Kansas basketball has been listed as a defensive-oriented team by most of its critics, but the Jayhawks pulled out a victory over UCF in the Big 12 Tournament in a high-octane scoring matchup. A total of 12 made 3-pointers and 17 offensive rebounds contributed to an uncharacteristically impressive outing in the halfcourt.
KU’s 98 points was the second-most it has scored in the 2024-25 campaign. Granted, both of those performances came against UCF — yet that does not erase the fact that the Jayhawks found a way to win that they are not particularly familiar with. That trait may be the difference-maker with March Madness looming.
Kansas Jayhawks showcase offensive firepower ahead of NCAA Tournament
Even though Kansas did not have its most inspiring defensive showing, the offense was firing on all cylinders. AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo, and Hunter Dickinson were going back and forth with the Knights, as the trio knocked down all but one of KU's threes. Outside shooting was a strength on a night where David Coit, arguably the second-best shooter in Lawrence, had an off night.
When the Jayhawks were clicking, the ball was not sticking and they were moving fluently within the offense. Most importantly, they were knocking down their open 3-pointers. That version of Kansas — with a confident Storr — is a tough group to beat.
The primary factor holding back KU‘s offense is its carelessness with the ball. Turnovers were the reason why the team choked away both of its meetings with Houston in the clutch. Between mistakes on inbound plays and haphazardly stepping out of bounds, this unit cannot continue to be as clumsy as it has been late in games.
While the Jayhawks still hold the ninth-best defensive rating in the country, they have seen tremendous improvements offensively lately. Being able to adapt to different teams’ play styles could be the difference between another first-weekend exit and a deep tournament run.