ChiefsPlanet - George Brett Statue ***** Official '24/'25 KU Men's BBall Repository Thread *****

from Mike Vernon's email:

Quote:

🏟️ Hilton Coliseum

📺 6:00pm CT on ESPN2

💰Current Line: Kansas as a 5.5 point underdog (11:45am CT)

This story is free to read. Copy and paste this link to share with other KU fans you know. New readers can join here for free.

Quick Look: Iowa State
Iowa State (No. 4 Kenpom) brings an elite two-way attack, ranking 8th in offense and 10th in defense

Its one loss this year was a 2-point loss to Auburn in Maui

Led by three excellent guards in Keshon Gilbert, Curtis Jones, and Tamin Lipsey

Elite in forcing turnovers and taking care of the ball themselves (No. 8 in turnover margin)

Plays fast (No. 22 in possession length)

Doesn’t rely on the three ball (No. 311 in % of points from three)

Three Keys for KU-Iowa State
1. KU’s Muck it Up Revolution
The most obvious shift in KU’s recent surge is on the defensive side of the ball. You know that.

The less obvious change: The overall identity shift that keys a high-energy attack to steal extra possessions and get high percentage looks.

Just look at the recent change in KU’s offensive rebounding.

First 12 games:

No. 227 in offensive rebounding %

No. 241 in 2nd chance points (9.8 per game)

Last 3 games:

No. 12 in offensive rebounding %

No. 1 in 2nd chance points per game (18.0 per game; largely vs. UCF)

It may not be pretty (you have to miss a lot of shots to score 18 second-chance points per game) but it can work. The plenty-ugly, all-effort style is how KU will get the most out of players like Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams.

And that’s exactly who led the change.

via CBBAnalytics.com

This transformation could be crucial tonight. Iowa State ranks No. 310 in defensive rebounding % in conference play – a rare weakness KU must exploit.

Those few extra points could be the difference.

2. Win the Rim
Iowa State excels at forcing mid-range jumpers – exactly what derails KU's offense. The numbers tell the story:

In KU’s 12 wins:

No. 32 in shots at the rim

No. 34 in rim FG%

No. 211 in shots in the paint, but not at the rim

No. 120 in making those shots

In KU’s 3 losses:

No. 265 in shots at the rim

No. 272 in rim FG%

No. 15 in attempts in the paint, but not at the rim

No. 361 in making those shots

The good news? Iowa State struggles to protect the rim when teams get there.

KU must play with energy, swinging the ball from side-to-side. It can’t stick in one place.

Otherwise, you’re playing right into Iowa State’s hands.

3. Do not allow a “Kill Shot”
A “kill shot” is a scoring run of 10-0 or more for one team, coined by data scientist Evan Miya.

A team with a 10-0 run wins 71% of the time.

A team with more kill shots than its opponents wins 81% of the time.

Iowa State ranks third nationally in kill shots.

At the same time, KU hasn’t allowed many runs. Its given up the second-fewest kill shots.

Want to avoid dealing with Hilton Magic? Keep Iowa State’s "kill shot count to zero.

🔮 Prediction
KU’s didn’t show up in its two road games in top-tier environments earlier this year (Creighton and Missouri).

I like the front-court matchup for the Jayhawks (if KJ Adams doesn’t force midrange jumpers). And KU’s defensive guard play can make life difficult for Iowa State.

But I’d like to see KU show up for a complete 40 minutes in the most difficult road games before taking them.

Iowa State 73, Kansas 66

NOTE: There is an injury rumor developing about Iowa State wing Milan Momcilovic (see thebetting section below). He shoots 48.3% from three at home and his absence would take stress off KU’s defense.

Help Spread the Word:

Tell your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.