Bill Self preparing Kansas for Kentucky small-ball, staying in front of freshmen

In the leadup to the 2023 edition of the Champions Classic, much has been made about how Kentucky will defend the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, which is powered by 7-foot-1 All-American center Hunter Dickinson. Considering the Wildcats will most likely be without all three of its seven-footers when the two teams clash Tuesday night in Chicago, it’s an understandable talking point.

But on the flip side, Kansas will have to defend Kentucky, as well. Through two games UK has showcased a potent offense fueled by transition action and plenty of outside shooting. The Wildcats scored 86 points against New Mexico State then 81 against Texas A&M-Commerce, turning the ball over a combined nine times across the two outings while shooting an average of 26 three-pointers per contest. A spread-out offense from head coach John Calipari has finally brought “modern” basketball to Lexington and it’s been incredibly fun to watch.

And 6-foot-9 center Tre Mitchell is at the center of making it all work.

“Preparing to play with Tre Mitchell at the five is different than preparing to play one of those guys at the five, because he’s so skilled on the perimeter,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said during his Monday press conference. Self added that he’s not preparing for any of Kentucky’s three seven-footers to play.

Mitchell is obviously a tough cover, but what worries Self the most about Kentucky isn’t just what Mitchell can bring as a stretchable, play-making big man. It’s the deep and talented backcourt filled with top-shelf freshmen that gives the Kansas head coach cause for concern. Even though Kentucky will play small, the guards are so skilled that it can put endless pressure on Kansas’ frontcourt.

“I think they can score, individually really score,” Self said. “Whether it be (Rob) Dillingham, obviously (DJ) Wagner, (Justin) Edwards, or Mitchell or (Reed) Sheppard or whoever. I mean those guys can score the ball individually and they’re good forcing help and getting downhill individually. I’d say athleticism, fast, hard to keep in front, good in transition.

“When they get their bigs back, this is going to be a hard, hard team to deal with. And right now they’re hard to deal with in my opinion because of the matchup. You can take advantage of them playing small and they can take advantage of you playing small. That will probably be a lot of how the game goes.“

Self continued to say that the two biggest things he’s worried about when facing Kentucky will be rebounding and his players keeping the ball in front of themselves when on defense. He added that there will likely be some nerves as well from his sideline, although the same will be true with Kentucky.

But even with some potentially nervous Wildcat freshmen, Self isn’t denying the overwhelming talent they possess. He was asked about Edwards in particular and what he’s seen from the 6-foot-7 wing, but he couldn’t praise just one of Calipari’s multiple five stars.

“Pretty highly touted? He’s terrific,” Self said of Edwards. “Left-handed, can score beyond the arc, he puts it down, he’s a good offensive rebounder, he’s an athlete, great back cutter. He’s terrific. That class is terrific. The one that to me that — people talk about him, don’t get me wrong, they talk about him because he’s really good. But can score the ball so naturally is Dillingham. But Wagner, Edwards, and Dillingham, when they get (Aaron) Bradshaw back, who may be as talented as anyone, and Sheppard. I’m probably leaving somebody out off the top of my head but that’s up there with some of Kentucky’s best recruiting classes.”

The last thing of note that Self discussed was something that Calipari has also mentioned in recent weeks. The topic revolved around freshmen guards playing defense, and why it’s almost always a struggle for them early into their college careers. Calipari boiled it down to too much left and right navigating instead of north and south defending. Self echoed a similar, equally interesting viewpoint, one that has actually played out for Kentucky’s younger guards on the floor through the first two games.

“I think that all young kids struggle with it, because the more athletic you are, it seems like it should be so much easier to keep a guy in front of you. The more athletic and aggressive you play, the more you crowd a good player, and a good player can get his shoulders past you regardless of how athletic you are if you’re unsound.

“We have guys, a lot of times, is doing a great job defensively and the more they do a great job they’ll go out and crowd them even tighter and then a guy can spin off him and force help. Whereas if you’ve got him under control, just keep him there and keep him under control. I think those things are correctable, and I’m sure Cal feels the same way about his guys.”

As for one more closing tidbit, Self expects to have a fully healthy roster come Tuesday night. All of his players practiced on Sunday. Tipoff for the Champions Classic between No. 17 Kentucky and No. 1 Kansas is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EST in Chicago at the United Center.