Five Early Observations From Kansas Basketball’s Exhibition Loss to No. 2 Duke

In its final exhibition contest of the preseason, Kansas fell 90-84 to No. 2 Duke for its second consecutive loss to an ACC school. The Jayhawks finished their exhibition slate with a 1-2 record, albeit in games that don't count toward their official record.

While KU held a lead at one point in the second half, Duke pulled away as the Jayhawks' offense began to go cold. It wasn't a dreadful performance considering the Blue Devils had just taken down a top-10 Tennessee team by nearly 40 points. Still, there are plenty of areas that need to be cleaned up before the regular season.

Here are five instant observations from Kansas' six-point defeat at Allen Fieldhouse.

5. Keanu Dawes With the Nasty Poster!

Halfway through the second half, Utah transfer Keanu Dawes recorded the best highlight we've seen from any Jayhawk all season. He threw a poster down on Caleb Foster for an and-1 that sent Allen Fieldhouse roaring. Just watch it yourself:

ON HIS HEAD pic.twitter.com/HCHwfyvaID
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) October 25, 2026

Dawes' stock appeared to be trending down after he scored just five points last game and was omitted from the starting lineup today. However, he finished the afternoon with 11 points, including a pair of key momentum threes that kept the Jayhawks in it.

Anytime a player is capable of throwing down dunks like these, it'll be hard to keep him off the floor. I think KU might have the best athlete at the forward position since KJ Adams.

4. Christian Reeves’ Impact on the Offensive Glass

In the first five minutes of the contest alone, center Christian Reeves had three offensive rebounds. For a period, he was dominating the glass against a Duke lineup that featured two immovable paint forces in Patrick Ngongba and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.

While he wasn't utilized much the rest of the game for some reason, that short stretch showed what an impactful player Reeves can be, whether it's in the starting unit or off the bench. He also recorded a game-high two blocks in a strong defensive performance.

It's no coincidence that Duke began to dominate the rebounding department when Reeves was taken out. Fans may need to pump the brakes on the small-ball idea that was brought up throughout the offseason, as the Jayhawks were outrebounded by 13 in the second half without Reeves in there.

The one thing Reeves needs to work on is his finishing ability around the rim and knowing when to go for a putback or simply pass it out to one of his teammates. Otherwise, it was a great effort from the Charleston transfer against his former school today, and he deserves more minutes moving forward.

3. A Freshman Frenzy

The biggest bright spot from this game came from KU's freshmen, particularly Tyran Stokes, Taylen Kinney, and even Trent Perry. All three played excellently and were among the Jayhawks' biggest contributors.

Stokes finished with a KU-high 27 points and, despite his inefficient shooting, added eight rebounds and seven assists with his strong playmaking. Kinney made a strong impact as well, finishing with 14 points and two rebounds after missing his first five shot attempts.

Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney going to work vs Duke 👀 @KUHoops pic.twitter.com/u1sWe6I9jw
— Overtime (@overtime) October 25, 2026

The real surprise came from Perry, though, who ignited KU's initial comeback attempt with four points and two rebounds. While he didn't stuff the stat sheet, the freshman from Link Academy posted a team-best +11 plus-minus and provided plenty of energy on the defensive end. He's going to be an important spark plug for the second unit when the Jayhawks need a lift.

2. Resilient Comeback Effort

While the Jayhawks didn't emerge victorious in this one, it was still a resilient comeback effort. KU stormed back from a double-digit deficit in the first half to take the lead before halftime and gave the Phog crowd plenty to cheer about.

Bill Self — Kansas Jayhawks forward Keanu Dawes (8) is celebrated after a basket made against Duke Blue Devils during the exhibition game inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas on Oct. 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Experiences like this will only help this group gel together, especially the younger players. Playing against opponents like these, even in a loss, is more valuable than taking on Division II schools and winning by 50.

1. Self-Inflicted Mistakes Proved Costly

Fans have been urging Bill Self to modernize his offensive philosophy and push the tempo for years, but playing faster won't mean much if the Jayhawks give away free points. KU surrendered 89 and 90 points to Louisville and Duke, respectively, and too many issues were self-inflicted.

The Jayhawks missed seven free throws in the first half alone and finished the afternoon just 18-for-27 (66.7%) at the charity stripe. Their defensive lapses were just as costly, whether it was failing to box out and giving up offensive rebounds or losing track of a defender sneaking in for a steal.

KU has the playmakers to play at a fast pace, but this group still has plenty of things to clean up before the campaign commences.

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