In one of the program’s more impressive defensive performances in recent memory, the Kansas men’s basketball team locked down Conference USA foe Middle Tennessee on its way to an 89-45 victory on Friday night.
Making his first start as a Jayhawk, forward Trey Kaufman-Renn led KU with an efficient 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting, and center Christian Reeves chipped in 10 as his replacement off the bench.
The Blue Raiders hit a series of second-half 3-pointers to prevent their deficit from getting too far out of hand, but shot just 24.4% on 2-point field goals and committed 16 turnovers and 18 fouls. Jarred Hall was their leading scorer with 11 points.
With stellar defense, the Jayhawks stifled the Blue Raiders on a series of three early possessions before Hall made a 3-pointer for MTSU. Kaufman-Renn powered the Jayhawks early with eight points, two rebounds and a play on which he halted Kaleb Siler’s shot in the post to force a held ball, as KU went ahead 14-5.
The score was stuck at 17-7 for a long time before Taylen Kinney tossed a lob to Reeves. After that, KU didn’t make much progress because of its ineffective free-throw shooting, as the Jayhawks opened 3-for-9 at the line.
With KU ahead 27-10 after a dunk by Keanu Dawes, the Blue Raiders broke a scoring drought of more than four minutes on a close-range shot by Siler, but the Jayhawks immediately responded with an alley-oop dunk by Dennis Parker Jr.
Reeves put back a miss by Parker in the final minute of the half, and MTSU came back with an off-balance jumper by Jahvin Carter to finally get its total into the teens. KU coach Bill Self called timeout and drew up a play that produced a buzzer-beating right-wing 3 for Tre White, off a sharp pass by Leroy Blyden Jr., and made the halftime tally 36-14.
The Blue Raiders shot just 18.8% from the field in the first half and committed 10 turnovers.
KU extended its margin with some sharper offensive play in the earlier stages of the second half. Kaufman-Renn threaded a bounce pass through to Melvin Council Jr. for a dunk that made it 49-18 four minutes in.
That was part of a 15-2 run that ended with a 3-pointer from Carter, just the second time the Blue Raiders had connected from deep after they opened 1-for-16.
Reeves reached double figures with an elegant layup and Dawes knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner. Several of KU’s reserves got to contribute their fair share of highlight-reel plays, with freshman Davion Adkins emphatically rejecting Landyn Colyer at the rim shortly before the under-eight timeout.
Freshman wing Luke Barnett hit a deep 3 the first time he touched the ball to make it 79-34 and then added two more in rapid succession soon afterward. His fourth attempt hit the rim and bounced away.
The Jayhawks, who improved to 2-0, will travel to Chicago to face Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.
