Kansas Survives Utah, Turns Full Attention to No. 1 Arizona Showdown
The Kansas Jayhawks got the win they needed Saturday afternoon, taking down Utah 71-59 at Allen Fieldhouse. But if you ask head coach Bill Self, the performance left plenty to be desired.
“It wasn’t a great effort by any means,” Self said postgame. “But we got through it.”
And now, all eyes turn to Monday night - a game that’s been circled on calendars for weeks. Even Self admitted his players may have been looking ahead to it as early as last Tuesday. That’s when KU began prepping for Arizona with early work on ball-screen coverages and post defense before shifting focus back to Utah.
It’s a classic trap game scenario: a solid but beatable opponent sandwiched between more marquee matchups. Self didn’t sugarcoat it.
“Mature teams enjoy playing every day,” he said. “We’ve got to be more mature and handle those situations better.”
That maturity will be tested in a major way Monday night when the No. 1 team in the country, undefeated Arizona, walks into Allen Fieldhouse.
The Wildcats are one of just two unbeaten teams left in college basketball - the other being No. 23 Miami (Ohio) - and they’re not just winning, they’re dominating.
On Saturday, Arizona dismantled Oklahoma State 84-47 in Tucson, with freshman guard Brayden Burries leading the way with 15 points. It was another statement win for a team that’s already made plenty.
Even by Big 12 standards, where scoring comes at a premium, Arizona’s offensive efficiency is eye-popping. The Wildcats are a throwback in some ways - they don’t shoot many threes (ranking 354th out of 361 teams in 3-point attempts per game), and they went just 2-for-14 from deep against OSU.
But it doesn’t matter when you’re this good inside the arc. Arizona shot 62% on two-pointers (31-for-50) and crushed the Cowboys on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 56-35.
“They’re men,” Self said. “They dominate people 12 feet and in.
We’ve got to play bigger, tougher, smarter. And they guard, too - so we’ve got to give them something to defend.”
Arizona’s physicality starts with its young core. Burries (15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds) and fellow freshman Koa Peat (14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds) are already playing like veterans. They’re joined by point guard Jaden Bradley, German freshman forward Ivan Karchenkov, and 7-foot-2 center Motiejus Krivas - a force in the paint who missed last season due to injury but has quickly made up for lost time.
The depth is so strong that returning starters Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso are now coming off the bench. Awaka, in particular, remains one of the league’s best rebounders despite his new role.
“They’re tough and strong,” Self said. “And their big guy (Krivas), we hadn’t even talked about him.
He’s a stud. When you can let a guy like Henri Veesaar transfer to North Carolina because you’ve got someone just as good or better waiting in the wings - that tells you how loaded they are.”
For Kansas to keep pace, they’ll need a sharper performance than what they showed against Utah. The Jayhawks were solid defensively in the paint, with freshman Flory Bidunga anchoring the interior, but the offense sputtered from deep. KU went just 3-for-18 from beyond the arc, and star freshman Darryn Peterson had a quiet outing by his standards - 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting, including 1-for-5 from three.
“I didn’t think he had a good week,” Self said. “He was unbelievable for a half against BYU, got through it against Texas Tech, got through it today.
But there wasn’t much pop or energy. He’s got to be a lot better.
We all do.”
Senior forward Tre White echoed the team’s mindset: “One game at a time.” But even he acknowledged Monday night will be something special.
“It’s going to be a good game,” White said. “We’re not trying to make it any bigger or smaller than it is, but they’re a good team coming in, and we’re rolling at the right time. So we’re definitely trying to get that W.”
And if history is any indication, Kansas fans have reason to feel confident. Self is a perfect 39-0 in Big Monday games at Allen Fieldhouse.
As a program, KU is 89-1 all-time in those matchups at home. But this will be the first time since 2003 - before Self arrived - that Kansas hosts a No. 1-ranked opponent in Lawrence.
Since taking over, Self is 4-4 against top-ranked teams overall.
Records aside, Monday’s showdown is shaping up to be the biggest game of the season so far - and Self knows it.
“It’ll be the most fun game that we would have had so far this year,” he said. “And hopefully there’s much bigger games later on than this one. But to date, it’ll be the biggest.”
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse. Buckle up.