After getting back to the winning side of things on Saturday against Temple, the young Jayhawks now find themselves doing something they might not be prepared for this early in the season. Playing a true road game.
After upsetting previously #4 ranked Gonzaga, the 7-3 Arizona Wildcats dropped their third game of the season on Saturday to UNLV, 79-64. The Wildcats present a tough challenge to the young Jayhawks. They are outrebounding opponents 35 rpg to 29 rpg, they only give up 63 ppg, they can hit the three (46%), and they have one of the nations best wings in Chase Budinger. Budinger leads the Wildcats in scoring at 19 ppg and hits an unbelievable 58% from 3.
With Kansas lacking a long and athletic wing, Budinger could prove to be too much for the Jayhawks to handle. He has the ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor, get to the rim, and get to the free throw line. At 6’7″, Budinger can shoot over most defenders and is explosive enough to blow right by them as well.
Kansas has shown to be vulnerable at the wing position both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. It will take a special effort from a rotation of guys to slow Budinger down. Even with premier defender Brandon Rush in the line-up, Budinger had little trouble putting up 27 points on the Jayhawks last season. They Jayhawks ended up outlasting the Wildcats in overtime, 76-72, despite Budinger’s 10-23 shooting.
Junior Jordan Hill brings the intensity down low for the Cats. He cleans the glass with almost 12 rpg, and is a post scoring threat at 18.5 ppg. Hill is also a shot blocking threat, averaging almost 3 per game. Junior point guard Nic Wise has emerged as another scoring threat on the Wildcats team at 13.6 ppg, something he had to do after the Wildcats lost freshman sensation Jerryd Bayless to the NBA.
Offensively, Arizona might be the Jayhawks’ toughest test yet. The Jayhawks will have to step it up a notch on the defensive end to leave Tucson with a win. They look to have an advantage in the paint, if by nothing else, shear volume. Cole Aldrich and the Morris twins will need to control the glass to prevent Arizona from getting extra possessions. The Kansas guards, led by junior Sherron Collins, will need to pressure the Wildcat guards, causing poor passing lanes and preventing Budinger from catching and shooting in rhythm.
For most of this Kansas team, it will be their first time playing in a true road game. Nothing like playing at Arizona for that first test. Poise and leadership will play a huge role in how the younger players handle this situation. The leadership will mostly have to come from Sherron Collins, who by far has the most experience playing on the road. If he keeps his poise, and it trickles down to his younger teammates, the Jayhawks could leave with a huge confidence building win.
