Garrett steals the ball and the game, earns top spot in ratings after 58-49 win over West Virginia

By Matt Tait     Feb 12, 2020

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West Virginia forward Gabe Osabuohien (3) looks to pass the ball as Kansas guard Marcus Garrett (0) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)

**1 – Marcus Garrett -** Forget about the turnovers. In a game won by defense, your best defensive player is likely your hero. And that was exactly the case for Garrett on Wednesday night. His five steals, including three in a row late with the game on the line, were nothing short of spectacular and became just the latest chapter in the book of defense that Garrett is authoring.

**2 – Isaiah Moss -** His 10 second-half points and two late triples were absolutely huge. And the emotion he showed after hitting them was just as big. He still only made 3-of-7 from the floor, but when those three makes come from 3-point range and you’re able to count on him defensively, everything else just kind of fades into the background.

**3 – Devon Dotson -** Led the team with 15 points despite an off night shooting the ball. He hit just 1-of-5 from 3-point range, but the one was a huge shot from in front of the KU bench that kick-started KU’s 19-5 run to close the game.

**4 – Udoka Azubuike -** Spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, but was a monster factor down the stretch, picking up both of his blocks and several key rebounds in the game’s final 7 or 8 minutes.

**5 – Ochai Agbaji -** Despite not getting anything to fall from behind the arc, Agbaji was overall pretty solid on both ends of the floor. He could have been more aggressive on the offensive end, but what he lacked in that department he made up for by crashing the glass hard, particularly in the first half when Azubuike and David McCormack were battling foul trouble.

**6 – David McCormack -** Dished out a few careless fouls in the first half and did not play in the second half. Still, his four points were nice on a night when KU struggled to score.

**7 – Christian Braun -** Took just one shot and scored two points and grabbed two rebounds in 16 minutes. It’s not that he was bad, but a road game at WVU in mid-February is a whole different beast than anything Braun has seen to date.

**8 – Tristan Enaruna -** Played just 3:20 in the first half and it came with McCormack sitting with three fouls and Azubuike sitting with two. His near follow tip late in the first half would have been a highlight moment and showed the kind of effort he is capable of playing with. But he followed it up by missing both free throws.

Season Standings
———–

1 – Udoka Azubuike – 168

2 – Marcus Garrett – 163

3 – Devon Dotson – 148

4 – Ochai Agbaji – 131

5 – Isaiah Moss – 107

6 – David McCormack – 101z

7 – Christian Braun – 86

8 – Tristan Enaruna – 59

9 – Silvio De Sousa – 47+

10 – Jalen Wilson – 2x

*x = broke his ankle 20 seconds into the second game of the season and is redshirting the 2019-20 season*

*+ = suspended for 12 games following KU’s 81-60 win over Kansas State on Jan. 21, 2020.*

*z = suspended for 2 games following KU’s 81-60 win over Kansas State on Jan. 21, 2020.*

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.