KU basketball was down one freshman Tuesday. Another one stole the show
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kohl Rosario shaved his mustache and scored a season-high 16 points Tuesday.
- Coach Bill Self and teammates credited increased aggression and drive on offense.
- Darryn Peterson sidelined with hamstring tightness; four KU players scored double digits.
Kansas freshman guard Kohl Rosario changed his physical appearance dramatically on Tuesday, deciding to shave his trademark mustache prior to the Jayhawks’ nonconference basketball game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Allen Fieldhouse.
“He had a mustache last night at chalk talk and then he didn’t have one this morning. So yes, he decided to go with a different look,” KU coach Bill Self said with a smile after watching the 6-foot-6 Miami native erupt for a season-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting (2-of-6 from 3) in KU’s 77-46 victory over the Islanders.
“I’ll be honest with you. Not that I care one way or another, but I think I prefer the one that I saw today rather than the one I saw yesterday,” Self added of Rosario’s new look compared to the old.
Like Self, freshman forward Bryson Tiller, who scored 11 points with eight rebounds and three blocked shots, gave a thumbs up to Rosario’s new look.
“First of all, I think Kohl looks way better without his mustache and I think it was actually weighing him down. So congrats to him on that,” Tiller said with a smile in the media room after the game.
No one will ever know if Rosario changing his look affected his play. One thing is for sure. He fared better offensively than he did in KU’s first two games.
Rosario scored six points and dished three assists while playing 21 minutes in the opening win against Green Bay. He was 1-of-6 from 3 in that game. He had seven points on 2-of-4 shooting (2-of-4 from 3) with no assists and no rebounds in Friday’s loss at North Carolina.
On Tuesday, he flushed a one-handed dunk with his left hand off a lob from Melvin Council Jr., then completed a two-handed slam off a lob from Tre White as KU grabbed an early 6-0 lead. His spin move for a layup gave the Jayhawks a 17-6 advantage. He flushed another two-handed dunk off a lob from Jayden Dawson as KU led 21-8 at 8:36.
“It was just time,” Rosario said of shaving his mustache. “I mean, I needed to try something different. Turn a new leaf. Just (be) ready to go.”
Rosario said the early dunks set the tone for his 25 productive minutes.
He also had five rebounds and a blocked shot.
“It’s always good to see the ball go in first before you try those deep shots. So it is good to see a couple dunks go in before you fire your first 3,” said Rosario. He was 2-for-6 from beyond the arc Tuesday and for the year is 5-of-16 from 3.
“I mean, I’ve always had the same confidence. I’m always going to keep shooting again,” Rosario, a graduate of the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta, added. “I put in the work. I’ve just got to trust the numbers. I’ve missed a couple shots starting the season. (It) just means I’m going to make a whole bunch more and I’m going to keep letting it fly. My confidence hasn’t wavered. I know that I put the work in. Shots are going to start falling.”
He said no matter what, “I’m going to put my body on the line, whatever it is for the team to win, playing hard and making the right plays.”
Self said on Tuesday: “I think he (Rosario) was better. I think the ball went in the hole. I think he drove pressure a couple of times, which is good.
“He’s so bouncy,” Self added of the ever-athletic Rosario. “Gosh almighty he’s bouncy. And we were able to get him in a couple of situations where we threw it up there (for dunks). So I thought he did well. I wanted him to be out there as long as possible, he and Jayden, because they need to see the ball go in as much as anybody on our team.”
Dawson, a senior transfer from Loyola, scored seven points on 2-of-4 shooting with two assists and two steals in 20 minutes. Dawson was 1-of-3 from 3. KU as a team hit 8 of 23 3s, while A&M-Corpus Christi went 1-of-14 beyond the arc.
“I think as much as anybody with the guys that play the majority of the minutes, I think Melvin probably and Kohl are the two that probably from an appearance standpoint show probably the most enthusiasm to me,” Self said.
Council, a senior transfer from St. Bonaventure, suffered a finger injury early but still played 24 minutes. He scored four points on 2-of-7 shooting (0-for-3 from 3) with six assists and three turnovers.
“He dislocated his left pinky,” Self said. “He was showing it to me like, ‘Take me out.’ I asked him if it hurt and he said, ‘Yes.’ But he came back (after a short stay in the locker room for treatment). I don’t think it’s going to be an issue whatsoever.”
What remains an issue is the health of freshman Darryn Peterson, who did not play after feeling tightness in his hamstring, Self said.
Self held him out as a precautionary measure.
“It was a doctor’s decision as much as anything, saying if it’s bothering him we shouldn’t put him out there,” Self said.
Peterson’s condition will continue to be monitored daily. He played 28 minutes in the opener against Green Bay, asking out of the game in the second half because of cramps. He played 28 minutes at North Carolina. He also didn’t play in an exhibition game against Fort Hays State.
Self said because of the nature of the game — KU of course was expected to handle Corpus Christi easily — the “positive would be they (Peterson’s teammates) get a chance to see what it’s like without him.”
Rosario said the team has a next man up mentality.
“As a team (without Peterson), nobody’s looking to score more or step up. Whoever is the open man is going to shoot,” Rosario said. “That’s what we focus on. We put (effort) into swinging the ball, getting touches, getting it to the third side and whoever’s open is going to shoot it. That’s what we’ve got.”
KU had four players score in double figures. Rosario had 16 points, Flory Bidunga 12 (with eight rebounds and four blocks), Tiller and White 11 apiece. White also had six rebounds and four assists.
KU will next meet Princeton at 1 p.m. Saturday at Allen.
