“[Jamari] is going to have to learn how to plug himself into the game,” Self said of Traylor’s late game disappearing act after plugging himself in very emphatically in the first half with this putback slam.
Self did credit Traylor for his aggressive play on both ends, however, and the frosh out the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl. finished with six points, four rebonds, three blocks—including one of the Tayshaun-on-Reggie variety against fellow rook Gary Harris—and two steals.
What is clear is that Traylor is one of the country’s most athletic forwards; but Jayhawk fans looking for a Thomas Robinson clone should remember that even T-Rob put up just 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in just 7.2 minutes as a freshman and didn’t average double figures until he was a junior.
Still, Jamari’s output was greater than more heralded classmate, 6-foot-8 power forward Perry Ellis, who got his shot blocked early and never looked confident.
“Perry is going to be a good player, but everything is a finesse deal,” Self said. “It’s not his fault; it’s just a finesse deal, and Michigan State isn’t the best team to be finesse against.”
That’s very true. And while Ellis was the four-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas high school hoops and ranked 35th in the ESPNU 100 coming in, (Traylor didn’t make the cut), Self says these freshman are going to be pretty good, but it might take a minute.
“They’re not the typical heralded freshmen that have had a lot of exposure and worldly. They’ve been pretty sheltered as far as experiences go,” Self said.
That’s in stark contrast to Kentucky Coach John Calipari’s comments later in the evening, when he marveled at how seasoned NCAA freshmen are today compared to 15 or 20 years ago, before AAU and Summer events increased the schedule and players from all around the country not only know each other, but play with each other and even recruit each other.
Calipari even used the term “worldly.”
But like almost every coach in America, Self’s crop of freshmen is just a little bit different than Coach Cal’s.
3. Can the Jayhawks defend the pick and roll?
Coach Self shrugged and said it best: “Appling took over.”
Or maybe it was Kansas center Jeff Withey, who swatted at and missed a Keith Appling lefty scoop with under a minute left, one of his two clutch shots down the stretch: “He’s just quick. He was really quick.”
Either way, Michigan State’s starting backcourt of Keith Appling, Gary Harris and Branden Dawson combined for 49 of MSU’s 67 points (or 73 percent). Part of that was due to the Spartans’ lack of a true offensive post presence, and part of it was due to Withey, Ellis, Traylor and Co. defending the post well (Self admitted as much in the post game presser.)
But undeniably, part of it was due to Appling, Harris and Dawson getting free looks at the rim off ball screens.
“The bigs need to work on hedging ball screens, that’s the main thing,” Self said of his team’s defensive lapses. Teaching freshmen Ellis and Traylor how to properly
The most memorable miscommunication came on Appling’s late three, when Elijah Johnson and Withey got tangled up and left the Michigan State junior wide open.
“That’s my fault,” Self said. “I told Elijah to go under the ball screen one time. And Jeff didn’t hedge to make [Appling] change directions.”
If the coach can’t get on the same page with his senior center and point guard, then bringing along Traylor and Ellis could take even longer than expected.
Nick Gibson, editor of EuroleagueAdventures.com, covers Euroleague and other international basketball developments for SheridanHoops.com. Click here to follow him on Twitter.