Kansas basketball: Bryce Thompson looks healthier in Sunflower Showdown road win
Returning for his second game back with Kansas basketball, Thompson showed some promising signs against the Wildcats.
Bryce Thompson found more minutes for Kansas basketball in last night’s road win in Manhattan, and following his recent return, I’d say things are looking up for the freshman.
While a decent shooter, his contributions were much more speed-based. Thompson was cleaning up the boards, even taking on multiple Wildcats to fight his way onto the scene.
Bryce Thompson battled two K-State players for a rebound and drew a foul. That's the grit and hustle Bill Self loves from the 5-star freshman. Definitely has a competitive streak to him. #kubball
— Scott Chasen (@ChasenScott) February 18, 2021
He would add an assist and a steal on the stat sheet before the night was done. Despite only posting 6 points on the evening, I can hardly complain. He’s expressed his excitement on returning to the lineup, and an attitude like that is just what Kansas needs.
Having someone clean up offensively is huge for this team, considering how poorly they performed from the perimeter.
Kansas went 4 of 14 from the three-point line against Kansas State. While the Wildcats’ offense struggled for a majority of the game, it was disappointing to watch the Jayhawks struggle to get shots to click.
The good news is, Bryce Thompson and Dajaun Harris both have a ridiculous amount of speed.
This duo was scooping up and running away with loose balls throughout the night, which is very refreshing to see coming off the bench.
While Dajuan was able to have a successful set of games during Bryce’s absence, it’s much better to see these two workings together again.
Head coach Bill Self was pleased with the pair’s performance and with Bryce looking much stronger, I’d imagine he’s happy to have these two back in the lineup.
Read. Kansas basketball should give Bryce Thompson more minutes. light
How many minutes we’ll see from them in the Jayhawk’s tough closing schedule remains to be up for debate. The concern could be whether or not they can jump right back into the race with the conference’s tougher opponents.
While Kansas has had a lighter schedule these past couple of weeks, it’ll be crucial for the Jayhawks to work out any kinks left before Saturday’s test at home against #15 Texas Tech.