Kansas basketball: Three takeaways from Jayhawks opening night rout of NC Central
By Kyle Jones
Kansas Basketball Takeaway No. 2: If Outside Shooting Is Steady, This Team Is Dangerous
I noted in my first takeaways piece after the Fort Hays exhibition game that the outside shooting could once again prove to be an issue for Kansas basketball this season. While one game certainly doesn’t fix the potential issue, it did show that the offense can be incredibly potent when the deep ball is falling.
As a team, Kansas shot 13-23 (56.5%) from outside the arc and had four different players make multiple 3-pointers. Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar combined to go 7-of-10 from distance, while Johnny Furphy and Nicolas Timberlake made five of their eight attempts off the bench.
On top of the scorching hot shooting from outside, they also shot an ultra-efficient 69.6% from the floor. For reference, the 2021-22 team (that won the National Championship) was 21st in the country in shooting percentage at 47.8%. Obviously, they won’t shoot that well for an entire season, but it’s nice to see that one of the biggest issues coming into the season was corrected, at least through one game.