3 Observations From Kansas Basketball’s Much-Needed Win Over Notre Dame

Kansas direly needed a feel-good win after last week's loss to Duke in the Champions Classic, and it received one in its first game of the Players Era Festival.

The Jayhawks took care of business despite a comeback attempt by the Fighting Irish and came out victorious 71-61 in a strong defensive effort.

It wasn't a perfect performance by any means, but it was an encouraging victory over a solid Power 4 opponent. We gathered a few takeaways from the win.

The Double Big Man Lineup Works

Bill Self continued to employ his double-big lineup of Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller today, and at times, it was flawless.

Each player shot 8-for-15 from the field, grabbed nine rebounds, and they were KU's top scorers at 18 and 17 points, respectively.

Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. (14), forward Bryson Tiller (15), forward Flory Bidunga (40), guard Elmarko Jackson (13) and guard Tre White (3) walk back onto the court after a timeout against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Tiller was extremely effective in the post, while Bidunga wasn't overly efficient by his standards but still came up with five blocks and a season-high five assists, including multiple to Tiller down low.

When Darryn Peterson returns from injury, these two players should continue to play massive offensive roles simply because of the size and mismatches they create.

Stifling Defensive Effort

The Jayhawk defense was ridiculously good today. They held the Fighting Irish to just 34.4% shooting, and truthfully, nobody could find a rhythm besides star guard Markus Burton.

Outside of him, Notre Dame connected on just 13 field goals and struggled to get anything going all game.

The Jayhawks totaled eight blocked shots and allowed just four 3-point makes. It was a vintage X's and O's game from Coach Self, who kept his opponent at bay.

Melvin Council Jr.'s Confidence is Rising

Council's shooting struggles persisted in the first half, but he knocked down two threes on consecutive possessions in the second half. Those shots played a huge part in allowing the Jayhawks to extend their lead.

His confidence has clearly been rising ever since hitting that big three last game against Duke. He has never been a "good" shooter for NCAA standards, but he wasn't as bad as his 7.7% 3-point percentage suggested, either.

Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self puts Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) out of the game after an injury during the first half of the game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders inside Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 11, 2025. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is still a ways to go for Council, but he showed some encouraging signs today. In total, he finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists, and a pair of steals, producing in the all-around way he usually does.

As long as he can hit a few outside shots here and there, KU's offense will be astronomically better moving forward.