Out of Chalk: What Happened to Kansas Basketball in Provo?

Kansas basketball suffered one of its most embarrassing losses of the season Tuesday night, falling 91-57 to BYU in Provo.

What was expected to be a bounce-back opportunity for the No. 23 Jayhawks turned into a brutal, one-sided affair that raised more questions than answers.

From the opening minutes, it was clear Kansas was outmatched. The Jayhawks fell behind 13-5 just five minutes into the game, as BYU’s offense fired on all cylinders.

The Cougars drained three-pointers with ease, finishing the game with 14 made from beyond the arc. Richie Saunders and Trevin Knell were particularly lethal, combining for 37 points on 8-for-11 shooting from deep.

For Kansas, nothing seemed to go right.

The Jayhawks struggled to defend the perimeter, and when they did manage to contest shots, BYU was still converting. Kansas couldn’t establish any rhythm offensively, finishing the first half down 46-26. It was their largest first-half deficit of the season.

Rebounding was another major issue for Kansas.

BYU finished with 43 rebounds, the most the Jayhawks have allowed all year. The Cougars dominated the glass, collecting second-chance points and controlling the pace of the game.

Kansas, in contrast, was limited to just 33 rebounds, a glaring disparity that compounded their struggles.

Turnovers also plagued the Jayhawks. Kansas committed 15 turnovers, many of which came during crucial stretches when they were trying to close the gap.

The combination of missed shots, turnovers, and poor defense created a perfect storm for a Kansas team that never seemed to recover.

The second half was more of the same. BYU opened with an 8-0 run, pushing the lead to 54-29.

Despite multiple timeouts from head coach Bill Self, the Jayhawks were unable to mount any meaningful comeback.

Kansas’ deficit reached as high as 38 points, marking just the fifth time in the Bill Self era that the Jayhawks have trailed by 30 or more.

While the Jayhawks have shown flashes of brilliance this season, Tuesday night exposed significant weaknesses in areas such as shooting, defense, and ball control ... again.

Moving forward, the Jayhawks will need to address these issues quickly if they hope to stay competitive in the Big 12 race and beyond as the season concludes.

It’s a painful loss, and one Kansas fans won’t soon forget. But for the Jayhawks, the question now is how they respond and what changes they make to avoid letting this type of performance derail their entire season.

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