Bill, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.
The Kansas head coach was ejected in the final minutes of the game as the No. 6 Jayhawks’ road struggles prevailed, falling in a 29-point margin loss to the unranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, 79-50. The Jayhawks never led once in regulation.
In the first half alone, the Red Raiders went 8-14 from three with five different shooters contributing triples. Out-rebounding Jayhawks 37-23 and out-shooting them 57% to 29% in the first 20 minutes, Texas Tech went into the break with a comfortable nine-point lead. In the second, the Red Raiders kept widening the gap as Kansas managed just 22 points while still shooting 30%.
Normally averaging under 10 PPG, Darrion Williams had a flawless outing — the sophomore guard went 12-12 from the field, hit all four of his triples and made both of his extra points. To top it off, he clocked his sixth double-double of the season with 30 points — a career-high — and 11 rebounds.
SHOOTA 🎯@OfficialDW03 hits a new career high 18 points! pic.twitter.com/wB2b0xmoic
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 13, 2024
Meanwhile, Hunter Dickinson scored just five points, 13 below his season average, as the Jayhawks were inefficient in the paint, getting out-shot 28-20. What’s arguably worse, however, was Kansas’ lack of three-point shooting; netting just three shots from behind the arc, Kansas shot just 19% as a team behind Nicolas Timberlake and Johnny Furphy.
Roster issues continue to impede upon Kansas’ season. Kevin McCullar, Kansas guard — and transfer from Texas Tech — was sidelined for third time in the last five games due to a knee injury.
The Red Raiders perform phenomenally in Lubbock, moving to 13-1 at home (18-6 overall). Adversely, Kansas struggles on the road, notching just a 29% win average when away from Allen Fieldhouse. This was Kansas’ lowest-scoring game since November 2022.
Just one month away from March, a losing record on the road is a glaring flaw on Kansas’ resume, which will largely impact its seeding for the tournament. With five minutes to play, fans in United Supermarkets Arena chanted “overrated” at the Jayhawks — a statement that might just hold true in the postseason if the Jayhawks cannot hold court away from home.