On opening night the Kansas Jayhawks looked impressive versus Tennessee State, scoring over half as many points as the Jayhawk football team has all season.
The quest for 14 straight conference titles is upon us, and this seasons Kansas Jayhawks look primed to deliver. The Jayhawks started hot and never cooled down as they won their 43rd straight home opener.
The Jayhawks came out on fire, hitting their first nine shots on the evening. Kansas never looked back. The Tigers won the initial tip and Darreon Reddick scored the first points of the game on a lay up. Reddick would lead all Tiger scorers with 20. It would be the only time Tennessee State would lead. Lagerald Vick would make a three-point jumper on the Jayhawks first offensive possession.
Devonte Graham is the new captain this season due to the graduation of Frank Mason. Graham made those shoes seem not so big to fill. Graham finished with 10 points on 4-7 shooting, accompanied by 12 assists and seven rebounds. He came up big on defense as well, giving Lawrence, Kansas the full package of being every bit of the leader Mason was.
Lagerald Vick led all Jayhawk scorers with 23 points, going 4-7 from the three-point line. Six Jayhawks scored in double figures, including freshmen Marcus Garrett, who got the surprise start, and Malik Newman, who surprisingly came off the bench.
A game of discipline
Malik Newman came off the bench due to a lousy week of practice. Billy Preston, the five-star forward was suspended before tip-off for missing curfew and class. Bill Self spoke on the two actions,
"Just take care of business, everybody needs to be responsible."
The Jayhawks did fine without their starting forward, and Newman still scored 12 points. His speed was extremely noticeable out there, and he can shoot from anywhere. Both Newman and Preston are starters for this Jayhawk squad, their absence from the starting lineup and the dominance of the well behaved should make Jayhawk fans smile for what’s to come.
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Welcome back Udoka
Udoka Azubuike played well in his first game back after injuring his wrist early last season. He scored 13 points and racked up six rebounds. He’s a monster down low and will be tough to defend, and tough to maneuver around all season. The Jayhawks played with a four guard set and Azubuike, and looked good doing so. Udoka will be vital to the Kansas Jayhawks success this season.
Numbers
The Kansas Jayhawks shot 60 percent from the field while holding Tennessee State to 33 percent. The Jayhawks shot 43 percent from beyond the arc, and out rebounded the Tigers 45-23. The most impressive stat on the night for me, free throws. I mean, it’s an absolute scientific anomaly that teams can not hit the uncontested shot. Kansas shot 73 percent on the night, and that gives hope to a team that recently has been atrocious from the line.
Turnovers were the Achilles Heel for the Jayhawks, as they committed 20 of them. If you want to find a negative, that’s where to start.
Up Next
The Kentucky Wildcats. The Kansas Jayhawks. Chicago, Illinois. The two teams face off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night. Hopefully everyone understands their bedtime, and puts forth effort in practice. The Wildcats will be a measuring stick as to who the Jayhawks are for this season.
Next: Top one and done Jayhawks
Bill Self has a very good squad, perhaps depth on the bench is worth a worry, but Kansas looks primed for another title run. The BIG12 still and always goes through the Phog. Rock Chalk Jayhawk. KU.
Special note: Props to my pops for reminding me to include Kansas football. Love you Dad.