Team Snapshot
Record: 11-8, 2-5 Big 12
Streak: Lost 1
Ranking: NR
Last Week: lost to #5 Missouri (A), 70-51 (1/16); def. Oklahoma (H), 81-75 (OT) (Sat.)
This Week: lost to #5 Kansas (A), 64-54 (Mon.); Saturday vs Oklahoma State (H), 3 p.m. (Big 12 Network)
HEAD COACH BILLY KENNEDY
"We're glad to be home. We have some positive news, that Dash's arch is just sprained. There's no permanent damage, it's just sore. So it'll be a situation that's day-to-day. We don't know if he'll play Saturday or not. We sure hope so. That's where we're at at this point."
Any update on Khris?
"We'll know more about Khris in the next couple of days. He's getting his knee looked at again. They want to do another MRI. He feels better. He's not using it obviously, but his situation is day-to-day also. I really don't want him to practice until he's close to 100 percent, because it didn't work the last couple of weeks, taking days off and going half speed. I don't want to have that in our practice-I don't think it's good for him or good for us."
Do you have a plan if Dash can't go?
"We're still trying to figure that out. Obviously Elston will have to handle the ball the majority of the time and get us in offense, which I think he can do. But after that we're just going to be experimenting. Naji Hibbert may be the next best ball handler on the team, but that's not his natural position by any means. The good thing is we've got all week. Knowing Dash and his toughness, I think there's a chance that he could play."
After Missouri, you kind of called out the seniors and talked about how you expected more from them. Were you pleased with the way your guys responded in a tough environment?
"Yeah. I was really pleased. I wasn't surprised that Kansas jumped out on us, they do that to everybody. What was good to see was that our guys didn't flinch and our coaches didn't panic. We knew that could possibly happen in a tough environment, and fortunately we got back into the game. I really thought our two seniors did a good job of not being afraid. David took the ball strong to the basket, but unfortunately there was a 7-footer there blocking a lot of shots. Their length gave us problems. And with Dash playing the second half on basically one leg, we couldn't use our ball screen stuff to get Withey away from the basket, so it made it even more difficult for us to score in the half court."
Talk about the play of Elston Turner...
"He's been our best and most consistent player in practice and in games all year. Him and Dash have been pretty consistent with their effort and performance. If we get that kind of performance from David, we've got three guys that can help us win."
Talk about Oklahoma State...
"They've had some injuries and some issues, but Keiton Page has been solid for them all year and been a good leader for them. I like their young talent. They're starting to step up. Le'Bryan Nash is getting more consistent with his effort. The kid from Louisiana, Markel Brown, was one of the top players in the country. They've got some weapons that we're going to have to be prepared for. They do a lot of things offensively. It would be really good to have Dash chasing Keiton around a little bit."
Talk about Dash's leadership and what he's meant to your team...
"Well, when a new coach comes in, you hope you can identify with someone on the team. From day one, he's been a guy that has bought in to us and has been excited about our staff. Our relationship has been positive. He's coachable. We can get on him and he handles it the right way. That bleeds in to your team. I think the longer we get to know each other and get through the season, it's only going to get better with the other guys. I thought they did a much better job of buying in to how we need to play against Kansas than Missouri. So we made a positive step and we're going to have to continue to grow to give ourselves a chance to win. Just to have a chance to win."
Despite all the struggles and hardships of the season so far, do you feel like the team and even the fans are starting to buy in to what you guys are trying to do here?
"The fans and everyone have been real supportive. Our guys are buying into it. We just need a little more help than what I anticipated from a 24-win season. I like where we're at. It's one day at a time. I think we're improving in all areas, recruiting hopefully being the biggest area."
You had a chance against Kansas and in some key possessions there were a few times you didn't get a shot off. Do you look at that as a negative or do you just have to understand that that stuff is going to happen with what's all been going on?
"Well, I'd rather do that than jack up a bad shot at Kansas anyway, because we could set our defense. But Dash is the only true playmaker that can beat you off the dribble. He was unable to do that, to make a play at the end of the shot clock. It usually comes down to a guy being able to make a one-on-one play or beat someone off the dribble. Elston tried at times but Kansas is a great defensive team and they were able to take us away. Those possessions weren't as bad as the walking call underneath out of bounds where we had a play set up, or some other possessions. In that particular game, the shot clock going off and being able to set your defense up is not the worst thing that can happen."
Is the difference between the first and second halves at Kansas the fact they were able to get inside more and get to the line?
"Yeah. They made a conscious effort that hey, they're not going to take Thomas Robinson away. We struggled keeping him from getting the ball. He out-physicaled us and that was a big key to the game. And then he made all his free throws, and he's not a great free throw shooter. They were 20-for-23 from the line as a team, and that's why they won the game. And I thought we had some lineups in the game that were a little more tentative to go up in there against him. Elston and Dash were much more aggressive defensively in the first half, on him and helping, and in the second half Dash was not able to really move like he wanted to so we couldn't double him with the right people like we wanted to."
If you could name one thing you'd really like to see happen for your team to get on a roll during conference play, what would it be?
"We've got to have a third scorer step up, and a second scorer now with Khris not playing. You can't just rely on one guy night in and night out. If Elston has a bad night on the perimeter, we're done at this point. When you see the balance we had against Oklahoma, where Dash had 14 and Naji came off the bench and made some shots, it takes the pressure off the one guy. Loubeau has to continue to be 14 to 16 point game. We got 6 points off the bench the other day and that's 6 points more than a dead man. We don't get a lot of scoring off the bench, so we have to have some guys step up and make shots and get some confidence and still be good defensively."