I balled in half size down before switching to the KD 9. Fit was great once they broke in after a game or two. Only issue I had was having to make sure the laces were tight around my ankle or I'd jam my toes into that hard toe cap
I just unlaced them down to the bottom eyelets with the pouch then taped the two laces together. The eyelets are just big enough to wrap a single layer of duct tape around the tips of both laces and pull them through, so the new laces go through as you pull the old ones out. If they get stuck...
Try taping the ends of the laces together with duct tape. If you're careful so they don't get caught you can pull the old lace out and the new one in. That's how I put black ropes in my WITS. Easier if you just do it for the bottom eyelets where the pouch is