. by Mike Yoder

The junior posted 1.31 points per possession used while ending a season-high 22.9 percent of the possessions he was in (meaning he was more involved in the offense this game than any other).

Releford also helped hold KSU's Rodney McGruder — who had made 16 of his last 18 shots and six of his last seven threes coming in — to 5-for-14 shooting (1-for-5 from three).

Releford also seamlessly moved into the post late after Thomas Robinson picked up his fourth foul. Playing as a 4, Releford muscled up to Jamar Samuels after chasing down McGruder most of the night.

The most interesting statistic for Releford lately has been his offensive rebounding.

Kansas guard Travis Releford and Kansas State's Jamar Samuels battle for a loose ball Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse. by Mike Yoder

In KU's first 12 games this year, the Kansas City, Mo., native grabbed a combined 10 offensive rebounds.

In his last two games, Releford has combined for 11 offensive rebounds.

Whatever the reason for the surge, Self has to hope it continues. On Wednesday, Releford grabbed 24.2 percent of the available offensive rebounds (first on the team) and 15.5 percent of the available defensive rebounds (fourth on the team).

He's also quietly become the Jayhawks' third-leading rebounder, as his 4.3 per game put him only behind Robinson (12.3) and Jeff Withey (6.0).

Room for Improvement

KU's outstanding rebounding made up for a horrible night with turnovers in a low-possession game (64 possessions).

Tyshawn Taylor, (10) left, loses the handle on a ball against Kansas State in the first half Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse. by Mike Yoder

The Jayhawks gave it away on 31.2 percent of their possessions, which was their highest mark this year and 10th-highest mark in the Self era.

Tough-Luck Line

This goes to Tyshawn Taylor, whose stat line will look worse than his actual production.

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor looks to make a move against Kansas State guard Martavious Irving during the first half on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse. by Nick Krug

The senior posted 0.75 points per possession used while ending a team-high 32.1 percent of KU's possessions.

Taylor's turnovers dragged down his numbers, as his eight giveaways were the second-most for him this season.

Still, it's hard to criticize too much, as Taylor's driving ability led to some offensive rebounds and also opened things up for KU.

This shouldn't be overlooked. KSU coach Frank Martin said after the game the main reason he switched to a zone defense was that the Wildcats didn't have anyone who could stay in front of Taylor.

That change ended up biting KSU, as the Jayhawks hit a couple of huge three-pointers (including one by Conner Teahan) against the zone that broke the game open.

Bottom Line

Kansas State's two biggest strengths offensively were getting to the free throw line and offensive rebounding, and KU neutralized both.

Kansas guard Conner Teahan and the Jayhawk bench go wild following a Jayhawk bucket during a run against Kansas State in the second half on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse. by Nick Krug

Along with the rebounding numbers above, KU also held K-State to a free throw rate (free throws divided by field goals) of 28.1, which was the lowest mark by the Wildcats this season.

With few offensive rebounds, limited free throws and a poor shooting performance (36 eFG%, second worst team mark this season), the Wildcats scuffled to 0.76 points per possession — their worst mark of the season and second-worst total in the Frank Martin era.

Mark this as another game won more by KU's defense than its offense.

Here is the Cliff's Notes version of Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self's comments at his weekly press conference today.

Full press conference audio has been posted.

• Self thinks Kansas State is probably more balanced without Jacob Pullen, but Self also saw Pullen put up 38 points against KU, and KSU was pretty good that night. KSU is more balanced this year, though. Self is glad that Pullen graduated for KU's sake, though.

• There are certain stats that consider effort. Self wishes they kept a stat of what percentage of the time that you get 50-50 balls. That's what determines who wins and loses games. That's more important than screening and feeding the post and things like that. Self says Frank Martin's teams are always good at getting those loose balls and stealing extra possessions. Kansas State gets 42 percent of its misses back, which is an alarming rate. Sometimes KSU's best offense is a missed shot, which is a compliment to the Wildcats.

