Back from injury, KU guard Elmarko Jackson played notable role vs. Louisville
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- Elmarko Jackson, returning from patellar tendon surgery, hit 9-of-9 free throws.
- Kansas beat Louisville 90-82; six Jayhawks scored in double figures, Peterson 26 points.
- Bigs Flory Bidunga (14) and Bryson Tiller (12) provided scoring, rebounds and blocks.
Kansas redshirt-sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson certainly showed Friday he’s recovered from patellar tendon surgery that forced him to redshirt the 2024-25 campaign.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound McDonald’s All-American from Marlton, New Jersey, scored 11 points on 1-of-2 shooting (he was 9-of-9 from the free throw line) against Louisville. Jackson added two rebounds, two assists, two turnovers and one steal in 27 minutes in the Jayhawks’ 90-82 exhibition victory before 15,885 fans at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.
Jackson played 16 minutes the final half, running the show with freshman sensation Darryn Peterson (26 points, five steals, two assists, six turnovers, four rebounds) playing just 10 of the final 20 minutes because of cramps.
“Yeah, for sure,” Jackson said, asked if he felt completely healthy. “I’ve just done a lot of PT (physical therapy). If I’m feeling a little down, just talking with the trainers or our strength coach to get me back 100% feeling well. I trust everybody within this athletic department.”
Jackson’s perfect night at the line came in handy on a night the Jayhawks, who led by as many as 18 points early in the second half, couldn’t quite bury the Cardinals. Louisville cut it to eight points down the stretch.
“I don’t keep track of them, but they are free, so I’ve got to make them,” Jackson said, smiling, referring to free throws. “(I try to) do the same thing every time. I try to trust my mechanics and my shot. Just make ‘em.”
As a team, KU hit 26 of 33 free throws while Louisville cashed 29 of 39. Melvin Council Jr. was 9-of-10 from the line in scoring 11 points with four rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes. Former St. Bonaventure guard Council was just 1-of-9 from the field in his KU exhibition debut.
In all, KU had six players score in double figures to Louisville’s four players.
KU big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller also had big games. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Bidunda scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting with six rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes. The 6-11, 240-pound Tiller had 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting with seven rebounds and four blocked shots in 28 minutes.
“They played very well,” Jackson said of sophomore Bidunga and freshman Tiller. “We’ve been working a lot in practice on having him (Tiller) on the floor and them playing off of each other.”
Tiller, who had three dunks (two off lobs) and twice dished lobs that resulted in dunks for others, said he enjoys playing at the same time as fellow big Bidunga, who flushed two dunks and also had a dazzling play in which he spun through the middle of the lane and completed a layup.
“For sure, we practice a lot against each other and with each other, so we’re pretty comfortable. And we know what we are trying to do,” Tiller said.
Tiller noted that “this game was a good, a good benchmark for us. It really doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day. You know, we’ve got to continue to improve and get better as a team, but it was a good way to see how we can play.”
KU coach Bill Self commented on the play of Jackson and Tiller.
“I thought Bryson was great,” Self said. “Elmarko made all his free throws and I thought he took care of the ball for the most part. I thought Melvin Council played great and he’s 1-for-9 from the field. We’ve got a long ways to go to play well. But, you know, it wasn’t just one guy (Peterson) out there. I thought the other guys did some nice things too.”
KU senior guard Tre White, who attended Louisville one season, was booed during the introduction of the starters. He scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting (2-of-3 from 3; KU as a team hit 8 of 21 3s) with three rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes.
“I heard it. You know, it is what it is,” Jackson said, adding, “We got the ‘W’, so ...”
Jackson said freshman guard Peterson also had incentive going against fellow McDonald’s All-American Mikel Brown Jr., who scored 10 points on 2-of-15 shooting (2-of-10 from 3). Louisville as a team was 11-of-38 from 3.
KU will next meet Fort Hays State in an exhibition at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
This story was originally published October 25, 2025 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Back from injury, KU guard Elmarko Jackson played notable role vs. Louisville."
