What Bill Self Said About Kansas' Insane Defensive Performance vs. Arizona State

The Jayhawks shut down the Sun Devils in the second half to secure a big home victory.

Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self yells out in the first half of the game against Arizona State Sun Devils inside Allen Fieldhouse Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. / Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LAWRENCE, Kan. — On Wednesday night, the Kansas Jayhawks secured their second Big 12 victory of the season in dominant fashion, shutting down Arizona State 74-55 with a suffocating defensive display.

The Jayhawks trailed early in the first half but came alive defensively after the break, holding the Sun Devils to just 13 points in the second half. Kansas forced 18 turnovers, collected 13 steals, and blocked five shots in what head coach Bill Self described as an "exceptional" defensive effort.

"Well, we were great defensively. I mean, who would have thought we shot the ball worse the second half from two, we shot it worse from three, and basically held them to 11," Self said. "And then they get the layup there right at the very end, but, yeah, that was exceptional."

Self also pointed out that Arizona State’s lack of depth played a role in their struggles.

"Now, granted, they didn't have as much depth tonight, so their guys got tired, I thought," Self said. "But Rylan [Griffen] was terrific. And, you know, [Shakeel Moore] is a difference-maker defensively [...] and then everybody else was better the second half."

Despite the defensive heroics, Kansas had its own offensive challenges. Big man Hunter Dickinson had a rough night, shooting just 5-for-15 from the field. Self acknowledged the uneven offense but praised his team for stepping up on the other end of the floor.

"I don’t think we played great by any stretch offensively. [Hunter Dickinson] is 5-for-15, and some different things, but defensively, that's about as turned up as I’ve seen a team for an entire half," Self said.

The win improved Kansas to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play, giving the Jayhawks back-to-back victories after a tough conference-opening loss to West Virginia.

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