Kansas coach Bill Self led the Jayhawks to a dominant 84-63 win over the previously unbeaten No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday evening. The result was an upset, as for the first time in program history, the Jayhawks were considered underdogs for a home matchup against the Cyclones.
Just days before the game against the high-flying Iowa State, Self had claimed that his team “sucked” after a gut-wrenching loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers on the road.
Bill Self Orchestrated His Team’s Best Win in Years
Before the game against the Cyclones, the doom and gloom that had shrouded the Jayhawks had deepened as the season had progressed, with a 1-2 Big 12 and 11-5 record. In addition, star guard Darryn Peterson has been plagued by injuries and cramping issues that stopped him from finishing games.
With Peterson’s injury worries hanging over them, the Jayhawks’ supporting cast finally stood up to be counted against Iowa State, with four double-digit point scorers, including Tre White (19), Peterson (16), Melvin Council Jr. (15), and Flory Bidunga (10).
The Jayhawks played with incredible intensity in the first half, forcing the Cyclones into shooting 24% and 10 turnovers, while holding a 21-point lead at halftime, forcing Iowa State coach T. J. Otzelberger to burn through two timeouts to try to stem the Kansas tide, all to no avail.
During his postgame news conference, Self expressed his satisfaction at his team’s overall performance and the fact that he utilized Peterson more aggressively than ever before.
“I don’t know that we’ve found that balance yet,” Self said, “but tonight was the closest thing to it. I would say the one thing that comes to mind more than anything else, we were aggressive with [Darryn Peterson] in the game. And that’s the first time that’s happened this year.
“I thought our intensity level was at a different level than it’s been any time this year,” Self said. “There’s time to catch up. But we have dug ourselves a situation where we don’t have much more time to wait. The margin for error is less and less as we move forward.”
Self’s team shot 50.8% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, vis-à-vis Iowa State’s 36.9% and 33.3%, respectively, for the Jayhawks’ most complete game of the season. Self further revealed that despite only playing 27 minutes, Peterson was ready to finish the game if required, signaling the first time that the talented guard was cramp-free.
After the win against the Cyclones, the Jayhawks under Self have a 24-5 record at Allen Fieldhouse against opponents ranked higher than themselves, cementing the Phog’s reputation as the most intimidating venue in college basketball.
