photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Kelly Oubre gets to the bucket against the Rhode Island defense during the first half on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014 at the HP Field House in Kissimmee, Florida.

Coming off a tournament championship at the Orlando Classic, and with another top-tier non-conference opponent just around the corner, Kansas University men’s basketball coach Bill Self talked about the Jayhawks’ accomplishments to date and what’s left to be done at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

While Florida’s Friday visit to Allen Fieldhouse for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge proved to be a hot topic, so were minutes, starting fives, defense, player comparisons and much more.

Here are a few of the highlights from the Q&A:

• KU has rebounded the ball a lot better since that Kentucky loss. The Jayhawks also have improved in moving the ball, looking more organized.

• Frank Mason III was KU’s second most valuable guy at the Orlando Classic. He rebounded and took care of the ball vs. pressure. Didn’t score a lot of points, but didn’t take a lot shots. He was the team’s best defensive rebounder. He “went and got ’em.” The PG aggressively pursued the ball.

• The Jayhawks haven’t forced turnovers enough yet. They’re not quick and active defensively like they need to be. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is the best defensive positioning guy but he isn’t a stealer of the ball. Neither is Wayne Selden Jr. KU is better at this juncture on “D” than it was a year ago. Personnel has a lot to do with how many turnovers they force. Kansas doesn’t yet have great anticipators on defense and the Jayhawks don’t play with their hands enough yet. Most of the opponent turnovers have been guys throwing the ball out of bounds, not KU running through the ball.

• Self likes the current starting five — Mason, Selden, Mykhailiuk, Perry Ellis, Landen Lucas — because it has gotten the team off to better starts. Cliff Alexander, a freshman power forward off the bench, is going to foul quick… The starters aren’t as important as the five who finish, either.

• Selden has leadership abilities: He’s tough, smart, cares a ridiculous amount and is definitely an alpha male. He hasn’t been quite as good a leader yet because he hasn’t played his best. More leadership will show up as he improves. Selden hasn’t shot it well at all, but he struggled shooting early in non-conference last season, too, then picked it up.

• Kelly Oubre Jr. has been better in practices than in games but he’s still not comfortable. He’s a thinker right now, not a reactor. A lot has been made of him not playing to the hype but it’s six games in. He’s never played guard under pressure. He has to impact KU moving forward. It’s just a matter of time before he snaps out and finds his way… He should be a slasher, extra-possession guy who creates havoc defensively.

• With KU’s non-conference schedule, there are numerous quality opponents. It is harder to get guys minutes if they’re figuring out who they are and if they can play. Self knows Oubre can play. He hasn’t had much of an opportunity to play through mistakes. He just needs to go and make something good happen for himself. … Not thinking too much is possible, because he has a good enough understanding. Self would rather a guy play with reckless abandon and screw up than play slower because he’s thinking too much. You can’t play to “not screw up.”

• Based on KU’s personnel, Selden needs to be the top perimeter defender. The Jayhawks don’t have a guy as skilled as Andrew Wiggins anymore. Self also would like Oubre or Devonté Graham to develop into that kind of stopper, too.

• Florida has played a difficult schedule and the Gators were beat up when they lost to Miami (Florida). They lost a one-possession game in overtime to a good Georgetown team and another to a very good North Carolina team in the Bahamas. Florida will be a high seed in the tournament eventually.

• Kansas can win without a 7-footer. KU has had teams with this size before. They weren’t big when they won it all in 2008. It’s a nice luxury to have someone up front who can block shots and correct mistakes. The Jayhawks are big enough to win… Self was joking with Georges Niang this past summer and the Iowa State star forward said the Cyclones beat KU in the Big 12 Tournament because that “monster” Joel Embiid wasn’t out there. Sure, KU would like to have that but they can be good without a 7-footer.

• Florida’s Kasey Hill and Chris Walker were two supremely talented players coming out of high school and Michael Frazier II can really shoot it. They have a lot of talent.

• Rock Chalk Video does a great job for KU in producing quality videos — many unseen by the public, recruiting videos and that sort of thing — and it’s an important part of the program.

• Graham is doing fine with his shoulder and is practicing full speed. It was good they only had to use him limited minutes in Orlando.

• Sherron Collins is “the baddest boy we’ve had here,” so Self hesitates to compare Mason to Collins. The coach thinks Mason is more athletic than Collins. That would be a great goal for Mason to get to the point where he could play at Collins’ level.

• Alexander has a tendency to put his hands on guys in other jerseys, which leads to a whistle. That is why Self likes bringing him off the bench. Alexander also gets to watch some of the game from the bench. … Alexander will end up starting, most likely. But it’s more about minutes played.

• More than likely, Mykhailiuk will be around at KU for just two years. He just has some things to tighten up. He’s a legit 6-7 and 1/2 and he’s going to fill out and get stronger. He should be playing against Olathe North or Free State High or Lawrence High. “Svi” projects out as high as anyone on the team four years from now. He’ll be 21 and a “bad boy.”

• UF coach Billy Donovan is as good as the college hoops profession has. He won a national title when no one thought they were any good and another one when everyone expected them to win it all. Self knew the Gators were good last year, but they ended up being one of the best teams in the country, maybe the best, before losing at the Final Four.

— Listen to the complete press conference: Bill Self on importance of starting five

— Hear from Kansas big men Landen Lucas and Jamari Traylor: Lucas and Traylor discuss KU’s improving rebounding and how Mason factors into that