Abdelrahman
The situation is dire for Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks.
The team suffered a historic defeat on Tuesday night in Provo, Utah, which may go down as one of the worst two-game stretches during Self’s time coaching in Lawrence. The No. 23 Jayhawks were overwhelmed in a 91-57 defeat against BYU, matching Self’s largest losing margin since he took charge in 2003.
This loss represents the most significant defeat in program history against an unranked opponent when Kansas was ranked and marks just the second time the Jayhawks have experienced a 30-point loss to a Big 12 team during Self’s tenure. Starting the season as the top-ranked team in the nation, Kansas has struggled lately, suffering five losses in their last eight games. After losing to Utah on Saturday, this is the first time the Jayhawks have lost consecutive games all season.
With a record of 17-9, the Jayhawks are likely to drop out of the national rankings for the first time since 2021.
“It was awful; we’re all obviously embarrassed,” Self stated, as reported by 247’s Michael Swain. “We failed to provide any resistance.”
BYU maintained the lead throughout the match, reaching a 20-point margin by halftime. The Cougars orchestrated a 14-2 run early on and connected on five 3-pointers in the first half, methodically dismantling Kansas. They ultimately secured a comfortable 34-point win in the second half without any setbacks.
Kansas’ starting lineup shot just under 31% from the floor and allowed the Cougars to sink 14 three-point shots while only attempting five free throws themselves.
Richie Saunders topped the scoring for BYU with 22 points, hitting 9 of 13 from the field. Trevin Knell contributed 15 points along with eight rebounds, while Mawot Mag added 13 points. The Cougars posted a field goal percentage of over 51% and out-rebounded Kansas by ten, improving their record to 18-8. They are set to face No. 19 Arizona on Saturday night.
For Kansas, Hunter Dickinson led the way with 12 points and 14 rebounds. David Coit was the only other Jayhawk to reach double figures, adding 11 points off the bench. The team also struggled with 15 turnovers during the game.
“We’re obviously going to face a lot of criticism, whether from fans or the media, and we deserve it after losing by nearly 40 points,” Dickinson remarked, citing the Lawrence Journal-World’s Henry Greenstein. “That’s not how Kansas basketball is played… No one is going to sympathize with us, especially with NIL now allowing players to be compensated.”
Kansas will return to the court on Saturday afternoon to compete against Oklahoma State. Currently, they sit in sixth place in the Big 12 standings, with five other teams closely trailing behind—some just 1.5 games away—with only five games remaining in the regular season before the conference tournament.
Following this tough stretch in Utah, Self indicated that the team would take a brief hiatus. They are expected to return around 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning, with the day off before they attempt to regroup on Thursday.
“We all need some space from each other, that’s for sure,” Self noted.
It remains to be seen if this break will help Kansas turn things around as they head into the final phase of the regular season. If they cannot regain their form, the Jayhawks might find themselves entering the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament next month at a low point unprecedented in recent history.
