Kansas Jayhawks at Kentucky Wildcats Predictions
Once a season, the Big 12 takes a break right in the middle of conference season to take on the SEC in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. This is the last year of the challenge currently scheduled, and the Kansas Jayhawks are once against matched up with the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kansas seems like they could use a break from the tough Big 12 slate, but there is some question about how much of a break this actually is. Will Kansas be able to go on the road and feed off the energy of the crowd? Or will the interior play of the Wildcats overwhelm KJ Adams and company as they try to establish play in the post? Our crew shares their thoughts below.
Do you disagree with our assessment? Make sure you read them all and then hop over to the Discord or on Twitter to share your own thoughts.
Kyle Davis
Check out our Kentucky Preview for Kyle's full breakdown and prediction.
Lucas Murphy
The Kansas Jayhawks need to hit the reset button. Who remembers when the original Nintendo would freeze or throw multiple colors on the screen and you would have to take out the game, blow in the bottom, and start all over from the beginning? That is exactly what this basketball team needs to do. Simple layups have been a struggle at times which lead to long stretches of not scoring. The Jayhawks play behind more often than not and in the last three games they could not overcome such tremendous deficits. This next game will be no easy task as they square up against another blue blood, the Kentucky Wildcats. Jalen Wilson continues to carry this team, but this is a team sport and needs help. Kansas needs someone to come off the bench and supply quality minutes and score some points. I am going to be watching Dajuan Harris. Harris is the epitome of the reset button. Lately, he has made too many mistakes, turning over the basketball and not driving and scoring. I am not asking for 20 points, but Kansas fans know what we expect from Dajuan and we have not been getting it.
Kansas 78, Kentucky 73.
Derek Noll
On a road trip in the late 1980s, young me thought it would be really cool to have cable TV in the car to pass the time. But how? With a long cord? Any other options seemed impossible. It was just never going to happen. Alas, we know it has happened. This is also the way I feel about Kansas losing four games in a row. Impossible. But KU is staring that in the eye as they travel to face a suddenly resurgent Kentucky team. Should I go with 12 year old me and believe the impossible or should I stand with the current reality that Kansas has flaws and will probably lose? I’m not sure how Kansas handles Oscar Tshiebwe, so I’ll take the impossible as KU falls for a fourth straight time.
Kentucky 80, Kansas 70
Brendan Dzwierzynski
There’s no way a Bill Self-coached Jayhawks team loses four straight games, right? It seems impossible, but it’s certainly realistic given this matchup with Kentucky, who’s maybe figured things out after a brutal stretch earlier this year. I’ll look at this game from a glass-half-full perspective and predict that Dajuan Harris won’t have another bad game, that Jalen Wilson will be the best player on the floor again and that Self will somehow construct a quality game plan against Oscar Tshiebwe, even if it includes the junkiest defense we’ve ever seen.
Kansas 75, Kentucky 74.
Andy Mitts
Like the others have said, this is a game that can easily go against the Jayhawks, especially given the contrasting styles. Oscar Tshiebwe is going to be a problem on the inside, but the Jayhawks do have options. It is difficult to imagine that Ernest Udeh and Zuby Ejiofor would get significant minutes against the Kentucky star, but they might be better matchups than KJ Adams. But Self might decide to try and use the speed of Adams to keep the Wildcats off balance, something that they were able to do with great success early in the year.
But ultimately, this game is going to come down to the perimeter. The Jayhawks will need Jalen Wilson, Kevin McCullar and Dajuan Harris to lock down on defense, and one of Joseph Yesufu or Bobby Pettiford needs to have a great offensive game. Of course, all of that could be for naught if Gradey Dick goes back into his slump.
Playing in Lexington, I just get a bad feeling about this game. I really hope I'm wrong, but I just can't pick this team right now, especially in a non-conference game against a team that can easily take advantage of a slow start for the Jayhawks.
Kentucky 78, Kansas 71.
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