Three Keys: Jayhawks need confidence to take down Cougars
The Kansas Jayhawks are in Houston for the season finale, taking on a team that is looking to clinch an outright Big 12 title in their first season in the conference. The Houston Cougars have been a top team all season, and are likely a lock for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The stakes are high in this one, so what do the Jayhawks need to do in order to be competitive in this one and potentially earn a double bye in the Big 12 Tournament starting next week?
If Kansas is going to pull off their biggest victory on the road this season, here are three keys that will go a long way in getting that win.
Rebounding
Houston is the king in the conference when it comes to offensive rebounding, earning plenty of extra shots. In fact, they get nearly 20% of their points from second chance opportunities. Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams will need to work hard to get more rebounds than they normally do, and they can't afford to just box out players and hope that someone else can get the rebound. That someone else is much more likely to be a Houston player.
Get Someone Going Outside
While Kansas has a huge advantage on the inside, the perimeter shooting still played a huge role in their dominant victory over Houston the first time around. Johnny Furphy was 3-4 and Kevin McCullar and Dajuan Harris each made one of their two attempts. But you can't count on the outside shooting of Parker Braun in a critical moment. Add in that this was before Elmarko Jackson settled into his role and Nicolas Timberlake had a huge breakout game on Senior Night. If Kansas is going to compete in this one, the outside shooting has to remain hot from someone other than Furphy.
No Injuries
As much as this team wants to win, there is no Big 12 regular season title on the line for them. They can improve their seed in the Big 12 Tournament, but getting to the double-bye is going to require help no matter what. To put it bluntly, I'm much more concerned with players being smart and avoiding injuries so that they are available for more important games in the postseason.
