Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - ENCOURAGED: Kansas Jayhawks' Resilience SHINES without Darryn Peterson in Loss to Duke Blue Devils

Starting point is 00:00:00 K. You lost the Duke by 12 points, but there are a lot of reasons to be encouraged about this team. I'm riding with these 2025, 2026 Jayhawks. You are Locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. Hey, what's going on? Derek Johnson here. This is Locked on. Jayhawks, thanks for making it your first listen every day, and thank you that every dayers catching each and every episode of the show.

Starting point is 00:00:35 We are free and available anywhere you get your podcast. And thank you for making the locked on podcast network, the number one sports podcast network. We're going to be breaking down KU's 78 to 66 loss and the Champions Classic to a strong Duke team on today's episode of the show. We're going to get into what went down in the game. No Darren Peterson. KU showed a lot of fight.

Starting point is 00:00:54 This was a close game until Duke kind of pulled away over the last couple minutes of this one. We're going to get into some of the big. positive some of the biggest negative still moments award stats of the game and more and we'll give out our game balls as well on today's episode of the show today's episode of locked on j hawks is brought to you by fan dual sportsbook right now new customers can bet just five dollars and if your bet wins you get three hundred dollars in bonus bets to use across the app download the fan dual sports book app today so kansas fall 78 to 66 but really to me it felt like a game that kansas played pretty well like obviously you're without your bet you're

Starting point is 00:01:30 best player with Darren Peterson. And you end up not even covering the spread. Like in my head, I was like, oh, man, maybe if Kansas loses by six, you'll feel good at the end of this one. I kind of feel good about where this team is at the end of this game. Obviously, there's no moral victories. This is still Kansas basketball. And so you still want to win the game. And so there's still some opportunities there that you felt like we're left on the table. But I think overall long term for this team, if you continue to get the play that you got from Trey White, I guess over the last two games, the level of a aggressiveness and scoring that he is providing, if you continue to get this level of play from

Starting point is 00:02:04 Florida Bedunga, who played really well in this game, backing up what he did against Princeton over the weekend. If you continued, I know the shooting didn't come around again for Melvin counsel, it did make the one three. But if you continue to get that level of aggressiveness, driving and pushing transition play for Melvin Council, where then he won't have to shoot as much because Darren Peterson is back, and he'll be the one taking the tough shots at the end of shot clock situations. You package that all up together and you continue to get an improving Bryson Tiller and Jaden Dawson and Cole Rosario can hit a little bit more shots. Like KU did not shoot well in this game and they had to if they wanted to have a chance to win. If you do all those things that we saw a little bit of tonight and a little bit of in the Princeton game and you get Darren Peterson back healthy at some point later this season, I do think you are cooking with something if you're Kansas.

Starting point is 00:02:57 And so if you're just reading the box score, you're going to walk away from this game. gaming like yeah canes lost by 12 this was a close game right this this was a game that before isaiah evans hits that three at the end of shock clock situation um it is a situation where you know it's a what a five point game at that point in time and had isaiah evans not hit you know that end of shot clock tough fading three which he's a great shooter so credit to him or the one at the end of the first half it's a two point game with a couple minutes to go right and then it did feel like okay like eventually it gets a point you're down eight you're down 10 with like a minute and a half you kind of just like I don't know it's not the same level of intensity it becomes a little bit different there um but

Starting point is 00:03:37 you know what I find interesting to is Kansas struggled with the size of North Carolina and the size bothered Kansas in certain elements in this game against Duke I mean um we saw Duke wind up with a lot of extra chances 13 offensive rebounds obviously with some of the foul trouble they had for a team that's not super deep on big men with KU that's going to stretch you thin and certainly test you in a lot of ways. But I thought overall was a good response from them to show that like, okay, so far to this point in the season, we've seen them, I think, perform better matchup-wise against teams who maybe are more guard oriented.

