Kansas vs Eastern Illinois: Player ratings to the Theme of Cities with the Same Name

Kansas survives against Eastern Illinois with some middling performances.

Today’s theme might seem a little difficult to understand, so let me explain the thought process. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois, a town unknown to most Americans. After all, the population of Charleston, Illinois is only 17,000. On the other hand, Charleston, South Carolina is routinely on travel bucket lists for their southern cuisine, hospitality, and architecture. So, today’s list will feature great cities around the world and their lesser known counterparts. 

Kansas snuck past Eastern Illinois in a game that no one thought would be this close, so will we see many high ratings today? Here’s how we decide how to rate the players (feel free to use the Table of Contents if you’re familiar):

Contents

1. 5 Stars: Athens
2. 4.5 Stars: Paris
3. 4 Stars: Parma
4. 3.5 Stars: Peru
5. 3 Stars: Kansas City
6. 2 Stars: Springfield
7. 1 Star: Any town in Missouri named after a foreign city

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.

5 Stars: Athens

Athens takes our top spot because both cities are great. Everyone knows about the Greek capital, famous for the ancient relics strewn about the city especially at the Acropolis. Mix in the delightful Mediterranean cuisine, and Athens is one of the world’s best cities. But Athens, Georgia, unlike many of the other cities on this list is pretty great too. Home to the University of Georgia and very well known in the indie music scene for having spawned such greats as REM, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the B-52’s.

No one was a five star

4.5 Stars: Paris

The city in Texas is nothing to write home about, but the French capital is one of the greatest cities in the entire world. You could live in Paris your entire life and never even experience a fraction of this magnificent city. Eight other US states have a town named Paris as well, making it the one of the most popular of all the world cities to city founders in the United States. Amsterdam features high on that list as well.

The game wasn't good game, no one was a 4.5 either.

4 Stars: Parma

Parma, Ohio is a suburb of Cleveland (you learn something everyday), but the real attraction is the city of the same name in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Parma is one of the great food cities in the world with prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, and of course Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as the most well known exports.

Hunter Dickinson had 25 points and 13 rebounds and that usually gets a higher rating than a four. But let’s not blame Dickinson entirely for this one, he simply couldn’t get the ball for a large stretch of the second half, EIU’s defenders doing a great job of denying him the ball mixed with Kansas looking away from the big guy for some reason. When the ball went back to him with consistency late in the game, KU pulled away.

3.5 Stars: Peru

I know, I know, city isn't the first thing you think of when you hear Peru. Ten US cities are named Peru, and let’s face it, no one is visiting any of these places anytime soon. However, Peru is an amazing country high on many travelers’ bucket lists, with Machu Picchu leading the way. The rest of the country is pretty spectacular as well. Cusco sees plenty of tourism. Arequipa is an underrated city in the south, and Lima is a vibrant capital city. 

Kevin McCullar scored 18 and grabbed five rebounds in the win, but I’ll say this, he was one of the few that was aggressive going to the rim all game even if he did miss quite a few in his effort to spark the Jayhawks.

KJ Adams likes to dunk, that’s for sure. He finished with 10 points, all his field goals from inside the paint. He also made two of three free throws in this one, taking his season average up to 16% if you round up.

DOWNTOWN ALLEY OOP 🗣

from @DajuanH10 ➡️ @kj_atx pic.twitter.com/zHXERyW3dq

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) November 29, 2023

OH MY OOP 😱#LevelUp x @kj_atx pic.twitter.com/0s8d0wbguo

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) November 29, 2023

Elmarko Jackson had a strong game that doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score. Other than a three that he took too early in the shot clock with KU clinging to a slight lead late in the game, the freshman managed the game well. He had five points, two assists, and three steals.

Nick Timberlake’s initial shot hit nothing but the baseline stripe, but after that, the Towson transfer made his other three and another shot to total five points. He also had three rebounds and two assists, but it’s clear that Bill Self trusts his freshman in crunch defensive moments more than Timberlake.

Jamari McDowell was solid again, getting big time minutes at important times for Kansas.

3 Stars: Kansas City

It’s getting better. It’s taken a while, but most people now know that the Kansas City that everyone hears about, the one that has all the museums and attractions, is the one in Missouri. We’re getting there, people. Yes, I know it’s a Kansas website, but if you can’t accept this truth…

Dajuan Harris looked like a guy who underestimated the opponent at times. He just wasn’t as crisp as he normally is while still finishing with three points and nine assists. One quality that you love from Harris is that he never seems to get rattled, that steady composure is always on display.

Johnny Furphy made a three, a two, and one free throw and ended with six points.

Parker Braun barely played and gets a three solely because he didn’t have enough time on the court. He did have two blocks in his five minutes of action.

2 Stars: Springfield

It’s said that every state has a Springfield. I didn’t bother look it up, so I’m just going to assume that the most famous Springfields are those in Illinois, Missouri, and Massachusetts.

Despite the disappointing game, no one was a Springfield.

1 Star: Any town in Missouri named after a foreign city

The pronunciations are atrocious. Cairo becomes KAY-ro, Versailles becomes VER-sales, New Madrid becomes New MAD-rid. Ridiculous. But it’s possible that Cabool, Missouri takes the cake for most ridiculous Americanization of a place or thing.

Obviously, no one was as bad as these mispronounced atrocities.

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