After opening its regular season with a home victory, No. 17 Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night for a matchup against Middle Tennessee State.
The Jayhawks (1-0) impressed Fordham coach Mike Magpayo with their talent and depth in a 95-65 win Monday night. Fordham trailed by just six points with about six minutes to go before the Jayhawks made a stand and broke away with multiple highlight-reel plays from primary and supporting players alike.
The 43-19 closing run, which included repeated fast breaks, alley-oop dunks and other athletic moments, caught Magpayo’s attention.
“Credit to them — they’re awesome,” Magpayo told reporters. “Every single one of those guys can make plays, and we certainly felt that in the last 15 minutes.”
Fifth-year guard Tre White led with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while freshman guard Tyran Stokes and sophomore guard Leroy Blyden Jr. added 15 points apiece. Senior guard Melvin Council Jr., who, like White, is eligible to play because of a court injunction against the NCAA, scored 10 points and had seven assists.
Trey Kaufman-Renn, a transfer forward from Purdue who was drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves in June, scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. Recently made eligible via injunction to play a sixth college season, he is expected to be a starter this season, coach Bill Self said.
Middle Tennessee (1-0) routed Fisk 117-73 in its season opener Monday night. Coach Nick McDevitt liked how the Blue Raiders moved the ball on offense.
“We have nine new players and five returners,” McDevitt told reporters. “But to have 25 assists on 42 made baskets is really what you want to see.”
Junior guard Quintero Barnett led with 24 points, and Penn State transfer Eli Rice added 18 off the bench on 5-of-10 3-point shooting.
Third-year guard Marcus Whitlock Jr. added 17 points after shooting 4-of-9 on threes, and senior guard Jahvin Carter added 16 points and seven assists.
The Blue Raiders played their opener using the same methods since the offseason began, McDevitt said.
“We talk about not being selfish in anything, but it’s glaring when there’s selfishness on the offensive end of the floor,” McDevitt said. “And our team just hasn’t played like that since the beginning, since we really got after it in June.”
The Blue Raiders, who went 17-15 a season ago under McDevitt, were picked by media to finish fifth out of 10 teams in Conference USA. This is their first meeting against Kansas since 2000 and third all-time since 1997.
Kansas also has five returning players, and Self said early returns have been good on how they’re gelling. The Jayhawks also played exhibition home games in October against Duke and Louisville, losing each by six points. Self considers those results, and what’s happened since, to be encouraging.
“The players like each other and I don’t think it’s coach-speak,” Self told reporters. “I’ve been really impressed with some of the improvements that have been made.”