Kansas City, Mo. — The Kansas men’s basketball team’s time withinside the Big 12 match turned into shorter than the Jayhawks hoped, however they have got an possibility to construct on a number of the team’s nice taking pictures of the season withinside the NCAA Tournament.
Senior protect Zeke Mayo turned into a top example. He completed with 18 factors on 5-for-12 taking pictures from past the arc in an 88-seventy seven loss to Arizona on Thursday, most effective in the future after scoring 24 factors on 5-for-7 from distance in opposition to UCF. It turned into his 1/3 directly recreation scoring 18 or greater factors. He had additionally scored 18 factors on 5-for-7 taking pictures from three on Saturday withinside the everyday season finale. That degree of taking pictures is what his teammates accept as true with he can offer on any night.
“That’s what we recruited him for,” senior protect Dajuan Harris Jr. said. “That’s what he can do… We accept as true with in him. If he maintains gambling like that, we’re going to be in high-quality form scoring the ball.”
The Jayhawks are making approximately 34% in their three-hints this 12 months this 12 months however shot a long way above that withinside the Big 12 match.
They hit 45% in their 3s in opposition to the Wildcats and 44% in opposition to the Knights. The group went 26-for-fifty eight withinside the games.
Center Hunter Dickinson hit 3 3s in opposition to UCF, the maximum he had hit in a recreation seeing that December 2023. He accompanied that up with the aid of using capturing 2-for-five from distance in opposition to Arizona. Harris shot four-for-four on three-guidelines and 6-for-nine from the sphere standard in opposition to the Wildcats after lacking his 3 tries from three in opposition to UCF.
Head train Bill Self stated he’s had principal issues with the group this year: can they maintain a group to beneathneath 70 factors, and may they rating greater than 70 factors? In the closing week, the latter hasn’t been a problem. The Jayhawks have scored 83, ninety eight and seventy seven factors of their closing 3 games.
As the Jayhawks input the NCAA Tournament, they’ll want that offensive momentum, specifically because the group’s protection remains a place of uncertainty for the group.
Self did factor out the shortage of range withinside the group’s three-factor capturing after the Arizona recreation. The Jayhawks have been capable of hit 14 3s withinside the recreation, however the pictures originated mainly from David Coit, Mayo,Dickinson and Harris. Mayo accounted for 12 of the crew’s 31 tries from 3. The Wildcats, on the opposite hand, had six gamers make at the least one 3, and no one made extra than or shot extra than four.
“They had balance, and we glaringly did now no longer have as a great deal balance,” Self stated. “Our bench added 13 (points), however we didn’t play the bench a great deal. I didn’t suppose the bench changed into very effective, to be honest.”
The Jayhawks have strung collectively some robust offensive performances, which bodes nicely for the crew’s look withinside the NCAA Tournament across the corner. Self stated a few more relaxation from the crew’s quarterfinal go out may show useful because the crew has relied closely at the beginning lineup. They’ll want their scorers to preserve up the tempo subsequent week.
“Right now, we’ve scored points,” Self stated. “We simply haven’t stopped guys.”
