With the Kansas football season officially over following a 31-21 loss to the No. 13 Utah Utes, the attention can fully shift to Allen Fieldhouse. So far, even with the occasional stumble against the ACC in an 87-74 loss to No. 16 UNC Tar Heels and a 78-66 loss to the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils, Kansas has looked to have found its footing, even if it is without star Darryn Peterson.
As of writing, the Jayhawks are on a three-game winning streak, with their latest being one of the most impressive in recent memory, a banged-up Kansas team pushing past the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers in an 81-76 win in the third-place of the Players Era.
Against the Vols, the Jayhawks had to fight back by as many as 12 in the come-from-behind win, which was led by St. Bonaventure transfer Melvin Council Jr. and Elmarko Jackson. Both totaled 17 points against Rick Barnes’ team. On the day, Kansas had four double-digit scorers, including Flory Bidunga and Tre White.
One of the most telling analytics in the sport is Ken Pomeroy’s Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings.
With eight games underway, a somewhat reliable measurement can probably be filed. This season. So far, Kansas’ offensive rating ranks 52nd in the nation (116.9), while the Jayhawks’ defense ranks as one of the nation’s best at No. 9 with 94.3.
Bill Self gives his thoughts on Kansas’ time in Las Vegas at Players Era
Now there is so much to dig into over Pomeroy’s metrics, but his offensive and defensive ratings are essentially points per 100 possessions. These are influenced by other factors, including who the home team is, luck ratings, and per-game adjustments dependent on the team you play.
So, while there is a lot you can analyze in the mindset of Pomeroy’s stats, they are almost always found to be a lot more reliable, which is why it is one of the most popular basketball metrics out there.
Kansas will need every bit of its defensive strength on December 2nd as the Jayhawks will take on the No. 5 UConn Huskies. The Huskies are 6-1, and their sole loss has come against the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats, who beat the Huskies 71-67.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN 2.
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