Quick grades for five aspects of the Kansas basketball team’s 69-58 win over Texas on Big Monday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Offense: C
——-
• Coming up with points felt like a genuine struggle for KU much of the night in an ugly college basketball game.
• The Jayhawks’ lack of success from 3-point range made it all the more painful to watch. KU went 2-for-12 from deep.
• Inside the arc at least they managed to shoot 23-for-40 (57.5%). KU turned the ball over 12 times and went 17-for-24 at the foul line, which as as good a place as any to find some numbers on this night.
• When they could get the ball inside with some room to operate against the long and swift UT defense, the Jayhawks scored 40 points in the paint.
Defense: B+
——-
• This Texas team isn’t known for its offensive prowess, but the Jayhawks made sure not to give the Longhorns many opportunities to play out of character.
They shot 37.7% from the floor and 4-for-24 from 3-point range.
• UT only scored 4 second-chance points and 22 points in the paint.
Frontcourt: C
———
• Bill Self decided to take away Udoka Azubuike’s starting job after some type of incident the coach opted to keep in house. And Self gave the starting center job to David McCormack. But by the end of the night it was Azubuike playing a starter’s minutes.
McCormack gave KU 15 minutes, scoring 6 points on 2-for-5 shooting, with 3 rebounds.
As usual with McCormack, there were some good energy minutes and some less productive moments.
Backcourt: B-
——–
• KU’s guards combined for 6 assists in the win.
• Marcus Garrett easily led the team in assists, with 4, and provided 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals while playing 39 minutes on a foot injury that continues to have him playing through pain.
A typical night for KU’s smartest basketball player and best defender.
• Devon Dotson deserves as much credit as anyone for KU eventually winning comfortably, as he scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half.
Dotson shot 5-for-10 from the floor and went 5-for-6 at the foul line.
• Ochai Agbaji gave KU 8 points on 3-for-8 shooting, plus 6 rebounds in his 36 minutes of action.
• Christian Braun was assertive even if he wasn’t a focal point of the offense, and the freshman scored 4 points to go with his 5 rebounds and sound defense.
Bench: B
—–
• Azubuike scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half, and grabbed 8 of his 12 boards in those 13 minutes after halftime.
That was when Azubuike finally looked like himself again, going 5-for-5 from the floor.
The 7-footer finished with a pair of blocks and looked far more engaged than he had two days prior in an off outing against Texas Tech.
• Lineups with Isaiah Moss didn’t give KU as much as Self hoped, as the senior went 1-for-5 from 3-point range in his 23 minutes. But Moss at least showed a willingness to attack the paint on a few occasions and scored 7 points.
• KU’s reserves outscored the UT bench, 24-14.
