BYU stuns Kansas basketball in Allen Fieldhouse upset. Here are three takeaways
Kansas coach Bill Self looked down in disgust.
At one point Tuesday night, his team led by 12 in the second half. Now his Jayhawks were on the verge of collapse late in what turned into a 76-68 upset loss to unranked BYU.
Naturally, Self threw his arms down and yelled, “Come on,” after KU made another crucial mistake. Those mistakes — including missed free throws — proved to be the Jayhawks’ undoing at Allen Fieldhouse.
In a game they led for almost the entirety.
It was a close game for most of the first half, but the Jayhawks never trailed in that time. Leading by six at the break, KU built a 12-point lead early in the second half. The Jayhawks led for 35 minutes, 30 seconds of game time. BYU first took a lead with five minutes to play.
The score was later tied 66-66 with 2:28 left.
BYU responded with an 8-0 run, during which KU’s Nicolas Timberlake missed three shots and Hunter Dickinson missed two free throws. Timberlake broke the scoring drought by hitting two free throws with 18 seconds left, but the Jayhawks didn’t score again.
Dickinson finished with 17 points, while Dajuan Harris added 12. KU (21-7, 9-6 Big 12) lost at Allen Fieldhouse for the first time all season.
Up next: Kansas travels to Waco to play Baylor on Saturday.
Until then, here are some takeaways from KU’s loss to the Cougars...
The long ball plays a role
The scouting report on the Cougars was simple: Don’t let them hit 3-pointers.
KU found out that is easier said than done against BYU.
Before Tuesday’s game, 3-pointers accounted for 41.2% of BYU’s points, which ranked No. 3 in the nation. The Cougars were attempting around 32 3-pointers per game and making just over 11 of them, a mark that led the nation.
KU’s game plan seemed to be working early, as BYU shot just 6 for 19 on 3s in the first half, but the Cougars heated up, and KU couldn’t match.
For the game, the Cougars shot 13 of 34 (38.2%) from 3. The Jayhawks shot 3 for 15 (20%). That meant the Cougars were a net plus-30 on 3-pointers. That is hard to beat.
Fouls galore, but Jayhawks struggle at the line
It’s rare to see any team in college basketball commit 18 personal fouls not even midway through the second half.
Well, that’s exactly what happened to BYU on Tuesday. The Jayhawks were in the bonus with 11:40 left in the game. Not long after, the Cougars bench appeared frustrated and was given a technical foul after KU earned a charge call.
The biggest reason for the Cougars’ high foul count? BYU struggled to defend KU around the paint — Jayhawks had a 20-point lead in paint points (36-16).
Free throws? That was another story.
Kansas shot just 19 for 31 (61%) at the line, including Hunter Dickinson going 6 for 15 (40%). In what was a tie game entering the final few minutes, those free-throw misses made a massive difference.
BYU shot 19 for 24 (79.2%) at the stripe.
Johnny Furphy shows off offensive versatility
Johnny Furphy has a highlight-reel play at least once a game.
In the first half, the Australian guard outran three BYU defenders and threw down a ferocious fastbreak jam. It was a theme for Furphy — he showed off his athleticism and poise around the rim all game.
He even converted a tough bucket through contact, indicating his strength has improved.
Furphy had eight points on 3-for-5 shooting at the half. That said, he had a quiet second half. He finished with 10 points and nine rebounds for the game.
With the absence of Kevin McCullar due to injury, the Jayhawks need Furphy to play well consistently, particularly on offense.
Furphy and KU couldn’t muster enough offense to win this game.
This story was originally published February 27, 2024 at 9:33 PM with the headline "BYU stuns Kansas basketball in Allen Fieldhouse upset. Here are three takeaways."
