Friday night’s 69-47 loss to the No. 2 Houston Cougars was riddled with exploits that must be fixed fast.
From the first minute, the Jayhawks struggled to lay a finger on Houston from nearly every perspective, and while Kansas may have been able to keep several stats close, the effort presented by Kelvin Sampson’s squad tells a story no box score can.
Heading into the game, Kansas head coach Bill Self was quoted “I don't know if it'll be as much about scouting as it will be, who wants the ball more,” and throughout the 40 minutes, there was not a second where KU wanted the ball more.
That is something that not every team in that nation can replicate, and why Sampson is one of the best coaches to ever step foot on the hardwood. What can be repeated, though, is Houston’s suffocating defense of KU star Darryn Peterson.
The Jayhawks need to find a reliable second option
What makes Peterson such an elite prospect is the fact that even when his shots don’t find the bottom of the net, they never look forced and always strike fear into opposition defenses. Combine that with his ability to get to the line, and whatever NBA team drafts the Prolific Prep alum is getting a bona fide point scorer.
Yet, against Houston, Peterson struggled to engineer many good looks, and while his smooth stroke saved the Jayhawks on a few occasions, earning the freshman a team-high 14 points, no one was able to back up the former five-star and provide any other offensive pressure.
“They weren't going to let Darryn beat them,” quoted Self postgame.
“They were going to have two guys on him and drag guys to him and switch. And so he was always felt guarded. They did a great job with that.”
Kansas’ paltry offensive numbers paint harrowing picture
Kansas currently averages a 45.3% field goal rate, which sits 140th in the country, along with 75.6 points per game, which ranks 152nd in the nation. While most teams will not have the defensive prowess of the Cougars. It doesn’t always take the mind of a Sampson to limit KU’s offensive explosiveness.
The Jayhawks’ 118.4 offensive KenPom rating relays that Kansas’ offensive efficiency is 57th in the country, a mark that will need dramatic improvement if KU wants to see a strong end to the season.
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