Kansas basketball: Ochai Agbaji had a strong night in close-call win on the road against #14 Texas Tech

Junior forward Ochai Agbaji rose to the occasion for Kansas basketball in their ‘nail-biter’ of a road win in Lubbock, TX over the Red Raiders.

Kansas basketball opened their conference schedule down south yesterday evening and the Jayhawks seemed to go back and forth with Texas Tech right down to the final bell. Ochai Agbaji helped leverage Kansas in their road win with 23 points and 10 total rebounds on the night.

Agbaji has been an upperclassmen leader for this starting five, and it was no question that he was going to have to be on his game last night. The Jayhawks struggled from the 3-point line, shooting just 6 of 18 from the perimeter. Ochai helped mitigate this issue, consistently finding success in his inside attack. He would be very difficult for Texas Tech to cover, even finding a crucial basket in the final minute of the game to help push Kansas past the Red Raiders.

An obvious shortcoming for Kansas was the limited action we saw from the outside. The Jayhawks put up just 19 of 47 field-goal attempts, but this would be made up for with excellent rebounding and a decent presence at the free-throw line. This is where Agbaji contributed further, finding 5 offensive and defensive rebounds for Kansas.

The Jayhawks’ starting five would remain nearly perfect from the free-throw line, except Agbaji who would finish the night at 3 of 4. Regardless, this was a close win for the Jayhawks and it shows that having stronger fundamentals is helping us win tough games.

It’s also important to recognize Ochai’s ability to step up and lead, as this is a big factor for this offense. Having someone who can take control, especially against a Top 25 opponent, is a huge contribution for any roster. This being said, Kansas is likely going to see more tight, back, and forth games during their conference schedule.

We’re going to need upperclassmen such as Agbaji, Garrett, McCormack, and even Mitch Lightfoot to help carry the load for the Jayhawks as the season progresses. It will be an interesting couple of meetings with schools such as Baylor, Texas, and West Virginia, that will likely challenge our defense similarly to yesterday’s road win.