Kansas basketball: Win over Creighton makes a statement
Kansas basketball picked up a big win over the Creighton Bluejays earlier this week, sending a message to the Big 12 and doubters.
There were a lot of folks who don’t think Kansas basketball deserved their No. 5 spot in the AP Poll. After the Jayhawks took down No. 8 Creighton last Tuesday at home though, Kansas should have earned some respect. It was Kansas’ second top-20 win in eight days, and the Jayhawks have a legit superstar in redshirt freshman Jalen Wilson.
Wilson has been a massive part of Kansas’ success this season, averaging 16.3 points and 9 rebounds per game so far. Against Creighton, Wilson notched a double-double by putting up 23 and 10. Wilson was also clutch, knocking down big shots including a three-pointer with 42 seconds left to put the Jayhawks ahead 73-70.
If Wilson can keep playing at such a high level, this Kansas team can be extremely good. If there is a negative to take away from the win over Creighton, it’s that the Jayhawks did not shoot the ball well. Kansas shot 39 percent from the field, and junior guard Ochai Agbaji did not score a single point. Agbaji was Kansas’ leading scorer going into this game, so to see him go 0-6 from the floor was surprising.
Big 12 play is right around the corner, and the Jayhawks will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to compete this season. Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia all have a chance at the conference title this year, and the Big 12 is easily the best conference in basketball this season.
If you need proof, five of the Big 12’s teams are in the top 20 of the AP Poll, with two more schools receiving votes. The dominance is even more apparent on the analytics website KenPom, where five of the Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 10.
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Even though it may have looked like Kansas took a step back this season, the win over Creighton shows that the Jayhawks are still very much in the hunt for their second straight Big 12 title. Kansas basketball’s next big game will be on December 17, when the Jayhawks open up Big 12 play on the road against Texas Tech. It’ll be a significant test for Kansas, but they’ve already proven that they can play with the best of them this season.