Quick grades for five aspects of KU’s 82-64 setback at Oklahoma State in the regular season finale at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Offense: D
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KU’s percentages aren’t terrible — 42 percent overall, 35 percent from 3-point range — but their offense was. They looked out of sync for much of the game, could not run simple sets, at times running into each other, and never got the ball down to Udoka Azubuike with any kind of poise or consistency. Beyond that, the Jayhawks had just one player reach double figures (Devonte’ Graham had 15) and scored just 64 points.
Defense: D
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For the second time this season, Oklahoma State’s offense lit up the Kansas defense, knocking in 50 percent of its shots and 42 percent of its 3-pointers while also getting to the free throw line 23 times. Kendall Smith scored 25 points and at times looked unstoppable and the OSU offense ran with good rhythm for much of the afternoon.
Frontcourt: D
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Give freshman forward Silvio De Sousa credit for pulling this grade into the C range because regulars Udoka Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot played a sluggish game from start to finish and could neither help pull KU’s guards out of the funk they were in offensively nor stop the Cowboys at the rim defensively. De Sousa, meanwhile, whom Self said was KU’s best big man on Saturday — before admitting that that wasn’t saying much — finished with seven points and three rebounds in 13 minutes.
Backcourt: C-
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Devonte’ Graham, with a small assist from Marcus Garrett, was almost all alone in this one, with Svi Mykhailiuk having a hard time getting going and Malik Newman and Lagerald Vick playing two of their worst games of the season in terms of energy, focus and effort. Graham did what he could, nearly reaching his season averages in both points (15) and assists (8) but shot just 4-of-14 overall and turned it over three times.
Bench: C
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De Sousa was solid and Garrett, as per usual, was better than his numbers suggest. He finished with seven points and five rebounds in 28 minutes, but played tough defense and had good energy, which was what led him to the big minutes, spelling Newman and Vick, who were yo-yo’d in and out of the game throughout the afternoon because of Self’s displeasure with their effort. Sam Cunliffe played three minutes, mostly in mop-up time and Lightfoot tallied five points and three rebounds in seven minutes.
