Mason...and KU's balance

You know you have a mega-balanced team when your point guard (or co-point guard) goes 1-8 from the floor, 0-4 from behind the arc, and commits 4 turnovers...yet you win going away.

To his credit, Frank had 5 rebounds and 4 assists and went 6-6 from the line, but overall it wasn't one of his better nights. And yet, it didn't matter tonight. We just had too much balance. Selden goes off for 22, Ellis nails his typical 21, Graham gets 13, and Lucas dominated the interior like a bull in a china shop.

You have to love it, sports fans!

Rock Chalk...

Looking forward to the team in general and Frank in particular getting the chance to recover from the bumps and bruises over the next few days. I think we shall see a much stronger Frank and a well rested team when they face the winner of Maryland v Hawai'i. Would love Hawai'i to be the choice simply because I don't really want to deal with KU beating Mark's team. If it comes to that, so be it, get 'er done, Jayhawks!

Self had something to say about Frank last night:

www2.kusports.com/news/2016/mar/19/bill-...wks-feisty-attitude/

Self spoke to junior guard Frank Mason III in the tunnel at halftime. Mason had two points, three turnovers, four assists at the break and finished with eight points off 1-of-8 shooting with four assists, four turnovers and five rebounds.

“I don’t know that that was encouragement, because we called a play and he threw it to the wrong side, and we couldn’t run it the way that it’s set up to run by him throwing it to the side, and I was just trying to tell him that, you know, you’ve got to get your head into it,” Self said.

“He wasn’t bad today by any stretch, I’m not saying that, but I didn’t think when things kind of went a little bit south for him personally, not our team, but for him personally, I thought he quit being aggressive and lost a little focus so we were just trying to get him back.”

Self continued on the topic of Mason. “Frank is one of those guys when things aren’t going well he can focus in on making it a personal confrontation as opposed to thinking, ‘Hey it’s not my night, but I’m going to make sure I do things in other areas.’ He’s a little stubborn. I’m glad he’s our stubborn guy,” Self said.

“The strange thing is Devonté (Graham, 13 points) was on, Wayne (Selden Jr., 22 points) was on, Perry (Ellis, 21 points) was on ... Frank, that was about as poor offensively a game as he’s had. We’ve got to get him back next week obviously.”

I love Frank and defend him to the hilt at all times. I will say this, however. If part of his off game last night was purely mental, as Coach says--i.e., losing focus and aggressiveness just because he was having a rough night personally--that is not going to cut it. He has to buck up, stay in the moment, and do other things to help his teammates out, even if he personally isn't lighting it up. Reason: If he does otherwise, and any other player were to devolve in a given game alongside him, KU would go from having a little margin for error to zero. And Lord help us if it became more viral than that. It's a single-elimination tourney, and one loss would send this seasoned group home crying, with no chance of ever playing together as the group that exists right now.

I know he's a bit gimpy too, but being gimpy doesn't make you telegraph an ill-advised cross-court pass into the arms of a waiting UConn stealer. Keep your head in this at all times, Frank, play great defense, see the whole court, feed your teammates, and don't get too fixated on the shots if they're not falling. (They will, in time, for you, as you've proven over and over all year--but don't force it)

I look for Frank to be back "ON" in a big way in Louisville. And we'll need him against what are likely to be very guard-driven teams (Maryland, if they advance, Miami, or Villanova).

Rock Chalk...

In a few games this season, you could use the exact same description of the game Wayne was playing! When his 3 shot isnt falling, he can go into a shell, and not contribute much, especially on "D".

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Absolutely. And if you're a regular reader of this board, you know I have. Routinely. That's been my biggest critique of Wayne all year -- the camping out at the arc and exhibiting bad energy when the shots weren't falling. But the Wayne on display in the first two games is the WUG Wayne--he's taking it to the hoop with authority and playing lockdown D. (And oh, yes, hitting some 3s too--bonus!)

Rock Chalk...

I really believe that the reason for Frank's head not being in the game is that his foot has been hurting him more than he or Self are willing to let on to anybody. It can be very difficult to focus when every other step -- or more -- has you noting that you're hurting and not what the defenders are doing. Normally Frank can work through it, and he arguably did that yesterday, but certainly not well. I keep going back to the injury hypothesis because unlike Wayne, we have not seen Frank not have his head in the game. We've seen him do some stubborn things (liking forcing shots on drives instead of kicking out to a teammate), but we really haven't seen him be seemingly unfocused for a significant portion of a game. Just not him.

Thankfully his teammates picked up the slack yesterday.

And hopefully four days of therapy will make a world of difference.

Well, he and Coach Self certainly were a bit divergent in their public comments on the injury heading into the tourney, as I posted on here. (Mason referred to it hurting, but getting treatment, while Self dismissed it and all but said "suck it up")

Who knows, but, yes, if I were the staff I'd do EVERYTHING in my power to help Frank heal over the next few days. Lord knows he's practiced sufficiently all year for him and the players to know every single next move by the other party. So give him full rest, if needed, aside from that which is most critical in practice.

We need the Bulldog to make the full run. The other guys picked it up yesterday, but we need Frank.

Rock Chalk...