Kansas Basketball’s Offensive Efficiency Is a Real Cause for Concern

Kansas basketball's offensive concerns have continued to grow over the first handful of games.

Dec 14, 2024; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts during the second half against the North Caroline State Wolfpack at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Through the first four games of the Kansas basketball season, one thing has become abundantly clear: the Jayhawks are not going to be a very potent offensive this year.

Even in the games that Darryn Peterson played, contributions from his teammates have been sporadic, with no player establishing himself as the secondary or even tertiary option within the offense.

The second-best player scoring the ball has been Flory Bidunga, who is averaging 17.0 points per game. But even he has been inconsistent at times, including a weak eight-point performance against North Carolina in a loss two weeks ago.

All the advanced metrics are proving that KU is very flawed offensively with or without Peterson on the floor. According to KenPom, the Jayhawks currently rank 55th nationally in offensive rating, scoring 115.5 points per 100 possessions.

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) shoots as North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) and forward Caleb Wilson (8) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Jayhawks haven't exactly been the pinnacle of offensive success in recent years, as the team finished just 25th in offensive efficiency in 2022-23, 59th in 2023-24, and 52nd in 2024-25. However, this unit could end up being worse than all of those groups if they continue at this pace.

Kansas has struggled to score without Peterson, even against lower-tier opponents. Last game against Princeton, the Jayhawks won by 19 but still shot just 47.2% from the field and 23.8% from 3-point range.

For reference, when Kansas defeated Duke in the sixth game of the season last year, KU still had a 119.0 offensive rating. At the time, that was the 11th-best mark in the country, which suggests that there will only be more issues down the stretch once conference play arrives.

Given that the Jayhawks have only faced one real opponent so far and three tune-up games, this year's number needs to rise quickly, especially against looming opponents like Duke and UConn.

Nov 15, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) drives against Princeton Tigers forward Malik Abdullahi (7) during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

There should be more cohesiveness and chemistry in the coming weeks once the team figures out its offensive identity. However, there were already big concerns heading into the season about who would take on responsibility behind Peterson in the offense, and that question has not been answered yet.

MORE: Darryn Peterson Can’t Do It Alone for Kansas Basketball Offense

Even when he returns from his hamstring injury, Bill Self cannot have him lead a one-man band and expect KU to be a successful team.

Kansas needs to make the most of its possessions on the offensive end and improve its efficiency, or it will continue to falter against more competitive opponents.