Starting point is 00:04:18 You think of like the Louisville exhibition. But this one showed, especially if you get Darren Peterson back for later, that maybe this can kind of be the situation that, I don't know, like, that you can be a versatile defense, something that we've kind of thought this team could be, that you could adjust in a lot more ways than last year's team that, you know, if you got the right matchup with last year's team, they wound up actually being a good defensive team, but they weren't super versatile in terms of the matchups that they were always going up against necessarily. Now, I'll say this too, interestingly enough, KU wore the 1988 jerseys, the 88 team that

Starting point is 00:04:54 that won the title with Danny in the Miracles. Maybe this year will be Darren in the Miracles for KU. I don't know if you knew this, a little bit of trivia or history, whatever. So Kansas actually beat Duke in the 1988 final four, 66 to 59. Kansas lost to Duke in the regular season that year. So if history is repeating itself, Kansas wearing those jerseys lost Duke in the regular season,

Starting point is 00:05:19 they're going to meet again in the tournament. Darren Peterson will be back. And boom, they're going to be good to go. would be certainly the hope for KU, but I'm riding with this team. I enjoy watching this team. It's athletic. It's fun. Yeah, it's not, it's not the most pleasing on the eyes and the half court offensively sometimes. I think if we're looking at some of the biggest negatives of the game, like the half court offense is still going to be a bit iffy. That's where Darren Peterson comes in to kind of save the day. I will say, Floribunga, it feels like he's progressing

Starting point is 00:05:45 each and every game with his offensive ability. And that's something that's going to help you. also other teams you play when you play too big basketball aren't going to be able to match up as good with the size as Duke could to where Tiller will have, I think, more of an offensive advantage in some other games. And then ideally, in the offensive side, like Cole Rosario is not going 05 from 3 every game or a Jaden Dawson who hit that early 3 and it felt like, okay, this is going to be a Jaden Dawson game ends up just one. I mean, you get one of 10 from three from Dawson and Rosario. That was going to be a no-go for you winning the game if that was kind of the starting point. point but like point being um the half court offense is a work in progress the melbourne council shooting and the three point shooting of some of the role players is a work in progress right now but um with darren peterson if you can get him back and i guess at this point like it is a question

Starting point is 00:06:37 like okay what if he does come back and then what if he gets her again and then what if he's out you just don't entirely know so you can't you can't fully bank on the idea that okay darren peterson's going to save everything but i thought we saw enough in this game to make me feel confident about what this team could potentially be. I mean, Trey White was so aggressive. He had 22 points. He had nine rebounds. He had four assists.

Starting point is 00:06:57 He continued to get to the free throw line. That was a continuation of the previous game. And he was rebounding. If Trey White plays like that the rest of the season, Kansas is going to have an unbelievable year from Trey White. Melvin counsel, again, the shooting wasn't totally great, but he kind of gets put in a situation a lot of times or at the end of shot clocks. Like he's the guy who, because of his speed, he can beat somebody off a dribble to at least

Starting point is 00:07:18 get enough separation to take the jumper. So six of 15, not great. But if Peterson comes back in, I think the efficiency goes up for counsel in some of those situations. And I really like the aggressiveness of counsel and the leading transition play. And then you look at Florida Bedonga, like battle foul trouble all night long, but he still ends up with 14 points for the game, had a huge impact all over the floor, throwing down huge dunks in and out and everything.

Starting point is 00:07:43 I think there's a lot to take away from this game in the positive for KU. And I do think it's an enjoyable team to watch, even though it's not necessarily aesthetically pleasing at all times. It's not aesthetically pleasing shooting the basketball always. It's not aesthetically pleasing in the half court always, but it's aesthetically pleasing in transition. It is a competitive style of basketball. It's an aggressive style of basketball. There's still times throughout the game where, and I think this is kind of just early season, we saw it less than this game than the Carolina game that you still saw it where, you know,

Starting point is 00:08:17 maybe you have a big man out up high and then somebody cuts to the rim and they get an open cutter and they get an easy bucket off it. There's still too many of those in this game. It wasn't as many as the Carolina game. Those are things they need to tighten up and I think those are things they will tighten up with more time together and in the system and everything like that. But I just, I'm trying to take a different approach with this game without Darren Peterson. And again, it becomes a different conversation if Peterson is to miss a very lengthy period of time

Starting point is 00:08:45 or if that ends up being more serious than anybody's hoping for, because then it is a conversation of, okay, this is your team and you weren't good enough to win this game. But with the hope that that is still coming on the horizon, I'm not bothered by this game. And so, yes, you got to do a better job as a team in the half court. Yes, you need to get Darren Peterson back healthy. Yes, you need to do a better job of avoiding fouls.

