When the No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks took down the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Wednesday night, things felt pretty routine. For a majority of both halves, the Jayhawks held a comfortable 10+ point lead and never really felt threatened.
However, it is worth noting that while Oklahoma State is a team vying for an NCAA Tournament bid, they pale in comparison to some of the top teams in the nation, so just because it lacked the firepower to launch a comeback it won’t guarantee a win against every other team.
“I didn’t think we played very tough”
“I didn't think we played very tough. I thought they beat us to loose balls after the first 15 minutes. I didn't think we finished the game, and you got to be able to finish games,” quoted head coach Bill Self following the 12-point win.
“There's gonna be close games in late February and early March that you gotta execute and finish, and that kind of stuff.”
To finish the season, the Jayhawks still have to take on the No. 2 and No. 4 teams in the nation as they must take on the Houston Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats, with Arizona set away from home.
Against the Cowboys, Kansas held Oklahoma State to just 35% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Yet in the second period, Steve Lutz’s squad amped their field goal rate by nearly seven percent while also scoring a strong 40 points in the final 20 minutes.
“And we did some good things, but defensively, I didn't think we were very good the second half at all.”
The Jayhawks currently hold the nation’s 32nd-strongest defense allowing just 68 points per game, and considering the nine ranked teams they have faced up to this point, that is a strong mark.
A continued problem
In four of Kansas’ six losses this season, the Jayhawks were outscored in the second half by at least eight points.
Now of couse you can’t connect the dots and say that every loss is a result of a poor second half, as each game has its own subset of variables that play into the result, but it is worth noting that even in a controlled win, the stats tell you there is something up when Kansas takes the hardwood in the final 20 minutes.
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