Scouting the Kansas Jayhawks ahead of Big Monday

Allen Fieldhouse will be an incredible atmosphere for Big Monday as the 23-4 (11-3 Big 12) Houston Cougars face the 20-7 (10-4) Kansas Jayhawks. Both teams are coming off home losses in their last games to Cincinnati and Arizona, just the second time the two programs lost on the same day in UH’s Big 12 era.

There is still a ton on the line for the Big 12 tournament and the NCAA tournament seeding. The Coogs need to win out to have a chance at the Big 12 title. The Jayhawks would be out of the championship picture with a loss, and would LOVE to knock the Coogs out of the race.

Freshman phenom Darryn Peterson is BY FAR the most talented player on the Kansas roster. It will be a big opportunity for him to finish back-to-back games, and I’m sure he will want to shine in this big game. For me, Melvin Council Jr. is the “head of the snake” for the Jayhawks. As Jaden Bradley did for Arizona, he makes Kansas go. If Kansas is to build any chemistry at all, they cannot depend on Peterson; they must rally around Council. The student section will be barking when he scores, as he has been their DAWG all year. He not only brings toughness, but is extremely skilled. When teams take him away, Kansas tends to struggle.

There are crazy storylines going into this one (and I’m sure Fran will be all over them during the game):

Kansas has not lost back-to-back games at Allen Fieldhouse since the 1988-1989 season.
Bill Self has never lost at home on Big Monday (40-0).
No coach has ever beaten Self at Allen Fieldhouse twice.
Kelvin Sampson has not lost three games in a row since 2017.

It’s hard enough to win at AFH, but it will be especially tough after UH’s emotional home loss Saturday to Arizona. The Coogs must regroup and be the tougher team to pick up this massive road win and to stay in the Big 12 championship picture.

Kansas Offensive Notes

Kansas does a nice job of taking care of the basketball. They are ranked #3 in the Big 12 in turnovers per game. Houston needs to create a few more than they have in the past two games.
It’s shocking that Kansas doesn’t have better depth than it does. They are ranked #350 in the nation in bench points, with only 12 per game (UH averaged 8 per game last week).
They are not great on the offensive boards. The Jayhawks are ranked #303 nationally in offensive rebounds per game with 9, dead last in the Big 12.
The Jayhawks want to score in the paint when possible. They don’t shoot many three-pointers or make many. They are ranked #15 in the Big 12 in attempts (21) and #13 in the conference in makes (7).

Jayhawks Defensive Notes

Kansas only plays man-to-man (m2m) defense. They tend to “hedge” against pick-and-roll actions.
The Jayhawks rarely use full-court pressure. The only times they press is when they are down and need to make a comeback. It’s just a simple m2m press that’s not very effective.
KU is an excellent field goal percentage defensive team. They are ranked #1 in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense and three-point percentage defense. Flory does a great job patrolling the paint, and the guards do a nice job defending the three-point line.
Speaking of Flory…the Jayhawks are #5 nationally and #1 in the Big 12 in blocked shots and #2 in the Big 12 in defensive rebounds. He locks down the paint, and they do a nice job of limiting teams to one shot.
Kansas is ranked #9 in the nation and #1 in the Big 12 in fouls per game, with only 14 fouls per game. Jojo gets 14 fouls alone in the first half.
They are a solid defensive team, but they don’t take many chances to force turnovers. They are ranked #346 in the nation in turnovers forced and #320 in steals. They play fundamental defense…force you to take a contested jump shot…and grab the rebound.

Kansas Personnel (*Indicates likely starters)

*#22 – Darryn Peterson – 6’6″ – FR – Guard – 20ppg, 4rpg.

Has the potential skills of Kobe Bryant. Doesn’t always have the “Mamba Mentality” though;
Smooth outside shooter;. Can shoot the three off the bounce, the catch, and fading away (45-109, 41%);
When he pulls up for the mid-range jumper, he’s a threat to kick his leg out to draw a foul. If he gets inside the three-point line, he IS looking to draw a foul;
They love to run him off non-ball-screens to get him open. He will come off of them looking to shoot an open three or curl towards the basket;
Capable of making incredibly tough shots.

