The exhibition slate is complete and Kansas is preparing for regular season competition.
The Jayhawks were defeated by Duke, 90-84, in the final preseason contest, marking the second straight loss. Kansas lost to Louisville as well in a hard-fought exhibition contest.
Kansas held a lead in the second half but went cold offensively and this allowed the Blue Devils to take over.
The Jayhawks enter the season as one of the top teams in the Big 12 but there is still work to do to get to championship level. They took on another title-caliber team in Duke and here is what we observed from this matchup.
3. Christian Reeves Makes Major Impact
Fifth-year senior Christian Reeves is a newcomer for Kansas and has a chance to have a massive impact in the frontcourt.
Reeves was matched up against the likes of Patrick Ngongba and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje and got comfortable on the offensive glass. He grabbed three offensive boards early and finished with two blocks as well. Reeves needs to improve as a scorer, especially since he will have opportunities in the paint due to his size and rebounding ability.
At 7-foot-2, there is no doubt that Reeves will be a defensive force for the Jayhawks. He can rebound at a high level and if he learns to finish around the rim, will put together a pretty nice season.
2. Freshmen Were Great, And Will Get Better
Tyran Stokes is a candidate to go No. 1 overall in next year’s NBA Draft so it is no surprise to see him off to a quick start. The five-star led the way with 27 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists.
The playmaking ability of Stokes is undeniable and he will get better as time goes on. His shooting was inefficient at 7-for-17 from the field and 2-for-7 from three-point range. He missed four free throws as well.
The same can be said about Taylen Kinney. He scored 14 points in 32 minutes but was just 5-for-15 from the field and 2-for-6 from three-point range. There is extreme talent in this freshman class and it will only go up from here.
1. What Is Kansas Defensively?
Kansas gave up 89 and 90 points to Louisville and Duke respectively in two exhibition contests. This begs the question — what will the Jayhawks be defensively?
Along with allowing points at a high clip, Kansas was beat in the rebounding game often letting offensive players get position to rebound and get another possession. Kansas also missed nine free throws in the contest.
This defensive effort has to improve once the season begins in order to compete in a difficult Big 12. The question is, will it?