Through the Phog
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Kansas basketball: Early success may be setting a tone for the Jayhawks as Big 12 schedule peeks around the corner.

By Conner Becker

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 26: Marcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts during the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on November 26, 2020 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 26: Marcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts during the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on November 26, 2020 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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Kansas basketball is off to a decent start with only one loss in their season opener to Gonzaga. Since then the Jayhawks have vindicated themselves with six straight wins, sitting nicely at #5 in the latest AP poll.

It’s no mistake that Kansas basketball has been racking up points on the boards this season and hopefully, this trend will continue as conference play approaches.

KU has put together an excellent offensive stat sheet on the hardwood, the third-best of any in the conference so far.

The Jayhawks will meet #17 Texas Tech on December 17th to kick off their 2020-21 run in the Big 12. Kansas has their sights on another conference title, as they were cut short of their conference tournament run last season.

Challenges facing the Jayhawks will include the high scoring Baylor and Oklahoma offenses, while also sharing similar struggles with the Bears and Sooners on defense.

Surprisingly, there’s been excellent defense from the Texas, Texas Tech, and TCU programs who have shown some promise defending the ball. Kansas will have to exercise its advantage from the 3-point line. Finding Braun, Wilson, and Garrett will be a must against these southern Big 12 defenses.

Kansas has been on the offensive attack so far this season and I would expect this to continue as the battle for the Big XII will likely run competitively into March.

We’ve had some strong development from young names such as Tyon Grant-Foster and Bryce Thompson. The real scene to watch will be their engagement in conference games. Keeping our starting five healthy will allow for our young talent to see amble playing time on the court.

Watching playmakers such as Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji will be especially exciting, both upperclassmen average between 8-12 points per game.

Garrett has had a strong defender with 27 defensive rebounds on the season so far but he has been somewhat dormant in our last few games. Since his excellent showing against Gonzaga, he hasn’t passed 10 points in a game. His offensive strength likely improves down the road.

Having our veteran player’s strength will be crucial this season. Coming out with a strong start with another Top 25 win over the Red Raiders would be a solid look for head coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks.

Kansas had one more non-conference matchup with Tarleton, which had been canceled due to coronavirus concerns within the Tarleton program. The Jayhawks will have a long break until December 17th, when they take the court with #17 Texas Tech at 6 pm on ESPN.

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