Kansas didn’t just beat Fordham on Monday night. The Jayhawks kept finding another gear, another body, another play, and by the end of a 95-65 season-opening win at Allen Fieldhouse, that depth had become the story.
Fordham coach Mike Magpayo saw it up close. Kansas’ headline names delivered the kinds of moments everyone expected, but the pressure never really let up once the Jayhawks started rolling. Even after Fordham had trimmed the margin to six at 52-46 with 14:10 left, Kansas answered by reasserting control and then turning the final stretch into a showcase for the rest of the roster.
Tre White’s and-one finish off a lob from Melvin Council Jr. pushed Kansas ahead 65-51 with 11:11 to play. Earlier, sophomore Leroy Blyden Jr. had connected with freshman Tyran Stokes for a dunk that made it 30-16 with 8:02 left in the first half. Blyden and Stokes both finished with 15 points, doing their damage on a combined 11-of-16 shooting.
But the late surge was where Kansas really separated itself. Freshmen Trent Perry and Davion Adkins both raced in for one-handed dunks after steals.
Sophomore center Paul Mbiya swatted two shots and pulled down six rebounds in the final four minutes. Junior walk-on Will Thengvall even got in on the action, finishing a driving layup with 2:19 remaining.
That closing burst stretched the game out to a 43-19 run and turned a competitive night into a 30-point finish.
“Credit to them. They’re awesome,” Magpayo said. “Every single one of those guys can make plays, and we certainly felt that in the last 15 minutes.”
He said the difference wasn’t just talent. It was the way Kansas kept coming.
“We weren’t able to keep our toughness,” Magpayo said. “Just stamina in a game, that’s what it takes, and to me, they’re KenPom (No.) 5, the fifth-ranked team.
I know they’re 17th in the AP poll, but I’m more of a KenPom guy, and I know that’s what it looks like. Not only are they talented, strong, physical, tough, but they’ve got elite stamina all the way through there.”
Blyden, a 6-foot-1 transfer from Toledo, was part of the wave that kept Kansas in control. He finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, and added three assists and two steals. He was among the players celebrating when Perry’s dunk forced a Fordham timeout.
“It was amazing seeing them just get up in the air and then tear the rim down,” Blyden said.
He also singled out Mbiya’s work in limited minutes.
“It was just amazing seeing Paul play with confidence and block shots, rebound, run down the floor, get him a little touch shot, but it’s all good,” Blyden said.
White echoed that sentiment about Mbiya’s value.
“Paul is going to be a key player for us later in the season for sure. He’s so versatile, can defend any post, and tonight was good to see him get a little confidence.
But he still can show way more. I’m excited to see what he can do.”
Perry’s night was another reason Kansas’ bench stood out. He had already thrown down a first-half alley-oop off a Council lob, and Bill Self said the freshman is making his case for more minutes.
“You know, we’re going to have a hard time keeping him off the floor,” Self said. “D.P.
(Dennis Parker Jr., four points, two steals in six minutes) didn’t get a chance to play much tonight. Keanu (Dawes) didn’t play quite as much.
But the one thing about having depth is if you settle in and it’s an eight (man rotation) everybody’s going to know they’re going to get certain minutes.
“When it’s 10, you’re not guaranteed that if you don’t perform well when you’re out there, that you get as many opportunities coming back, and so that’ll take some getting used to. I think that was kind of the case tonight. K.D. didn’t really do much when he got in there to start, and Dennis didn’t either, and so their opportunities to play more weren’t quite as available when some other guys got in there and did better, so you know it’s probably not the easiest position to be in for a reserve, but I think we can benefit from it overall.”
Kansas is back at Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night for an 8 p.m. tip against Middle Tennessee. Then comes a bigger stage next Tuesday, when the Jayhawks meet Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Chicago at 8:30 p.m.
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