Kansas Jayhawks Player Ratings to the Theme of Citrus

Kansas had a monumental comeback to beat Oklahoma State.

I’m not sure about you, but when winter comes and citrus season arrives, I indulge. Might as well as the rest of winter is just a dark and gloomy sight most of the time. Adding some brightness and color is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Citrus fruit can do just that. Plus, Oklahoma State wears orange and most citrus is that color.  Sorry, not too creative to start the year, but let’s rate the players to various citrus. As always, the scientific formula is as follows:

Contents

1. 5 Stars: Mandarins
2. 4.5 Oranges
3. 4 Stars: Grapefruit
4. 3.5 Stars: Tangerine/Tangelo
5. 3 Stars: Lemons and Limes
6. 2 Stars: Kumquat
7. 1 Star: Mealy and unjuicy oranges
8. Chris Teahan Memorial No Star:

5 Stars: Out of this world performance. This is a hard to achieve rating and is only reserved for the most impressive or impressionable performances.

4.5 Stars: Very strong performance, packed the stat sheet, provided undeniable intangibles.

4 Stars: A strong performance that falls just short of the standards above.

3.5 Stars: Above average performance, perhaps stands out in one category or one aspect of the game.

3 Stars: Average performance. Also could be a very strong game in one aspect but a very poor game in another such as 15 points but seven turnovers. Could also be that the player played, did their job, but didn't do much spectacularly.

2 Stars: Below average performance, or we simply have higher expectations for the player on this particular night.

1 Star: Rare, but if a player has a stinker in all aspects.

Memorial No Star: Named after a former KU walk-on or obscure player and is awarded to the player(s) who didn't have enough playing time to contribute or whose performance isn't worthy of a rating for another reason.

5 Stars: Mandarins

These tasty little juicy explosions are the perfect snack and therefore the perfect five star. Easy to peel. Delicious. Juicy. Perfect.

No one was this good.

4.5 Oranges

When you get a good one, oh man. When you get a great one, watch out. Sometimes it’s a crap shoot if you buy a big bag (see below).

I'm going with KJ Adams as KU's best player against OSU.  The progression this guy has made in such a short time is amazing to watch.  Finished with 14 points and did this even though he was benched for long periods with foul trouble.  No other "big" offers KU what Adams does.

4 Stars: Grapefruit

I love grapefruit. If I could eat one every morning I would. But some people find them too bitter or they mess with their medication. I’m glad I’m not one of those people because a breakfast that features a grapefruit is a pretty great breakfast.

Jalen Wilson took this team on his shoulders when they needed it and he is proving everyone that put him on end of year watch lists correct. Finished the game with 20 points, and his biggest highlight had to be the circus drive that spun in.  And another thing: He was definitely shooting when he was fouled with one second left on the shot clock, but I'll take an open three over Jalen taking three free throws all day.

Kevin McCullar had an off day by his standards but the huge three at the end and the enormous block at the very end elevate this at least two stars.

Joseph Yesufu made a few very important baskets in this one.  A three early to get KU tied before OSU started extending their lead, and one later that added to KU's run to get the game back. Depth is important.

3.5 Stars: Tangerine/Tangelo

Tangerines are closer to a mandarin than an actual orange and I guess I didn’t know that until I started writing this. They also have more seeds, and that explains the lower star rating here.

Dajuan Harris's stat line looks way better than his actual game did.  He was good, don't get me wrong, and those two threes were easily his most important of the season.  But it seemed like he had more than one turnover (perhaps some of those were "credited" to other guys) and his nine assists were a quiet nine.  Anyway, solid but not a great as we typically see. Of course, this could be said about almost all of the Jayhawks Saturday.

Zuby Ejiofor had a solid first half when he spelled a foul ridden KJ. Finished with four points and three boards.

3 Stars: Lemons and Limes

You probably use these year round. They are the three star.

Gradey Dick had one of those games where you go, "He's grabbed a lot of rebounds"  and "He hasn't shot it very much" and those things are true as he snatched nine rebounds and only attempted four shots from deep. Credit OSU's game plan for that, and credit OSU coach Mike Boynton for getting mismatches to make it hard for Dick defensively. Gradey had eight points and four assists to go with his boards.

Bobby Pettiford got absolutely lost on the play that could've broken KU's back late. Otherwise, he was pretty silent in this one.

Zach Clemence had some quality first half minutes but couldn't parlay that into more in the second.

Cam Martin did the same and got a meaningful tip in basket and chucked a due to the ground.  Well played, sir.

2 Stars: Kumquat

These little guys pack a delicious wallop in a small package but since they are relatively hard to find, they drop down. Not because they’re bad, they’re not. It’s more because it’s sometimes impossible to find them.

Typically guys that play two minutes get the neutral three or the no star.  Not MJ Rice! He committed what is up to this point, the dumbest foul of the season when he stuck out a hand to foul Okie State's driver late on in the first half.  The free throw made it a 15 point game and Rice was relegated to the bench for the rest of the game. 

1 Star: Mealy and unjuicy oranges

You know when you peel that orange and it looks amazing and then it’s a tasteless and mealy mess that you can barely swallow? One star.

No one was a one star.

Chris Teahan Memorial No Star:

Ernest Udeh played the last 1.1 seconds to protect the rim against a tip in.  The problem is that the refs conferred and there was now time for OSU to take a real shot. They did, but McCullar came to the rescue.  None of this is Ernest's fault, and he probably played a part in the errant in bounds to seal the win.