The Kansas basketball team is 8-3 going into its last two non-conference games. That is a terrific record considering the difficulty of the schedule so far.
Kansas lost to North Carolina on the road, lost to Duke at a neutral site, and lost to UConn at home. They beat Notre Dame, Syracuse, Tennessee, and Missouri on neutral courts and NC State on the road. KU also has home wins over Green Bay, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and Princeton.
There are just two more non-conference games left against Towson and Davidson this week before a 12-day break. Big 12 play begins at UCF on Saturday, January 3.
There are a few things head coach Bill Self needs to accomplish over these two games and during the break. The conference season will be a rugged one, as the Big 12 has three of the top seven teams in the country, according to the latest AP poll. Arizona is ranked first, Iowa State third, and Houston seventh.
Three other schools are in the top 20, including BYU at 10, Kansas at 16, and Texas Tech at 19. The league conference is set up to be a rough-and-tumble affair to see who comes out on top.
Kansas basketball needs to accomplish three things during the next two games and ensuing break
No. 1 - Get Darryn Peterson healthy
This is a no-brainer! Peterson has missed seven games and hasn’t been fully healthy for the other four. He’s been effective when he’s been on the court, averaging 19.3 points in 2.3 minutes.
Still, he isn’t moving fluidly at all times. Against NC State, whenever he wasn’t on the floor, he was treating his legs with a massage gun and pounding fluids. It is evident that he was doing whatever he could to stay in the game. He reached a point where he was moving stiffly and was uncomfortable. On the bench, he was frustrated and draped a towel over his face.
The internet can be a toxic place, and there are those on social media who haven’t been very understanding of Peterson’s plight. He obviously has the support of his coaching staff and teammates, so no one should question his desire or the extent of his injuries. If he could be on the court, he would be.
Now, get him healthy so he can be on the court!
No. 2 - Get Bryson Tiller and Kohl Rosario back on track
After some nice moments early in the season, both Tiller and Rosario have struggled recently. Tiller has just 25 points over the last four games, and Rosario has just 16 points over his last five outings.
Tiller has been giving the team strong minutes on defense, with his length and athleticism creating problems for opponents. He’s still getting rebounds, albeit inconsistently. On offense, he is not being aggressive at all. He has the skill set to be a difference-maker, and Self needs to bring it out of him. KU will need all the scoring options it can find for Big 12 play.
Rosario, after starting the first few games of the season, has been relegated to the bench and isn’t seeing much playing time. He’s young (could still be in high school) and is struggling to find his role. He must regain his confidence and become comfortable in his bench role, as Kansas needs his athleticism and three-point shooting as the season progresses.
Hopefully, over the next two games and the holiday break, Rosario will get it turned around.
No. 3 - Get the bottom of the roster some minutes
The Big 12 season is a grueling one, and injuries, fatigue, and foul trouble will not go away as the Jayhawks delve into that grind. The bench will need to be ready when they are called upon. It would be great if players like Jayden Dawson, Paul Mbiya, Samis Calderone, Nginyu Ngala, and even Rosario got more minutes against Towson and Davidson.
They all need more court time to gain confidence and experience for the road ahead. Of course, the top of the roster needs to play well enough in both of these games to get those guys some opportunities, but it would be great if Self worked them into the rotation throughout the game.
It will be important for these players for the rest of the season, as they will all be needed at some point.
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