When the No. 25 Kansas Jayhawks took to the court in what turned out to be a 76-57 win over the Princeton Tigers, it became clear from the tip that things were not going to play out as smoothly as Kansas fans would have initially hoped for.
With 15:25 to go in the first half, the Tigers held a narrow 6-5 lead and were causing a ruckus on defense. Just before that media timeout, the Jayhawks had seen a run of two missed shots and a turnover, all of which were after a timeout that Self had called, clearly showing that even out of the break, Kansas could not draw up succes.
When speaking with the media following Saturday’s win, after lamenting on the lack of defensive prowess to cover backdoor cuts and allowing several three-pointers to be taken by the Tigers, head coach Bill Self stated,
“…I was pissed from the beginning… It's okay not to be great offensively or what, not, but you got to be good defensively. And, you know, if you're not a great shooter or you're not making shots at this moment, then do something to help us win. And we didn’t. We didn't guard.”
Throughout the first half, either side found enough momentum to carry itself to a sustained advantage. With two minutes to go at the end of the first half, Kansas was leading by just three points at 30-27. Eventually, a small run largely led by Flory Bidunga opened up a 37-29 gap that was quickly bridged in the second half when the Ivy League side trimmed it to just a one-point 44-43 Kansas lead, with just under six minutes played in the second half.
Ultimately, as the game wore on, the Jayhawks were able to manage things well, sustained possessions, and an improved defense allowed for Kansas to knock down 47.2% of their shots and even pull away to claim a 19-point win.
Bill Self's wise words kept upset at bay in latest Kansas win
Sophomore Flory Bidunga notched a career-high 25 points on an elite 10-11 rate from the field. Bidunga’s 10 rebounds and three blocks helped offset the four turnovers the NBA hopeful gave away.
The next chance to see the Jayhawks in action is Tuesday, November 18th, against the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils in the State Farm Champions Classic.
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