LAWRENCE — Coming into Tuesday’s home game against Iowa State, an overtime win was the only thing standing between Kansas basketball and a winless start to Big 12 Conference play.
No. 25 KU’s win earlier this month at home against TCU was sandwiched in between losses on the road against UCF and West Virginia. Neither defeat inspired much confidence in the Jayhawks’ chances in Big 12 play, the way they ended. And with No. 2 ISU arriving this week for a matchup inside Allen Fieldhouse, undefeated at the time, the Cyclones looked poised to deliver the KU faithful another disappointing outing.
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But Kansas recovered with an 84-63 victory against Iowa State in Lawrence, routing the Cyclones (16-1, 3-1 in Big 12) in a game ISU never led. According to senior guard Tre White, it came down to paying attention to the details and playing with more grit. White looked at a key reason his Jayhawks had lost those two recent games, being the mistakes they made themselves.
RELATED: Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger analyzes loss vs Kansas basketball
Here are a few more takeaways from this win for Kansas (12-5, 2-2), before Friday’s home game against Baylor:
Why Tre White felt it was important to get Flory Bidunga, Bryson Tiller going early offensively
As Kansas took an 8-2 lead early against Iowa State, the Jayhawks’ points all came — four each — from sophomore forward Flory Bidunga and freshman forward Bryson Tiller. It helped KU establish a presence inside, which contributed to the Cyclones’ defensive problems throughout the evening. Bidunga ended up with 10 points by game’s end, and Tiller eight.
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White loved seeing that happen and highlighted how important it will be to continue to be an emphasis moving forward. Do that, and gaps for KU players to make plays will continue to open as defenders gravitate toward them. White named himself, as well as senior guard Melvin Council Jr. and freshman guard Darryn Peterson, as three individuals that is important for.
Why Bill Self valued Flory Bidunga’s presence on the defensive end
Kansas came into the Iowa State game averaging 5.5 steals and 6.1 blocks per game, and in the first half alone nearly eclipsed both of those numbers with seven steals and four blocks. By game’s end, the Jayhawks had finished with eight of each. In KU coach Bill Self’s mind, Bidunga played a significant role in that — especially protecting the basket.
Bidunga led Kansas with four blocks. Redshirt sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson led the team with four steals. Peterson and Bidunga each had two steals.
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Why Jamari McDowell’s play stood out, too
KU redshirt sophomore guard Jamari McDowell came off the bench and hit some big shots for his team, including a pair of 3s as he made his way to eight points. Both 3-pointers came in the second half as Kansas held off Iowa State. But he also had a team-high six assists without committing a turnover, as Self praised him for having the perfect stat line for someone coming off the bench.
McDowell and Jackson were the two main players Self looked to off the bench in this game, as he shortened his rotation. Neither disappointed, with Jackson especially earning recognition for the hustle he showed. But McDowell also left with the highest plus/minus of any Jayhawk player at +30.
Jan. 13, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas; Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson (5) loses control of the ball while driving against Kansas basketball forward Flory Bidunga (40) and guard Jamari McDowell (11) during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Takeaways: Kansas basketball beats Iowa State with Flory Bidunga, more
