AJ Storr saves KU basketball in Big 12 Tournament win over UCF. Here are 3 takeaways
Hunter Dickinson held out his arms. He looked up at the T-Mobile Center crowd with a serious expression.
The Kansas center had just hit a big bucket in overtime vs. UCF. He walked back on defense with a bit of a pep in his step and an expression that may have well said, Are you not entertained?
Wednesday’s game provided 40 minutes — and then five more — of drama for the thousands in attendance in Kansas City. The heavily pro-Jayhawks crowd ended the night happy as Kansas walked away with a hard-fought victory.
No. 6 seed Kansas defeated No. 14-seeded UCF 98-94 in overtime in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Jayhawks (21-11) won all three matchups vs. the Knights this season.
Kansas will face Arizona in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Zeke Mayo finished with 24 points and eight rebounds. Dickinson added 23 points, 13 rebounds. AJ Storr erupted for a KU-career-best 19 points before fouling out.
Both sides fought intensely in overtime.
UCF had the ball down two in the final 20 seconds of the extra period, and opted to attempt a 2-point shot that missed.
Later, down by three (96-93) with 0.9 seconds to play, UCF went to the line for a pair of free throws. Dallan Coleman made the first and, as anticipated, intentionally missed the second to set up a tip-in scenario, but he didn’t hit the rim on his second foul shot and KU regained possession on the violation.
KU’s David Coit closed the game by making two free throws.
The Jayhawks led by as many as 13, an advantage they held in the second half. The Jayhawks also had the chance to hold for the last shot of a tie game in regulation, but KJ Adams stepped on the baseline and turned the ball over.
UCF’s Jordan Ivy-Curry missed a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation.
Up next: Kansas plays No. 3 seed Arizona in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. Tipoff (ESPN) is set for 8:30 p.m. Thursday at T-Mobile Center. Kansas defeated Arizona in the last game of the regular season on Saturday.
Here are three takeaways from KU’s overtime win vs. UCF…
AJ Storr saved Kansas basketball
Wisconsin transfer AJ Storr had one of his best games in a while vs. UCF (17-16). Maybe his best of the season.
Storr stepped up in the first half as Dickinson struggled. Dickinson had three points on 1-for-5 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Storr had nine points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Those nine points were more than his last four games combined (5 points). He helped the Jayhawks keep their lead in the first half. He continued to heat up into the second frame, finishing with 19 points, two assists and two rebounds.
For Storr, it was a game he desperately needed.
The transfer guard entered the season with big expectations but has struggled to find a rhythm. Before Wednesday’s matchup, he averaged 5.6 points on 36.5% shooting.
He was a big reason why KU earned the victory.
Tale of two halves for Hunter Dickinson
Dickinson entered Wednesday playing his best ball — perhaps ever — in a Jayhawks uniform.
He was averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds over his last four games.
Perhaps that’s why his first-half struggles against UCF were surprising. The Knights alternated between throwing double teams at Dickinson and playing physical one-on-one defense, which affected him.
He had three points on 1-for-5 shooting at half. On top of that, he had two perplexing turnovers that turned into UCF points.
He was a completely different player in the second half. He was in complete control.
Dickinson scored from all three levels, knocking down a couple of 3-pointers. He even had an outrageous cross-court pass that David Coit caught before burying a shot from deep.
The senior center had 14 points and five rebounds in the second half. He also hit a couple of clutch buckets in overtime. The game was a good reminder of how dangerous Dickinson is, even if he struggles initially.
Dickinson also had four assists to go along with his 23 points. He led KU with six points in overtime.
KU’s perimeter defense is a problem
The Jayhawks entered Wednesday ranked No. 15 in opponent 3-point percentage (30.1%), but they haven’t looked anywhere near that of late — particularly when it comes to consistency.
Kansas has allowed 11-plus 3-pointers in four of its last five losses. UCF made 14 3-pointers vs. KU and came close to giving Kansas another loss.
The primary factor fueling UCF’s comeback was its 3-point shooting. The Knights hit eight 3-pointers in the second half and missed a couple open looks.
KU’s perimeter defense was porous. Kansas players got caught on screens, which led to wide-open 3-pointers. The Knights finished the game shooting 14-for-33 (42.1%) from deep.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 11:28 PM.
