Perry Ellis leads No. 3 Jayhawks past Longhorns, 76-67

Bill Self gets his 200th win in Allen Fieldhouse as Kansas gets back on track, led by Perry Ellis.

The game was truly a tale of two halves. Kansas looked terrible defensively early, showing little energy and failing to get much-needed stops as Texas began the game by jumping out to a 17-5 lead in the first seven minutes.

Early in the game, it seemed as if Kansas’ recent slump was set to continue. The Jayhawks looked sluggish and much like the same team we’ve seen since the thrilling victory over Oklahoma. Until around eight and a half minutes into the first half, Perry Ellis was the only Jayhawk to score a point.

Once Frank Mason became the second Jayhawk to score on an and-1 layup, the Jayhawks began to look more engaged. Mason and Brannen Greene both went after a loose ball in the backcourt, diving and showing energy for the first time in the game, almost 10 minutes in. Going on a 11-2 run to tie the game at 23, Kansas looked much better defensively and their shots began to fall.

Texas came back and ended the half on a 12-7 run, taking a 35-30 lead into halftime at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas was lucky to only be down five after such a bad start. They would need to turn it around in the second half, and to do so quickly.

The Jayhawks couldn’t get it going for the first few minutes, as Texas opened up a 40-33 lead. Then a layup by Perry Ellis took him to eleven points in the game and sparked a 24-6 run that would all but seal the deal for the Jayhawks. Ellis would finish with 26 points on 15 shots, hopefully forever dispelling the critique that he can’t score against size.

Rebounding and free throw shooting were big in this game, spearheaded by Landen Lucas. Lucas finished with six offensive rebounds, more than the entire Texas Longhorns team combined. Kansas finished with 13 offensive rebounds to Texas’ five.

The Jayhawks also bounced back from their terrible free throw shooting night at Oklahoma State, shooting 16-18 from the line, 89% on the day.

Frank Mason looked better in this game, slicing through the Longhorns defense, but he still seems less than 100% physically. This became even more obvious when he went down late in the game holding his wrist and elbow after a hard fall under the bucket. Mason would stay in the game, however, and hit a few free throws to ice the game for Kansas.

The rotation for Jayhawk big men has become even more clouded, as Mickelson and Diallo went the entire game without seeing the floor. Traylor and Lucas combined for 38 minutes, while Bragg played only five.

Kansas gets only one day off before they head to Iowa State to play in the Hilton Coliseum.

Notes:

• Perry Ellis: 26 points (9/15 FG) and four rebounds.
• Wayne Selden: 19 points (6/15 FG), five rebounds and two assists.
• Devonte Graham: 14 points (5/10 FG), six assists and three rebounds.
• Frank Mason: 13 points (3/14 FG), eight rebounds and three assists.
• Landen Lucas: 10 rebounds in 23 minutes.
• Jamari Traylor: Two points (1/2 FG), five rebounds and two assists.
• Carlton Bragg: Two points (1/2 FG) and a block.
• Brannen Greene: One rebound in nine minutes.
• Bill Self has 200 wins to nine losses in Allen Fieldhouse. That’s insane.