Baylor Basketball
If Baylor loses a second-straight game, Kansas takes a three-game lead, virtually locking up the Big 12. Though like coach Scott Drew has been talking all season, nothing in the Big 12 is guaranteed. Al Freeman learned just as much after sitting out the past three games after violating team policies and will return to the court Saturday.
“I think Al’s responded in a very good way,” Drew said Thursday. “It’s a situation that he’ll be able to help the team moving forward.”
Not only can he help Baylor moving forward but he will also be a determining factor in the Big 12 race depending on how Drew uses him.
How much Freeman’s absence the past few games meant is up for debate considering he averages just 6.1 points with little contributions elsewhere in conference play. Baylor was just fine without him for his first two suspended games but the loss to Tech is a special circumstance.
Three players fouled out en route to sending Tech to the foul line 43 times. To say Baylor was exhausting its bench is an understatement having to send out Chuck Mitchell- he had four personal fouls in four minutes as well. As Freeman’s replacement, King McClure struggled to get any rhythm going, making just 1-of-7 tree-pointers with five total points.
If McClure has another day like that early on against a sharp-shooting Kansas team almost guaranteed to shoot over 40 percent beyond the arc, Drew might be more inclined to dust off Freeman’s shoulders. There’s not much of an argument to be made about Freeman making notable contributions this year, but true to the role as a wildcard, he’s popped up every few weeks. Some might say he’s bound to have a big day after sitting quiet the past three weeks. At the very least, he provides experience Baylor can hope to lean on.
“He provides a lot of experience and obviously this group is a pretty close-knit group so anytime you get a brother back, it’s a good feeling to have everyone back whatever their role may be,” Jake Lindsey said this week. “I think he’s handled it about as well as you can imagine. He came in and he was very much about the team.”
Before his cold streak, Freeman had a three-game stretch averaging 11.6 points and had a game with five assists that had Baylor on the up-and-up. But to his discredit, he’s gradually disappeared in bigger games. Take the Battle 4 Atlantis for example where he scored 15, 9, and 4 points in that order as the games’ meanings took on more meaning.
That’s not much different from his performances from last season before he shot 4-of-5 from three-point range for a 17-point outing at home against Kansas (albeit, Baylor still lost.) Granted, his identity crisis wasn’t as drastic as it is this season but the point remains, he has proven Kansas isn’t in complete control of him in the Ferrell Center unlike in Allen Fieldhouse where he had just two points.
Freeman’s the true definition of a wild card right now. Maybe it’s more likely he falls flat but Baylor can leverage that to its advantage, potentially keeping the road to a Big 12 title open.
No one’s truly saying Jackson will be the next Pierce. Projecting an 18-year-old to be a 10-time all-star in the NBA is a fool’s game. But Jackson has been one of the hottest players in the country. When people talked about his potential to be player of the year material like I projected last April, it was the truth.
Frank Mason is more likely to get the nod as a sending off present this year, but Jackson has been right by his side all season and has just started to come into his own with shades of Pierce
“He’s a guy that everybody enjoys playing with because he is so unselfish but also a guy that can take a game over,” coach Bill Self said after Jackson’s official signing, something that’s made Pierce’s legacy so great.
Jackson has been true to Self’s word the past few games helping KU get out of some tight spots including his game-winning free throw to take escape Lubbock with a win. He finished that night with a season-high 31 points while recording one of nine double-doubles this year (he’s had six in the past seven games).
As a guard, it’s a bit difficult to say he truly mirror Pierce but Jackson breaks typical classification. At 6-foot-7, he’s just as capable of rebounds as he is at scoring. Not only is he able to score easily inside, but he’s an effective piece around the perimeter much like Pierce.
Pierce left Kansas with a career three-point percentage of 35 percent, exactly what Jackson is shooting. That pales in comparison to Mason who’s hitting more than half of his shots from downtown, but one of Kansas’ only big men, having that more than modest ability outside is a valuable asset, something coach Scott Drew is weary of heading into Saturday’s matchup.
“He’s such an effective slasher and somebody that does a great job finishing around the rim,” Drew said Thursday. “When you’re hitting the outside shot now, you gotta get out there and guard him which allows him more opportunities to drive and make big plays. You can tell he’s become a more and more complete player.”
One strategy teams have taken against Jackson is to deliberately send foul him, hedging on his less than efficient free throw shooting (a place where he and Pierce greatly differ). Jackson’s shooting just 56 percent from the foul line. Not even a home court has protected him as he was 5-of-9 against Baylor. The Ferrell Center should play a pivotal role there but after Baylor allowed 43 free throws from Texas Tech, the Bears could be playing with fire fouling Jackson too much.
Jackson’s likely a one-and-done player, so he won’t be a problem much longer and his legacy wouldn’t ever reach the heights of Pierce but right now, Saturday is all that matters.
