Kansas basketball drops second conference game as Jayhawks fall to unranked West Virginia

Despite looking like a new and improved team following two impressive victories, Kansas basketball couldn't get a stop defensively and lost 91-85 in the worst game of the year to the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Josh Eilert's group came into the contest with a meager 6-11 record, and they weren't much better on their home court. The same team that was upset by Monmouth, Radford, and UMass was able to pull away with a win over the No. 3 ranked team in the nation.

The first half ended tied at 51, and the Jayhawks' defensive struggles were evident in the loss. WVU shot 12-for-21 (57.1%) from beyond the arc and couldn't miss at one point in the first 20 minutes.

Kansas had multiple chances to go ahead in the latter stages of the second half, but offensive rebounds by the Mountaineers and careless offensive possessions for the Jayhawks plagued them down the stretch.

Between a Kevin McCullar 3-pointer being changed to a 2-pointer and a questionable foul call on Elmarko Jackson, things just didn't go KU's way yesterday afternoon. Being outrebounded 31 to 22 didn't assist them either.

McCullar led the 'Hawks in scoring, dropping in 24 on 10-of-14 shooting. Hunter Dickinson scored 19 but could not get it going on the glass, hauling in five rebounds and being outhustled on several possessions.

Dropping to 15-3 on the year and 3-2 in conference play, there are rising questions regarding how well Kansas will fare in the new-look Big 12. They also lost to UCF on the road less than two weeks ago.

There have been some ugly Kansas basketball games in the 2023-24 season, but this loss takes the crown for the worst performance fans have watched from Bill Self and Co. all year. The Jayhawks have a quick turnaround tomorrow when they take on Cincinnati in Allen Fieldhouse.