The Kansas Jayhawks have been on a rollercoaster all season long, from dealing with Darryn Peterson's injuries to struggling on the road early in Big 12 play. However, things have turned around as of late with a six-game win streak that includes ranked wins over BYU and Texas Tech.
This biggest win came over Texas Tech in Lubbock, where the Jayhawks were able to get a signature win on the road. Even in a low-scoring game, Kansas was able to hit big shots late from starters, including Peterson, to secure the win.
The starters have carried the scoring weight of the season with those on the bench not contirbuting too much, which could come back to bite the Jayhawks later.
The Kansas bench just hasn't gotten the time on the court this season
Looking at the Kansas bench, there is not a lot of depth that has given a lot of minutes throughout the season. The main starters for the Jayhawks have been Darryn Peterson, when healthy, Tre White, Flory Bidunga, Melvin Council Jr., and Bryson Tiller. Each starter has given substantial minutes this season and also leads the team in points per game.
After Bryson Tiller, there are only a few bench players that given substantial minutes, but don't add a lot to the scoring. Here is the breakdown of most played bench players for Kansas:
- Elmarko Jackson: 17.9 minutes per game and 4.7 points per game
- Kohl Rosario: 14.6 minutes per game and 3.9 points per game
- Jamari McDowell: 18.0 minutes per game and 3.9 points per game
- Jayden Dawson: 10.2 minutes per game and 2.2 points per game
All four players above get a solid amount of minutes, but they don't contribute a lot when it comes to scoring, and come the NCAA Tournament, that could be a problem for Kansas. Say a starter goes down, like Peterson has this season, or someone like Flory Bidunga or Melvin Council Jr. gets injured, bench players are going to have to step up and find ways to contribute to the scoring.
Averaging under five points per game off the bench is not something Self needs from these players. He has to find ways to get them shooting the ball better when they are on the court, or depth could turn into a big problem for the Jayhawks come March.