Through the Phog
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Kansas basketball’s poor defense was a major factor in season-ending loss to USC

By Conner Becker

Mar 22, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The Kansas Jayhawks bench react during the second half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament against the Southern California Trojans at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The Kansas Jayhawks bench react during the second half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament against the Southern California Trojans at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kansas basketball’s poor defensive efforts against USC has them packing their bags following a second round loss in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

While fans might’ve expected a little more from Kansas basketball, USC handed the Jayhawks a tough finish to their 2020-21 campaign.

Mainly supported by their perimeter success, the Trojans took off in the first half and didn’t look back. Keeping Kansas on their heels, USC’s offense was too much for the Jayhawks.

Kansas’ defense had been on an up-tick heading into the tournament, and the matchup between Marcus Garrett and Evan Mobley was one that many fans were excited for.

Defensively speaking, Garrett’s efforts simply weren’t enough, which is a shame considering his likely departure into the NBA Draft.

The Jayhawks roster was thoroughly rotated against the Trojans. Dajuan Harris, Bryce Thompson, and Mitch Lightfoot each found decent minutes but their lack of offensive success put contributed to Kansas’ deficit of 19 by the end of the first half.

Kansas’ defensive rebounding efforts were acceptable in the first half, but it was still something that the Jayhawks were going to need to step up. By the end of the second half, there was rarely anyone on the glass.

It’s hard to tell how much of a difference defensive rebounding would’ve made, but at least having those takeaways would’ve given us a chance to shift some momentum.

ALSO READ: Dajuan Harris continues to impress in first round win over E. Wash.

While Kansas did receive a spark of life from junior Tyon Grant-Foster with a pair of buckets upon his entry, it was short-lived and only delayed the defensive collapse.

By the end of the evening, the stat sheet was a nightmare. The last time Kansas lost to a team by 25+ points was in January at home against Texas.

The 34 point loss will leave some bad memories in our heads regarding the Pac-12, but that conference will be a force to be reckoned with throughout the remainder of the tournament.

Kansas ends their season with a record of 21-9 (12-6 Big 12). This has been one of the strangest seasons for both KU and head coach Bill Self, which should give our young talent some lessons to learn from moving forward.

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