The Kansas Jayhawks took on the Oklahoma Sooners in Allen Fieldhouse on Big Monday and the Jayhawks walked out with a crushing victory. Kansas defeated the Sooners 104-74 and shot 61% from the field.
The Jayhawks were lead in scoring by senior Devonte’ Graham who shot 8-17 (5-11 from 3-point range) and finished the night with 26 points. Graham also picked up seven assists and five rebounds in the rout of Oklahoma.
Following closely behind Graham was sophomore Malik Newman who finished the night with 20 points, 5-10 shooting and 4-7 from behind the arc. Newman also finished with three rebounds and five assists in what was an all-around solid game from him.
Other Jayhawks to hit double digits were Sviatoslav Myhailiuk with 16, Udoka Azubuike with 10, Silvio De Sousa with 10 and LaGerald Vick with 17.
As for the Sooners, they were lead in scoring by Kameron McGusty who had 22 and following closely behind was, surprisingly, not Trae Young, but instead Jamuni McNeace who finished the game with 18 points. As for the front-runner for the National Player of the Year, Trae Young, he finished the game with 11 points on 3-13 shooting but did create for his teammates as he had nine assists.
The Jayhawks managed to play lockdown defense against Young and would not allow for him to have any open looks. The Jayhawks were also forcing havoc in the paint as they finished the night with six blocks.
Kansas managed to convert on the other end and finished the game shooting 16-29 from 3-point land.
The Jayhawks biggest highlight from the game was not shutting down Trae Young nor Malik Newman’s step-back three, but instead Silvio De Sousa’s 13 minutes. During his time, De Sousa racked up 10 points on 3-3 shooting, including 4-4 from the free-throw line. De Sousa also snagged six rebounds and had an assist. With some more consistency and more playing time, De Sousa could potentially become a legitimate threat down in the paint. He could also serve as an alternative to the hack-a-Dok strategy as he has been consistent from the free-throw line.
The Jayhawks throttled Oklahoma and hope to use this momentum when they take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday in Lubbock. Kansas is currently a half-game ahead of the Red Raiders in the Big 12 standings, however, Texas Tech will face off against Oklahoma State on Wednesday for a chance to even things up.
The game on Saturday could likely determine the winner of the Big 12 title, but for now, the Jayhawks will celebrate their victory over Oklahoma.
As for the Sooners, they have lost six straight and could potentially be in trouble as some people are questioning their tournament resume. If the Sooners continue to struggle, they could likely miss out on the NCAA tournament.
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