Al Freeman could be the Big 12's wildcard; The Truth of Josh Jackson
Al Freeman is the wildcard to the Big 12 title race
Before Baylor’s loss to Texas Tech on Monday, the Bears were just one game behind Kansas in the Big 12 standings. If not for West Virginia collapsing that same night against the Jayhawks, Baylor’s loss would be less impactful, keeping Baylor just one game out. To close the gap, it needs to win Saturday afternoon for a realistic chance at the school’s first-ever Big 12 title.If Baylor loses a second-straight game, Kansas takes a three-game lead, virtually locking up the Big 12. Though like coach Scott Drew has been talking all season, nothing in the Big 12 is guaranteed. Al Freeman learned just as much after sitting out the past three games after violating team policies and will return to the court Saturday.
“I think Al’s responded in a very good way,” Drew said Thursday. “It’s a situation that he’ll be able to help the team moving forward.”
Not only can he help Baylor moving forward but he will also be a determining factor in the Big 12 race depending on how Drew uses him.
How much Freeman’s absence the past few games meant is up for debate considering he averages just 6.1 points with little contributions elsewhere in conference play. Baylor was just fine without him for his first two suspended games but the loss to Tech is a special circumstance.
Three players fouled out en route to sending Tech to the foul line 43 times. To say Baylor was exhausting its bench is an understatement having to send out Chuck Mitchell- he had four personal fouls in four minutes as well. As Freeman’s replacement, King McClure struggled to get any rhythm going, making just 1-of-7 tree-pointers with five total points.
If McClure has another day like that early on against a sharp-shooting Kansas team almost guaranteed to shoot over 40 percent beyond the arc, Drew might be more inclined to dust off Freeman’s shoulders. There’s not much of an argument to be made about Freeman making notable contributions this year, but true to the role as a wildcard, he’s popped up every few weeks. Some might say he’s bound to have a big day after sitting quiet the past three weeks. At the very least, he provides experience Baylor can hope to lean on.
“He provides a lot of experience and obviously this group is a pretty close-knit group so anytime you get a brother back, it’s a good feeling to have everyone back whatever their role may be,” Jake Lindsey said this week. “I think he’s handled it about as well as you can imagine. He came in and he was very much about the team.”
Before his cold streak, Freeman had a three-game stretch averaging 11.6 points and had a game with five assists that had Baylor on the up-and-up. But to his discredit, he’s gradually disappeared in bigger games. Take the Battle 4 Atlantis for example where he scored 15, 9, and 4 points in that order as the games’ meanings took on more meaning.
That’s not much different from his performances from last season before he shot 4-of-5 from three-point range for a 17-point outing at home against Kansas (albeit, Baylor still lost.) Granted, his identity crisis wasn’t as drastic as it is this season but the point remains, he has proven Kansas isn’t in complete control of him in the Ferrell Center unlike in Allen Fieldhouse where he had just two points.
Freeman’s the true definition of a wild card right now. Maybe it’s more likely he falls flat but Baylor can leverage that to its advantage, potentially keeping the road to a Big 12 title open.
Josh Jackson: The Truth
With former Jayhawk Paul Pierce hanging up his jersey this year, someone has to come along to replace The Truth. Pierce will always be the true “Truth,” but if there’s to be a successor to his legacy, it just might be the latest freshman phenom in Lawrence, Josh Jackson.No one’s truly saying Jackson will be the next Pierce. Projecting an 18-year-old to be a 10-time all-star in the NBA is a fool’s game. But Jackson has been one of the hottest players in the country. When people talked about his potential to be player of the year material like I projected last April, it was the truth.
Frank Mason is more likely to get the nod as a sending off present this year, but Jackson has been right by his side all season and has just started to come into his own with shades of Pierce
“He’s a guy that everybody enjoys playing with because he is so unselfish but also a guy that can take a game over,” coach Bill Self said after Jackson’s official signing, something that’s made Pierce’s legacy so great.
Jackson has been true to Self’s word the past few games helping KU get out of some tight spots including his game-winning free throw to take escape Lubbock with a win. He finished that night with a season-high 31 points while recording one of nine double-doubles this year (he’s had six in the past seven games).
As a guard, it’s a bit difficult to say he truly mirror Pierce but Jackson breaks typical classification. At 6-foot-7, he’s just as capable of rebounds as he is at scoring. Not only is he able to score easily inside, but he’s an effective piece around the perimeter much like Pierce.
Pierce left Kansas with a career three-point percentage of 35 percent, exactly what Jackson is shooting. That pales in comparison to Mason who’s hitting more than half of his shots from downtown, but one of Kansas’ only big men, having that more than modest ability outside is a valuable asset, something coach Scott Drew is weary of heading into Saturday’s matchup.
“He’s such an effective slasher and somebody that does a great job finishing around the rim,” Drew said Thursday. “When you’re hitting the outside shot now, you gotta get out there and guard him which allows him more opportunities to drive and make big plays. You can tell he’s become a more and more complete player.”
One strategy teams have taken against Jackson is to deliberately send foul him, hedging on his less than efficient free throw shooting (a place where he and Pierce greatly differ). Jackson’s shooting just 56 percent from the foul line. Not even a home court has protected him as he was 5-of-9 against Baylor. The Ferrell Center should play a pivotal role there but after Baylor allowed 43 free throws from Texas Tech, the Bears could be playing with fire fouling Jackson too much.
Jackson’s likely a one-and-done player, so he won’t be a problem much longer and his legacy wouldn’t ever reach the heights of Pierce but right now, Saturday is all that matters.
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