The No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks are searching for a second win to begin the regular season on Friday night, as Middle Tennessee comes to Lawrence.
After two exhibition defeats to Louisville and Duke, Kansas rebounded with a 22-point performance out of Tre White to pull away from Fordham 95-65 on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse. Bill Self left the game concerned with how inefficiently Kansas approached the free-throw line (35 of 60).
MORE: Is Kansas Forward Trey Kaufman-Renn On Notice?
The two biggest storylines for Kansas remain how quickly young stars Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney will mesh with recent additions like Tre White and Melvin Council (both played for Self last year and netted eligibility to return), along with newcomers like Trey Kaufman-Renn, who recently signed with Kansas in October.
The Blue Raiders, led by eighth-year head coach Nick McDevitt, are feeling good about themselves after going scorched-earth mode with 117 points scored against Fisk (NAIA). Quintero Barnett led Middle Tennessee with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 mark at the charity stripe.
Without looking too far ahead, the Middle Tennessee matchup is the last tune-up opportunity before the Jayhawks pack their bags for Chicago to challenge Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
KANSAS VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE ODDS
• Spread: Kansas -28.5
• Over/Under: 156.5
• Moneyline: Kansas -20000/Middle Tenn. +3500
Odds as of Friday afternoon. Odds are subject to change.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION: How Will Bill Self Solidify His Rotation?
The Jayhawks, with their late roster additions, are suddenly one of the deeper rosters in the Big 12 and the country.
Kaufmann-Renn (23 min), Utah transfer Keanu Dawes (15 min), and Christian Reeves (13 min) each logged considerable time on the floor against Fordham. Fellow contenders like Paul Mbiya, returning for his second year at Kansas, and true freshman Davion Adkins are also in the mix to round out the Jayhawk frontcourt.
Self wishes to bring his rotation to around 10 players as Kansas looks at a tough slate of games through the end of November, including Kentucky and Villanova.
KANSAS VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE PREDICTION AND PICK
Prediction: Kansas 88, Middle Tennessee 61
It’s hard to paint any picture where Middle Tennessee walks into a rowdy Allen Fieldhouse and pulls it off, but Kansas certainly raised some eyebrows on Monday when Fordham severed its deficit to just 6 points early in the second half in the regular-season opener. Even so, the Jayhawks are far deeper than the Blue Raiders team walking into the gym on Friday night, and as Self’s team continues to carve its identity, a game like this one can’t be taken for granted so early in the year. Stokes and Kinney should be comfortable in a matchup with Middle Tennesse – look for both to come away from this one as far more confident basketball players than after Fordham.
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