First half

•  Key play: West Virginia’s Jabarie Hinds had a steal and basket in the final seconds, cutting KU’s halftime lead to 38-30.

•  Key stat: KU outrebounded West Virginia 20-12

Second half

•  Key play: KU’s Travis Releford swished a key three-pointer that stretched the lead to 55-46 during a critical stretch in the second half.

•  Key stat: Kansas made just 18 of 34 free throws.

Poll thoughts

So maybe Kansas wasn’t exactly playing with the weight of the No. 1 ranking in the latest USA Today/coaches poll. According to senior center Jeff Withey, most of KU’s players didn’t even realize the Jayhawks were ranked No. 1 in the poll until a reporter brought it up after Monday’s game. The Jayhawks, apparently, had seen their No. 2 ranking in The Associated Press poll and moved on.

“I thought we were No. 2,” Withey said. “Obviously, I didn’t even know. So there’s not much of a reaction.”

• Kansas sported all-blue, alternate jerseys on Monday that, predictably, caused a bit of a stir. The numbers and names were hard to see, and the immediate reaction in social-media circles swung toward the negative. The players, however, gave them a thumbs up.

“We liked them a lot,” Withey said. “I don’t know if we’re gonna be wearing them too often, but they were pretty cool.”

• West Virginia coach Bob Huggins dropped to 0-5 in his career against the Jayhawks.