What happened to Kansas Jayhawks in loss to rival K-State? And is KU in deeper trouble?
The last time Kansas men’s basketball beat Kansas State in Manhattan, Bruce Weber coached the Wildcats and Christian Braun wore a Jayhawks uniform.
That was three seasons ago.
Since his arrival, coach Jerome Tang’s Kansas State Wildcats have had KU’s number at Bramlage Coliseum. That didn’t change Saturday afternoon as the Jayhawks lost their road Sunflower Showdown matchup for the third straight season.
Kansas State upset No. 16 Kansas 81-73 on Saturday. The Jayhawks (16-7, 7-5 Big 12) split the season series with the Wildcats.
Notably, the K-State fans did not storm the court against the Jayhawks, another sign that winning home games vs. Kansas has become an expectation in Manhattan.
KU big man Hunter Dickinson led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds, while guard Zeke Mayo added 15 points.
K-State controlled most of this game. The Wildcats led 44-36 at half after shooting 54.3% from the field in the period. KU briefly got within five in the second half and never got closer.
Up next: KU hosts Colorado on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Until then, here are three takeaways from KU’s loss in Manhattan.
What happened to KU basketball’s defense?
Before Saturday’s matchup, the Jayhawks ranked No. 5 nationally in KenPom’s defensive efficiency measure.
That defense failed to show up in Manhattan.
KU’s defensive struggles started early after guard Dajuan Harris picked up his second foul early into the first half. He played only four minutes in the half after later picking up a third.
The Jayhawks’ defense took a notable step back without Harris. Kansas struggled to stop the Wildcats’ dribble penetration and dribble handoffs. KSU had 28 points in the paint in the period.
On top of that, KU didn’t cause many turnovers (two) or block many shots (three). The result? Kansas State shot a blistering 54.3% from the field.
The Wildcats continued their offensive barrage in the second half.
The Wildcats ended the night with only 10 turnovers and shot 50% from the field. KU also allowed KSU to shoot 40.7% on 3-pointers.
By comparison, KU had 14 turnovers which K-State turned into 13 points.
Is Kansas already out of the Big 12 race?
The Jayhawks now sit at 7-5 in the Big 12 and are dangerously close to being out of the conference race entirely.
KU sits behind four teams (Houston, Arizona, Texas Tech and Iowa State) in the loss column; two of those teams entered Saturday with just one loss.
Kansas is just over .500 in Big 12 play, and it’s been difficult for the team to string together wins dating back to last season. The Jayhawks went 23-11 overall and 10-8 in the new-look Big 12 in 2023-24.
Now, the Jayhawks must be just about perfect — and get a good bit of help — just to finish high up the conference standings.
KJ Adams showed up
KU forward KJ Adams is not often among the Jayhawks’ leading scorers. Still, he was one of the few Jayhawks who played well on Saturday.
Adams hit timely bucket after bucket in the first half to keep the Jayhawks within striking distance. Somehow, he only took one shot in the second half. He finished with 13 points and five rebounds.
This game could boost his overall confidence as he’s had an up-and-down season overall — while missing some time due to injury.
Before Saturday, Adams (who doesn’t often score outside of 10 feet) had only shot 49% from the field. Last season, he was at 60% and 62% the season before.
Let’s see if he can build off Saturday’s game.
