Kansas Jayhawks take sole possession of Big 12 lead after holding on to beat K-State
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self didn’t sneak a peek at his phone to track the Baylor-TCU score during the Jayhawks’ closer-than-expected game against rival Kansas State on Saturday afternoon in Bramlage Coliseum.
Thus he was a bit surprised, pleasantly surprised, when informed the No. 2-ranked Bears lost to unheralded TCU, 75-72, Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, in a game that started an hour after KU’s offensively challenged 62-58 victory over K-State.
“They did? That made us play a lot better today,” Self said sarcastically after KU won on a day just one Jayhawk scored in double figures, Devon Dotson with 25 points.
“To think that we going into last Saturday could be a game back and now be a game ahead, is something I would not have imagined.”
Supplying just about all of KU’s offense, Dotson hit 8 of 11 shots and was 8 of 8 from the free throw line, helping No. 1-ranked KU improve to 26-3 overall and 15-1 in the Big 12. Baylor, which led KU by a game in the league standings until last Saturday when the Jayhawks moved into a tie for the top spot by winning 64-61 in Waco, is 14-2 in conference play.
KU, which picked up victory No. 2,300 in program history on Saturday, can tie for the 2019-20 Big 12 regular season title by defeating TCU (16-13, 7-9 Big 12) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Allen Fieldhouse. That’s also Senior Night for Udoka Azubuike and Isaiah Moss and the night the Jayhawks can provide Self his 500th coaching victory at KU.
He’s 499-109 in 17 seasons after Saturday’s victory in Manhattan.
“I thought that was a dangerous game, going there,” Self said of Baylor at TCU. “They are playing better. When teams are playing desperate (on the NCAA Tournament bubble), different things can happen.”
Such as Texas defeating Texas Tech on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
“It goes to show when teams are turned up and play with an edge, anything can happy. We anticipate getting that same effort from TCU Wednesday,” Self said.
KU closes the regular season next Saturday at Texas Tech.
“We’re not looking to share. With them (Bears) losing we’re trying to take it outright,” said freshman guard Christian Braun, who scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in 23 minutes Saturday.
His three-pointer with 4:53 left helped KU, which led by nine points in the first half and trailed by as many as four in the second half, increase a two-point KU lead to 53-48.
KU basketball news with Jesse Newell
Sign up to get the inside scoop on Kansas Jayhawks basketball from Jesse Newell, and text him back your questions and thoughts on the team and its season.
Sign up“We’ve got two more left. We’re going to go get them,” Braun said.
“Christian played great,” Self said of the freshman out of Blue Valley Northwest who scored 20 points in KU’s 21-point win over K-State on Jan. 21 at Allen Fieldhouse. “To me, the most dangerous kids when we play K-State are the Dean Wade’s (from Kansas) and most dangerous kids when K-State plays us are the homegrowns — the Perry Ellis’ and Travis Releford’s.
“I don’t know it means more (to Braun). It may get his juices flowing a little bit more than normal just the opportunity to play in the in-state rivalry. He was good.”
KU won despite sub-par production from senior center Azubuike, who rolled his right ankle in the first half. He returned after a five-minute stay in the locker room for evaluation to score six points with nine rebounds and no blocks in 20 minutes.
He did not play the last six minutes. Sophomore David McCormack scored nine points and grabbed four boards in 20 minutes.
“It was big he came back. He showed some toughness coming back,” Self said of Azubuike. “I imagine he’ll be fine. Big guys like that … a turned ankle probably affects more than a guard.
“Although he wasn’t effective, he came back and played. The way he laid on the ground, initially amputation may have a been viable course of action,” Self said, smiling. “But he came back and at least gave us some minutes. Even though he wasn’t effective we probably don’t win the game if he doesn’t at least give us some minutes.
“Doke got a lot of credit and deservedly so last week, getting 23 and 19 in a huge game. He was great,” Self said of the win at Baylor. “He had some help, guys throwing him the ball, creating angles for him. ‘Dot’ gets 25 on his own. We didn’t have many guys offensively set up and help him. I thought that was huge what he did because we didn’t have much going on at all except for him.”
KU junior Marcus Garrett had three points on 1-of-5 shooting in 38 minutes. He was 1 of 6 from the line.
Self said Garrett’s tender foot has been bothering him.
“Marcus … that’s probably the worst he’s felt in a long time,” Self said. “We’re going to have to re-evaluate what we’re doing with him from a foot standpoint. We hung in there and grinded it out. We got it in versus the press (late). That’s another good thing I can take home with us. Overall, our execution was so poor.”
Yet good enough to be able to celebrate another league title in the fieldhouse on Wednesday after Senior Night speeches of Azubuike and Moss (eight points, five rebounds, 34 minutes Saturday) if they defeat the Horned Frogs.
This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks take sole possession of Big 12 lead after holding on to beat K-State."
