**1 – Dajuan Harris Jr. -** To start, let’s point out that just about everybody played a key role in this one, which was part of the reason Kansas played so well in its 90-78 win over Kansas State. But Harris might have been the best of the bunch. Not just because he scored a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including the game’s opening basket on a 3-pointer than he aggressive stepped into to show what kind of night he wanted it to be. His assist numbers were down (2), but his compete numbers were up, and he again showed what kind of impact he can have on this team and opposing defenses when he’s in attack mode.
**2 – Kevin McCullar Jr. -** He shot way too much in the game’s early going but more than made up for it by playing as hard as he did at Kentucky and putting up numbers to prove it. He finished with 16 points — 10 at the free throw line — and added 13 rebounds, all in just 30 minutes of action. McCullar did make two of three from 3-point range, so his 2-of-10 overall shooting clip was easier to stomach. But he continues to prove he’s at his best when he’s locked in on everything but trying to be a scorer. That’s when his points come.
**3 – Jalen Wilson -** Wilson’s best minutes came early on, when the Jayhawks raced out to their double-digit lead and that allowed them to never look back. His 3-pointers all seemed like daggers and he carried that Kansas swagger, while racing up the floor and downhill whenever he got the ball. His five turnovers weren’t ideal — one was on a heat check 3 that he couldn’t wait to shoot but never actually caught — and he finished 5-of-15 shooting overall. He did add 8 rebounds and was 6-of-8 at the free throw line, making him more than effective even while scoring 18 points fewer than he did the first time KU and K-State played. The big difference: This time, his team won.
**4 – Bobby Pettiford -** Pettiford’s had bigger assist games and better scoring games, but I’m not sure I remember him playing a better game overall. He attacked so well tonight and it was the perfect illustration of why this coaching staff wants him to be in attack mode all the time. His baseline take for a reverse layup was as good of a drive as you’ll see and he didn’t hesitate. In fact, he might have actually gone to the rim before he even caught the ball. Or at least it looked that way. It was that quick. And when he’s playing with the kind of confidence he had on Tuesday night, he can be that good all the time. KU coach Bill Self said he tweaked his hamstring but that he came back after doing it, so there are a few fingers crossed in the KU family tonight, but also some extreme satisfaction over the way Pettiford played.
**5 – Zach Clemence -** He only played after KJ Adams and Ernest Udeh Jr. both picked up foul trouble, but he played pretty darn well when he got in there. He scored from the outside and in the post. He played physical in attacking the glass and defending the paint. And he competed without looking like he was thinking too much about it. More of that will lead to more playing time, although, it likely won’t ever be big minutes because of the way this roster is constructed and the lineup they use. But, nonetheless, his minutes and presence can still be valuable and that was the case on Tuesday night.
**6 – Gradey Dick -** It was a little shocking to see Gradey had the best plus/minus number (+15) on the team after his quiet night, but that speaks largely to his ability to attract attention and make life easier for others when he’s out there. He shot just 2-of-8 from the floor and 1-of-3 from 3-point range while also dealing with foul trouble throughout most of the night. That limited his playing time to 27 minutes and also may have been the reason he did not get going. It didn’t matter. KU didn’t need him to be Gradey the Great in this one, and that, indirectly, could wind up being a really good thing for this team, which knows he’s capable of morphing into that at any point.
**7 – Ernest Udeh Jr. -** Udeh’s first-possession-on-the-floor impact was terrific. He rebounded a miss and scored on his first trip and then blocked a shot and grabbed a rebound after checking in during the second half. It wasn’t anything to write home about after that, but it also wasn’t anything to be discouraged about. He followed up a good game at Kentucky with 10 valuable minutes in this one, scoring 3 points and grabbing 6 boards while being a true presence with his size. Don’t blink or it might be gone, but you’re starting to wonder if what we’re seeing right now is Udeh turning the corner.
**8 – KJ Adams -** This isn’t really a knock on Adams, although his third foul was pretty bad. It’s more a statement about how well the others played above him. He did his job, had a couple of terrific finishes near the basket — none better than the spin move in transition that led to a two-handed flush that many players wouldn’t have even been able to jump into enough to finish above the rim — and was solid enough to score 8 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 18 minutes. Here’s the good news for Adams; he now has evolved into a player that people expect much more out of, so seeing these types of games is merely him landing below the standard he has set for himself. Self said after the game that KU needs him to continue to look to score. He did that tonight. He just wasn’t out there long enough to get much of a rhythm or for his teammates to get a rhythm off of him.
**9 – Joe Yesufu -** He played 15 minutes and was pretty active defensively. But he made just one shot — his first — and then missed the next six from there. I don’t remember thinking too many of them were all that terrible as far as shot selection goes. But looking at 1-of-7 on the stat sheet definitely stands out.
Season standings
———–
1 – Jalen Wilson, 183
2 – Dajuan Harris Jr., 159
3 – KJ Adams, 148
4 – Gradey Dick, 145
5 – Kevin McCullar Jr., 137o
6 – Bobby Pettiford, 94
7 – Joe Yesufu, 73
8 – MJ Rice, 54y
T9 – Zuby Ejiofor, 52
T9 – Ernest Udeh Jr., 52
11 – Zach Clemence, 36z
12 – Cam Martin, 11q
13 – Kyle Cuffe Jr., 2x
*x – Out for 10-12 weeks with a knee injury starting Nov. 13*
*y – Missed 3 of the first 5 games of the season because of injury and illness*
*z – Missed Duke, Southern Utah and NC State games because of injury*
*o – Missed Nov. 29 game vs. Texas Southern with a groin injury
*q – Missed first nine games of the season with shoulder injury
