At times, it doesn't feel that long ago. Other times it has felt like it was an eternity since Kansas was a good basketball team.
On February 9, the Kansas basketball team beat the number-one-ranked and previously undefeated Arizona Wildcats, 82-78, at Allen Fieldhouse. It was the Jayhawks' eighth consecutive win, and they vaulted into the top 10 and looked like a true contender for another national championship.
Since then, KU has faltered. They followed up that impressive win against Arizona by getting crushed at Iowa State. It isn't unusual to lose in Ames; it's a tough place to play, and the Cyclones are an excellent team. It was the fact Kansas played so poorly that was disturbing, but hey, every team can have a bad game.
The Jayhawks then won easily at Oklahoma State, then got blown out at home by a middle-of-the-Big-12-pack Cincinnati team. No way to pretty that one up. It was a stinker. All seemed fine when KU bounced back and beat Houston, the third time the Jayhawks beat a top-five team this season.
KU then lost to Arizona on the road, but like the Iowa State loss, Kansas was awful and played poorly. They followed it up with an embarrassing loss to a terrible Arizona State team. Kansas got a break by getting a bad Kansas State team for Senior Day, and they won easily.
In the Big 12 tournament, conference attrition gave KU the third seed with two byes. They didn't play great, but well enough to put away a scrappy TCU squad. That led to a rematch against Houston, and KU crashed hard, with their offense nonexistent.
KU goes into the NCAA tournament winning just four of their last nine games. There is one overriding reason for the Jayhawks' brutal finish. The offense has been terrible.
3 things Kansas basketball has to fix offensively for a deep run in March Madness
No. 1 - Shooting
It seems simple, right? Shoot the ball better. Over the last nine games, the Jayhawks are shooting just 39.7 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three-point range. These numbers are boosted significantly by a terrific shooting night against K-State, when they knocked in 59.2 percent of their shots from the field and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The awfulness culminated in the second half of the Houston game in Kansas City. The Jayhawks missed their first 16 shots after the intermission, going nearly 10 minutes without a basket. This wasn't the first dry spell KU has had over the last nine games. In each of their five losses, Kansas went through long droughts.
What is most puzzling about this is that KU has supposedly the best pure shooting player in the country in Darryn Peterson. How is it possible for KU to have such long shooting slumps with such an incredible offensive player on the floor? This isn't a knock on just Peterson, although he hasn't shot well for a long while now.
KU is missing dunks, layups, open mid-range jumpers, and unguarded threes. That doesn't even count all the off-balance and pressured shots they've hoisted in desperation. If Kansas doesn't start hitting shots, it will be yet another short NCAA tournament for them.
No. 2 - Ball movement
Want better shots? Move the ball better!
Against TCU, it was a dribble-fest around the perimeter. Nobody was passing the ball. The ball wasn't moving around the perimeter. It looked like everyone was trying to create their own shot or their own drive to the basket. It felt like it was on every possession.
It is easier to guard an offense when the ball isn't moving. KU survived this game, but it was because they made 30 free throws, not because they shot 37.9 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from three.
No. 3 - Reclaim the paint
Just like everyone else on the team, Kansas' two primary big guys, Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller, are scoring well of late. Neither is super physical in the paint, and both rely on finesse, but neither is shooting well right now.
Tiller was benched for the entirety of the second half against Houston on Friday because he wasn't rebounding or scoring well enough in the paint. Bidunga was good in the CU and K-State games, but he's struggled through most of the other games in this nine-game stretch.
A big red flag for Kansas is that over the last six games, Bidunga has taken more than six shots just once (14 against Arizona State). Ku has been unable to get the ball to Bidunga in a position where he can score. This goes back to ball movement. When the guards are just dribbling around or allowing the ball to stick when they do pass around the perimeter, it gives defenses a chance to keep Bidunga away from the rim, where he is so effective.
Even with those few high-percentage shooting games, Bidunga has made 52.1 percent of his shots. This is far below his completion percentage of 64.5 percent for the season.
It's been even worse for Tiller over these nine games. He's made just 39.6 percent of his shots, including 0-5 from three. He has only 48 attempts in those games. While Tiller is more of a stretch-four, he still can play on the interior and be effective, but he hasn't much lately.
It is important to remember that Tiller missed his senior year in high school due to an injury, and he couldn't practice when he joined the Jayhawks in January of 2025. He is still developing, and he will be a fantastic player in the future. Head coach Bill Self needs to find a way to get him involved a bit more in the offense, and Tiller needs to capitalize and to be more physical.
Kansas has not played well for most of this nine-game stretch. They will be fortunate to maintain a four-seed when the brackets are announced on Sunday. Still, there is so much talent here. They are certainly a team that could get hot and make a run to the Final Four. They are also a team that can look lost on offense and struggle to score. If the latter happens, KU won't make it past the first weekend.
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