Starting point is 00:09:10 I will say, I do not think the refs were very good in this game. There were calls on both teams that I don't think they were very good about to be clear, but they definitely changed the way KU was able to play this game by getting all those guys in foul trouble. I think there were a lot of tickey, tacky ones to be clear, and that was never going to favor KU in a game where KU doesn't have the big depth and have the depth where Duke does, right? So I walk away feeling better about this team in the long haul at the same point in time, no moral victories.

Starting point is 00:09:39 It's Kansas and the three and two record. it's something where, you know, are you going to get Darren Peterson back in your next games? I don't know, because it's the potential of three games in three days. And so does it make sense to bring him back? No, like maybe you target the week after where it's against Yukon. So are you able to bottle up what you did in this game? Because if you play like you did today against Duke, again, ideally you shoot it a little bit better. But if you do that in the Notre Dame and Syracuse games, you'll win both games.

Starting point is 00:10:08 But we heard Bill Self pretty upset after the Princeton game too. about his team's performance there. So if you have that mindset coming into the game, maybe you could lose one of those games. So it'll be an interesting next week or so for KU basketball, but I'm certainly not down on this team. In fact, I, I'm ready to fight for him after what I saw out there against the Duke Blue Devils.

Starting point is 00:10:28 All right, let's continue on here and get to some of our moments and plays of the game stats, the game awards, game balls, all that and more. This is Locked on Jayhawks. Today's episode of Locked on Jayhawks is brought to you by Fandualsports book. And with Fandual, cultural basketball season's back, the NBA is back, and there's no better place to get in on the action

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Starting point is 00:11:36 A lot of fun ones in this one for KU. I think the Flory, he gets off like the poked ball dribbles in, yams it early in the game, the Melvin Council and won the Jane and Dawson. It wasn't just a three he hit, but he had that one steal on the pass to Evans that he jumped kind of in front of. Then he drives down, set up the defense well and through a high lob that Flory threw down over Boozer. That was fun. The Trey White and won to tie it at 30.

Starting point is 00:12:02 And then things got a little difficult for KU for a while, but still some fun moments in the second half. The floory dunk over Boozer, I think, is probably the most fun KU highlight of the game, to say the least. Honestly, like the moments of the game that I think won Duke the game most, it was the Evans three, right? Like, I mean, threes, the end of the first half, one, Trey White hits a big three for KU to kind of get him out of a bit of a rut, and he just answers right away from that deep three at the end of the first half. That's certainly a backbreaker. And then they had two on the shot o'clock coming out of the little TV timeout.

Starting point is 00:12:33 He hits the corner three kind of fading. I mean, those two shots were really differentiators for Duke, especially in a game where KU did not shoot well from three. I mean, Duke wasn't great from three either. They were seven of 26. That's 27 percent, but that's still better than KU with four of 21 and 19 percent. And really the big difference there is what Isaiah Evans brought to the table with making three, three-pointers.

Starting point is 00:12:55 He was three for seven. The rest of Duke was four of 19. So that means the two teams combined outside of Isaiah Evans were eight of 40, so 20 percent. and Evans was three of seven from three. That was certainly a game changer for them. But a lot of fun highlights, I think, especially from Flory Brunge. Also, that one post movie had where he kind of comes up and under and then throws down the dunk, like we're seeing some real good footwork stuff right now from Flory that is getting

Starting point is 00:13:19 me excited about what this season is going to become. There's a little inconsistent early on. And it's been two straight, really good games, I think, now for Flory. It doesn't completely just mean like, oh, there's not going to be another low moment or something. But the more you start to put these together and the more you start to put these together, and the more you start to put these flashes together where we're seeing it, it's getting me really excited about what he could be come Big 12 play as he continues to kind of get more reps,

Starting point is 00:13:43 especially against good competition like he had in this one. Our stat of the game in this one, I mean, you could point to the Kansas 4-21 from 3 without Darren Peterson. You probably needed to shoot pretty well from three-point range. I would also point to Duke shooting 26 free throws. That certainly hurt you in this one if you're Kansas. I would say Duke ending up with eight turnovers was certainly. something to point to because that was something where in the first half, Duke had six

Starting point is 00:14:09 turnovers. They only had two in the second half. So this is now a continued trend for KU where it feels like they force a lot of turnovers early and then haven't been able to get as many of them late. That's something they're going to have to figure out because early in the game, KU was having a lot of success, turning the ball over and turning that into points. I think beyond that, the 13 to 8 offensive rebound for Duke was certainly a big one, though. Kansas only trailed by two and second chance points. Kansas actually had more points in the paint. interestingly enough 40 to 38 there um but yeah you go through the stats and it's honestly pretty even like kansas really the biggest thing is duke just shot the ball better

