Kansas didn’t just beat Middle Tennessee on Friday night - it flattened the Blue Raiders 89-45 and came away with a second straight performance that made the rest of the non-conference schedule look a lot less intimidating.
The offense had its bursts, the defense never let up, and for all the early-game sloppiness from the starters, Bill Self’s group settled in and turned the night into a runaway. It was also Self’s first-ever win over Middle Tennessee in his long coaching career, which is a strange little footnote in a game that was otherwise all Kansas.
The biggest story, though, was the way the Jayhawks locked things down.
Kansas held Middle Tennessee to 14 points in the first half and didn’t allow the Blue Raiders to get past 20 until 13:30 remained in the second half. Even more telling, Middle Tennessee didn’t score on back-to-back possessions until 13 minutes were left. By the end, Kansas had limited the Blue Raiders to 45 points while piling up 7 blocks and 7 steals.
That kind of pressure is starting to look like a real identity for this team. The depth Self has at his disposal matters here, too. He can rotate more bodies than he could last season, and that gives his starters a chance to stay fresher while the defense keeps coming in waves.
Offensively, Kansas still has some obvious issues to clean up. The three-point shooting remains shaky, and the free throws were rough again.
The Jayhawks finished 7-for-19 from deep, though Tre White’s buzzer-beating heave in the first half helped mask how uneven things were early. Later on, the threes started to fall once Middle Tennessee gave more room, and the bench helped swing that part of the game.
Luke Barnett was especially notable off the bench, drilling three three-pointers and setting off the Kansas sideline. Still, the bigger concern is that the shooting problems from last season are hanging around.
Kansas can survive that in November. It gets a lot harder to live with when the games tighten up.
The free-throw line was another sore spot. Kansas forced contact and drew fouls, but the Jayhawks shot just 55% from the stripe. That’s the kind of number Self can’t be thrilled with, and it’s the sort of thing that could come back to bite them later if it doesn’t improve.
Then there was Trey Kaufman-Renn, who wasted no time making his mark in a Kansas uniform. Making his first start, he scored 17 points in just 18 minutes and led the team in scoring. He only grabbed four rebounds, but the offense clearly ran through him when Kansas needed a jolt.
Kaufman-Renn joined the Jayhawks just a few weeks before the season began after a temporary injunction granted him a fifth season, though that may not last all year. For now, Kansas is getting the kind of production that can change a game in a hurry, and against Middle Tennessee, that was enough to make him the difference-maker.
In Other News...
Former Kansas Star Kevin McCullar Jr. Just Got Another NBA Shot
Kevin McCullar Jr. is getting another chance to stick in the NBA, this time with the Toronto Raptors on a two-way contract. For Kansas fans, it is another reminder of how far the former Jayhawk has come since his standout college career, and of how his all-around game has kept him on the radar even as he has moved through the league.
McCullar spent the last two seasons with the New York Knicks after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2024 and then having his rights traded to New York. He has shown enough versatility in both NBA and G League action to keep earning opportunities, and now Toronto gives him a fresh path to continue building his career. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas May Have A Trey Kaufman-Renn Problem Bill Self Can't Ignore
The eligibility fight around Trey Kaufman-Renn has become one of the more unusual offseason wrinkles for Kansas, especially with the NCAA now appealing the preliminary injunction that gave the Purdue transfer an extra year. Kaufman-Renns path has already taken a strange turn, with the Minnesota Timberwolves selecting him in the 2026 NBA Draft before he went unsigned and remained without a professional contract, leaving his status in a gray area that has plenty of ripple effects for the Jayhawks.
Bill Self has already moved as if Kaufman-Renn will be part of the roster, but conference rules on professional athletes make this a situation Kansas cannot simply brush aside. Until the appeal is resolved, the Jayhawks are left balancing roster planning with a legal and eligibility question that could force a much bigger conversation before the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Troubling QB Question As UCF Gets A Lift
UCF is heading into the matchup with a clearer answer under center, planning to start Alonza Barnett III even as he works back from a hamstring injury. The Knights are also waiting on the status of Keyone Jenkins, who is questionable with an aggravated ankle issue, while the roster takes a hit elsewhere with offensive lineman Owen Spell and defensive tackle RJ Jackson Jr. out for the rest of the regular season.
Kansas, meanwhile, is still sorting through its own quarterback uncertainty. Isaiah Marshall, Cole Ballard and Chase Jenkins are all questionable entering the game, leaving Lance Leipold to stress the need for cleaner execution and better pass protection as the Jayhawks try to steady an offense that may be forced to adjust on the fly. [Read more 🡒]