Hawking Points: Kansas Puts Horns Down Final Time in Big 12
The Kansas Jayhawks got a week of rest and looked fresh and active despite not having Kevin McCullar in the lineup. This led to a 86-67 beat down of Texas on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Key Plays
Nick Timberlake got the start and opened the scoring on the second possession with an acrobatic drive through the lane. A Dajuan Harris floater, Hunter Dickinson turnaround, and Johnny Furphy steal and foul on a dunk that led to two free throws gave Kansas an 8-2 lead just 3:20 into the game. Texas got hot from deep and a few KU turnovers flipped the game on its head with an 8-0 Texas run before KJ Adams answered.
The first media timeout didn’t take place until 11:57 remaining as Kansas held onto a 14-13 lead. Kansas extended the lead over the next two minutes with Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell, and Parker Braun in the game. Then the starters returned and Timberlake drained a three. Timberlake turned it over twice but a Harris steal left to an alley-oop and-one slam by Timberlake to go up 26-15.
Harris found Dickinson for a layup on the next possession and Rodney Terry called timeout it down 13 and cap off a 12-0 KU run. Dillon Mitchell scored four straight, Furphy was fouled on a three, and then after a denial at the rim by Adams and Braun, Braun threw down a dunk and was fouled on the other end. Adams then went off, scoring his eighth point and putting Kansas up 36-19. Adams then hit them with the Kareem sky hook.
Tyrese Gunter hit a three and Jackson threw a behind-the-back assist to Dickinson and then got a steal that led to a Harris layup. Kansas took a 45-25 lead into the break.
The Jayhawks were sloppy coming out of the break, turning it over three times in the first 2:30 minutes. The turnovers continued, along with a missed travel on Texas, and the Longhorns cut it to 16 but couldn’t do more damage in the first four minutes. Texas hit a three to get down just 13 but Adams drew an and-one on the next possession, missing the free throw. Dickinson then went on a personal 6-0 run. Texas hit a three and then McDowell answered with one right back.
Harris hit a footer and then got a rebound and put a pin-point pass on Adams for a slam. Texas called timeout down 22 with 11:36 remaining. Every time UT tried to go on a run, Kansas answered. Timberlake was fouled on a three, Furphy hit a three, and Harris stole it and finished in transition to go up 24.
Harris and Adams took over and then things got heated with two minutes left as Timberlake was tackled by Max Abmas on a transition dunk and Ambas was called for an international and flagrant foul.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
Kansas scored 45 first-half points and shot 58% from the field despite only hitting one of four threes. Meanwhile, KU held Texas to 27% shooting from the field and turned the Longhorns over seven times. The Jayhawks did even better in the second half, finishing shooting 61.5% from the field while Texas was just 41.9% and 34.6% from three.
Dickinson (11) and Adams (10) both scored in double figures by halftime and all five starters had at least six points. Dickinson led all scorers with 20 points to go with seven rebounds and two assists. Adams and Furphy both recorded 16 and eight boards.
Harris was tremendous with 14 points and six assists while Timberlake had his best game, scoring 13 points, grabbing three rebounds, and dishing out two assists.
McDowell ended with five points and three rebounds off the bench, Braun had two points, and Jackson had four assists.
Areas of Improvement
Kansas did a great job taking care of the ball in the first half and then eclipsed its turnover mark in the first four minutes of the second half. Other than the sporadic issues handling the ball, there wasn’t much to complain about in this.
Takeaways
The rest seemed to do the Jayhawks some good. Especially the legs of Adams and Furphy. Bill Self also did a tremendous job timing the substitutions around breaks to maximize rest but also the bench is 100% stepping up to the challenge.
The starters were all tremendous, the bench had strong moments, and the defense was once again stifling against a good offense. Now the real question is if Kansas can replicate this play on yhrrr days against BYU.
