LAWRENCE - As Kansas basketball wrapped up its non-conference slate with a dominant 90-61 win over Davidson, the Jayhawks head into Big 12 play riding a wave of momentum - and it’s not just because of the usual suspects.
Yes, the trio of Tre White, Melvin Council Jr., and Flory Bidunga has been the heartbeat of this team through the first 13 games. All three have started every contest for the 10-3 Jayhawks and are averaging double figures in scoring.
They’re not just filling up the box score either - between them, they lead the team in rebounding, assists, blocks, and steals. It’s been a veteran-heavy core that’s carried KU through much of the early season, especially with freshman guard Darryn Peterson sidelined for a good chunk of the non-conference schedule.
But if you're looking for a turning point in Kansas’ December surge, rewind to the Players Era Classic in Las Vegas. Over three games in three days - wins over Notre Dame, Syracuse, and then-No. 20 Tennessee - a new name started carving out a bigger role: redshirt sophomore guard Jamari McDowell.
McDowell didn’t just step in while Peterson was out - he stepped up. Inserted into the starting lineup midway through that Vegas trip, McDowell started against both Syracuse and Tennessee and hasn’t looked back.
Since then, he’s started three of the last five games, only coming off the bench when Peterson returned for matchups against Missouri and NC State. What’s clear is this: McDowell has become a fixture in Bill Self’s rotation, and he’s earning every minute.
“I’d say I’d just give myself a B-, maybe a C+,” McDowell said with a smile after the Davidson win, reflecting on his non-conference performance. “But there’s a little more in the tank. A little more in the tank.”
Freshman guard Kohl Rosario, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but grin at the modest self-assessment. “I think he’s great,” Rosario said.
“I’d give him a little bit higher grade than that, but he’s a humble guy. He knows he’s good.
We all know he’s good. We’ve all got great faith in him, and we’re all really happy that he stepped up.”
McDowell capped the non-conference stretch with his best game yet. Against Davidson, he posted career highs with 10 points and four assists, knocking down 2-of-3 from deep.
Quietly, he’s become one of Kansas’ most reliable perimeter threats, shooting 42.4% from three (14-for-33) on the season. That’s not just solid - that’s the kind of shooting that stretches defenses and opens up the floor for KU’s high-powered offense.
While White, Bidunga, and Council each had standout performances against Davidson - White and Bidunga both flirted with double-doubles, and Council nearly posted a triple-double - McDowell’s continued growth adds another dimension to this Kansas team. He’s not just filling in; he’s making an impact.
And as Big 12 play looms in January, McDowell brings something else that’s invaluable: experience. He saw the grind of conference play as a true freshman coming off the bench, and last year, while redshirting, he had a front-row seat to the physicality and intensity the league demands.
That matters. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench when Peterson is fully back in the mix, McDowell won’t need a warm-up period.
He’s already battle-tested.
Kansas has leaned on its stars to get through a tough non-conference schedule, but the emergence of McDowell gives Bill Self a deeper, more versatile rotation heading into the heart of the season. And if McDowell still has “a little more in the tank,” as he says, that’s a scary thought for the rest of the Big 12.