LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas men’s basketball team continued its winning ways in front of about 200 former KU players, coaches and staff members on Saturday.
As part of a celebration of 125 years of KU basketball, the Jayhawks remained undefeated in conference play by defeating Iowa State, 62-60, at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas (16-1, 5-0 Big 12) ended the Cyclones’ (13-3, 4-1 Big 12) six-game winning streak thanks to 21 points from Gradey Dick, 16 points from Jalen Wilson and overall clutch play.
In the game’s last two minutes, the Jayhawks showcased why they are ranked No. 2 in the country.
With the Jayhawks leading 62-60 with 11.6 seconds left in the game, Iowa State guard Caleb Grill missed a potential game-winning 3-point basket.
Before that shot, Kansas forward KJ Adams hit the game-winning leaner with 10 seconds left to put KU up 2.
Leading into that sequence, the game was tied at 57-all with 2:50 left.
Iowa State’s Osun Osunniyi blocked the ball twice in one possession, but the Cyclones could not secure the rebound. Finally, the ball ended up in Wilson’s hands, and he quickly hit a floater as the shot clock expired to put KU up 59-57.
Adams would make one of two free throws on the next KU possession, but Iowa State would answer with a 3 by Gabe Kalscheur to tie the game at 60-all with 35 seconds left.
Now, KU rides a 10-game winning streak into its matchup against in-state rival Kansas State on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum. After the Wildcats’ loss to TCU on Saturday, the Jayhawks are the only Big 12 team without a conference loss.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game:
KJ Adams is the real deal.
KJ Adams has turned into a two-way star. The 6-foot-7 forward plays elite defense against taller, bigger players in the post and has emerged as a legitimate offensive option. When Adams has the ball in his hands, good things happen.
Adams extended his double-digit points streak to 10 games on Saturday. Adams scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds and tallied two assists.
Perhaps the most impressive part? Adams’ ability to create offense.
KU used Adams as a secondary creator on offense. He often found his teammates open, but they just couldn’t convert.
This was the first game Kansas coach Bill Self has put the ball in Adams’ hands and allowed him to create offense. It opens a new wrinkle for the Jayhawks. The floor becomes better spaced for KU’s shooters and forces defenses to respect Adams’ situational awareness to pass when needed.
When Adams would receive a pass at the top of the key, the Iowa State defense would collapse into the paint. Then, Adams would drive and whip passes to open teammates in the corners.
If Adams can score confidently and create offense, it raises Kansas’ offensive ceiling.
Gradey Dick lives for the big moment
Throughout the season, KU guard Gradey Dick has talked about how he relishes playing conference opponents so he can be a villain.
Allen Fieldhouse had a sizable portion of Iowa State fans and Dick was enemy No. 1 for them.
Every time an Iowa State player hit a big shot, Dick answered on the other end with a big-time shot of his own. The freshman scored 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor and also grabbed five rebounds in 31 minutes.
The guard hit three 3s in the second half, each of them very important. That included an NBA 3 from the left wing with 6:42 to play.
KU’s rebounding struggles
One of KU’s biggest issues this season has been rebounding.
That issue played a pivotal role on Saturday as Iowa State hung with the Jayhawks. The Cyclones outrebounded KU 37-32.
The biggest margin came on the offensive glass, where Iowa State had 13 rebounds to Kansas’ six.
KU’s defense did a fairly sound job (the Cyclones shot 38.3%) and the Jayhawks limited their offensive turnovers (12 overall), but the rebounds allowed Iowa State to have a significant advantage in shot attempts.
The Cyclones had 60 shot attempts to the Jayhawks’ 48.
Wilson was the only one Jayhawk with double-digit rebounds (11) in the game. Typically, KU has relied on team rebounding to make up for being undersized. Iowa State did a great job of being more physical and boxing out to force the issue.
