5 Key Takeaways from Kansas’ Stunning Blowout Loss to BYU

Kansas delivered a baffling performance in a blowout loss to BYU. Breaking down five key takeaways from the Jayhawk clunker.

Feb 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward KJ Adams (24), guard AJ Storr (2), guard Zeke Mayo (5), and guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) on the court against the Utah Utes during the first half at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

BYU 91, Kansas 57

5. It's a loss. Flush it and move on ...

Let's just say Kansas probably doesn't like the state of Utah right now.

It had a weird/tough/off performance in a loss to Utah on Saturday, and then came whatever this was.

Whether it was by four or 34, it's a Big 12 loss, that's not okay at Kansas no matter what, and it's only February 18th. There's still a few weeks before this really matters, there's time to right the ship with Oklahoma State and Colorado up next, and ...

4. What the (bleep) is up with the three-point defense?!

To be fair - sort of - BYU is No. 1 in the Big 12 in most threes taken, it averages over ten makes per game, and sometimes teams get hot at home.

But it's not like Kansas doesn't know how to deal with that.

The Jayhawks came into this tenth in the nation in three-point D allowing teams to hit just 29% from the outside. But they gave up 11 to Kansas State ten days ago ... loss. They won the date with UCF when allowing 14 made threes, but Utah hit 11 threes in the win over the Jayhawks on Saturday.

BYU made ten threes in the first 19 minutes and finished with 14 for the game. Kansas is now 2-4 when allowing multiple threes. However ...

3. This was a total team meltdown in the second half

BYU scored 46 points in the first half with 30 of them coming on threes. It scored 45 in the second half with just 12 coming from the outside.

It was making everything on the move, on the line, and from midrange to keep the scoring going, and Kansas just didn't have the energy or activity.

This looked and played like a fried KU team that let the game slip away early, and just didn't bring the fire in the second half when nothing was going right. And that all goes to one other huge issue ...

*headphone warning* pic.twitter.com/oEv5OnbNp9

— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 19, 2025

2. Kansas didn't rebound

There were ten offensive rebounds for the Jayhawks, but that wasn't nearly enough to change any sort of momentum.

Not only did BYU hit from the outside in the first half, and from everywhere in the second half, but the lack of energy and attacking allowed 43 Cougar rebounds - the most given up this season by the Jayhawks.

Kansas is now 0-4 when allowing 40 or more rebounds, and ...

Work to be done. pic.twitter.com/hQ0Lri4D4E

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 19, 2025

1. When Kansas loses, it goes big and then goes home

This tied for the largest loss in the Bill Self era.

Kansas lost to Creighton by 13. It dropped the date at Missouri by 11, got rocked by Iowa State by 17, lost to Baylor by 11, sputtered against Kansas State, lost at Utah, and now ... this.

But here's the thing ...

All of those were on the road.

It lost to West Virginia by one on New Year's Eve, and lost that epic thriller to Houston in double overtime, but those two battles were at home.

The seven blowouts were all away from Allen Fieldhouse where the Jayhawks are 13-2.

Deep breath ... it was Provo on a Tuesday night. Three of the last five games are in Lawrence, Colorado and (uh oh) Houston are on the road, and ...

Kansas has to figure out how to step up the intensity away from home in a big, big hurry.