Kansas Survives UC Santa Barbara: Three Takeaways

The Kansas Jayhawks opened their 2014-15 season with a 69-59 victory over UC Santa Barbara on Friday night. Kansas was led by junior forward Perry Ellis who scored 13 points on seven shots and grabbed 10 rebounds including six on the offensive end. However, the performance of the night belonged to last year’s Big West Player of the Year Alan Williams. The 6’8″ big man converted nine of his 18 shots for 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Despite Williams’ big night and a poor performance on the offensive end, the Jayhawks were able to eek out a win due to the help of their defense and ability to get to the free throw line.

1. Kansas struggled against the UCSB zone defense

2. The Jayhawks continued to play quality defense

3. The free throw line made all the difference

For more about the Jayhawks win over UC Santa Barbara, check out Chris’s analysis of the four factors over on Ain’t No Seats.