Well, I really wasn’t sure what to expect when No. 5 Kansas and No. 9 Baylor got started inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. The Jayhawks, after leading the Bears by one point with 13:58 left in the first half, would find themselves down by 17 points with 3:30 left in the first half and, as the halftime buzzer sounded, Kansas trailed Baylor by 13 points, 45-32. At the end of the first half, Kansas had shot just 10-of-27 (37 percent) from the field, 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from behind the arc, and 11-of-14 (78.6 percent from the free-throw line. Individually, Jalen Wilson (9) and KJ Adams (9) led the way for the Jayhawks during that first half, but it was an absolute struggle offensively.
Wilson, in the first half, hit just 2-of-8 field goals, was 0-of-4 from behind the arc, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. In 19 minutes of action, Wilson pulled down five rebounds and dished out one assist. Baylor, on the other hand, could do no wrong in the first half. Three players, Keyonte George (15), Adam Flagler (14), and LJ Cryer (13) scored in double-figures for the Bears. As a team, Baylor shot 16-of-31 (51.6 percent) from the field, 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) from behind the arc, and 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) from the free-throw line.
The only other player to score for Baylor in the first half was Jalen Bridges, who chipped in three points on 1-of-1 shooting from behind the arc. During that first half, Baylor outrebounded Kansas, 21-13, scored 14 points in the paint, and scored nine second-chance points. Kansas, which finished the half with five points scored off the bench, scored 16 points in the paint, but scored just four second-chance points.
The second half, for those that watched, was a completely different story for Bill Self’s squad. First of all, Kansas outscored Baylor, 55-26 in the second half. The Jayhawks outrebounded the Bears, 22-11 during that same stretch and ended up winning the battle on the glass, 35-33. Obviously, a number of guys stepped up for Kansas in the second half. For those that didn’t see the game, there was a point in the first half when Jalen Wilson had an open lane to the basket and, from my point-of-view, could have finished with a dunk, but simply laid the ball up, but came up short in his attempt.
Following that play, Wilson was clearly upset and it, at least at the time, felt like it simply wasn’t going to be KU’s day. Down by 17 late in the first half and 13 at the break, the Jayhawks needed a shift in momentum early on in the second half, which is exactly what happened. So, in the second half, Dajuan Harris scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. He pulled down one rebound, dished out six assists, committed one turnover, and was credited with two steals.
For the game, Harris finished with 14 points, one rebound, nine assists, one turnover, and two steals in 37 minutes of action.
Wilson, in the second half, scored 12 points, on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and was 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. In 18 minutes of action in the second half, he also pulled down eight rebounds and was credited with one steal. For the game, Wilson, in 37 minutes of action, scored 21 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, dished out one assist, and was credited with one steal. Offensively, he was 6-of-16 from the field, 0-of-5 from behind the arc, and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.
A player that Kansas simply can’t win without, KJ Adams, Jr., tallied 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one block in 33 minutes of action. Against Baylor, Adams, Jr., was 5-of-6 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. When Kansas was struggling to score early, Adams, Jr., converted some big free throws for Self’s squad.
KU’s final double-digit scorer, Gradey Dick tallied 16 points, five rebounds, and two steals in 36 minutes of action. On the offensive end of the court, Dick shot 6-of-18 from the field, 2-of-9 from behind the arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Listen, Kansas couldn’t have played any worse in the first half and Baylor couldn’t have played any better. For whatever reason, the Jayhawks got off to another slow start and played with very little energy to start the game.
Furthermore, Baylor’s trio of Adam Flagler (22), Keyonte George (20), and LJ Cryer (15) absolutely killed Kansas in the first half. Those guys didn’t miss a beat and, on a number of occasions, threw in some deep threes that simply had no business falling, but they did. Those shots and the fact that Kansas played with little energy in the first half really hurt the Jayhawks.
However, all that changed in the second half. In the second half, Baylor shot just 10-of-28 (35.7 percent) from the field and just 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from behind the arc. Flagler, George, and Cryer, in the second half, scored just 15 points.
The key to the second half was Kansas getting off to a fast start, which is exactly what happened. With 18:14 left in the game, a layup by Gradey Dick cut the deficit to just five points, 45-40.
Kansas, with 15:08 left in the game, pulled to within two points, 49-47, following a made three by Dajuan Harris. Finally, with 14:29 remaining on the clock, Gradey Dick’s three-pointer gave Kansas the lead for good, 50-49.
KJ Adams, Jr., exploded for a big-time dunk with 14:06 left in the game, which extended KU’s lead over Baylor to three points, 52-49, and, with 10:20 left, Jalen Wilson converted an “and-1”, which gave the Jayhawks their first double-digit lead of the game, 66-54.