*#14 – Melvin Council Jr. – 6’4″ – SR – Guard – (Wagner, Monroe College, St. Bonaventure) – 14ppg, 5rpg, 5apg.

Head of the Snake.
World Traveler! At his 4th college;
Rangy/athletic point guard. Trying to bring a dog mentality to KU;
Reminds me of a former Coog…let me know if you see it too;
Plays really hard at both ends of the court;
Average three-point shooter (33-96, 34%);
Strong driver to the basket;
Good decision maker when he gets in the paint, to score or pass to open shooters;
Council does a great job finding his teammates. He’s ranked Top 10 in the Big 12 in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio.

*#40 – Flory Bidunga – 6’10” – SO – Forward – 15ppg, 9rpg, 3bpg.

LEFTY! Force him to shoot with his right hand!!!;
Tall/athletic defensive enforcer and problem around the basket. Double-Double machine with 11 on the year;
Big time lob threat in the pick and roll;
Ranked #3 in the nation and #1 in the Big 12 in blocks per game at 2.78;
Ranked #4 in the nation and #1 in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (66.4%);
Ranked #4 in the Big 12 in rebounds per game (9.4);
Not a shooting threat outside of the paint.

*#3 – Tre White – 6’7″ – SR – Guard – (Louisville, Illinois) – 14ppg, 7rpg, 2apg.

Super athletic/tall three-level scoring guard;
Solid outside shooter (40-99, 40%);
Nice jumper off the bounce in the mid-range;
Can make acrobatic finishes at the rim;
Works hard on the glass on both ends of the court;
He likes to pump-fake, then jump into the defender to draw a foul.

*#15 – Bryson Tiller – 6’11” – FR – Forward – 9ppg, 6rpg.

Talented/big freshman forward;
Has nice hands and footwork in the paint. Uses a variety of moves to score;
Getting stronger at finishing at the rim;
Solid mid-range shooter;
Not afraid to shoot the three, but hasn’t been great (14-47, 30%).

#13 – Elmarko Jackson – 6’3″ – RS SO – Guard – 5ppg, 2rpg.

Athletic guard off the bench. Sat out last year with a torn ACL;
At his best when forcing his way into the paint to draw a foul or score.
Capable of making tough shots in the paint.
Pretty solid three-point shooter (14-38, 37%).

#11 – Jamari McDowell – 6’5″ – RS SO – Guard – 4ppg, 2rpg.

Houston-area kid (Manvel HS);
I’ve been tough on him over the last couple of years. He’s playing better this year, but I just don’t see it…
Ok three-point shooter (25-71, 35%);
Capable of scoring off the bounce in the paint;
Pretty solid defender.

#7 – Kohl Rosario – 6’6″ – FR – Guard – (Overtime Elite) – 3ppg, 1rpg.

Three-point specialist (not a great %) off the bench. Gets limited minutes;
57 of his 75 shot attempts have been from beyond the arc (14-57, 25%);
Super sneaky athlete.

What I’ll Be Watching…

Will Darryn Peterson play the entire game? – It’s the question everyone wants to know. He has not finished very many games. He has been pressured by the media and questioned recently by his coach. It will be intriguing to watch moving forward.
Limit Council Jr – He makes them go and personifies toughness. Cincinnati held him to 7 points in Saturday’s win at AFH.
Availability – Sometimes the best ability is AVAILABILITY. The Coogs need their starters to be available throughout the game to get the road win at Kansas.
TOUGHNESS – The Coogs’ toughness has been challenged recently. This would be a great opportunity for a bounce-back game and to show that they are capable of being the tougher team on the road.
Paint touches – It is CRITICAL that Houston starts getting some paint touches from their guards. They are so much better when Kingston, Milos, and Eman get in the paint looking to score. That opens up better outside shots when they draw defenders. Flory is a real problem, though. It would be super if they could get him in foul trouble.

Hoops News

Recent Shows