Three Quick Observations From Kansas’ Abysmal Loss to Cincinnati

Kansas went into Saturday's matchup in Allen Fieldhouse looking a bit too far ahead to its next game. A mediocre Cincinnati team came into Lawrence and upset the Jayhawks by a score of 84-68, earning its first road win against an AP Top 10 team since 1990.

It was a back-and-forth clash for much of the day, but a run in the latter portion of the second half by UC sealed the deal. This will undoubtedly go down as KU's worst loss of the season and dramatically impact its NCAA Tournament seeding.

With the defeat, Bill Self's group is all but eliminated from Big 12 title contention, limiting the importance and hype around Monday's showdown vs. Houston. Here are our three instant takeaways from the loss.

Kansas Jayhawks players — Feb 21, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talks with players during a timeout against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first half of the game at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

3. Poor 3-Point Shooting and 3-Point Defense

Cincinnati seemingly could not miss from beyond the arc in the second half, knocking down 12 of its 31 attempts from long range. Meanwhile, KU could not buy a three all afternoon, finishing 4-for-18 from deep (with two coming in the final two minutes).

Everyone for the Bearcats was knocking them down, including star big man Moustapha Thiam, who had not made a triple in over a month since Jan. 17. Yet he finished the day with two makes from three, as did forward Baba Miller, who entered shooting 14.6% from distance.

Up until the closing minutes, nearly half of KU's threes were attempted by Darryn Peterson, who shot 1-for-7 in that department. Tre White made one in the first half, but aside from that, the Jayhawks had just two makes in the first 38 and a half minutes. It was an uncharacteristic defensive showing from KU and an even worse shooting performance.

2. Dominated on the Offensive Glass

The biggest explanation for KU's demise was its abysmal rebounding. It was outrebounded 40 to 29 overall, and Jayhawk players were getting outhustled throughout the game.

On the offensive glass alone, Cincinnati collected 14 boards, nearly all of which resulted in second-chance points. Flory Bidunga finished with 12 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end, but big man Bryson Tiller was highly underwhelming in the contest. His two rebounds were the fewest he has recorded in a game all season.

Feb 18, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Elmarko Jackson (13) passes the ball around Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Parsa Fallah (22) during the second half at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

While Bidunga was in foul trouble for a short stretch in the second half, that is no excuse to lose the rebounding battle by this margin. Much of it can be attributed to Tiller, who appeared to give up at least four or five offensive rebounds himself, but his teammates also needed to provide more support than they did.

1. No Offensive Shot-Creation Down the Stretch

Although UC was hitting difficult shots in the closing stages, Kansas could not create its own points to respond. Self and Co. shot 27-for-61 from the field and had the aforementioned struggles from three.

Even in a game where Peterson was able to finish the second half, he was ineffective at times, as the Bearcats sent immediate pressure and forced him to pass out of double teams. The only other players who finished in double figures were Bidunga with 18 and White with 11.

Melvin Council Jr. had one of his roughest outings of the campaign, shooting 3-for-13 and missing several floaters he typically converts. All in all, it simply was not Kansas' day.