Inside KU basketball’s latest Allen Fieldhouse comeback: ‘We’re always going to find a way’
Jalen Wilson, who has experienced a number of comeback victories in his three seasons at Kansas — including a big one in last year’s national championship game — wasn’t about to concede during a timeout with 5:19 remaining and the Jayhawks down 10 points in their intense Big 12 men’s basketball battle against Oklahoma on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
“There wasn’t a time I thought the game was over. I know what we do. We’re always going to find a way to win,” Wilson, KU’s junior All-America candidate from Denton, Texas, said after a furious 18-4 run turned a 71-61 deficit into a 79-75 win before 16,300 delirious fans in KU’s tradition-rich building.
It may have been understandable if this deficit ultimately proved too difficult to overturn. After all, points were hard to come by considering the Jayhawks missed 21 inside shots against the Sooners (10-6, 1-3).
So what did KU coach Bill Self tell the Jayhawk players at 5:19 to make sure they’d claim their 22nd victory in a row over OU in Allen?
“Just to turn it around quickly,” said Wilson, who scored 17 points on 3-of-12 shooting. He hit 10 of 12 free throws on a night KU made 31 of 39 at the line to OU’s 19 of 23.
“We’ve been battle tested so much this year, especially with close games in the conference. (KU 15-1, 4-0 Big 12, has beaten Oklahoma State by two in Lawrence and Texas Tech by three in Lubbock.) We always find a way to stay composed no matter what is going on. That was the main message, continue to play our ball,” Wilson added. “There are no 10-point plays. No point in rushing shots. Maintain composure.”
KJ Adams, who scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting (6-of-7 on free throws), dunked and, after an OU turnover, Wilson buried a three.
Suddenly the deficit was cut in half.
It was OU 71, KU 66 with 4:17 left.
After a missed shot by Grant Sherfield — he was sensational with 25 points — Dajuan Harris (11 points, five assists, two steals) hit a floater and KU trailed 71-68 at 3:33.
Harris missed a layup, then OU’s CJ Noland cashed a bucket to make it 73-68 in favor of OU. Adams scored two straight buckets and it was 73-72 OU still with 1:09 to play.
OU’s Tanner Groves, who scored 10 points (0-for-5 from three) missed a three with 51 seconds left. That’s when KU senior Kevin McCullar (eight points, eight rebounds, four steals) put the Jayhawks ahead for good. His driving layup and free throw at 0:42 gave KU a 75-73 lead.
Sherfield missed a three, then Wilson was fouled and made two free throws at 0:18 making it 77-73 KU.
OU cut it to 77-75; however, Harris knocked down two free throws with 0:12 left to effectively ice the win.
Wilson pumped his fist and screamed in the direction of the fans in the north end zone bleachers as the Jayhawks remained perfect at 4-0 in the Big 12.
“We just made every play down the stretch. It was an unbelievable win,” Self said after a win that upped his coaching record in Allen Fieldhouse to 301-16.
Informed that Wilson said he never thought KU would lose, Self said: “I think that’s one thing here (at KU) over time, it probably goes back decades, players think they are going to win here. Granted we are playing with fire. We’ve got to tighten some things up or we won’t. The guys think that when it’s time to compete, that’s when they kind of enjoy it the most. That’s what good teams do, These kids play in so many big game they actually enjoy it.”
Self’s squad won on a night it hit 4 of 11 threes to OU’s 2 of 17. KU received somewhat of an unexpected boost from backup big man Zach Clemence, who had 10 points and three boards in 12 minutes.
“I do think it’s this place,” Self said of Allen Fieldhouse magic, “but sometimes when you talk about ‘this place’ you don’t give enough credit to the players. There were some guys making some plays.”
For example … “Kevin McCullar hadn’t done much at all. He gets an unbelievable drive and got steals late. Gradey (Dick, eight points, five rebounds) didn’t do a lot, gets rebounds late. The place is special. Guys have so much confidence here. That was some guys making some individual plays late,” Self added.
OU coach Porter Moser, who admitted his team’s “rhythm” may have been affected negatively in the second half because of so many fouls called, was asked how KU could pull off such a comeback — down 10 with five and change left.
“There are a number of things,” Moser said. “When something good happens down the stretch, it’s hard to communicate because it was so loud. I think they get complete adrenaline with the crowd. That’s probably all I can say. I don’t want to go in any more detail. There’s a belief in here, the fan base and everything. That snowball starts going downhill.”
The Jayhawks made 24 free throws (in 31 attempts) in the second half, the most the program had made in a half since hitting 24 in the second period on Dec. 1, 2008, vs. Kent State. The 24 free throws made are the most in a half of a conference game since KU made 26 free throws in the second half on Feb. 9, 2008 vs. Baylor. The 31 attempts are the most since the Jayhawks attempted 32 from the line in the second half of the same contest.
No. 2-ranked KU will next meet Iowa State at 3 p.m. Saturday at Allen. Iowa State, like KU, is 4-0 in the league, as is Kansas State.
“It’s a monster league,” Self said. “Stealing one today was big for us.”
This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 1:01 AM with the headline "Inside KU basketball’s latest Allen Fieldhouse comeback: ‘We’re always going to find a way’."
