Bill Self calls Kansas ‘awful,’ ‘soft’ in worst home loss to unranked team in five decades originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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For more than 50 years, losses like this simply have not happened in Lawrence, Kansas.
Not to an unranked team. Not by 16 points.
Cincinnati’s 84-68 win over Kansas will go down as the program’s worst home loss to an unranked opponent in over five decades, and Bill Self did not attempt to shield his team from it.
“We were just awful today defensively,” Self said. “They were great. Their bigs dominated and their guards, we didn’t pressure them. They got where they wanted to.”
Kansas entered the afternoon leading the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense. It exited having allowed 48 percent shooting and 12 made threes. Two Cincinnati big men who had combined to make just eight threes all season each knocked down two.
“They just did a good job,” Self said. “And when we did play to our scouting report, they made us pay.”
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The rebounding margin told an even harsher story. Minus 11. Multiple possessions where Kansas got two hands on the ball and still came up empty.
“They were more aggressive. They were more physical and we played soft,” Self said.
Energy was also part of the equation. While Self pushed back on the idea that his team disrespected the opponent, he acknowledged something was missing.
“I don’t think we were as enthusiastic. I don’t think we were as energetic,” he said. “We respected our opponent, but the bottom line is we didn’t bring it as a unit from an energy standpoint like you got to when they’re good.”
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Cincinnati’s length and rim protection created additional problems, particularly for Darryn Peterson. Self made it clear no one was exempt from criticism.
“I didn’t think he…I didn’t think anybody played well today,” Self said. “I’d certainly include all our players in with that…We didn’t do anything to cause any type of rhythm adjustments that ever made them feel uncomfortable.”
Offensively, the stagnation was glaring. Kansas shot 4 of 18 from three and struggled to generate assisted baskets in the second half.
“It’s terrible,” Self said. “We didn’t play well on either end.”
At Allen Fieldhouse, that combination is almost unheard of.
On this afternoon, it happened.
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