Three takeaways from KU basketball’s exhibition win over Fort Hays State
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Melvin Council Jr. swung momentum with defense, playmaking and six assists.
- Kansas offense sputtered without Darryn Peterson, showing repeated shooting droughts.
- Team shot 26.7% from 3; roster needs reliable outside shooting beyond Peterson.
Don’t let the scoreboard fool you.
The final margin might indicate it was an easy win for Kansas men’s basketball, but it took a while for the Jayhawks to find their footing.
That said, there’s no such thing as style points when it comes to exhibition games.
No. 19 KU defeated Fort Hays State 71-35 in an exhibition matchup at Allen Fieldhouse.
Melvin Council Jr. led the way, scoring 16 points and dishing out six assists. KU guard Tre White added 12 points and six rebounds.
Kansas freshman phenom Darryn Peterson didn’t play in the game due to a stomach bug and cramps. Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson started in his place.
Offense was hard to come by early on. The Jayhawks led 33-16 at the half. The Tigers were shooting 21.3% from the field at that point.
Kansas didn’t let up much after that, winning the second half 38-19. But coach Bill Self wasn’t thrilled when he offered his review postgame.
“Well, I didn’t think it was great by any stretch,” Self said. “I thought we were dull, boring, not a lot of pace, energy, except for one guy, obviously, and he was really good.”
Up next: KU plays its first regular season game on Monday vs. Green Bay.
Until then, here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s game:
Melvin Council shows out
Pay attention whenever Council is on the floor.
He has a way of making momentum swing the Jayhawks’ way through his high energy play. Whenever Kansas needed a stabilizing force, Council provided it.
He was an absolute pest on the defensive end. He forced multiple Fort Hays State players to take bad shots and frantically ran around to ensure no shooter had open looks.
On the offensive end, he was KU’s primary ball handler in the absence of Peterson, who has also dealt with cramping in the preseason. Council finished the night with six assists in just 23 minutes.
“The more I (can) be aggressive, the more it’s going to open up for all of us,” Council said.
It was an excellent showing for Council as he and White will likely be KU’s second and third options on offense with Peterson healthy.
KU’s offense goes through lulls
Self had previously said this KU squad would go through periods when the offense would struggle.
Well, that was the case in the first half Tuesday.
The Jayhawks sorely missed Peterson’s offensive presence and ability to create his own shot. In fact, Kansas had multiple instances of cold shooting spells, allowing Fort Hays State to stay within striking distance.
Kansas finally gained some separation near the end of the first half, when Jamari McDowell and Tre White hit 3-pointers back to back to put the Jayhawks up 31-15. Even then, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run to open the second half and quickly forced a Jayhawks timeout.
Ultimately, the offensive droughts didn’t matter because of the level of competition. It was an exhibition game, after all, but it’s interesting to see what Self mentioned already come true in two different preseason contests.
KU’s shooting struggles are worth watching
Not to raise any alarm bells early, but the Jayhawks have yet to shoot the ball well outside of Peterson in three different exhibition settings — if you include Late Night at the Phog.
Without Peterson’s shots on Friday, Kansas was just 2-for-11 (18%) from deep. It was slightly better on Tuesday, albeit against much weaker competition.
Self has acknowledged Kohl Rosario and Jayden Dawson need to provide the Jayhawks’ 3-point shooting this season. Rosario has yet to showcase that in games. He shot 1-for-5 on 3-pointers Tuesday, after going 0-for-3 from deep vs. Louisville on Friday.
Dawson missed the only 3-pointer he attempted.
“We can’t (only) rely on Darryn,” Council said. “We’ve got to help him too.”
The only player who shot well Tuesday was White, who went 2-for-3 on 3-pointers.
As a whole, the Jayhawks shot 4-for-15 (26.7%) from deep. The question of if Kansas has enough shooting around Peterson remains.
“You guys can see we need Darryn,” Council later added. “He makes everything easy for us and stuff like that.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 9:15 PM with the headline "Three takeaways from KU basketball’s exhibition win over Fort Hays State."
