**1 – KJ Adams -** His shooting numbers weren’t amazing — 4-of-9 from the floor and 6-of-8 at the free throw line — but when you consider that they came against the most physical team in the league in a building known for burying people, Adams’ night was sensational. While 75% shooting from the free throw line will never make anybody say wow, but the eight trips was wow worthy. Adams made himself nearly unguardable in this one and he got a few of his misses back and then went to the free throw line to make them count.
**2 – Jalen Wilson -** Wilson shot just 4-of-12 for the game and 2-of-6 from 3-point range, but he hit a big one early when Kansas was draining 3s and running away from the Mountaineers in the first half, and he played big minutes in the paint, grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds and spending some time at the 5 after KJ Adams fouled out. Wilson also hit all four free throws he attempted and was the lead dog in KU taking the fight to the Mountaineers instead of letting WVU take it the other way. Wilson said after the game that he thought this win demonstrated KU’s composure and will to win, and no one personified those traits better in this one than Wilson.
**3 – Gradey Dick -** After going 1-for-6 from long range in the win over Texas Tech on Tuesday, Dick was 4-for-6 against the Mountaineers, inspiring WVU coach Bob Huggins to say after the game that it felt like the KU freshman didn’t miss. It sure didn’t look like he did. The first two he hit, early in the first half, sparked a team stretch of six consecutive 3-point makes, and he finished with a game-high 16 points to go along with 5 rebounds. He had been great on the glass in recent games, recording upwards of 8 and 9 boards in KU’s two previous games. But his shot was off a little in both of those. Saturday appeared to be the perfect sweet spot for Dick, who scored and had his shot going but also paid attention to the glass. If he can find a way to land somewhere around 14-16 points and 5 boards in every game the rest of the way, he’ll have done his part and Kansas will be very hard to beat. Dick continues to put together the kind of freshman season that has been rare in KU history and might be being overlooked just a little.
**4 – Dajuan Harris Jr. -** After his career 3-point shooting night at Texas Tech, where he went 5-for-5 from behind the arc, Harris hit his first two triples in this one and was 3-for-6 for the game. The funny thing about it was, he actually passed up a couple of shots he could have pulled, proving that he’s still fine being him — making plays for others and taking the shots that were there. The hot night at Tech didn’t go to his head (nor did anyone think it would) and, while battling through a little foul trouble, he finished with 11 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in 31 minutes. Most importantly, he did not turn it over a single time. Of course, it helped that West Virginia did not have its starting point guard (out with a concussion) and therefore chose not to press most of the night.
**5 – Kevin McCullar Jr. -** McCullar’s first shot attempt hit the top of the backboard. And his first shot of the second half banked in from the wing. Outside of those two makes, he hit just two other shots in 10 attempts, but he did play 38 minutes — a team high — and grabbed eight rebounds while being willing to battle through the physical nature of the game. He shot 2-of-4 from 3-point range and hit both of his free throw attempts. He also sparked the Jayhawks’ opportunistic defense that forced the Mountaineers to an awful shooting night while picking up three of KU’s six steals, as well.
**6 – Bobby Pettiford -** With Yesufu back, Pettiford didn’t have quite the same role that he had at Texas Tech. But he played some good minutes, even if the stat sheet doesn’t fully show it. A couple of his pinpoint passes turned into turnovers that weren’t his fault. And he might’ve had the shot of the night, a tip-in of his own miss on a floater in the lane. That gave him 5 points for the night and he added 3 rebounds and 2 assists with 2 turnovers. WVU tried to attack Pettiford with their size a little and it led to some foul trouble, which might’ve also contributed to his 18 minutes. Still he looks firmly entrenched as the Jayhawks’ first of two guards off the bench right now and continues to play with the most confidence he’s had since he’s been at Kansas.
**7 – Joe Yesufu -** Yesufu’s hamstring appeared to be fine as he checked into the game early and looked good during warm-ups, too. He played hard while he was out there but did show signs of rust and a lack of rhythm while also missing his only two 3-point attempts. Like Pettiford, he had one of the night’s biggest highlights, a clean pocket pick of WVU guard Joe Toussaint that he turned into a tough layup in transition for his only points of the night. Steady and unspectacular. That’s where it seems to be settling for Yesufu right now.
**8 – Zuby Ejiofor -** Zuby’s biggest contribution on Saturday night, in the 4 minutes he played, was a vicious block of a WVU shot in the paint that he ate up with both hands and then started a Kansas fastbreak. He was the first big man off the bench for the Jayhawks in this one, a move that’s starting to become the norm for KU coach Bill Self with his rotation. Ejiofor seems to understand what’s being asked of him when he gets out there and he does not appear to be trying to do too much. He did have a turnover on a perfect pass from Pettiford that a player with more experience likely would’ve turned into an easy bucket. But that can be chalked up to his age and comfort on the court. It’s still early, both in the season and his career, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him convert those types of plays six or seven weeks from now.
**9 – Zach Clemence -** Hit his only shot attempt — a bucket in the first half — but also fouled twice in the 3 minutes he was on the floor. The good news here was that he was on the floor. In the season-long journey that has been KU’s big man rotation behind KJ Adams, no one has been safe from the dreaded DNP. So Clemence, though his minutes were limited, should feel good that he got in on Saturday night while Ernest Udeh Jr. and Cam Martin did not. When playing time is tough to come by and your confidence might be impacted by that, finding silver linings and confidence boosts in the little details can go a long way toward leading to better days and more minutes. We’ll see what the next game brings.
Season standings
———–
1 – Jalen Wilson, 129
2 – Dajuan Harris Jr., 115
3 – KJ Adams, 110
4 – Gradey Dick, 105
5 – Kevin McCullar Jr., 95o
6 – Bobby Pettiford, 71
7 – Joe Yesufu, 58
8 – MJ Rice, 45y
9 – Zuby Ejiofor, 44
10 – Ernest Udeh Jr., 39
11 – Zach Clemence, 21z
12 – Cam Martin, 11q
13 – Kyle Cuffe Jr., 2x
*x – Out for 10-12 weeks with a knee injury starting Nov. 13*
*y – Missed 3 of the first 5 games of the season because of injury and illness*
*z – Missed Duke, Southern Utah and NC State games because of injury*
*o – Missed Nov. 29 game vs. Texas Southern with a groin injury
*q – Missed first nine games of the season with shoulder injury
