The loss to Arizona on Saturday in Tucson ended the Jayhawks’ chance at a Big 12 regular-season title as they fell to 21–8 on the season and 11–5 in conference play. Nobody truly expected KU to come out of McKale Center with a victory, and although Arizona dominated much of the contest, it looked like Bill Self’s group had a legitimate shot at certain points.
After starting the game up 5–2 (KU’s only lead of the game), the Wildcats went on a 19–0 run over the next four and a half minutes to take a commanding 21–5 lead, which they largely maintained for the rest of the half.
Heading into the locker room, Arizona held a 39–28 lead, but the Jayhawks felt the momentum beginning to swing in their direction.
The second half began with both teams trading baskets for the first five minutes, but it was a positive sign for Kansas as they began to score more consistently on their possessions.
Arizona took a 47–35 lead with 14:45 remaining before the Jayhawks began to apply more pressure. Over the next two and a half minutes, Kansas went on a 12–2 run that made it 49–47, cutting the deficit to just two points.
KU had finally recovered from Arizona’s dominant early run, and with the momentum on their side, it looked like they were about to flip the game in their favor. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the under-12 timeout came at the worst possible moment.
Over the next four minutes, in a sequence reminiscent of their 19–0 run in the first half, the Wildcats responded with what was essentially a game-sealing 16–0 run, extending their lead to 18 points (65–47).
By the under-eight timeout, the Jayhawks’ hopes of winning this one were all but shattered. From the moment Kansas cut the deficit to two points (12:07 remaining) to the end of the game, they scored just fourteen points. After the under-12 timeout, KU’s energy was never the same, as they appeared to run out of gas a bit too early.
What went wrong?
- The Kansas frontcourt has its poorest showing of the season by far (four combined points and six combined rebounds from Bidunga and Tiller)
- The Kansas bench shot 2-13 from the field and generated just seven points
- Kansas shot better from the 3-point line (35%) than from the field (34%)
- Arizona made three more shots (25) than Kansas (22) despite the Jayhawks having ten more attempts (65-55)
- Arizona had twice as many assists (16) as Kansas (8)
- 48:26 rebound ratio
- 34:11 free throw ratio
In defeat, Darryn Peterson led the way for the Jayhawks with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 31 minutes. On the other side, Brayden Burries was a revelation for the Wildcats, producing 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and a steal while also logging 31 minutes.
A loss like this shouldn’t affect Kansas too much (currently tied for fourth place), as they are still favored to receive a double-bye in next week’s Big 12 Tournament given their favorable remaining schedule.
We now shift to what many college basketball enthusiasts consider the greatest month of the year — March.
This week, Kansas has a date with Arizona State on Tuesday night in Tempe. The Jayhawks should be heavy favorites in this one, though they’ve historically struggled there (0–4 all-time).
Then, on Saturday, it’s senior night in the Phog as volume two of this year’s Sunflower Showdown tips off in the Jayhawks’ final home game of the season, where they’ll look to stay perfect against K-State.
Kansas will look to stay in line with its current NCAA Tournament projections over the next week (a No. 3 seed according to most major outlets).
With two winnable games remaining to close out the regular season, will the Jayhawks finish strong heading into postseason play?
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