Kansas basketball: New-look Jayhawks rout NC Central to open regular season

Kansas basketball dominated NC Central in its regular season opener 99-56 to jump out to a 1-0 record.

The No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks put aside all the worries from their underwhelming preseason last night. KU comfortably defeated the NC Central Eagles in front of a packed house at historic Allen Fieldhouse. Head coach Bill Self’s group finally came ready to play and showed the energy they had previously lacked in their scrimmages last week.

Considering they led by 55 at one point in the game, Kansas basketball had some wiggle room toward the end of the contest. Four walk-ons played most of the fourth quarter. Therefore, the final score hardly reflects how well the Jayhawks played, even if a 43-point victory appears dominant at first glance.

All concerns about outside shooting were dispelled as KU connected on 13-of-23 attempts beyond the arc. In the exhibitions against Illinois and Fort Hays State, they combined for just 9-of-40 (22.5%).

Hunter Dickinson needed just 24 minutes to post a ridiculous 21-point, 8-rebound, and 5-assist stat line on 8-of-9 shooting in his Jayhawk debut. Kevin McCullar led the team with 22 points, continuing his Jalen Wilson-like leap as a senior. He also contributed six rebounds and five assists on 8-of-12 shooting (4-of-7 from 3-point range).

Although he didn’t make an appearance in the scoring column — he did not even take one field goal attempt — Dajuan Harris made his presence felt with ten assists. Other key performers include KJ Adams (12 points, five rebounds), Nick Timberlake (13 points, 4-of-5 shooting), Parker Braun (10 points, five rebounds), and Elmarko Jackson (eight points, five assists).

Kansas did what it was supposed to in their highly-anticipated debut. However, fans got the bad taste out of their mouths after the squad’s sloppy preseason display. It is evident that when KU is firing on all cylinders, very few teams will be capable of taking them down.

The Jayhawks will once again step foot in Allen Fieldhouse this Friday, Nov. 10, against Manhattan College.