The Kansas Jayhawks defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels, 92-89, in a non-conference showdown at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., on Friday.
In a clash of blue bloods, it was Kansas (2-0) that bolted out to a huge lead that was 20 points at one time in the game. But, North Carolina (1-1) eventually clawed all the way back into the game and both teams gave the sellout crowd something special in the first week of the season.
Kansas center Hunter Dickinson scored the final three points of the game — a lay-up off an entry pass from Zeke Mayo and a free throw — as the Jayhawks outlasted the Tar Heels and gave coach Bill Self his 590th win at Kansas, tying with Phog Allen for No. 1 all-time in program history.
Dickinson finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Mayo had 21 points. K.J. Adams Jr. had 14 points, AJ Storr had 13 points and Dajuan Harris Jr. had 10 points.
Seth Trimble led six UNC players in double figures with 19 points.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
KJ Adams In Position
For the past couple of years, Kansas has asked forward KJ Adams Jr. to do many different things. Before Hunter Dickinson arrived last year, he was asked to be a small center and he did as good a job as one could ask from the 6-7 forward.
But it wasn’t his natural position. And, last year, working alongside Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr., there were times it just didn’t work.
Now, it’s working. The standard Adams efficiency is there. He was 7-of-10 from the floor in the first half. Starting alongside three true guards, that makes Adams the clear power forward, a role for which he’s best suited.
He didn’t have as much of an impact in the second half. But, he played a team-high 37 minutes. While Self is playing with rotations, Adams appears to be his early constant. It’s a recognition that while other players will get more attention, this team may be diminished without Adams on the floor.
Want Some Mayo on That?
Yeah, just get used to it. Zeke Mayo’s gonna be really good.
The guard was dominant the last two seasons at South Dakota State, where he averaged more than 18 points per game each season. It was fair to question whether the transfer’s game would translate to the Big 12.
Two games in, we got a heat check against the Tar Heels — 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, including three 3-pointers.
He made key plays and decision down the stretch. His jumper with 1:45 left tied the game at 89-89. His entry pass to Dickinson allowed the center to give Kansas the lead.
He handled that atmosphere like he’d been playing at Kansas his entire career. At times, you could just see him soak it in. Some transfers from mid-majors get overwhelmed early in the year at a high major. Not Mayo. He looked built for it.
Oh, and he did all of that off the bench. KU wanted his 3-point shooting as much as anything. But he looks like the whole package just two games into this season.
Kansas vs. The Field
This is the time of year when the radio folks and other outlets I do work ask me the inevitable question about the Big 12 — Kansas or the field for the Big 12 title?
Normally, I’m taking the field. There is simply too much that can happen during a college basketball season for me to take one team against an entire conference for the title.
Not this year. I’m taking Kansas. I was in that camp before the season started and Friday’s game only reinforced it.
Self has assembled a monster in Lawrence. Between holdovers, transfers and recruits, this is probably the most talented team in college basketball. Remember back in March when Self said what happened last season wouldn’t happen again? He meant it.
You saw it on Friday, both in how the Jayhawks dominated the game early and withstood North Carolina’s best shot late.
College basketball is a long, strange ride. Anything can happen. But these Jayhawks look built for it.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
