Kansas Is Playing Like It Needs A Hug: 5 Takeaways from the Jayhawk Loss To Houston

5 Takeaways From Kansas Basketball’s 65-59 Loss to Houston

5. There’s no issue with the Kansas defense, however ...

Kansas has certainly had problems over the last several games, but the defense continues to be terrific. It made the Cougars work for everything, allowed just 35% from the floor, and all was good except for one massive problem.

Houston owned the offensive glass with a whopping 17 offensive rebounds. It took almost 30 more shots, and in a close battle, all of those second chances hurt.

4. The Kansas offense just has no consistency, but …

Everyone will keep complaining about the Kansas offense that’s not hitting enough from the outside and made too many mistakes in key moments against the Cougars.

Yes on all of it, and the Jayhawks should be good enough to score against anyone, but that was a pretty good Houston team on the other side - it came into this as the No. 1 in the nation in scoring D allowing just 58 points per game.

It’s more stylistic. Kansas doesn’t shoot threes, but it hit 5-of-12. The team did enough to make this a fight, but ...

Final: KU 59 - UH 65
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) March 4, 2025

4. The Jayhawks were just too sloppy

Kansas hit 45% of its shots against the fourth-best defense in America in field goal D - it allows just 38% from the floor.  It was 16-of-19 on the line, held the Cougars to just 35% shooting, and …

Kansas turned it over 20 times. The 22 given up to Missouri was the only time the O screwed up that much - that was a loss, too.

There were missed passes early, slips on the floor late, and 16 Houston steals that stalled possession after possession. Even with all of the problems, again, the Jayhawks still had a shot in the final moments. But …

2. It’s not enough for Kansas to just be competitive

This is a talented enough team to be fantastic.

There were flashes when the Jayhawks looked the part in a game that suited their style, and there were moments when they appeared to be ready to take over, but they just couldn’t do it.

Kansas is playing like a team that needs a hug.

The effort is unquestionably there, but this is the proverbial team that can't buy a - or create its own - break when things start to go wrong.

Everyone is a bit too cautious, and that's death against a team like Houston.

There were too many extra passes that didn't go anywhere, too many bogged down positions, and too many moments when the team kept thinking instead of simply playing.

The David Colt three to cut it to two with 20 seconds was the most confident shot of the night. The offense has to find that sort of stroke earlier, and more often.

1. Kansas lost four of its last six games, but …

It was a Monday game on Senior Night against a No. 3 Houston team that won a Big 12-record 18 conference games this season.

If there’s a forgivable loss - especially with the tough way the team played until the end - this was certainly it.

Kansas hasn't been right since that brutal late loss to Houston in late January.

No, it’s not playing as well as it should, but it'll be in the NCAA Tournament, there won't be the pressure of high expectations as an 8 seed at worst, 6 at best with a good run in the Big 12 Tournament, and all will begin anew.

With all of that said, though, Saturday’s regular season home finale against Arizona will be a really, really, really big deal.

The first 30 games were exhibition. The season begins now.