While Kansas basketball coach Bill Self has a lot more time to spend with his team before the season begins, he has been learning about his roster.
LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self met with the media Monday as his team’s preparations for the upcoming season have continued.
Here are a few takeaways from his summer update:
What has Bill Self learned about his team this summer?
Self highlighted he’s seen more competitiveness from the team this year, and that these Jayhawks are certainly more athletic. He emphasized a visible difference in KU’s athleticism. The more that can hold true as summer turns into fall, and the season starts to play out this winter, and Kansas will be in a position to compete within the Big 12 Conference.
The first three players Self thought of, that he could rely upon to hit 3s, were freshman guard Darryn Peterson, senior guard Jayden Dawson and freshman guard Kohl Rosario. Each of them was recruited to be that kind of talent. Redshirt sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson, senior guard Melvin Council Jr. and redshirt sophomore guard Jamari McDowell are also capable of making shots, and both senior guard Tre White and freshman forward Samis Calderon have been better in this area than expected.
Has anything else surprised Bill Self, other than how well Tre White can shoot the ball?
Self reiterated that Calderon is a better shooter than anticipated, before alluding to it being too early to make any firm declarations just yet for the team holistically. However, the athleticism Kansas is set to have this season keeps standing out. There are still areas for improvement, such as being capable defensively, but the natural ability of the players on the roster is something he’s been pleased with.
How does Bill Self think the players are fitting together?
Self acknowledged there might not have been a time in the past that he’s said his players haven’t liked each other, especially in the summer, but did note he’s seen the camaraderie between those teammates.
Self also mentioned that, while he liked having veterans like KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris Jr. and Hunter Dickinson leading the way last year in their last seasons in college, the downside to that was the summer wasn’t going to be as fresh or exciting for them. They’d either been around Self for a while, been in college for a while or both, and that could lead to Self’s voice becoming stale in some ways. Although Self doesn’t blame them for that, he remarked that with this team even the oldest players are new and the returning veterans are only going into their sophomore campaigns.
There can be a benefit, Self explained, for things still feeling new.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: What Kansas basketball coach Bill Self has seen from his roster so far
Category: General Sports
