**1 – Jalen Wilson -** The Big 12’s leading scorer was at it again on Monday night, dropping in 23 points on a highly efficient 10-of-16 shooting clip. Wilson hit 3 of 7 from 3-point range, including a ridiculously deep one early in the first half to give KU hope and a triple from the wing that gave KU its only lead. But he did not get to the free throw line once and he also finished with a less-than-expected 4 rebounds on a night when Kansas needed all the help it could get on the glass. Still, for a player of his caliber to turn in a night like that with all of the attention he attracts, Wilson continued to be everything for this Kansas team. And he continues to need more help.
**2 – Gradey Dick -** The two early fouls were nearly a disaster, but Dick delivered a monster night in spite of them. He finished with 24 points (one off his career high) and hit 8-of-13 shots overall, with 2 of 5 going down from 3-point range and all six free throws on a night when Kansas made 16-of-16 at the free throw line. Dick needed an effort like Monday’s to help him bounce back from rough outings at K-State and against TCU. And he’s not likely to be discouraged by the fact that it didn’t come in a winning effort. He’s all about next play, and moving forward with the confidence he gained Monday night should be good for both Gradey and the Jayhawks.
**3 – Kevin McCullar Jr. -** Give McCullar credit for being much more aggressive in this one than he had been in either of the past two games. His jumper didn’t benefit much, as he hit just 3 of 9 shots in this one. But he reached 14 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and hit all 8 free throws he shot, which was huge in keeping KU in the game in the capacity it was in it throughout the night. He also added 2 steals in 35 minutes, but he needs to either start hitting his outside shot or start taking more shots that have an easier degree of difficulty. Even those he missed in this one, though. So it’s kind of back to the drawing board for him after this one, but possibly with a little more confidence and urgency.
**4 – KJ Adams -** Adams landed in the No. 4 spot for one simple reason – It was his hard role and pass to McCullar underneath that led to the Jalen Wilson 3-pointer from the wing that gave the Jayhawks their only lead of the night. That moment was the peak of KU’s performance in Waco on Monday night, and it should come as no surprise that it involved Adams. Teams have really started to take away that short roll that he made a living on early on in Big 12 play. So no the Jayhawks have to adjust and either find a way to run that type of action with him elsewhere or use him in a different way. Either way, they need his production again and they didn’t get it on Monday night, when he went 1-for-5 from the floor with 3 rebounds in 28 minutes.
**5 – Dajuan Harris Jr. -** Normally, with numbers like the ones Harris put up on Monday night — 1-for-5 for 2 points with 4 assists and 4 turnovers — you’d find that player much lower in these rankings. And based on his offensive play, Harris probably should be. But he played 37 minutes, he toughed it out on defense against some really talented guards and no one on the Kansas roster really did much better, be it because they lacked production or lacked opportunity. So Harris lands at No. 5, but there’s little doubt that Kansas needs him to find his mojo again on the offensive end.
**6 – Joe Yesufu -** Yesufu was out there for 14 minutes and he grabbed 4 rebounds and a steal while doing his best to push the pace and stay in attack mode whenever possible. On that front, he wasn’t bad. But he took two of the most mind-blowing 3-point shots I can remember anyone taking and didn’t come close to making either. Imagine how much of a difference a better possession on either of those trips could have made.
**7 – MJ Rice -** I’m sure I missed something defensively, but I actually thought Rice was OK when he was out there. He made a nice cut to the rim in a halfcourt set that was not recognized shortly after checking in and he scored on a putback at the rim following one of the two rebounds he grabbed. He turned it over three times and also picked up two fouls in just 5 minutes on the floor, though. Take this for a silver lining — at least he’s starting to get into games earlier these days.
**8 – Bobby Pettiford -** Pettiford’s -8 plus/minus number was the second worst on the team on Monday night, and he played just 6 minutes, missing his only shot attempt – a 3-pointer he had to take — to go along with 1 foul and 1 turnover. Pettiford was at his best earlier this season when he was playing as the backup to Harris. He still has that role, but he’s also out there with him a lot of the time. And he’s just not enough of an offensive threat to fill that role when the Jayhawks are struggling the way they currently are.
**9 – Ernest Udeh Jr. -** Udeh got a crack in this one and didn’t do anything to use his size or athleticism to help KU keep Baylor off the offensive glass. He played 5 minutes and had just 1 turnover and 1 foul to show for it.
Season standings
———–
1 – Jalen Wilson, 166
2 – Dajuan Harris Jr., 143
3 – KJ Adams, 138
4 – Gradey Dick, 136
5 – Kevin McCullar Jr., 120o
6 – Bobby Pettiford, 85
7 – Joe Yesufu, 71
8 – MJ Rice, 52y
9 – Zuby Ejiofor, 48
10 – Ernest Udeh Jr., 43
11 – Zach Clemence, 31z
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
