Kansas basketball: What we learned from win over TCU

The Kansas basketball team did just enough to earn another tough Big 12 win Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse. Here is what we learned from the 71-64 victory.

Kansas basketball won their 19th game of the season Tuesday. The win over a motivated TCU squad was not pretty. Hall of Fame coach Bill Self had to be creative again to help this thin group of Jayhawks stop the hot shooting Frogs. It was good to see him take the pressure off the team and go to a zone. He prefers man to man defense but it work just as well as it did against the purple team in Manhattan last week.

Devonte Graham is a workhorse. The senior leader had another big night on both ends of the court. Graham scored 24 points to go with 5 assists and a pair of thefts. He also found his way to 6 rebounds. Graham, named this week to the Wooden Award late season Top 20 list, has scored 20 or more points 7 times this season. Forget the late free throws. Graham, also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, is tough and this team is lost when he isn’t on the court. He played another 40 minutes Tuesday.

Udoka Azubuike saved the game. The 7-foot sophomore made several critical plays late to help secure the victory. With 3:42 remaining Tuesday, Dok blocked a shot. He followed that by making a pair of huge Free throws. As a matter of fact, his successful shots from the charity stripe are a story by themselves.

In addition to his 11 rebounds and 16 points, Azubuike made a big play with a minute left in the tight battle. He didn’t get the rebound on a missed shot, but tapped the ball out to a teammate. That is the type of extra effort coach Self expects and this Jayhawk team desperately needs.

Marcus Garrett has been working on his shooting. We’ve known since the team’s summer trip to Italy that the freshman from Dallas is active defensively and hustles to get rebounds.  He is also becoming a better shooter. He scored 10 important points on 4-4 shooting Tuesday and made a pair of shots from beyond the arc. Those two shots put the Big 12 on notice. They must defend him or else.

Lagerald Vick is almost back. Although he didn’t start, he saw 29 minutes of action and scored 8 of his 10 points during a critical 5-minute run that helped the Jayhawks build a lead. He is such an amazing athlete. It was great to see him attack the basket. That led for a 4-4 night at the free throw line.

Vick played more off then bench than Lightfoot

Mitch Lightfoot made the most of his first start as a Jayhawk.  He is fun to watch. The 6-foot-8 sophomore is lightning quick and has made such a dramatic improvement from the non-conference season. The Jayhawks don’t need him to score. Other than one unnecessary three-point attempt, he played an outstanding game with 2 blocked shots, 4 rebounds, a steal and 6 points.

Next: Few options for coach Self

Malik Newman didn’t have a great shooting night but found other ways to contribute. His 5 assists and 6 rebounds should not be overlooked. He also played a great game on defense.  I know Svi Mykhailiuk will have better nights on offense. The Frogs took him completely out of the game. The senior did collect three rebounds, a steal and an assist.  He loves playing on the road. He can make up for Tuesday with a big game Saturday at Baylor.