The No. 21 Kansas Jayhawks are hours after their latest loss, a 61-56 loss to the No. 5 UConn Huskies. While Kansas’ ruckus environment and stern defense kept the door closed on the Huskies for a majority of the matchup, barren scoring streaks allowed an elite Huskie offense, which was led by Solo Ball and freshman Braylon Mullins, to both spark the comeback, as they each finished with 17 points.
Prior to the Jayhawks’ disheartening defeat, CBS Sports’ Issac Trotter broke down his monthly national championship tiers, and the Jayhawks were placed in the second tier, labeled "On the doorstep." Here is a short excerpt on the Trotter’s analysis.
“Defense and a superstar like Peterson can take you far, especially if role players like Elmarko Jackson, Tre White and Bryson Tiller roll strong Vegas winnings into more. But I question if this offense ever has a special gear, no matter how brilliant Peterson is. That's why they stay in Tier 2.”
Trotter then reminded readers just how dominant Kansas’ defense was as he reminded that Notre Dame’s Markus Burton scored 24 points on 18 shots, Syracuse’s JJ Starling scored 10 points on 17 shots, and Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 11 points on 19 shots.
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So far this season, the Jayhawks’ defense has carried an offensive load that has been labored by the extended absence of Peterson.
Kansas currently ranks 20th in scoring defense, allowing only 64.1 points per game. The Jayhawks’ 37.9% field goal rate allowed ranks even higher in 18th. While Kansas’ offense sits 188th at the time of writing with 74.0 points per game, with Peterson hopefully returning soon, those numbers can begin to even out, and the Jayhawks can push themselves up to Trotter’s tier one.
In Peterson's limited time on the court, the former five-star has notched a strong 21.5 points per game, on an elite 60% field goal rate. Peterson’s three and a half rebounds and three assists only add to his versatility across the hardwood.
The next chance to see the Jayhawks take the court is December 7th against the Missouri Tigers. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN 2.