Coming off loss to No. 1 Kentucky, Self says Jayhawks have long way to go

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) elevates to the bucket under the outstretched arm of Kentucky forward Marcus Lee (00) during the first half of the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Kansas University men’s basketball coach Bill Self hasn’t had the greatest week — what with Tuesday’s 72-40 loss to Kentucky in Indianapolis.

That game and the Jayhawks’ performance in it proved a popular topic three days after the fact at Self’s Friday afternoon press conference at Allen Fieldhouse.

With Rider coming to Lawrence Monday night, KU will soon have a chance to get back on track. But Self said the team has a long way to go.

Here are some of the highlights from the Q&A:

• KU practiced this morning at 6 a.m. They’ll practice again this afternoon. Not because of punishment. They have to get better.

• It’s too long a season to put too much stock in one game.

• If LeBron James goes 4 for 18, does that mean he’s not gonna be confident the next game?

• At this point, no one is totally sure who KU’s best players are. It’s probably discouraging for Wayne Selden Jr. and Perry Ellis, because they should be KU’s two best players and they haven’t played better than any of the other guys so far.

• Jamari Traylor played his butt off against Kentucky and went 0 for 6. It’s a little bit different scoring over 6-foot-6 or 6-7 as opposed to 7-foot.

• Self wishes a couple of guys would establish themselves as the team’s best players. Their three most talented players are Frank Mason III, Selden and Ellis. They haven’t really statistically played well yet. But he knows they will. He isn’t worried about that.

• Kansas doesn’t have a different-level freshman like Andrew Wiggins or Joel Embiid. These freshmen are gonna be good but you can’t ask that much of those guys right now.

• Mason drove it but he needs to drive to pass and not just drive looking to score, especially against length. … There was no intimidation of getting in there, KU just didn’t accomplish much in the paint when they got there.

• Cliff is a good player, but he is 6-8 going up against 7-footers from Kentucky. He couldn’t maul people like he usually does. He will have to learn to put himself in position before the catch.

• “Productivity, leadership, calming influence, intelligence.  There are a lot of things I think which need to see from those guys.  That’ll definitely filter down to the rest of the guys.”

• “But one of the big keys to that game, and seems like a minor key, was how their three man kept every ball alive on the glass.  Every ball.  Poythress and Lyles kept every ball alive on the glass.”

— Listen to the complete press conference: Bill Self discusses 6 a.m. practice, other topics