How KU forward Bryson Tiller energized Jayhawks early in Tuesday’s win over ISU
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tiller's two early baskets set tone as Kansas upset No.2 Iowa State 84-63.
- KU built a 44-23 halftime lead and expanded advantage to 26 points.
- Tiller emphasized defense and versatility as KU seeks momentum vs Baylor.
Bryson Tiller’s two baskets in the first 64 seconds didn’t decide Kansas’ 84-63 men’s basketball victory over No. 2-ranked Iowa State on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
The buckets — a 5-footer in the paint and layup — from the 6-foot-11, 240-pound freshman, did, however, set the tone for the Jayhawks’ win against a Cyclone team that had won a school-record 16 straight games to open the season.
“I feel like all of our teammates kind of pushed me to be aggressive early on,” Tiller said Thursday at a news conference held in advance of Friday’s KU-Baylor game.
Tipoff is 7 p.m. with a live telecast on FOX.
“I feel like it kind of sparked the fire for the whole game,” Tiller said. “Other guys made plays and we just used that to continue to build the lead and eventually win the game.”
Tiller finished Tuesday’s game with eight points, four rebounds, a block and a steal in 22 minutes. His early baskets energized the crowd as did a highlight-reel play of sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson, who prevented a turnover by diving for the basketball with 12 minutes left and KU up, 14-9.
Jackson dished the ball to guard Jamari McDowell, who fed guard Tre White in the corner for a 3 that gave the Jayhawks a 17-9 advantage.
“That was huge. It was a great play. It kind of set the tone for the whole game,” said Tiller. “After Elmarko did that I feel like everybody was turned up and ready to get out and that’s what allowed us to get such a big lead and win the game.”
The Jayhawks led by as many as 26 points the first half and held a 44-23 lead at halftime.
Tiller said he expects the excitement of defeating ISU to improve to 12-5 (2-2 Big 12) to carry over to Friday’s game versus BU. The Bears are 1-3 in the league and 11-5 overall.
“That was the No. 2 team in the country so it was definitely a big win. Again we’re just hoping to build off that,” Tiller said. “We’ve got another tough one against Baylor. I feel like there are no bad teams in our conference. Honestly, every game is losable, but every game is winnable as well. So we’ve just got to keep stacking days and getting better,” Tiller added.
Tiller has been much more effective on 2-point field goal attempts than 3’s during his redshirt freshman season.
He has made just two of his last 22 three-point tries over the last 13 games and is 9-of-33 from 3-point range overall for 27.3%. He’s 45-of-81 from 2-point range for 55.6%. He showed his range in an early-season loss to North Carolina, actually going 4-of-4 from beyond the arc.
“I feel like we all know that I can help the team win in multiple ways,” Tiller said, noting KU’s rotation players have asked him to step up his play on defense as well as offense. “I didn’t get off to a great start. The players ... we’re definitely starting to put things together and hopefully we just continue to build off this momentum,” he added.
He’ll face another tough challenge defensively against a Baylor team that averages 88.7 points a game. BU, which clobbered Oklahoma State 94-79 on Tuesday in Stillwater, Oklahoma, has six players who average double-digi,t scoring. Guards Cameron Carr (20.3 ppg) and Tounde Yessoufou average 20.3 and 17.9 points per game respectively,
Of attempting to guard perimeter players during his first year of college basketball, Tiller, a native of Atlanta and graduate of the Overtime Elite program, said: “College is definitely faster, a faster pace than high school, but I feel like it really just starts in practice. Being able to take on the challenge of guarding smaller guards, guarding Darryn (Peterson) and guarding other guards that we have, I feel like defense is something that I’ve got to take pride in. And I’ll continue to get better at that.”
Of the team’s improved defensive effort against Iowa State Tuesday, Tiller said: “I feel like we’re just more connected as a team right now. Communicating is a big part of defense, so we obviously stepped that up, and we just got to be able to be able to trust each other.”
Tiller said he’s personally “comfortable doing a lot of things” after arriving at KU at semester break last year. He has started 14 games and us averaging 24.8 minutes during the 2025-26 season.
“Playing the perimeter, playing inside, again I’m looking to be more aggressive, more assertive, help give my teammates shots, help create shots for myself, but just doing anything that it takes to win the game,” he said. (Whether it is) diving on the floor, setting screens, guarding on the perimeter, blocking shots, I feel like I do a lot of things on the court, and that’s what allows me to help the team be successful.”
To improve to 3-2 in the conference, KU on Friday must beat a Baylor team that has defeated Oklahoma State and lost league contests to TCU, Iowa State and Houston.
“It was impressive,” Self said of the Bears’ win at OSU. “They shot the ball ridiculously well, something like 14-of-25 from 3 (actually 13-of-25). They’ve got a good team, and their conference record isn’t what it would normally be.
“That’s that’s a pretty hard start to conference too. We were very fortunate to beat TCU. TCU went to BYU last night and only lost by six. They (Bears lose to TCU (69-63) in a close game, and then their other games are Iowa State and Houston so that’s a tough start. Scott (Drew) has got a good team, really good.”
The Baylor game will complete a two-game homestand for the Jayhawks. KU will travel to Colorado for a 10 p.m. Central Time tipoff on Tuesday.
