No. 5 Kansas beats UCSB 69-59 in opener, top-ranked Kentucky next

They began setting foot on campus five months ago, one by one, the latest crop of heralded Kansas freshmen. They were McDonald’s All-Americans and blue-chippers, future pros and intriguing international prospects.

There was also a late bloomer from Raleigh, N.C., a point guard who spent last year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Devonte’ Graham did not arrive with the hype of Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre; he did not possess the mystery that accompanied Ukrainian native Svi Myhailiuk.

But on Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse, as the Kansas Jayhawks opened the season against UC Santa Barbara in front of the usual juiced-up crowd of 16,300, Graham was something else entirely. For long stretches of a choppy and awkward opener, Graham was simply the Jayhawks’ best player, lifting No. 5 Kansas to a 69-59 victory on college basketball’s opening night.

“He’s the best player in the game,” Kansas coach Bill Self would say.

Graham finished with a team-high 14 points on five-of-eight shooting. But it was the poise and comfort with he played that stood out. When sophomore guard Frank Mason picked up two early fouls, Graham provided stability. He was the one taking a charge in the open court. He was the one that led the Jayhawks out of some offensive doldrums during an underwhelming first half — despite playing most of the half with two fouls.

“He came in and stepped up,” said junior forward Perry Ellis, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. “That’s what we need from a freshman.”

For Kansas, which won its home opener for the 42nd straight year, this was not the usual opening-night domination that those at Allen Fieldhouse are accustomed to. The Jayhawks had to grind it out against an experienced Santa Barbara squad that featured fringe All-American candidate Alan Williams, who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds. The Jayhawks had to adjust against a confounding zone defense.

For the revamped and youth-laden Jayhawks, it was a necessary first step. Kansas will play No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday night at the Champions Classic. The Jayhawks will be thrown into the maw. And Kansas coach Bill Self will have a chance to see how his team stacks up with one of the nation’s deepest collections of talent.

“It’s a great barometer,” Self said. “But the thing that will be interesting for us: There’s a whole different level we’ve got to play.”

The Jayhawks will certainly need to be better than they were during Friday’s first half, a forgettable 20-minute opening to the season.

Kansas made just three of its first 10 shots, going more than five minutes without a field goal at one point. Mason and Graham, the Jayhawks’ two point guards, each picked up two early fouls, leaving sophomore Wayne Selden to run the point for a handful of possessions.

Graham’s first foul came on a swinging elbow as he attempted to clear space and drive to his left. Santa Barbara’s Zalmico Harmon was in his path, and Graham was called for a flagrant foul for the high elbow. Allen Fieldhouse erupted into a chorus of boos, and the night was officially a struggle.

As Graham headed back to the bench, Self offered a few choice words.

“You can’t take the ball high,” Self would say afterward. “You got to take it low. That’ll be a good lesson for him.”

But a few minutes later, Self would go back to Graham with 8:47 left in the half. As the Jayhawks’ offense struggled against the zone, Graham quickly hit a flurry of jumpers, helping Kansas turn a 15-14 deficit into a 23-15 lead. Graham finished out the half with another layup, giving the Jayhawks an eight-point cushion.

“The national attention and stuff,” Graham said of his high school reputation, “I never really paid attention to it. I always knew and had confidence.”

The second half would be more of the same — ugly for stretches, and then flashes of brilliance. The Jayhawks’ bench, lined with freshmen, would finish with 29 points. And it was a performance by committee. Mykhailiuk came off the bench and made an assortment of hustle plays, finishing with four points in nine minutes. Alexander finished with nine points and four rebounds, showing an ability to step out and knock down the 15-foot jumper.

“No, no no! Good shot, Cliff,” Self would say after.

This was Kansas on Friday night. At times, it looked unnatural; at other times, it looked perfect.

“I think it was good that had this kind of game, a tight game,” Graham said. “Because our next opponent, it’s definitely not going to be a blowout. So we need to get used to playing in close games.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2014 at 8:17 PM with the headline "No. 5 Kansas beats UCSB 69-59 in opener, top-ranked Kentucky next."