Tier 2: Baby Jays
2. Johnny Furphy
Johnny continues to show he deserves more minutes. He played 12 minutes and was 2-3 from the field. He finished with five points, four rebounds, and one turnover. He continues to attack the glass and keep the ball alive, showing that he needs to be on the floor. He is still very young and trying to play the Kansas way but this kid has a ton of potential and can be a huge X-factor for this team this year.
3. Jamari McDowell
Jamari came in and provided a burst for KU finishing with 10 minutes of playing time. He hit a 3 shortly after checking in and provides solid defense and can move the ball. He finished with 3 points on 1-5 shooting, with 2 assists and 0 turnovers. He is showing that he can fit in with this roster and contribute. Another guy I think needs to get more minutes.
4. Hunter Dickinson
Hunter came out and had seven points in the first six minutes and looked poised for a big game. He followed that up with two missed free throws and was shut down most of the way. Marquette rallied to him, forced tough passes to him, and slowed and shut him down the rest of the way.
This was Big Hunt’s first off game. The other side of the ball was even more ugly. Hunter was outplayed by Marquette’s undersized center Ighodaro who consistently drove around Big Hunt and scored at will. His defense will need to improve over the year for us to be big.
He struggles to move his feet and his effort on defense doesn’t match what he produces on the other end. Great if you score 20 a night, but if you are giving up the same on the other side doesn’t help us. He was 5-10 from the field including 1-for-2 from 3-point range. He played 33 minutes and had 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one block, five turnovers, and two steals.
5. KJ Adams
KJ looks exhausted as he plays with a heavy heart following his mom’s passing. I know he is physically and emotionally exhausted, so he gets a pass. The fact he is there and battling with his brothers says a lot. My thoughts and prayers to KJ and his family. He finished the game with three points, three rebounds, three assists, andtwo2 turnovers. KJ was 1-for-4 from the floor in 33 minutes of action.