Kansas Jayhawks basketball: Bench will need to prove itself vs. Howard

In a game that could quickly become a blowout, Kansas’ inexperienced second unit will have a rare opportunity to demonstrate their skills.  

This year’s Kansas Jayhawks team has a terrific starting lineup, but its depth is lacking. The KU bench averages just 10.7 points per game — that is the 347th best and sixth least in the nation. Bill Self still does not trust the bench enough to give non-starters consistent minutes.

The bench might have a chance to shine in the Round of 64 matchup vs. the 16-seeded Howard Bison. Although their team making the tournament is a feel-good story, they lost by 46 points to Yale and would need a miracle to overcome Jalen Wilson and company.

Kansas could be leading by more than double-digits at the end of the first half, opening up a passageway for some bench players to see extra playing time. Bill Self’s first guys off the bench are typically Joseph Yesufu and Ernest Udeh Jr., but Bobby Pettiford and MJ Rice also see the floor frequently.

Today is their chance to step up and prove they deserve to become mainstays in the lineup.

The transfer from Drake has had a rather disappointing stint in Lawrence thus far. Yesufu’s shown an aptness to run the fastbreak with his lightning-quick speed. However, he is rarely willing to give up the ball and is always looking to score first. At 6′ 0″, his 1.2 assists per 40 minutes is alarmingly low — these are also the numbers of a player who posts subpar shooting splits (35.7%/26.6%/66.7%.)

Perhaps Yesufu could turn back the clock to his time at Drake during the tourney. He was the catalyst to his former team’s First Four win against Wichita State, a game in that he scored 20 points and flushed this absurd poster dunk:

Ernest Udeh Jr. has been a very effective big man for KU this year. Although he can get into foul trouble quickly and still needs to develop a feel for the game, it is easy to see that he has a bright future with the program. He could be in store for a monster game against an undersized Howard squad.

Pettiford and Rice have lots of room to grow. Neither has found a niche within the offense yet, with their deficiency in jump shooting and proneness to turnovers being the primary factors. It would be valuable to see them play well today to boost their confidence for the remainder of March Madness.

No game in the NCAA Tournament should be taken lightly, but if there were one that the team could not play their best in, it would be this one. A potential blowout could allow the Kansas coaching staff to experiment with new players and lineups as they ramp up to the Round of 32.