Starting point is 00:14:43 a duke shot 47 percent kansas 43 they made the three more threes um but kansas actually shot better at the foul line they just got 12 less attempts it was the same amount of turnovers kansas got out rebounded so that's a big one um and then it's two less second chance points kansas had two more points in the paint four more fast break points three more blocks three more steals two less assists. Again, this wasn't like a bad game for Kansas. I don't think that 12 point final score is totally leading on to what it could be. So I guess it'd be either the three-point shooting or the total rebounds, 41 to 30 would be our stat of the game that kind of defines what happened here. I would be interested if we had a stat, it's not on here, but if we had a stat

Starting point is 00:15:23 for KU's like points per possession and half court offense compared to Duke, I'd be interested to see what that was from this game. Okay, our awards of the game, strength. the case to be the number one pick in the NBA draft award. I actually think Darren Peterson's case got better after this game. Um, not necessarily that he did anything, but I just don't really Camboozer is a good call it. He's a very good college player. I did I, I didn't see anything in the game that I was just like this dude. Because when you watch Darren Peterson, there are so many moments when you watch him, you're like, this dude's different. This looks incredible. And when you watch Cambooz. I don't think I ever got that in the game. And it's not a knock on him.

Starting point is 00:16:06 Like, he's still going to be a great college player who's just unbelievable, productive college player. But I'm just watching. I'm just like, this is just a continuation of like Kyle Filipowski, who's like, again, a very good college player. And Philpowski ended up being what, like an early second round pick and has had a nice early start to his career in the NBA in Utah. But at no point was I like, this guy's on the same plane as Darren Peterson in terms of just being an absolute game changer. It's like, oh, I'm going to work my way into an offensive rebound. and then miss the first shot and then grab another offense of rebound and then go up with it and either get fouled or make the layup after the on the second try.

Starting point is 00:16:40 You're a good passer. I'll give him that. But like at no point was I like, this dude's on the same plane as Darren. I don't, I don't know. Like honestly, Caleb Wilson, Caleb Wilson for North Carolina, matter of respect for Caleb Wilson. I would take Caleb, whatever. This isn't an NBA podcast. I don't care.

Starting point is 00:16:53 Caleb Wilson, I would take him over Cam Boozer. Whatever in the NBA draft. We'll see how that works out in a couple of years. Okay. Booze of the game. Duke fans. So KU took a 26 to 20 lead. Trey White got fouled and it was the fourth foul of the half on the rest of the half. I think second half is pretty even in the number of fouls called, but not that it should be even, right, make the right foul calls. But it felt like so from then

Starting point is 00:17:19 on it was eight to three in fouls called. Kansas was called for eight fouls from that moment on the rest of the half. Duke was called for three. And again, it's not the official's job to call an even amount of fouls. In fact, they probably should do it less is it being you know as even as it is how many years did we see with like press virginia where it was almost just like a testing of we don't think you're going to call everything right um at the same point in time some of the ones that were called on k you a little ticky tacky there and the reason i bring it up is just it's not just that it changed the rest of the first half and and how duke was able to grab the momentum it's how it changed the whole game for k u with the guy i mean

Starting point is 00:17:56 your entire front court was in foul trouble trey white florida and bryson taylor and bryson taylor all got two fouls in the first half. And do I think Kansas should have approached or should approach those situations a little differently? I actually understand Florey sitting with two fouls in the first half because he is somebody who is prone to foul, right? And so that's something you need to work on. But even then, especially this applies for Trey White, I think especially.

Starting point is 00:18:21 But it's almost like if you're sitting a guy with two fouls in the first half, the issue there is that you are guaranteeing he. is out of the game. And yes, there is the risk he could pick up the third foul, but it's a risk. It's not a guarantee he's going to pick up the third foul. And you could wind up at the end of this game. For instance, what was KU outscored during that stretch? Floor was on the bench by like 14 or something? Do you think if this was posed to me by somebody, I don't know if he wants me to say his name or not. So they'll just, he texted me and was like, do you think Bill Self, if he could go back in time and they said, hey, you can risk Florey picking up a third foul. But if you

