Jackson, No. 3 Kansas take show to UNLV (Dec 22, 2016)
LAS VEGAS -- Even the most gifted player on a team can find it difficult adjusting to additional talent.
In the case of Kansas freshman guard Josh Jackson, a likely one-and-done contributor trending toward the NBA, the transition to college basketball meant adapting to the skills other Jayhawks possess.
"I've never been on a team this talented before in my life," said the 6-foot-8 wing, "and it was kind of an adjustment for me when I first got here."
That required Bill Self, the coach of the 10-1 Jayhawks, to emphasize that Jackson simply blend in and use his talents to make No. 3 Kansas even more diverse.
"The thing he really helped me out with, the thing he told me was just to be myself and play my game," Jackson said.
"Sometimes in the time that I first got here I was kind of holding back a little bit because I knew I was playing with more talented guys, but he doesn't really want me to do that. He wants me to be who I am."
Jackson has shown great versatility, leading the Jayhawks in rebounds (6.3) and steals (1.7), while also carrying a 15.1-point scoring average entering a matchup Thursday against UNLV (7-5) at Thomas and Mack Center.
Although Jackson is certainly a key reason behind the Jayhawks' strong start, which includes a 10-game win streak since losing their opener to Indiana, Self contends "another gear" exists within his prized freshman. Jackson was rated as the nation's top recruit by some services.
"I may be nuts, whatever, because if you're averaging 15 and six and probably the best passer on the team you should be pretty happy with that," Self said. "But I still think he can do a lot more. I really do. I think the ceiling is so high with him."
If that ceiling is tapped, the Jayhawks could be considered a favorite to draw a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Of course, that could also require them to capture a 13th consecutive Big 12 championship. After the trip to UNLV, the Jayhawks' first true road game of the season, Big 12 play begins Dec. 30 at TCU.
Senior guard Frank Mason has played at an All-America level so far, averaging a team-high 20.3 points on 52.1 percent shooting, while distributing 5.6 assists on average. He has led Kansas in scoring in nine of 11 games.
Although the matchup against Kansas is a still challenge for UNLV, a winning nonconference record for the Rebels reflects an initial stride achieved under Marvin Menzies. The first-year coach was hired in April, yet was forced to fill several roster spots.
The Rebels are coming off a 68-61 win over Southern Illinois, overcoming 23 turnovers behind a 23-point performance from Tyrell Green. The senior forward averages 14.1 points, second on the team behind sophomore guard Jalen Poyser (14.6). Poyser leads UNLV in 3-pointers (26) and assists (45).
"We'll try to design something (for Kansas), but we're not going to try to get too far out of our box," Menzies said. "We've got to get ready for conference. That's what this is all about. At the end of the day, we want to be able to go into conference and own our signature."
And that is?
"People have got to know when they play us they've got to take tough twos," Menzies said. "We're going to defend better than what we've been defending."
In two other meetings against ranked opponents, UNLV was walloped 94-45 by Duke and 83-63 by Oregon. The Rebels open Mountain West play on Dec. 28 at Colorado State.
