How the Kansas Jayhawks, down at halftime, rallied for basketball win vs. Arizona State
Kansas Jayhawks guard Shakeel Moore has a knack for making big plays on the basketball court.
That was on display Wednesday night against Arizona State, when he stole the ball on an inbound Sun Devils pass and threw down a ferocious dunk on the other end of the floor.
The Allen Fieldhouse crowd roared and gave Moore a standing ovation. And that bucket helped No. 11-ranked KU rebound from a 42-36 halftime deficit and beat Arizona State 74-55.
“I heard someone say, ‘We’re not losing at home,” said Moore, who scored eight points in 20 minutes. “So, I said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to take some pride right here and play with some intensity and get some stops.’”
KU’s Zeke Mayo led all scorers with 23 points, while Jayhawks big man Hunter Dickinson added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Kansas (11-3, 2-1 Big 12) went on an 11-0 run to start the second half and take its first lead. After that, Arizona State never led again.
Up Next: The Jayhawks travel to Cincinnati to play the Bearcats on Saturday.
Until then, here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s home game …
KU’s stellar second-half defense
The Jayhawks’ defense was lacking in the first half, allowing Arizona State to shoot 46.7% from the field.
The Sun Devils’ 42 points in the first half are the most an opponent has scored against KU in an opening half this season.
Jayhawks coach Bill Self must have delivered one heck of a halftime speech, because KU’s defense was phenomenal in the second half.
Defense fueled the Jayhawks’ 11-0 second-half run. KU forced two shot clock violations during the stretch.
Arizona State scored its first second-half points on a 3-pointer with 12:58 left in the game. ASU scored just 13 points in the second half overall.
The Sun Devils finished with 18 turnovers, leading to 22 Jayhawks points. ASU shot 21.7% from the field in the second half and 35.8% overall.
“We were great defensively,” KUcoach Bill Self said. “That was exceptional ... It was a great effort.”
Guard Shakeel Moore impresses
KU coach Bill Self might have finally found his fifth starter.
Before this season began, who would’ve imagined it would be Mississippi State transfer guard Shakeel Moore?
He has certainly looked the part in the two games he’s started. He’s a pesky defender, often guarding players full-court. It felt like whenever KU needs a momentum-shifting play, he’s there to answer the call.
Moore’s eight points on Wednesday came via 3-for-5 shooting from the floor. He’s doing all he can to earn a permanent starting role going forward.
“If I was going to pick an MVP of the game, I would pick Shak,” Self said.
AJ Storr’s struggles continue
Former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr is having a rough season. After averaging 16.8 points per game last year, he’s coming off the bench for the Jayhawks in 2024-25.
Storr didn’t enter Wednesday’s game until 7:40 remained in the first half. He played three disastrous minutes, going scoreless while committing one foul and two turnovers.
His porous defense helped lead to an ASU run, after which Storr was quickly removed from the game. He did not play in the second half.
The best way to describe Storr’s play this season is shell-shocked. No one anticipated he’d be the second or third player off the bench, and it’s clear he’s overthinking when he gets onto the court.
KU’s Bill Self had high expectations for the highly touted transfer, and so far, Storr just hasn’t delivered. That helps explain why he’s averaging around 20 minutes per game for KU after averaging about 29 for Wisconsin last season.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 10:20 PM.
