Kansas basketball: A win over Stanford would be nice before Big 12 play
After enduring a road loss against Villanova, a road win over Stanford is just what Kansas basketball needs before opening up Big 12 play on January fourth.
Losing back-to-back games would not be a great way to end 2019. Kansas basketball needs to pick up a win this Sunday against Stanford to avoid that second loss, but it won’t be easy. Stanford’s a solid team, and it’ll take the Jayhawk defense and offense to get the road win.
The Cardinal is 11-1 so far this season, with their only loss coming to top 20 Butler on a neutral court. Stanford’s defense is no joke, so the Jayhawk offense will need to show up, unlike last Saturday against Villanova.
Kansas lost to Villanova 56 to 55, which should never happen since this Jayhawk offense has too many weapons to only score 55 points in a game.
One factor that Kansas can take advantage of against Stanford is their tendency to turn the ball over. KenPom says that Stanford turns the ball over on about 22% of their possessions. Normally it’s the Jayhawks who struggle with turnovers, but this game may be in the reverse if Kansas can capitalize on Cardinal mistakes.
Stanford is undefeated at home so far this season, in addition to having the best record in the Pac-12 right now. It’s also worth noting that Kansas is by far the toughest opponent the Cardinal has faced all year.
This isn’t a “must-win game,” for Kansas basketball but it almost feels like it is.
Losing back-to-back road games right before conference play begins sounds like a really lousy way to go into the Big 12 schedule this season. Last season’s team struggled to win on the road, and it ultimately cost them a Big 12 title. Hopefully, this season isn’t more of the same.
Hot. Five things to know about Stanford. light
Kansas basketball has a high ceiling this year, the question is: will they play to their potential? A road game against Stanford is something a championship-caliber team shouldn’t have a problem with, so we’ll see if this team is for real.
You can catch the game at 2:00 PM (CT) on ABC this Sunday.