Kansas Basketball: Notes, TV Info vs Nebraska Cornhuskers
By Joel Wagler
The Kansas basketball team will try to get its season back on track against a familiar foe when the Nebraska Cornhuskers host the Jayhawks Saturday night.
Last week was a rough one for the Kansas basketball team. They dropped two games to Pac-12 schools even though both were played in friendly confines for KU.
The Kansas Jayhawks look to bounce back from those losses against Washington and Arizona State when Kansas takes the court against former Big 8 / Big 12 Conference member, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, in Lincoln in the Shelter Insurance Shootout.
Nebraska has lost two of their last three, dropping games to Michigan State and Creighton, so beating Kansas on the road would be a big bounce back for them. This game will be the first true road test for the Jayhawks
Sam Cunliffe will make his Kansas debut after sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. His presence will certainly deepen the bench, though he is a guard. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the rotation.
According to Matt Galloway of the Topeka Capital-Journal, the Billy Preston situation may be cleared up soon – maybe within the next two weeks.
"Bill Self is “optimistic” the ongoing situation surrounding withheld Kansas basketball freshman Billy Preston will be resolved, perhaps as soon as the start of Big 12 play."
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KANSAS BASKETBALL LIVE STREAM AND TV INFO
- Who: Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-4)
- Where: Pinnacle back Arena, Lincoln, NE
- Tipoff Time: Saturday, December 16, 7:00 p.m. CT
- TV Channel: FS1
- Kansas Basketball Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
The Kansas basketball live stream versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers can be seen on Fox Sports Go if you are signed up for their streaming service.
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KANSAS BASKETBALL NOTES
In the last two ball games, Washington and Arizona State highlighted some serious weaknesses this Kansas basketball has. For one, the Jayhawks seem to struggle to score if their three-point shots are either taken way, or those shots aren’t falling.
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Secondly, Kansas looked unable to stop penetration by quick opposing guards, and there was no one to protect the rim. During the second half, Arizona State drove into the lane almost at will. They either got layups or kicked the ball to the perimeter for wide open three-point shots.
The Jayhawks can be assured that Big 12 coaches will see that on tape and game plan around those flaws.
Part of the problem with the stopping penetration is caused by a lack of depth, especially with big guys, and the Kansas defenders could not be as aggressive as they want because they could not afford the fouls.
Adding Cunliffe will help, as would getting Preston back, should that happen soon. Just having an extra interior body, in the case of the latter, would be a tremendous boon for the Jayhawks.
As to how to score, since KU may not be able to drive to the rim as easily as they have the last few seasons, ball movement and not settling for three-pointers so often may be the solution. That will come down to coaching and execution. Trust your Hall of Fame coach to figure that out.
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This Kansas basketball team has certainly hit a bit of a bump in the road. It won’t be fatal by any stretch of the imagination, but the coaches and players will need to overcome and improve in several areas. A road win against the Cornhuskers would help the situation and placate some of the nervousness from fans.