Kansas beats Pittsburg State in first basketball exhibition game

Cheick Diallo watched all of Kansas’ exhibition opener from the far side of the Jayhawks’ bench, four rows from the end, a blue warm-up covering his 6-foot-9 frame. In the coming days — or weeks? — Diallo will learn his fate as the NCAA Eligibility Center rules on his academic status. If Diallo is cleared to play, Kansas’ legion of faithful will breathe a sigh of relief, and the Jayhawks will forge ahead as Final Four contenders. If not, the Jayhawks risk losing the crown jewel of their recruiting class.

But as Diallo sat Wednesday night, taking in No. 4 Kansas’ 89-66 victory over Pittsburg State, the night served as a decent reminder to the 16,300 fans at Allen Fieldhouse that the Jayhawks possess another freshman forward of ample pedigree and prodigious skill set.

His name is Carlton Bragg, and he offered a memorable first impression, finishing with 14 points and six rebounds in his unofficial Kansas debut.

“I thought he was great,” coach Bill Self said. “I thought he was the best player in the game. He played with energy. He played with a smile on his face. I thought he did terrific for a young kid out there.”

Bragg is not Diallo, and perhaps he doesn’t offer as much upside as a rim-protector or five-man. But Bragg’s performance highlighted an otherwise sluggish exhibition opener. He showcased his skills around the basket. He scored eight points before halftime. And he finished with two emphatic dunks in the final minutes, giving Allen Fieldhouse a reason to celebrate this annual local holiday: the return of basketball season.

As Bragg took advantage of his first run through Allen, senior forward Perry Ellis looked like his usual self, finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Devonte’ Graham also filled up the stat sheet, finishing with seven points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

By late Wednesday night, Self was happy to have the day over. He spent all day in meetings concerning Diallo's NCAA case, and there was still no resolution as of late Wednesday night. Self is still hopeful, but he also said he was disappointed in the long process.

The night, meanwhile, began in rather slow and fragmented fashion. The Jayhawks made just one of their first seven shots. The offense appeared disjointed. And when Pitt State snared an offensive rebound and finished a bucket with 10:53 left in the half, the Gorillas led 16-14. Seconds later, Self burned a timeout and glared at Ellis.

“What is your deal?” Self asked.

As Self stewed, Kansas had been outrebounded 14-7, and the Jayhawks’ offense was passive. The slow start left an opening for Pitt State, and the Gorillas hung around, trailing just 25-23 with less than 5 minutes left in the half.

“From my perspective, it was pretty good,” Self said of the slow start. “Because if we would have made shots, you would get a false sense of who you were. And they exposed us. They were quicker than us. We obviously didn’t guard the ball. We don’t slide very well. And those things are great to be ointed out. ”

Moments later, Wayne Selden broke the seal, drilling the Jayhawks’ first three-pointer of the game, and the surge began.

Two days earlier,Self had used the word “bored” to describe his basketball team. At times Wednesday, the description was apt.

For stretches, though, you could squint and see the valuable parts that could come together in the next five months.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 10:09 PM with the headline "Kansas beats Pittsburg State in first basketball exhibition game."