Three Takeaways From Kansas Basketball’s Thrashing of Middle Tennessee State

In its second regular-season game of the year, the Kansas basketball team jumped out to an early lead over Middle Tennessee State in the first half and never looked back. The Jayhawks left the Allen Fieldhouse crowd entertained by the end of Friday night, steamrolling the Blue Raiders en route to an 89-45 victory.

This marked the second time in the past month that the two athletic departments met — the first coming on the gridiron when the Jayhawks stomped MTSU's football team 55-0 — and tonight's beatdown was no different. KU now sits at 2-0 early in the campaign going into a crucial matchup versus Kentucky in the Champions Classic next week.

While this overmatched opponent was no match for a powerhouse like Kansas, there are still a few takeaways to be found. Here are a trio of observations from the contest.

3. This Defensive Unit Has a Lot of Potential

Having allowed an average of 89.5 points per night in preseason losses to Louisville and Duke, understandable concerns began to grow about KU's defensive unit. However, those have been put to bed (at least for now) after tonight's display.

MTSU was held to an abysmal 25% from the field (17-for-68), and the Jayhawks have now forced 16 turnovers in both of their outings so far.

There is something to be said about how the defense looks when this team is playing small and how versatile the personnel can be. In certain lineups, all five players on the court are switchable and able to disrupt opposing offenses.

While the Jayhawks will continue to lack the rim protection they possessed with Flory Bidunga last year in the paint, the length of players like Melvin Council Jr., Keanu Dawes, and Tre White has made up for it. They need to prove they can do it against higher competition, but it's hard not to be encouraged by the early defensive progress.

2. The Freshmen Are Experiencing Growing Pains

By no means was Tyran Stokes ineffective, but his final lines across the first two contests don't quite resemble the production expected of a National Player of the Year candidate. He surprisingly only took five shots today, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds while his free-throw struggles persisted.

The box score will never fully capture the impact Stokes has on games with his passing and the attention he commands. Regardless, there haven't been many jaw-dropping moments like the ones fans experienced with Darryn Peterson a year ago where his game-changing talent was immediately evident.

Additionally, former Overtime Elite standout Taylen Kinney is clearly going through an adjustment period right now. He connected on just one shot attempt in 21 minutes of action and was virtually invisible on the offensive end. Given what we've seen from Leroy Blyden Jr. thus far, it wouldn't be surprising if the coaching staff starts to split their opportunities.

1. Bill Self Has Been Waiting For a Player Like Trey Kaufman-Renn

This victory can officially be labeled the Trey Kaufman-Renn breakout game. He received his first start as a Jayhawk and recorded 18 minutes, dropping a team-high 17 points on a remarkably efficient 7-for-8 shooting.

Nothing about Kaufman-Renn's game is overly flashy, but Kansas hasn't had a post player of his caliber in a long time. He has a soft touch around the rim and knocks down post hooks with ease. There's no other way to put it than he's a natural and ethical hooper.

With less than a month of experience with the program under his belt, Kaufman-Renn is already absorbing the playbook and sharing his veteran knowledge with younger teammates. Assuming he stays eligible throughout the remainder of the season, TKR is going to be a dangerous weapon in KU's frontcourt.

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