College Basketball Week 1: 5 biggest takeaways
By Chris Stone
2. Kansas has a defensive rebounding problem
Although the Jayhawks fell 103-99 to Indiana in overtime on Friday night, they didn’t have much of problem putting points on the board. Kansas scored 1.12 points per possession and point guard Frank Mason had a career night, scoring 30 points and dishing out nine assists in defeat. The problem for the Jayhawks came on the other end of the floor where they struggled to get stops and in particular failed to close out possessions on the defensive glass.
Indiana grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, 40.0 percent of its total misses on the night. The Hoosiers have historically crashed the offensive glass with more intensity than other teams, but given Kansas’ struggles on the boards during their exhibition games, Friday night’s performance is a red flag worth keeping an eye on. 6-foot-10, 240-pound power forward Carlton Bragg pulled down just four boards in the loss. Only one was a defensive rebound. Bragg is being looked upon by the Kansas fanbase as a potential replacement for the last year’s steady hand, Perry Ellis, and the sophomore figured to be a more prominent rebounder than the 6-foot-8 Ellis, but he has yet to show the desire and effort needed to help shut down possessions. For the Jayhawks to be at their best, they’ll need the 20-year old to improve on the defensive boards to prevent opponents from getting second shot opportunities.