Ahead of Auburn's Round of 32 matchup with Kansas, The Plainsman posed questions for Braden Shaw, associate sports editor for The University Daily Kansan. Here's how he sees the action playing out tonight in Salt Lake City.
1. With KU's roster taking an unexpected turn this season, who has been stepping up for the Jayhawks?
It’s been a lot of patchwork for Bill Self and his staff, particularly with the losses of Udoka Azubuike and Lagerald Vick, as well as the suspension/NCAA ruling on Silvio De Sousa.
With that said, though, others have stepped up in big ways.
One of the biggest moves to remedy that was burning the redshirt of Ochai Agbaji who burst onto the scene with this energy and tenacity (and scoring) that Kansas needed. He’s cooled off since then, but he’s still a vital part of this team on both sides of the ball.
For the rest of the team, Marcus Garrett is the Jayhawks’ best defender and has shown at times to provide spurts of offense. He’s still recovering from an ankle injury and supposedly has a fever and possible flu, but should be good to go on Saturday.
David McCormack has stepped into a starting role at the four-spot and has really come into his own as he gets more minutes. Devon Dotson is one of the best young guards in the country and is one of the fastest players off the dribble. Quentin Grimes, while extremely inconsistent, has been a valuable piece with he’s hitting his outside shot and has shown an ability to be a slasher inside.
Then, of course, there’s Dedric Lawson who has somehow exceeded expectations and is averaging 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and is a walking double-double. He’ll be the best player on the court Saturday night.
2. How does KU plan to slow down Auburn's run-and-gun offense?
Much like against Northeastern in the first round, ball screen switches and close-outs are going to be huge. Kansas won’t mind an up-tempo game, but the challenge will definitely come from Auburn’s bigs that like to space the floor and create their own shot. With the losses of De Sousa and Azubuike, Kansas is a little light in interior depth. So it’s going to be paramount for McCormack, Lawson and Mitch Lightfoot to be aggressive in the paint and communicate inside.
On the perimeter, the matchup between Jared Harper and Devon Dotson is going to be huge as well. Harper has obviously had a great season and will be difficult to stop, so the key will be to contain him. Dotson is quick and has improved as a defender, so it should be pretty even.
As for the rest of the team, obviously Bryce Brown has been on a tear, so some combination of Agbaji, Grimes and Garrett will have to keep an eye on him.
3. Chuma vs. Dedric. What do you see in that matchup?
Don’t get me wrong, Okeke is explosive. I think that Lawson has been at times unstoppable on offense so Okeke and the other Auburn bigs are going to have their hands full inside whenever Kansas is on offense. Some teams have chosen to double-team Lawson inside, but Lawson is also arguably the best passer on the team so he can get out of that. Self has even called him the best passer he’s ever coached at Kansas.
On the defensive side for Lawson, he might need some help inside. He’s a capable defender, but Okeke is probably the better “athlete” if you will. There’s a reason that Lawson is nicknamed “Smoove” and “Slow Good.” He wears you down inside, but he only has two dunks the entire season.
Outside of Harper vs. Dotson, this is a matchup that may ultimately decide the game. I expect both to have big nights.
4 Who needs to have a breakout game to seal a Jayhawks win?
While this will absolutely be a team effort for the guards, Dotson will be the key. Auburn has the third-best turnover margin for a reason, so ball security is going to be huge. At yesterday’s media day, multiple players said that would be an added emphasis. Dotson has played under the bright lights against some of the best teams in the nation, so he’s ready for the moment. It just comes down to execution.
And with Auburn being so aggressive, Dotson will have to use his quickness and driving ability to get the Tigers in foul trouble as well.
5. Game prediction?
This is tough, because both of these teams are pretty evenly matched. However, I think that the combination of Lawson inside and Dotson running the show might be enough to put Kansas over the edge. I’ll say 76-73 Kansas, and this one might come down to who has the ball last.
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Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