Baylor pulled to within nine points, 70-61 with 7:04 left in the game, but would get no closer. Kansas led by 18 points with 54 seconds left in the game and, as the final buzzer sounded, rallied to stun No. 5 Baylor by 16, 87-71.
Obviously, this was a big win for Kansas for a number of reasons. The Jayhawks moved to 22-5 overall and 10-4 in the Big 12. Currently, Kansas and Texas sit atop the Big 12 standings with identical 10-4 records, while Baylor finds itself at 9-5. Kansas State and Iowa State are tied at 8-6.
Kansas, having already lost at home to TCU, simply couldn’t afford to drop another game inside Allen Fieldhouse, especially with a trip to Fort Worth looming on Monday. Kansas and TCU, which has an overall record of 18-9 and 7-7 in the Big 12, have an extremely big showdown coming on Monday night.
After TCU, Kansas returns home to face West Virginia and Texas Tech before hitting the road for the final game of the regular season at Texas on March 4.
A loss at home to Baylor would have been devastating in the race for the Big 12 regular season championship. Now, Kansas will face TCU with a ton of confidence and momentum with the regular season nearing its end.
Additionally, it wasn't just that Kansas defeated Baylor on Saturday, it's how the Jayhawks emerged victorious that stands out. The Bears hit Self’s squad with everything they had for 20 minutes of basketball. There was a time when it felt somewhat like the TCU game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday.
However, when Kansas took the court in the second half against Baylor, Self’s squad did so as a completely different team.
Kansas, in the second half, played with energy, they were aggressive, they attacked the glass, and looked to make plays.
Kevin McCullar, Jr., who clearly isn’t 100 percent, played 29 minutes on Saturday. During that time, he scored nine points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out two assists, swatted one shot, and was credited with one steal.
In the second half, Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar, Jr., guarded Baylor’s two best guards and did an amazing job shutting those guys down. Self, while addressing the media after the game, talked up both Harris and McCullar, Jr., for the job they did defensively in the second half.
I think everybody can agree that a loss to Baylor on Saturday, especially with a trip to Forth Worth to face TCU on Monday night, would have been a crushing blow to this team.
Now, Kansas has another opportunity to make a huge statement with a national audience watching on Monday night.
Since losing three straight games, Kansas has posted a record of 6-1. The Jayhawks are tied for first place in the Big 12 and have a real opportunity to move one step closer to winning another regular season championship on Monday night.
Down by 17 in the first half, No. 5 Kansas rallied to stun No. 9 Baylor. 87-71. It might just be one win, but it might turn out to be one of the biggest wins, if not the biggest win, of the regular season.
Wilson, in the first half, hit just 2-of-8 field goals, was 0-of-4 from behind the arc, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. In 19 minutes of action, Wilson pulled down five rebounds and dished out one assist. Baylor, on the other hand, could do no wrong in the first half. Three players, Keyonte George (15), Adam Flagler (14), and LJ Cryer (13) scored in double-figures for the Bears. As a team, Baylor shot 16-of-31 (51.6 percent) from the field, 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) from behind the arc, and 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) from the free-throw line.
The only other player to score for Baylor in the first half was Jalen Bridges, who chipped in three points on 1-of-1 shooting from behind the arc. During that first half, Baylor outrebounded Kansas, 21-13, scored 14 points in the paint, and scored nine second-chance points. Kansas, which finished the half with five points scored off the bench, scored 16 points in the paint, but scored just four second-chance points.
The second half, for those that watched, was a completely different story for Bill Self’s squad. First of all, Kansas outscored Baylor, 55-26 in the second half. The Jayhawks outrebounded the Bears, 22-11 during that same stretch and ended up winning the battle on the glass, 35-33. Obviously, a number of guys stepped up for Kansas in the second half. For those that didn’t see the game, there was a point in the first half when Jalen Wilson had an open lane to the basket and, from my point-of-view, could have finished with a dunk, but simply laid the ball up, but came up short in his attempt.
Following that play, Wilson was clearly upset and it, at least at the time, felt like it simply wasn’t going to be KU’s day. Down by 17 late in the first half and 13 at the break, the Jayhawks needed a shift in momentum early on in the second half, which is exactly what happened. So, in the second half, Dajuan Harris scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. He pulled down one rebound, dished out six assists, committed one turnover, and was credited with two steals.
For the game, Harris finished with 14 points, one rebound, nine assists, one turnover, and two steals in 37 minutes of action.
Wilson, in the second half, scored 12 points, on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and was 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. In 18 minutes of action in the second half, he also pulled down eight rebounds and was credited with one steal. For the game, Wilson, in 37 minutes of action, scored 21 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, dished out one assist, and was credited with one steal. Offensively, he was 6-of-16 from the field, 0-of-5 from behind the arc, and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.
