Kansas’ offense has stalled. That statement should come as no shock to anyone who has watched the Jayhawks ever since their eight-game winning streak was stifled at the hands of No. 5 Iowa State in mid-February.
Including that desolate day inside the Hilton Coliseum, KU has gone 4-5 across the end of the regular season and in the Big 12 Tournament. This caused the Jayhawks to get handed the No. 4 seed inside the daunting East Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Some of the powerhouses surrounding Bill Self’s squad include the No. 1 overall seed in the Duke Blue Devils, the No. 2 UConn Huskies, the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans, and the No. 5 St. John’s.
While Kansas’ defense has still had its strong points through the tough stretch, when the Jayhawks’ attack still manages a measly 75.6 points per game, there are real questions over just how much you can rely on the Jayhawks’ offensive pressure.
Which is exactly where Tre White needs to step in.
Why White may be the needle-pusher KU is desperate for
It did not take long for White to be thrust into an important scoring role for Bill Self. Over the first eight games with the Jayhawks, White pushed into double-digits seven different times, with three of those games coming against ranked opposition. White wasn’t just heaving up shots with no regard; the former KU high school commit kept to his tempo, rarely allowing himself to be sped up or slowed down by opposing defenses.
This became a consistent theme for the three-time transfer all season long. While his shooting rates occasionally spiked and dipped, the senior sits with a steady 45.7% field goal split. Combine that with an outstanding rebounding effort, which averages out to 6.7 rebounds per game, and you can see why he is a vital piece to any KU offensive success.
There is no better instance of this than when the Jayhawks took down the No. 5 Houston Cougars in late-February in a 69-56 upset win over a stout Kelvin Sampson-led side.
While fellow scoring threat Darryn Peterson was consistently being marshalled out of the game and only finished with 14 points on 14 shots, White played his best game to date, finishing with 23 points on a phenomenal 6/9 mark from the field.
White repeated a stellar stat line three games later against the Kansas State Wildcats, which ended with 23 points on 9/16 from the field in a senior night victory that pushed towards the excessive end, a 104-85 win.
Now, White is needed more than ever, as it is truly win-or-go-home for the Jayhawks from now until early April. The first task in this year's Big Dance is the No. 13 Cal Baptist Lancers. Tipoff is set for 8:45 p.m. CT Friday night with streaming available on CBS. As of writing, Kansas has been handed a 92.6% chance of advancing to the round of 32 in what could set up a thrilling matchup against St. John’s.
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