Kansas outscraps Kentucky, 65-59

It wasn’t pretty, but it was unprecedented.

In a gritty renewal of the rivalry between two of college basketball’s most storied programs, No. 2 Kansas overcame obstacle after obstacle to accomplish something no Jayhawk team had ever done since Kansas and Kentucky began playing in 1950: They beat the No. 8 Wildcats in Lexington.

The nationally televised game billed as a battle royale between college basketball royalty looked more like a street fight as both teams scrapped through a hard-fought contest that seemed to feature more jump balls than made jumpers.

The Jayhawks simply found a way to win, on a day when everything seemed stacked against them.

Facing its first road test of the season before the second largest crowd in Rupp Arena history (24,367), Kansas had to play without its leading scorer and rebounder, All-America candidate Wayne Simien, who sat out with an injured thumb. His replacement, C.J. Giles, fouled out with 5:20 left in the game. The team’s remaining leading scorer, Keith Langford, missed the last 2:45 after suffering a possible concussion during a scramble for a loose ball. Walk-on Christian Moody, who scored a team-high 11 points, sprained his ankle and exited with 1:29 remaining.

Kansas also lost the battle of the boards, 46 to 43, and committed 21 turnovers.

How did so many losses add up to a win?

“We had players who still stepped up and made plays,” said Aaron Miles. “That’s what we need.”

The Jayhawks got key baskets from Miles and fellow senior Michael Lee down the stretch.

Kansas held its largest lead, 52-44, with 5:20 remaining. Using full-court pressure to force turnovers on three consecutive possessions, the Wildcats forged a 9-0 run to nose ahead 53-52 at 3:52. Twenty seconds later Miles drove for a layup that put the Jayhawks back on top.

But it was the three-pointer by Lee, who coach Bill Self called on to replace the injured Langford, that sealed the win. Facing a swarming Kentucky defense, Miles fell to the floor but managed to flip the ball back over his head to Lee. With one second on the shot clock and 30 seconds on the game clock, Lee made the jumper, his first in four attempts, to put Kansas ahead 61-56. After Ravi Moss hit a three-pointer ten seconds later to bring Kentucky within two, Miles and J.R. Giddens made four of four free throws to preserve the Jayhawks‘ undefeated record, which now stands at 11-0.

The victory marks the third straight game that Kansas has won out after trailing in the final five minutes.

Kentucky’s All-America candidate, senior Chuck Hayes, praised the Jayhawks’ senior leadership and big-game experience. “They play with a lot of poise,” Hayes said. “Whenever we made a run at them they had an answer.”

But on a day when both teams struggled to get points from their star players, it may have been the play of the Jayhawks’ freshmen that made the biggest difference. Double-teaming the Wildcats’ big men in the post, Giles, Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson and Alex Galindo helped negate Kentucky’s perceived inside advantage. Their tough defense held freshman center Randolph Morris to 0-for-8 shooting and Hayes to 4-for-11. Overall, Kansas held the Wildcats to a season-low 30.9 percent shooting from the field.

Head coach Bill Self said he challenged his newcomers before the game.

“They have the No. 1 recruiting class in America,” Self said of Kentucky’s freshmen. “I told our guys our freshmen had to outplay their freshmen.”

On this day, under the bright lights on one of the biggest stages in college basketball, the freshmen were up to the challenge. Giles lead all Kansas scorers in the first half with eight points. Kaun scored seven points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. Galindo, known more for his three-point shooting than his defense, recorded a game-high four blocked shots.

Their response under pressure--just part of the team’s ability to find ways to win this season--would seem to bear out the coach’s prediction that the loss of Simien would make the Jayhawks stronger in the long run.

“Our big guys pleasantly surprised me,” Self said. “There won’t be a game with better intensity or a tougher home court than we played on today.”

Five former Jayhawks have jerseys retired

Jayhawk Legends Bill Bridges, Walter Wesley, Dave Robisch, Bud Stallworth and Darnell Valentine are all having their jerseys retired this basketball season. Bridges was the first to have his jersey retired during the December 9 game against TCU. Walt Wesley was honored during the December 18 South Carolina game. Valentine’s ceremony took place at the January 1 Georgia Tech game. Stallworth will be honored at the January 31 game vs. Missouri and Robisch February 27 against Oklahoma State.

Former KU rebounding great Bill Bridges was honored by Athletics Director Lew Perkins and the KU crowd during ceremonies to retire his jersey.

Walt Wesley shared the retirement of his jersey at halftime with his coach at KU, Ted Owens.

Darnell Valentine joined former KU assistant Lafayette Norwood, former coach Ted Owens and Athletics Director Lew Perkins after Valentine's jersey was retired during halftime ceremonies.