Starting point is 00:19:00 keep him on the bench, you're going to be outscored by 14. Do you think you would have played Florey? I think he probably would have, right? So that's certainly something. And it's just like, there's no guarantee they're going to end up getting a fifth foul. So you don't have to completely sit them for the rest of the half necessarily, especially if it's not, you know, in Tray White's case. But anyway, the last one here is the spell check of the game. I don't know who it goes to, but I know who it doesn't go to. Whoever did Bryson Taylor's jersey, poor guy had three L's on the back of his jersey was that the telltale sign that they were going to take an L in this one to Duke unfortunate there we need to get the spelling right on tiller's last name all right

Starting point is 00:19:37 that'll do it for our game awards for that specific side let's give out some other awards though with game balls for KU next this is locked on Jayhawks today's episode of the show is brought to you by game time you can get tickets to an upcoming kU basketball game are you going to be going out to Vegas for Thanksgiving week or maybe a little beforehand. Before you go do Thanksgiving, well, if you don't have tickets yet, don't worry. Game time has you covered. You can get tickets last minute with game time to all the college basketball tournament action coming up next week. Plus, college football is going on right now. It'll be bowl season before we know it. Use game time. It's the app that gives

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Starting point is 00:20:42 Swipe-Tap ticket go, download GameTime today. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Locked on Jayhawks, and let's give out our game balls and look at what's next for KU. So for the Jayhawks, let's give out our offensive game ball to Trey White. Trey White had 22 points. Love watching him when he's aggressive because he's a good slasher. He can get to the rim. He gets the free throw line.

Starting point is 00:21:08 Hey, you can hit the occasional jumper. So 22 points. He was doing a little bit of everything. Also added three offensive rebounds, which led KU. He also had four assists compared to his one turnover. Excellent game for Trey White. I do think Flore deserves at least honorable mention here. If you would have avoided foul trouble a little bit more,

Starting point is 00:21:24 he probably ends up with a little bit more points. Also, if they would have been calling Gongba as difficult on fouls as Flory was, maybe he ends up with another trip to the line or something. Also wouldn't hurt if KU, that stretch where KU missed three straight field goal or free throws, that was certainly a killer as well. But yeah, Trey White will be our offensive game ball here for KU. And then our defensive game ball, I am going to go with Flory Bedunga here. So Flory winds up with a block in the game.

Starting point is 00:21:52 and I don't know if you noticed like there were moments so Florey actually had a plus five in his plus minus which we can talk about all the time like how valuable that is for an individual game I do think he was the only Jayhawk in positive on his plus minus and if you noticed when he would go to the bench it's it's not that like yes Kansas was missing having a big man and a threat down low on the offense event they were when Flore was out but the biggest thing that I would notice when Flory was going out was how much Duke was able to score easier on KU on their offensive end. And I think Florey's impact was felt on the defensive end, just the threat of him being out there a little bit in this game. It felt like when he was out of foul trouble

Starting point is 00:22:41 at the first part of the first half, Boozer wasn't really doing much. And then he picked up a lot when he was kind of out of the game a little bit. I don't know. I felt like, he had an impactful defensive game for KU, and then it was just tough for KU to kind of replicate that when he did go out with some of that foul trouble. And obviously it didn't help either that Bryson Taylor's playing through foul trouble. So like he has to be cognizant of that even when he's in without Flory. So kind of a tough situation there for KU. So what's next for the Jayhawks?

Starting point is 00:23:11 Well, the players air tournament, they'll be back at it on Tuesday as they'll be taking on Notre Dame or maybe it's Monday. Anyway, Notre Dame and Syracuse are the first two up on the ledger for KU and the players era tournament. And, you know, Notre Dame is, same with Syracuse, are teams that not like top 50 teams necessarily on Ken Palm, but they are interesting teams. They do have a pulse. If KU, you know, plays like they did tonight, they should win both games. But if you have a down game in one of the two or either of the games, that's where it gets threatening. And if you don't have Darren Peterson back, these are games that you need to clean up on.

Starting point is 00:23:47 to try to set up your resume best as possible for when Peterson does come back, that you can kind of really get things together and not be too far behind the eight ball when you are putting together that resume for what seed you're going to get in March. All right, that'll do it for this episode of Locked on Jayhawks. You can find her show anywhere you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. See you next time for another edition of LOJ.

Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - ENCOURAGED: Kansas Jayhawks' Resilience SHINES without Darryn Peterson in Loss to Duke Blue Devils

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