Duke took down Kansas 90-84 in their final exhibition game of the preseason, with Patrick Ngongba and John Blackwell leading the charge for the Blue Devils with massive games and two big second-half runs. Kansas head coach Bill Self didn’t shy away from what he saw after the buzzer.
“High-Level Team” But Maturity Gaps Are Real
Self didn’t hold back, calling it a “pretty damn good exhibition game” against a “high-level team for October.” He even admitted Kansas “hung in there and did some good things.” But here’s the kicker, folks: Self sees a clear maturity gap. He said Duke is “more mature and more poised in a late-game, over-40-minute situation than we are.” That’s a stark admission right there.
It makes sense, too, when he points out that Kansas’s “two best players offensively are freshmen,” while Duke’s are seniors. That experience difference is huge, especially when the clock is ticking down. Self is still optimistic, though, believing Kansas “can get there” and could be in for a “hell of a battle” if they meet Duke in the tournament later on, assuming they get their “full-complement guys.” We’ll see if that confidence pays off!
Ball Screen Breakdowns and “Marginal Shots”
When asked about the defense, specifically Keanu Dawes playing center, Self laid it out. He felt it “would’ve gone really well” if the guards had rebounded better. He slammed the “non-existent” ball screen defense in the first half, but clarified it wasn’t the bigs’ fault. It was because the ball moved so quick, allowing Duke to exploit short rolls. Kansas just doesn’t “do that well yet,” he said. They tried going small to switch, and while Self noted Keanu’s matchup was an “advantage” with a “five-man guard,” the issues were bigger than one player.
What really seemed to frustrate Self were the two big Duke runs. He pointed to “a lot of shots at close range that didn’t go in” for Kansas. But even worse? Taking “very marginal shots when you need to have a great possession.” Ouch! He put it bluntly: “We’re just not mature enough yet to play to the defense breaking down. We more or less just played a one-on-one.” That’s the kind of selfish play that kills momentum. Self emphasized they need to get better at “time and score and knowing when you have to have a good possession, leave a timeout, and we make one pass or no passes and guys shoot guard shots.” That’s a fundamental issue to tackle early in the season.
Hitting Them in the Mouth and Finding an Identity
Self gave his squad some credit for their start, saying, “we hit them in the mouth starting out.” But then, “we tasted our own blood, and I thought the kids fought hard.” That fight is good, but the production wasn’t always there. He highlighted that Melvin and Trey combined for just 17 points in this game, a massive drop from their 48 combined against Louisville. That kind of inconsistency tells a story.
The bottom line from Coach Self? Kansas needs to “figure out who we are, how we’re going to play and how to win the most important possessions.” Duke was “much more poised winning the most important possessions” today, and that’s the real difference maker. Kansas has some serious soul-searching to do, even in an exhibition game, if they want to live up to Self’s tournament hopes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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