Following a road loss to UCF in its conference opener Saturday afternoon, Kansas dropped to 10–4 overall and 0–1 in Big 12 play.
UCF exposed many of the Jayhawks' deficiencies and largely controlled the game throughout. Still, KU had its bright spots and made a respectable push that came up just short.
Let’s take a look at the positives and negatives of Saturday’s loss to UCF…
Pros
– Darryn Peterson’s return in the Big 12 opener showcased why the young guard is atop most NBA draft boards. He scored 26 points in 23 minutes and effortlessly took over whenever he was on the floor.
– The Jayhawks had a legitimate chance to win despite the frontcourt and bench combining for only 15 points. Even with stronger opponents ahead, Kansas shouldn’t see many worse team performances than this.
– The team showed fight and resilience after Peterson went out in the second half. Down 70–61 with less than five minutes on the clock, KU went on a 9–0 run in under two minutes to tie the game before ultimately falling short. Following the valiant comeback, Jordan Burks drilled a three-pointer with 0:42 remaining that propelled the Knights to victory.
Cons
– Once again, Darryn Peterson was unable to finish the game. He subbed out during a tied contest with 10:55 remaining and never returned. After leading the team all game, KU had to navigate the most critical stretch without their star.
– Outside of Peterson, the Jayhawks shot just 3-of-13 from three-point range. Although they’ve done fine without him up to this point, the rest of the offense struggled to find any rhythm in his absence. Uncharacteristically, Bill Self didn’t do his team any favors, repeatedly making substitutions at the most inopportune moments.
– The frontcourt had its worst showing of the season, combining for only ten points. As one of the team’s leaders, Flory Bidunga must be more aggressive and recognize that the team can’t succeed unless he plays at a high level. Bryson Tiller struggled, shooting 0–5 in 27 minutes, and clearly needs to play better to keep his spot in the starting lineup.
– Kansas took too many ill-advised shots, and soft defense allowed UCF 17 point-blank layups. The elite defense appeared to regress over the winter break and must return to prime form for the heart of the schedule.
– KU only scored five bench points (three from Mcdowell, two from Jackson)
– Tre White experienced his poorest shooting performance of the season (4–13 FG, 30.8 FG%).
– Kohl Rosario went scoreless, while Jayden Dawson never even checked in.
– UCF outscored Kansas 9–3 in the final 42 seconds.
Despite the abundance of mishaps, KU remained in a solid position to win, which is a possible silver lining for the rest of the season.
The Jayhawks will welcome TCU to Lawrence on Tuesday night as they look to get back in the win column. Will Kansas bounce back against the Horned Frogs in its second game of Big 12 play?
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