Kansas had a number of issues last season — the biggest of which was a lack of depth that proved too much to overcome once Kevin McCullar Jr. was sidelined with an injury. There are many ways to illustrate as much, perhaps none better than by highlighting the fact that nobody who started fewer than 19 games for the Jayhawks averaged more than 5.2 points. In other words, KU got basically nothing from its bench, almost always, which is why Bill Self, coming off of his worst finish ever in the Big 12, made a point to get into the transfer portal and ensure his program would have at least eight starter-level players on the roster entering the season.
The approach is already paying off.
On Friday, Zeke Mayo, a transfer from South Dakota State and the reigning Summit League Player of the Year, came off of KU's bench and scored 21 points in a 92-89 win over North Carolina inside Allen Fieldhouse. AJ Storr, a transfer from Wisconsin who was the Badgers' leading scorer last season, added 13 points in a reserve role. Flory Bidunga, a five-star freshman, chipped-in with eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.
In the game, Kansas scored 92 points — 42 of which came from the bench. It's the second straight game in which the 2-0 Jayhawks have gotten at least 42 points from their bench.
"KJ [Adams] played way too many minutes — but, other than that, nobody played 30, which is kind of a welcomed-deal for us considering how we had to play [starters] 35 [or] 37 last year," Self said
None of this is to suggest Kansas is perfect. Against North Carolina, the Jayhawks blew a 20-point lead and were actually down in the final four minutes before rallying late to escape. There's still a ways to go. But what we've already seen in this first week of the season is the byproduct of a Hall of Fame coach recognizing a major problem and then using the resources available to him to address it directly. Not all Hall of Fame coaches are so adaptable. KU fans should be excited about what's to come.
Simply put, the Jayhawks didn't have enough good players last season — but now they have more than most. And that's among the reasons they remain No. 1 in Saturday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. Needless to say, I hope, North Carolina remains No. 4 in the Top 25 And 1, if only because it would make no sense to punish anybody for playing a one-possession game in a true road contest against a higher-ranked opponent.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -- | 5-0 | |
Hunter Dickinson finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in Friday's 92-89 win over North Carolina. The Jayhawks' next game is Tuesday against Michigan State.
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| 2 | -- | 4-1 | |
Mark Sears finished with 19 points and five rebounds in Friday's 88-79 win over Arkansas State. The Crimson Tide's next game is Monday against McNeese.
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| 3 | -- | 3-1 | |
L.J. Cryer finished with 16 points and three assists in Monday's 97-40 win over Jackson State. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against Auburn.
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| 4 | -- | 2-1 | |
RJ Davis missed 12 of the 15 shots he attempted in Friday's 92-89 loss at Kansas. The Tar Heels' next game is Friday against American.
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| 5 | -- | 4-0 | |
Alex Karaban finished with 20 points and seven assists in Wednesday's 92-56 win over Sacred Heart. The Huskies' next game is Saturday against New Hampshire.
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| 6 | -- | 3-0 | |
Tamin Lipsey finished with 16 points and four assists in Monday's 83-44 win over Mississippi Valley State. The Cyclones' next game is Monday against Kansas City.
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| 7 | -- | 5-0 | |
Nolan Hickman finished with 17 points and six rebounds in Monday's 101-63 win over Baylor. The Zags' next game is Sunday against Arizona State.
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| 8 | -- | 3-1 | |
Cooper Flagg finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds in Friday's 100-58 win over Army. The Blue Devils' next game is Tuesday against Kentucky.
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| 9 | -- | 4-0 | |
Denver Jones finished with 16 points and two rebounds in Wednesday's 94-43 win over Vermont. The Tigers' next game is Saturday against Houston.
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| 10 | -- | 4-1 | |
Fletcher Loyer finished with 16 points and four assists in Friday's 72-50 win over Northern Kentucky. The Boilermakers' next game is Monday against Yale.
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| 11 | -- | 3-1 | |
Boogie Fland finished with 17 points and three assists in Wednesday's 76-60 win over Lipscomb. The Razorbacks' next game is Saturday against Baylor.
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| 12 | -- | 5-0 | |
Jordan Gainey finished with 16 points and three steals in Monday's 80-64 win over Gardner Webb. The Vols' next game is Saturday against Louisville.
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| 13 | -- | 4-1 | |
Bruce Thornton finished with 20 points and five assists in Monday's 80-72 win over Texas. The Buckeyes' next game is Monday against Youngstown State.
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| 14 | -- | 2-1 | |
Caleb Love finished with 17 points and six assists in Monday's 93-64 win over Canisius. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Old Dominion.
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| 15 | -- | 5-0 | |
David Joplin finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds in Friday's 82-63 win over George Mason. The Golden Eagles' next game is Monday against Central Michigan.
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| 16 | -- | 4-0 | |
Mackenzie Mgbako finished with 31 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday's 80-61 win over SIU Edwardsville. The Hoosiers' next game is Sunday against Eastern Illinois.
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| 17 | -- | 4-1 | |
VJ Edgecombe finished 2 of 11 from the field in Monday's 101-63 loss to Gonzaga. The Bears' next game is Saturday against Arkansas.
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| 18 | 1 | 4-1 | |
Tre Johnson finished with 28 points and three assists in Friday's 90-59 win over Houston Christian. The Longhorns' next game is Tuesday against Chicago State.
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| 19 | 1 | 4-1 | |
Ryan Kalkbrenner finished with 49 points and 11 rebounds in Wednesday's 99-86 win over Rio Grande Valley. The Bluejays' next game is Sunday against Fairleigh Dickinson.
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| 20 | 1 | 4-1 | |
Zhuric Phelps finished with 18 points and five rebounds in Friday's 87-55 win over East Texas A&M. The Aggies' next game is Monday against Lamar.
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| 21 | 1 | 6-0 | |
Alex Condon finished with 23 points and two assists in Thursday's 81-60 win over Jacksonville. The Gators' next game is Monday against Grambling State.
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| 22 | 1 | 4-0 | |
Dylan Harper finished with 20 points and four assists in Wednesday's 75-52 win over Wagner. The Scarlet Knights' next game is Monday against Saint Peter's.
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| 23 | 1 | 4-0 | |
Dillon Mitchell finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in Friday's 83-56 win over Morehead State. The Bearcats' next game is Friday against Nicholls.
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| 24 | 1 | 5-0 | |
Dre Davis finished with 13 points and four rebounds in Friday's 66-64 win over Grambling. The Rebels' next game is Tuesday against South Alabama.
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| 25 | 1 | 5-1 | |
Kadary Richmond finished with 16 points and nine rebounds in Monday's 92-60 win over Fordham. The Red Storm's next game is Saturday vs. Quinnipiac.
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| 26 | NR | 4-2 | |
Philip Russell finished with 20 points and three rebounds in Friday's 80-55 win over Boston College. The Rams' next game is Wednesday against Merrimack.
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