Well, that was fun. And I have to admit, I was more than a little surprised by how well Missouri played during the first half in not only hanging with Kansas but also building a four-point halftime lead and more than a little momentum.
It was the Tigers, or so I thought, who looked like the team that had played together longer and Kansas who struggled to get in sync for most of the first half.
That all changed — and changed quickly — when KU found its flow early in the second half and raced out to an insurmountable lead [to cruise to a 93-87 victory in the Border War revival that raised nearly $2 million][1] for hurricane relief.
The Jayhawks’ second-half spurt, which turned a 50-44 deficit into an 83-66 lead — that’s a 39-16 run for those of you not interested in doing the math — featured superior play by the Jayhawks all over the floor.
The guards pressured on the defensive end and turned up the tempo, making it a fast-paced game and getting a bunch of easy buckets because of it. And when they were unable to score off the sprint, the Jayhawks pounded the ball inside to Udoka Azubuike, who, as KU coach Bill Self pointed out in the postgame presser, played with a purpose and was much more efficient and effective in the game’s final 20 minutes.
All eight Jayhawks who played in this one made at least a couple of memorable contributions. And, even though Devonte’ Graham and Azubuike carried a lot of the load, neither player was perfect, which made for an interesting, albeit somewhat expected, first look at the 2017-18 Jayhawks against legit competition.
With that in mind, here are a few quick-hitter thoughts about all eight Jayhawks who played, some good, some bad, all important for the weeks and months that lie ahead.
[• Devonte’ Graham -][2] What can you say about a player who led Kansas in points (25), assists (5) and rebounds (10) in a big time, bragging-rights atmosphere? Easy. And former Graham running mate, Frank Mason III, came through via Twitter while watching from afar instead of standing next to him. “3tae Graham,” Mason wrote after the KU victory, playing off of Graham’s popular nickname of “D-tae.” A stat line like the one Graham turned in on Sunday brought two things to mind: (1) It’s too bad this was an exhibition game because those are numbers he would like to count. (2) Maybe Graham following in Mason’s footsteps isn’t such a stretch. Hell of a game.
[• Malik Newman -][3] After his impressive showing in Italy, I was surprised to see Newman look a little tentative early on during Sunday’s game. That changed in the second half, when the Mississippi State transfer became much more aggressive and started attacking the rim off the dribble, which opened up scoring and passing lanes. Self pointed out that Newman did not have his best night, but he did have good moments and you could visibly see when Newman felt good. He looked confident, cocky even, and carried an attacking personality with him no matter where he stood on the court, with or without the ball. Newman added six rebounds and five assists during what turned out to be a pretty productive night.
[• Svi Mykhailiuk -][4] Overall, a pretty disappointing night for the senior sharp-shooter who neither shot the ball that well from the outside (1-for-4 from the floor on the night) nor showed off much of his attack-the-rim game that pro scouts want to see more of. Outside of KU’s first bucket of the second half — a nifty and explosive drive to the rim and finish — Mykhailiuk was next to non-existent out there despite playing 27 minutes. Two points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists. KU didn’t need Svi to do much more than that to handle the Tigers. But that won’t be the case all that often this season.
[• Lagerald Vick -][5] I thought Vick settled for jumpers way too often in the early going. He made just 4-of-11 shots on the night — 1-of-5 from 3-point range — and didn’t factor into this one all that much in any other category but scoring. Two rebounds, one block, one steal, one turnover, all in a team-high 36 minutes. Playing less stiff competition during the coming weeks will help Vick better understand (and execute) his role and send his confidence sky high, which should position him to deliver exactly what KU needs by the time Big 12 play rolls around at the end of December. Not a bad night by any stretch of the imagination. But there is definitely much more in Vick’s tank than he showed on Sunday.
[• Udoka Azubuike -][6] If they gave an award for comeback player of the game, Azubuike would easily win it. The 7-footer delivered a strong second half after a forgettable first half in helping lead Kansas to victory. Playing against legit size and talent all night, Azubuike showed in the first half that he still struggles to score down low when he takes too long to make a move to the basket. And it’s not a pretty sight when that’s the case. But when the big man works fast and appears decisive, he’s a nightmare for just about anyone. Still so much room to improve and yet such an impressive line anyway. Azubuike’s development and week-by-week improvement should be one of the more enjoyable things for KU fans to track this season.
[• Billy Preston -][7] For my money, Preston was the biggest surprise in this one. He looked strong and confident, played hard and smart and did everything that was asked of him, some of it good, some of it bad. In short, he did more for KU inside in a single exhibition game than Carlton Bragg Jr., did all of last season. And that was big news because there’s no denying that the Jayhawks are going to need his size, athleticism and strength inside often. Played just 15 minutes, but hit 4-of-5 field goals, all four of his free throw attempts and gave consistently good effort during most of his minutes. If this is the starting point, and things only go up from here, Preston’s in for a very nice freshman season.
[• Marcus Garrett -][8] As advertised, Garrett did a little bit of everything in Sunday’s win, scoring on a sweet put-back, defending Michael Porter Jr., and even helping run the point a time or two during those rare moments when Graham was out. Four points, four rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes seems like a solid representation of what Garrett can and likely will do during his rookie season. There will be times he does more and times he does less, but as long as he’s hitting close to this baseline production, the minutes will be there. Shot just 1-of-3 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the free throw line, but we’ll chalk that up to the juice and possibly even a few nerves from playing in such an electric and enormous atmosphere during his first game as a Jayhawk on American soil.
[• Mitch Lightfoot -][9] I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Lightfoot’s night, as he did absolutely everything you could want him to do on a nightly basis this season and did not attempt to do more than he’s capable of. The result was pure gold as the scrappy sophomore forward finished with four points, a couple of boards and three blocks to help deliver the win. He can and should do better on the glass and keeping his turnovers down will be crucial, as well. But his energy was terrific, his effort was just as good and was rewarded for both with a nice line and a dozen minutes.
• BORDER WAR QUIZ: Test your knowledge of Border Wars past and enter to win a $25 Visa gift card.
• KU-MIZZOU TRIVIA: How much do you know about the history of KU’s biggest rivalry? Take this quiz to find out and enter to win a $25 Visa gift card.
— See what people were saying about the game during KUsports.com’s live coverage.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2017/oct/22/border-winner-azubuike-sparks-jayhawks-exhibition-/
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Kansas forward Billy Preston (23) puts up a shot over Missouri forward Jontay Porter (11) during the first half of the Showdown for Relief exhibition, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas guard Marcus Garrett (0) tangles with Missouri forward Kevin Puryear (24) for a ball during the second half of the Showdown for Relief exhibition, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas forward Mitch Lightfoot (44) rejects a shot by Missouri guard Blake Harris (55) during the first half of the Showdown for Relief exhibition, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.