A player that Kansas simply can’t win without, KJ Adams, Jr., tallied 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one block in 33 minutes of action. Against Baylor, Adams, Jr., was 5-of-6 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. When Kansas was struggling to score early, Adams, Jr., converted some big free throws for Self’s squad.
KU’s final double-digit scorer, Gradey Dick tallied 16 points, five rebounds, and two steals in 36 minutes of action. On the offensive end of the court, Dick shot 6-of-18 from the field, 2-of-9 from behind the arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Listen, Kansas couldn’t have played any worse in the first half and Baylor couldn’t have played any better. For whatever reason, the Jayhawks got off to another slow start and played with very little energy to start the game.
Furthermore, Baylor’s trio of Adam Flagler (22), Keyonte George (20), and LJ Cryer (15) absolutely killed Kansas in the first half. Those guys didn’t miss a beat and, on a number of occasions, threw in some deep threes that simply had no business falling, but they did. Those shots and the fact that Kansas played with little energy in the first half really hurt the Jayhawks.
However, all that changed in the second half. In the second half, Baylor shot just 10-of-28 (35.7 percent) from the field and just 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from behind the arc. Flagler, George, and Cryer, in the second half, scored just 15 points.
The key to the second half was Kansas getting off to a fast start, which is exactly what happened. With 18:14 left in the game, a layup by Gradey Dick cut the deficit to just five points, 45-40.
Kansas, with 15:08 left in the game, pulled to within two points, 49-47, following a made three by Dajuan Harris. Finally, with 14:29 remaining on the clock, Gradey Dick’s three-pointer gave Kansas the lead for good, 50-49.
KJ Adams, Jr., exploded for a big-time dunk with 14:06 left in the game, which extended KU’s lead over Baylor to three points, 52-49, and, with 10:20 left, Jalen Wilson converted an “and-1”, which gave the Jayhawks their first double-digit lead of the game, 66-54.
Baylor pulled to within nine points, 70-61 with 7:04 left in the game, but would get no closer. Kansas led by 18 points with 54 seconds left in the game and, as the final buzzer sounded, rallied to stun No. 5 Baylor by 16, 87-71.
Obviously, this was a big win for Kansas for a number of reasons. The Jayhawks moved to 22-5 overall and 10-4 in the Big 12. Currently, Kansas and Texas sit atop the Big 12 standings with identical 10-4 records, while Baylor finds itself at 9-5. Kansas State and Iowa State are tied at 8-6.
Kansas, having already lost at home to TCU, simply couldn’t afford to drop another game inside Allen Fieldhouse, especially with a trip to Fort Worth looming on Monday. Kansas and TCU, which has an overall record of 18-9 and 7-7 in the Big 12, have an extremely big showdown coming on Monday night.
After TCU, Kansas returns home to face West Virginia and Texas Tech before hitting the road for the final game of the regular season at Texas on March 4.
A loss at home to Baylor would have been devastating in the race for the Big 12 regular season championship. Now, Kansas will face TCU with a ton of confidence and momentum with the regular season nearing its end.
Additionally, it wasn't just that Kansas defeated Baylor on Saturday, it's how the Jayhawks emerged victorious that stands out. The Bears hit Self’s squad with everything they had for 20 minutes of basketball. There was a time when it felt somewhat like the TCU game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday.
However, when Kansas took the court in the second half against Baylor, Self’s squad did so as a completely different team.
Kansas, in the second half, played with energy, they were aggressive, they attacked the glass, and looked to make plays.
Kevin McCullar, Jr., who clearly isn’t 100 percent, played 29 minutes on Saturday. During that time, he scored nine points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out two assists, swatted one shot, and was credited with one steal.
In the second half, Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar, Jr., guarded Baylor’s two best guards and did an amazing job shutting those guys down. Self, while addressing the media after the game, talked up both Harris and McCullar, Jr., for the job they did defensively in the second half.
I think everybody can agree that a loss to Baylor on Saturday, especially with a trip to Forth Worth to face TCU on Monday night, would have been a crushing blow to this team.
Now, Kansas has another opportunity to make a huge statement with a national audience watching on Monday night.
Since losing three straight games, Kansas has posted a record of 6-1. The Jayhawks are tied for first place in the Big 12 and have a real opportunity to move one step closer to winning another regular season championship on Monday night.
Down by 17 in the first half, No. 5 Kansas rallied to stun No. 9 Baylor. 87-71. It might just be one win, but it might turn out to be one of the biggest wins, if not the biggest win, of the regular season.
