The "Sunflower Showdown" in Lawrence was less of a fight and more of a coronation as the Kansas Jayhawks dismantled the Kansas State Wildcats on Senior Day.
With a high-octane offensive performance that eclipsed the 100-point mark, KU improved to 22-9 and reminded the Big 12 that they are still the kings of the state.
The Game Recap
It was a personal dunk contest for Flory Bidunga, who finished with 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting—nearly all of which were rim-rocking alley-oops. Trey White shook off his mid-season slump in spectacular fashion, leading the scoring with 23 points and five triples, while Melvin Council flirted with a triple-double (17 pts, 10 ast, 8 reb) in his final game at Allen Fieldhouse.
The highlight of the afternoon came late when Wilder Evers buried a three-pointer to push KU over the century mark, sending the Phog into a frenzy. Despite some late garbage-time scoring from K-State, the game was never in doubt.
Top Three Takeaways
The Darryn Peterson Resurgence: Peterson looked the most explosive he has since early conference play. Scoring 27 points with an aggressive, smiling demeanor, his health and “joy” on the court are the biggest positive indicators for a deep March run.
The “Spags” of Basketball? Just as Steve Spagnuolo has a “type” for his defense, Bill Self’s offense thrived on length and verticality today. The connection between the guards and Bidunga at the rim proved that when KU plays with pace, few teams can match their athleticism.
Big 12 Tournament Seeding: While the CBS broadcast caused some confusion, KU is essentially locked into the 4-seed, barring a BYU upset of Texas Tech tonight (which could bump KU to the 3-seed). As it stands, the Jayhawks are likely on a collision course with Iowa State this coming Thursday in Kansas City.