A KU basketball bench player is starting to find his footing, and it could pay major dividends for the team heading into Big 12 play.
The Jayhawks are already down one freshman in wing Jalen Wilson, who injured his ankle early in the year and had surgery that will hold him out at least a few months. Wilson, a four-star prospect, may not return this season and could take a redshirt.
That, coupled with an injury to Marcus Garrett in the Villanova game, thrust freshman wing Christian Braun into a larger role. He was up to the task, and he carried that momentum into his outing against Stanford on Sunday.
"I thought Christian Braun and Isaiah [Moss] off the bench were both really key for us," said KU basketball coach Bill Self following the game at Stanford, a 72-56 KU win.
That they were.
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While Moss, a graduate transfer from Iowa and the team's top 3-point shooter on percentage (min. five attempts), has had a handful of impactful outings this year, it was Braun who, for the third-straight game, made a difference in a reserve role.
Braun's breakout stretch began in the game KU played against Kansas City at Sprint Center. He played 21 minutes and finished with only four points, but he added seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. The following game was the Villanova outing, one in which Braun totaled six points, two rebounds and a block in 16 minutes. Most notably, he blocked five-star freshman Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and converted an and-one to put KU up by four with less than two minutes to play.
Braun has also endeared himself to Self with his ability to go after loose balls and create extra possessions. On Sunday, it was another part of his game — his 3-point shooting — that came around.
"Christian, what’d he make, two or three [3s]?" Self asked, before being informed Braun hit three on four attempts. "I think having your bench guys combine to make seven 3s, that’s something we welcome."
"Confidence is the biggest thing," added Garrett. "We tell him we need him to knock down shots — him and Isaiah. I feel like those are our 3-point shooters and we feel like we have to instill confidence in them for them to be able to make those shots. So every time they’re open we tell them to shoot the ball."
Braun finished the Stanford game with nine points, adding two rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes. He hit three 3-point shots, including one after Stanford cut a one-time 16-point KU lead to six in the first half.
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Now, with the Jayhawks through non-conference play, they may need more of the same from Braun, who Self has noted is actually a pretty good 3-point shooter when he's able to set his feet.
"To me, I don’t know how you guys think, he still looks hesitant to me in some ways," Self said after the Stanford game. "But he didn’t look hesitant shooting the ball and it’s always good for a freshman to get that first one down, and he did."
He continued.
"So, yeah, I’m excited about him," Self said. "I thought [fellow freshman Tristan Enaruna] played fine. I just thought Christian was better.”
"Key" - Google News
January 02, 2020 at 06:02PM
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Christian Braun emerging as 'key' KU basketball bench performer - 247Sports
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