The Jayhawks pride took a hit with the close win at home against an unestablished team like UCLA.
The game would not even have come down to a free-throw if the Jayhawks jump out on Tyler Honeycutt, who scored 33 points, and grabbed nine boards, instead of giving him a good look at the three.
This is the second straight game the Jayhawks struggled to contain the opposition. UCLA posted 76 tonight, and the Arizona Wildcats scored 79 points the game before.
Both teams used their guards to penetrate the lane, and dishing out to teammates to create offense.
Both also possessed great big men that took it to the Morris twins inside, which helped dictate the tempo.
The Jayhawks have to get their act together fast if they want to stay undefeated. Their next game is against the No. 15 Memphis Tigers at a neutral location.
Memphis has the guards to penetrate into the lane and finish around the rim. This is something Kansas has yet to stop, dribble penetration.
The dribble drive has been Kansas' weakness throughout the year, and up next is a team with some of the best guards in the country. Will Barton can break down a defense, along with 6-foot-9 wingman Wesley Witherspoon.
Kansas' huge question mark this season was who was going to match the defensive intensity that Cole Aldrich provided inside; that question has went unanswered for the most part of the season.
With, or without Josh Selby, Kansas has to defend to win. There isn't a team in the NCAA that can get by game-by-game without defending the basketball.
The Jayhawks have being aided by their offense early-on, but something tells me Memphis isn't going to allow Kansas' offense to overwhelm them.
This is a crucial game early on for both teams. Both offenses can score on every possession, but the game will ultimately be decided on which team plays defense.
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