• Some things that go into good rebounding is forcing rotations defensively. A lot of it is effort. A lot of it is guards getting into the lane and forcing help. A lot of times people think floaters are bad shots, because they might have a 20-percent chance of going in, but you also could have a 60-percent chance of getting the rebound. For KSU, it's also just a mind-set of how hard to go after the ball. KU and KSU actually mirror each other, though KU has been better at defensive rebounding than offensive rebounding (whereas KSU has been better at offensive rebounding than defensive rebounding).

• Self isn't mad at Jeff Withey or the other guys. He's just a little perturbed at how KU rebounded. If Self lets things slide in non-conference games, the chances are, when you have to be a great rebounding team and be physical, you aren't going to be able to turn it on and turn it off. Withey is going to be important in this KSU game, but the other bench guys are as well. Those guys have responded well in practice. They're excited to play.

• Thomas Robinson statistically has played as well as Self as hoped. Self still doesn't think he's impacted possessions on both ends as much as he could. To Self, the other day was a good sign because, the more patient he was, the better shots he got. He was a good screener the other day, which opened up shots for him as well. Self still thinks there's a step he can take to become an even better player.

• The game is going to be physical, and Robinson should enjoy that. The whole team should enjoy that. Robinson has gotten frustrated at times when he doesn't get touches, but a lot of players get frustrated across the nation when that happens.

• The culture for KSU is you play as hard as you can every possession in all ways. That's not just on the offensive glass. They deny passes defensively; they're in stances defensively as well. There are a lot of things they do that are part of the culture they're trying to accomplish.

• The times KU has struggled against KSU, it's when the Wildcats' defenders push KU's offensive players out of what they want to do offensively. When teams pressure like that, it may open up driving angles as well. Guards have to be good in this game.

• Tyshawn Taylor has played really well since the Davidson game. He's done a good job of taking care of the basketball. Though the game wasn't in doubt, the North Dakota game was Taylor and Robinson's game. KU was so aggressive against KSU last year in the Fieldhouse. But KSU also took six charges. The Jayhawks need to be under control but very aggressive on Wednesday against KSU.

• This game is good for the state when both teams are ranked. It's good for Wichita State to be good. It's good for Missouri to be good. It's good for the league to be good, as long as it's not at your expense. Self likes the fact that there's an interest in the games that are going on around here.

• Tyshawn Taylor is a pretty scrutinized guy, and he brings a lot of that on himself, partly just by being a guard on teams here that are really good. He makes a lot of plays you can't coach, but then he makes plays where you wonder if he's ever been coached. But that's him. Self is glad to have him. Self thinks Taylor has been getting better. KU can't afford to have him play to not screw up. He has to be aggressive. He's going to turn it over some. Self thinks there are some times when fans can watch a player too much and perhaps be more critical because of that. But Self has really enjoyed coaching Taylor. He's a kid that cares an awful lot.

• If Taylor is being aggressive, Self thinks his mistakes are very limited. When he's not aggressive and not making a play, he becomes careless. That's not uncommon. Guys usually focus harder on a contested three than they do on a wide-open layup. Taylor can make hard plays look easy and easy plays look hard. Taylor has done a nice job tightening his game up in the last few games.

• If players are listening to what fans are saying, then they're pretty soft. That's par for the course. When you play at a place like this, people are going to talk. But when you play well, people are going to talk. Self will live with Taylor's mistakes as long as he focuses in on what the coach thinks is important. And Self thinks it's important for KU to get a shot every possession.

• Self thinks 14-4 would have a great shot to win the league. KU has won it a few times at 13-3. A 14-4 record might not win it outright, but you'd have a great chance to at least share the league title.

• Self doesn't know if KSU guard Will Spradling is the glue to the team, but he seems to be a steady influence all the time. When things seem to get out of whack for them, he reels them back in. He's a really good player. Self is impressed by him.

• Self follows "Hawks in the NBA" in the Lawrence Journal-World. Josh Selby is getting a lot of minutes. Markieff Morris is kicking tail and is in there at gamepoint for the Suns as well. Marcus getting moved down to the D-league isn't necessarily a bad thing, because he can go get minutes and get better. The Rockets have several hybrid-type forwards. Self thinks the guys, for the most part, are doing pretty well. Brady Morningstar is putting up points in the NBA D-League that he didn't put up at KU. It's an adjustment period for everyone moving up a league.