Big 12 continues to run through Lawrence after KU’s statement win over Houston

By Shane Jackson     Feb 3, 2024

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Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) shows his excitement after a dunk from Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) during the first half on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

The more things change, the more they stay the same. No. 8 Kansas reminded everyone of that fact with its 78-65 statement win over No. 4 Houston on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.

What exactly was the lesson from Saturday’s showdown? The Big 12 Conference will continue to run through Lawrence until further notice.

On some level, we should have already known this. After all, the Jayhawks have clinched at least a share of the regular-season conference championship in all but two seasons under Bill Self. But the Big 12 is getting bigger and better every year, which includes adding four newcomers this season.

Houston, making the leap from the American Athletic Conference, has not only been billed as KU’s biggest challenger, but the front-runner to win the league. Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars are the betting favorites to win the Big 12, and were even favored to defeat the Jayhawks on Saturday. It marked just the second time Kansas has ever been a home underdog under Self.

“Somebody made a mistake and told me we were actually favored in this game. That’s sacrilege,” Sampson said. “How is Kansas not favored in any game? Especially here.”

“You challenge the Jayhawk pride, if you will, by telling them they are not favored,” Sampson added.

It’s not just oddsmakers, however. Ken Pomeroy’s overall ratings have Houston as the best team in the country. Entering this weekend, KenPom projected Houston to win the Big 12 with a 14-4 record, while Kansas was expected to finish fourth with a 10-8 clip. That forecast is likely to change after Saturday’s result, though Houston remains in the No. 1 spot in the overall rankings.

“I think them being good was enough to get us excited,” Self said. “They’ve been arguably the most consistent program in America over the last four or five years and they are having a great year this year.”

“I think we would have been turned up regardless of anybody that we were playing today that came in with that reputation,” Self added. “We were certainly ready to play.”

But it’s not just the fact Kansas beat Houston, it’s the way it all unfolded on the court.

The Cougars are considered the top-ranked defensive team in the nation by nearly every metric, but KU’s 78 points marked the highest offensive output against Houston this year. Texas is the only other team to score more than 70 against them, and the Longhorns needed overtime to finish with 72 points.

Of KU’s 31 baskets, 14 of them came at the rim between 10 layups and four dunks. The Jayhawks shot 68.9% from the floor, their best shooting performance since converting on 72.1% against Niagara in 1997, as Sampson said his defense “played blindfolded.”

Kansas also dominated on the glass, despite Houston ranking fifth in the country in offensive rebound rate ahead of Saturday. The Jayhawks finished with a 16-rebound advantage, and held the Cougars to just one board in the first nine minutes of the game.

“It was definitely challenging, they go after the ball like no other,” said Hunter Dickinson, who led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Sampson’s squad is typically known for getting all the loose balls, but Self’s group often won on those plays as well. The sequence that encapsulated that occurred right before the final media timeout, when point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. raced Jamal Shead to midcourt for a rebound. Moments later, Dickinson scored on a turnaround to create some final breathing room.

The Jayhawks have now won 16 straight games when hosting a team ranked higher than them, a streak that dates back to 2006. And the dominant performance was needed for Kansas in what was a litmus test of some sorts. The Jayhawks improved to 5-2 since promoting Johnny Furphy to the starting lineup, but this was their biggest matchup during that stretch.

Saturday’s showdown illustrated the importance of Furphy’s presence, as he finished with 17 points of 6-of-7 shooting. Furphy knocked a trio of 3-pointers, including multiple triples on a kick-out pass from Dickinson when he was facing a double team.

“It definitely helps when he’s hitting shots,” Dickinson said. “He’s super confident in himself, as he should be. He’s very talented, obviously.”

According to Bart Torvik’s analytical website, Kansas is No. 2 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency (and fifth overall) since Furphy joined the starting lineup seven games ago. That was enough to best the top-ranked defense on Saturday, though it remains to be seen if that will continue over the final month of the regular season.

These two teams will meet again for the regular-season finale in Houston on March 9, a battle that could ultimately determine the Big 12 race. For now, Kansas will turn its attention to a road rivalry matchup with Kansas State on Monday. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m.

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Written By Shane Jackson