Jayhawks Explode for 96-68 Win Over Howard After Slow Defensive Start

Gradey Dick had one of his best games as a Jayhawk in the first-round matchup against the Howard Bison in the NCAA Tournament first round.

Kansas’ offense showed up for the 1 p.m. tip in Des Moines for the Jayhawks’ first-round matchup against Howard. The defense did not, at least not right away, but with Kevin McCullar back healthy and Norm Roberts again on the bench for Bill Self, Kansas eventually won with ease 96-68 to advance to the second round.

It just wasn’t looking that way 10 minutes in.

It was fitting that McCullar scored the first two points of the game for Kansas after missing the end of the Big 12 Tournament. Jalen Wilson then got in on the action early by burying a three, but Gradey Dick got beat back-door and then fouled Howard for an and-one on a pick-and-roll to keep it tied early. Somehow, the Bison were left with several wide-open looks from three, which is dangerous for a team that shoots 37% from deep on the year.

Howard hit five of 12 from three in the first half, but also had success pushing it inside. Kansas’ success was in transition and playing above the rim. Dick put back a KJ Adams miss, then after a Howard charge, McCullar found Dajuan Harris in transition as part of a 6-0 run. A Howard three cut the KU lead to two at 15-13 before Ernest Udeh came in and made his presence known. Udeh caught two alley-oops in the first half, and Harris found Adams for another. Adams also had an emphatic dunk to get the Jayhawks going.

The Bison had no shortage of answers in the first 15 minutes, and an 11-5 run tied the game at 24. Two more Howard threes would give them a one-point lead on two separate occasions. Then KU put its foot down. A McCullar put-back, Dick three, and Wilson put-back were part of an 11-2 Kansas run to go up 42-34. And as bad as the defense looked, the bench stepped up. Joseph Yesufu hit a three, Udeh dunked it on everyone, and Bobby Pettiford had his best half in a long time with two points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal while being active in ways that don’t show up in the box score.

That helped Kansas secure a 50-37 halftime lead.

Harris opened the second half with a three before Howard answered with its sixth of the game. Free throws had been an issue for this team, but Kansas was perfect from the line in the first half and started 9-11 (it would end 11-13). The other area in which the Jayhawks were great was on the offensive boards. Dick grabbed KU’s 11th offensive rebound with 17:30 left in the game and put it back for the Jayhawks’ 12th second-chance point.

But Howard would not go away. Shy Odom took over offensively for the Bison and got to the rim at will. Udeh came in and made a massive block, which KU turned into a Wilson layup on the other end. Dick grabbed another offensive board – his fourth of the game – which led to him finding a cutting McCullar for a big dunk and a 66-50 Kansas lead. Then Dick buried a three on the next possession after a Howard layup.

A fifth offensive rebound by Dick was immediately dunked by the freshman to put KU up 19 and to give Dick both his 19th point of the game and also his first double-double of the season. A Harris drive put all five starters in double figures and Kansas to a 20+ point lead for the first time. Dick found Udeh for a cross-court pass for another dunk and all of a sudden it was 75-54 with under eight to play.

Kansas was able to slow the game down as it became out of reach and get the starters rest as Yesufu, Udeh, and Pettiford played a decent amount of minutes. Harris found Adams for another alley-oop to give KU its biggest lead at 84-60 for its 48th point in the paint.

Back-to-back steals led to a Wilson layup and Dick cross-court pass to Wilson for a three. Kansas had 13 steals for the game and 22 assists, while also grabbing 15 offensive rebounds. That sequence with just under four to play allowed KU to go deeper into the bench and give its guys rest. So then it was Yesufu who found Udeh for his fourth dunk and third alley-oop for the game. Zach Clemence even got into the action with a three and a block.

Dick had his best game as a Jayhawk with 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Wilson ended with a game-high 20 points to go with seven rebounds, while Adams had 13, Harris 11 (with seven assists and four steals) and McCullar 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in his return.

The bench added in 23 points, led by Yesufu and Udeh both chipping in eight. 

Kansas will now face either Illinois or Arkansas on Saturday in the second round.