Report: The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball Key Player is Been Suspended From All Sports For Placing a Bets Against….
Kansas will try to recover from their unusual home defeat to the BYU Cougars on Tuesday, when they take on No. 15 Baylor in a tough road test. The Bears are seeking retribution for losing to the Jayhawks 64-61 at the beginning of February. Although neither team appears to be in the running for the Big 12 Conference championship, the outcome of this game could have a significant impact on the conference tournament seeding.
Will the Jayhawks lose two games in a row for the first time this season, or does the coaching staff believe Kansas can rally for a significant road victory?
Sports editor Sam Winton (sam.winton@ku.edu)
The Jayhawks’ effort on Tuesday left little room for optimism going into this next game. It seldom happens in Allen Fieldhouse, but Kansas utterly disintegrated down the stretch after leading by 12 points early in the second half. This season, the Jayhawks have lost a double-digit lead three times, most recently against Kansas State and UCF.
Taking on an excellent Baylor team doesn’t get any easier for Kansas. Despite playing without senior guard Kevin McCullar and rookie player Jamari McDowell, the Jayhawks defeated the Bears 64–61 in the Phog. However, Baylor missed numerous opportunities, including two clear-cut three-pointers that could have tied the game. McCullar might play on Saturday, but only if he gave it his all at practice on Thursday and Friday.
In Foster Pavilion, I don’t think Kansas will have the same luck. The Bears shoot over 40% of their shots from downtown, a position the Jayhawks recently found vulnerable versus BYU. This season, Kansas’ three-point defense has been poor overall, allowing opponents to score 35% from beyond the arc in conference play.
Recently, Baylor has moved to a lot more zone coverage on defense. Head coach Bill Self typically draws up an extremely efficient offense against a zone if you give him enough time to prepare. But I don’t think Kansas can actually burn the zone with that many three-pointers. Should the Jayhawks lose the middle, they might find it difficult to score.
Although I believe Kansas will keep it close, Baylor makes enough baskets in the last minutes to win 76-69.
Associate sports editor Trenton Kraxner may be reached at trenton.kraxner@ku.edu.
The Jayhawks lost their first home game of the season, 76-68, despite leading for the first thirty-five minutes and ten seconds of Tuesday’s game against BYU.
Kansas’ offensive performance throughout the second half was a complete disaster. It seemed like the floodgates were opening after the team opened the half on a 6-0 run to lead by twelve. However, Kansas would miss its next eight minutes and ten seconds of field goal opportunities. During that period, Kansas made 10 free throws but also missed seven.
Let’s move on to the Baylor Bears, who just finished off a big away victory against TCU on Monday. Even though the final score was 62–54, it was much closer than it had been for the whole of the second half. With three different players scoring 15 points or more, Baylor’s assault was well-balanced.
A few weeks ago, Kansas defeated this opponent 64–61, even without the services of senior guard Kevin McCullar, who just graduated. McCullar may be able to play in this game, but he will still be hurt because it will be his first action in two weeks. That renders him, in my opinion, rather ineffectual.
Unfortunately for Kansas, I do believe that this is the first time this season that the Jayhawks lose their second straight game. This game is won by Baylor, 80-68.
Staff Writer Gabe Daniel (gkd419@ku.edu)
Once more, we find ourselves in a “don’t let one become two” situation. This is difficult because any advantage would be appreciated as we prepare to take on the highly skilled Baylor squad.
Kansas’ performance while traveling hasn’t offered many noteworthy moments. This season, UCF, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Kansas State have already demonstrated it.
The fact that Kansas does not know Kevin McCullar’s situation is another issue. Even though Kansas was able to defeat Baylor without him, the Jayhawks won’t be taking this lightly given what transpired late in the game.
It will not look good given Baylor’s incredible outside shooting and Kansas’s lackluster perimeter defense history.
In my opinion, Baylor wins 80–72.
Staff writer Jackson Tennant (jacksontennant@ku.edu)
Having just pulled off an upset victory at home over BYU, Kansas is behind in momentum. It now takes on a formidable Baylor squad, whose two conference home defeats came in games decided in triple overtime against TCU and overtime against Houston.
In their most recent game, Kansas defeated Baylor 64–61. Kansas will face comparable challenges against Baylor as it faced from BYU. With a 40% three-point shooting percentage, Baylor’s perimeter performance has been a key component of their success this season. One of Kansas’ greatest vulnerabilities has been their perimeter defense, which has only been exacerbated away from home.
In Baylor’s previous game against Kansas, rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter scored 17 points, and I anticipate that he will at least match that amount of scoring. He is a lock to be among the top 10 picks in the 2024 NBA selection for a reason, and he will try to live up to the hype when playing the Jayhawks at home.
Freshman center Yves Missi of Baylor was another player who caused Kansas difficulties in their most recent game. He finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 9–11 from the free throw line. For Kansas to have any hope of winning, they will need to keep him off the line and avoid getting into foul trouble.
With the exception of its victory over Oklahoma, Kansas has not demonstrated road reliability. This Baylor squad nearly defeated Houston the previous time the Bears visited Waco, Texas, and is coming off a strong road victory against TCU. Though I anticipate Kansas to be prepared, Baylor has the advantage in momentum and their roster will provide enough difficulties for the Jayhawks to drop their second straight game. This one goes to Baylor, 75–67.
