Kansas put together the kind of night that makes a fan base sit up and take notice, blowing past Kentucky in the Champions Classic and looking far more complete than it did in those two home exhibition losses to Louisville and Duke. Even with the loss of Melvin Council Jr., who had been a leader for this team, the Jayhawks handled the moment well and got enough from several different players to make the absence feel manageable.
The box score told the story of a team that did a lot right. Kansas won the rebounding battle 40-35, piled up 24 assists on 32 made baskets, defended with real edge, and played at a fast pace without coughing it up too often, finishing with just 10 turnovers.
It was a dominant performance overall. But even in a game like that, a few cracks showed through.
The biggest issue remains the same one that has been hanging around since the start of the season: perimeter shooting. Kansas finished 10-for-26 from three-point range, which looks solid enough on the surface.
Dig a little deeper, though, and the picture changes fast. Tre White and Tyran Stokes combined to go 8-for-26, while the rest of the roster managed just 2-for-10 from deep.
Leroy Blyden Jr. and Taylen Kinney were the main problem spots there, going 1-for-8 combined. With Council out, both are going to be asked for real minutes, and Kansas needs more consistency from them.
That ties directly into the next concern: guard production. Blyden and Kinney didn’t just struggle from three; they struggled everywhere.
Together, they shot 3-for-19. Dennis Parker Jr. and Trent Perry didn’t provide much either, combining to go 1-for-3, with Perry’s make coming on a fast-break dunk.
As a team, Kansas shot 46.4 percent, but that number hides how much the offense leaned on White, Stokes, and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Those three went 23-for-40, while everyone else combined to shoot 9-for-29.
That kind of imbalance won’t be easy to sustain.
Free throws were another area that needs attention. Kansas went 65.2 percent from the line, which is serviceable but not where it needs to be.
White and Stokes were perfect, going 7-for-7, while the rest of the team was 8-for-16. Through three regular-season games, KU is shooting just 57.3 percent at the stripe.
That’s a number that can’t keep hanging around if close games start piling up.
The one defensive area that gave Kansas trouble was guarding the post. Kentucky center Malachi Moreno was limited by foul trouble in the first half, but once the second half arrived, he started to take over.
Kentucky repeatedly cleared a side, fed Moreno on the block, and let him go to work. Moreno finished with 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting, and many of those points came late against Kaufman-Renn or Christian Reeves in one-on-one situations.
That matchup exposed a real issue for Kansas. Kaufman-Renn gives the Jayhawks a lot, but he is not a true post player, and the team becomes oversized when he’s in there.
He’s smart and skilled, but not especially physical. Reeves has more size, but the same basic problem applies.
He’s active and positions himself well for rebounds, yet Moreno was still able to back him down with relative ease. Self may need to find ways to give those bigs more support inside.
Even with those flaws, this was still a team win. Stokes and White were terrific, and Blyden, Kaufman-Renn, and Kinney all chipped in in different ways. Kansas looked dangerous, and if it can clean up those four areas, it’s going to be a very tough team to beat.
In Other News...
Kansas Freshmen Just Gave Fans A Dangerous Glimpse Against Kentucky
A nationally televised win over Kentucky gave Kansas fans an early look at what this freshman class can do when it starts clicking. Tyran Stokes set the tone with 23 points and four three-pointers, while Taylen Kinney kept the offense moving with eight assists in an 89-69 rout that felt as much about promise as it did about the final margin.
For Jayhawks supporters, the most interesting part may be where this goes next. Both Stokes and Kinney were heavily recruited by Kentucky, and they made a point of showing their value in a game that carried plenty of attention beyond the box score. If this is the kind of impact Kansas can get from its freshmen this early, the rest of the season could get very interesting in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Sent An Early Warning To The Rest Of College Basketball
The Champions Classic offered an early snapshot of where the college basketball powers stand, and Kansas left Madison Square Garden with the kind of win that tends to travel. While Michigan States upset of Duke grabbed plenty of attention, the Jayhawks handled Kentucky and reinforced why they are already being viewed as a team with the look of a serious national contender. It was the sort of opening-night result that can shape the conversation around a program before conference play even begins.
For Kansas, the win also came against a Kentucky team that still has obvious questions to sort through, especially at point guard and at power forward. Duke, meanwhile, was left to regroup after an uneven offensive showing despite its talent, while Emoni Bates continued to draw eyes as one of the early NBA draft names to watch with his improved outside shooting and assertive style. For the Jayhawks, the bigger takeaway is simple: they did not just survive a marquee stage, they used it to send a message. [Read more 🡒]
Tyran Stokes Just Gave Kansas Fans A Reason To Dream
Tyran Stokes gave Kansas plenty to feel good about in the Champions Classic, turning in a 23-point, 10-rebound effort in an 89-69 win over Kentucky. The freshman forward looked comfortable in a big setting, and Bill Self pointed to the way Stokes handled his emotions while still staying effective from start to finish.
For Stokes, the matchup carried extra weight. He grew up in Louisville and was recruited by Kentucky, so the stage had a little more meaning than most November games, and he said as much afterward while crediting his coaches for the confidence he showed in his shooting. For Kansas, the encouraging part is not just the performance itself, but the possibility that a young player already looks ready for nights when the spotlight is brightest. [Read more 🡒]