Keanu Dawes is a player who seems to play his best in the biggest games against the strongest opponents. After seeing some of the non-conference games Kansas basketball has lined up, and knowing how tough the Big 12 is, that is great news for KU.
When Bryson Tiller left Kansas and became the first Jayhawk basketball player to ever defect to Missouri, it seemed like a big loss. While Tiller struggled at times as a freshman and wasn't always physical enough, he has talent and plenty of potential. It wasn't difficult to see what Tiller could become.
Head coach Self wasted no time in filling the void left by Tiller. Self went after a better overall athlete and a much more physical one, all wrapped up in the same body. The first transfer Self added was Keanu Dawes, who played last season at Utah.
Dawes seems to thrive on great competition, and he may be a much better fit for Self's system than Tiller was. Dawes brings a toughness that is appealing and appears to be a player who will thrive at Kansas.
Keanu Dawes loves playing against the best competition, which he will get at Kansas
Last season, Dawes was terrific when playing against the best teams in the Big 12. In conference, Utah faced NCAA Tournament teams nine times. Here's a look at how Dawes performed against them.
- Arizona - 15 points, 9 rebounds
- BYU - 7 points, 5 rebounds
- Texas Tech - 18 points, 9 rebounds
- TCU - 10 points, 14 rebounds
- BYU - 23 points, 6 rebounds
- Kansas - 22 points, 12 rebounds
- Houston 15, points, 8 rebounds
- UCF - 15 points, 12 rebounds
- Iowa State - 10 points, 12 rebounds
In only the first BYU game did he have a subpar showing in comparison to all the others. He scored at least 10 points in all the other eight games and had at least 8 boards in seven of the games. He also shot well in most of these games, hitting at least 50% of his attempts in every matchup but two.
He certainly caught Self's attention when the Jayhawks faced Utah. Dawes went for 22 and 12 in that one. Against KU the year before, in an upset, Dawes only scored two points but ripped down 10 boards.
Overall, there is a lot to like about Dawes. Last year, he averaged 12.5 and a half points and 8.8 rebounds. He also had 2.2 assists and threw in an occasional blocked shot and steal.
During his two seasons at Utah, he shot an impressive 57.0 percent from the field and 68.9 percent from two-point range. At 32.4 percent, he's not a particularly good three-point shooter, but there is room for improvement, and he was a decent free-throw shooter at 73.9% at Utah.
Dawes' rebound totals indicate that he isn't afraid to be aggressive when rebounding, which will be an improvement for the Jayhawks. Dawes also displayed a lot of toughness around the rim. Again, this wasn't a strength of Tiller's.
In the non-conference portion of the schedule, Kansas plays Kentucky, UConn, Villanova, Ohio State, and Missouri, just to name a few. That doesn't include the conference schedule, which promises to be brutal, as usual. Dawes's ability to be at his best against top opposition should serve the Kansas basketball team well. His toughness will make him a fan favorite.
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