When the starting lineup for the Kansas Jayhawks was announced earlier in the day on Friday, no freshman were included, even though it was well known that the young guns for KU would eventually get a shot in the game against UC Santa Barbara. In the end, the Kansas freshmen ended up having a huge impact on the game.
The #5 team in the country entered opening night at Allen Fieldhouse with National Title aspirations for this season, but coach Bill Self was desiring for the team to just hold on to the ball through much of the first half. Despite sloppy play from both sides in the first half, UCSB had a one-point advantage, 15-14, until Devonte' Graham hit a jumper with 7:37 left in the half, and Kansas never looked back. Graham, in the first game of his collegiate career, ended up being the real story of the night, coming in off the bench and making a big impact. Finishing with 14 points on 5/8 shooting and 4 rebounds, Graham made a case to start this coming Tuesday against the #1 team in the country, Kentucky.
The rest of the freshmen for the Jayhawks made impacts in their own right for the most part. Big man Cliff Alexander had 9 points and 4 rebounds, Svi Mykhailiuk shot just 1-5 on the game and finished with 4 points, however, this is minimally concerning since Mykhailiuk will have plenty of time in the next two seasons to improve. Kelly Oubre played very limited minutes in this game and did not score.
The veterans also made quite an impact for KU, led by junior power forward Perry Ellis, who finished the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds and also 3 steals. Jamari Traylor also finished with 10 boards. Frank Mason and Wayne Selden each scored in double digits, however Selden had a tough night overall, shooting just 25% for the game.
On UC Santa Barbara's side of things, the game was centered completely around potential pro-prospect Alan Williams, unsurprisingly. Williams picked up a double-double with 22 points on 18 shots, along with 13 rebounds. Outside of their center, UCSB shot just 36.8% for the game. The lack of real impact from anyone else on the floor spelled doom for the Gauchos tonight, as they had several chances to make runs on KU but they couldn't close the game. The season is young, and there were some minor flashes from a few players, but this is a problem that will haunt UC Santa Barbara throughout the season if they don't rectify it soon.
UCSB finished 23-56 from the floor tonight as a team, good for 41.1%. They also shot just 4-19 from 3-point range, good for a measley 21.1% from downtown. A poor shooting percentage, mixed with a 2:3 assist to turnover ratio, kept the Gauchos from ever making a real run at the lead after the middle of the first half. John Green was the second highest scorer for UC Santa Barbara, picking up 9 off the bench.
For the Jayhawks, the team only made 2-10 shots from behind the arc, but shot 41.5% overall from the floor on the night. Kansas outrebounded USCB 42-31 overall, and they also shot decently from the costless throw line, going 23-32 from the charity stripe. While 71.9% on costless throws isn't great by any means, it's better than many of last season's games which saw KU shoot in the 60-69% range on costless throws.
UC Santa Barbara has plenty of time to correct their mistakes, as their real season won't start until Big West play begins. That being said, it will always be difficult to win when turning the ball over 15 times and getting out-rebounded. Someone will have to step up as a second option for the Gauchos in the near future, because as good as Alan Williams is, it's difficult to get to the promised land in today's game when all you have is a talented big man and little else. Their next game is against Florida Gulf Coast.
For Kansas, it was a good opening night victory but there is a great deal of work for them to do if they wish to reach their potential. 16 turnovers is frankly too many to compete with the best teams in the nation, and the shooting percentage also needs to improve. That being said, there were many positive signs for KU as well. Jamari Traylor gave the team a veteran presence on the court and performed well on the glass. The team as a whole showed aggression through most of the game, something they lacked at times last season. Despite being a freshman, Devante' Graham led the team in scoring and made a very veteran play on a charge that he took in the first half. They aren't there yet, but the Kansas Jayhawks will compete for the national championship once again, as is the norm in Lawrence. KU will next face off against the #1-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Indianapolis as part of the Champions Classic.