As non-conference play fades into the background, Kansas basketball finds itself at a familiar crossroads - talented, tested, and still very much a work in progress. The Jayhawks wrapped up the first two months of the season with a 10-3 record, and while that mark tells part of the story, the deeper numbers paint a more nuanced picture of where this team stands heading into Big 12 play.
Let’s dig into some of the key takeaways from the early going, with help from the advanced metrics over at CBBAnalytics.com. From lineup combinations to rebounding concerns, there’s plenty to unpack as KU gears up for the grind of conference play.
KU’s Best Lineup? It’s Been Short but Sweet
When it comes to pure net rating - the difference between a lineup’s offensive and defensive efficiency - no combination has been more dominant than the five-man group of Council, Peterson, White, Tiller, and Bidunga. In just 17 minutes together, that unit has posted a staggering +82 net rating, powered by an offensive rating of 135.7 (good for the 84th percentile nationally) and a defensive rating of 53.7, which ranks in the elite 99th percentile.
Now, the obvious caveat here is the sample size. Seventeen minutes is barely enough time to get a feel for a group’s chemistry, let alone draw sweeping conclusions.
But even in that limited run, the numbers suggest something clicked. The offensive efficiency shows they’re capable of scoring in bunches, and the defense?
Lockdown. It’ll be interesting to see if Bill Self leans on this group more often as the games get tougher.
A Heavily Used Lineup That Hasn’t Delivered
On the flip side, one of KU’s more frequently used lineups - Jackson, Council, McDowell, White, and Bidunga - has struggled to find its rhythm. Despite logging the second-most minutes of any lineup this season, this group holds a -11 net rating, with an offensive rating of just 108.1, the lowest among KU’s top five most-used lineups.
That’s not a disastrous number in a vacuum, but in the context of KU’s overall talent and expectations, it raises some questions. Is the spacing off?
Are roles overlapping? There’s no single answer, but it’s clear this unit hasn’t quite gelled the way others have.
Self has never been shy about tweaking rotations, and this group’s performance might prompt some adjustments moving forward.
Rebounding: A Tale of Two Situations
Rebounding has been a recurring theme - and not always in a good way. Bill Self has been vocal about his team’s inconsistency on the glass, and the numbers back him up.
On shots taken within four feet of the rim, KU’s defensive rebound rate sits at just 57.3%, which lands in the 24th percentile nationally. That’s a concern.
When teams are getting second chances right at the cup, it often leads to easy buckets or fouls - neither of which you want to be handing out in Big 12 play.
Interestingly, KU fares much better on longer rebounds - those that come off shots from further out. That makes sense; longer shots often produce longer rebounds, which guards and wings can chase down.
But the core issue remains: cleaning up the defensive glass near the rim has to be a priority. Through 13 games, KU’s overall defensive rebounding rate is 72%, which is respectable, but the breakdown shows where the vulnerability lies.
As KU heads into conference play, the big picture is still promising. There’s talent, there’s depth, and there are flashes of elite-level performance.
But the details - lineup efficiency, rebounding consistency, and in-game chemistry - will be the difference between a good team and a great one. And in a Big 12 that’s as deep as ever, those margins matter more than ever.