KU is facing a top tier opponent early this season
It’s rare that Kansas faces a high-level opponent before they even make it to ESPN’s yearly Champion’s Classic, but KU is playing a very tough non-conference schedule in 2024, and it starts tonight with a true home game against North Carolina.
UNC enters the game ranked 9th in the AP Poll, while KenPom rates them 17th. UNC has elite talent, especially on the offensive end, and will be a true test for a Kansas team that’s still trying figure out how its new pieces fit. With that in mind, what should we be watching for in tonight’s game?
1) How will the defense hold up?
No, I’m not talking about the football team. Bill Self’s Kansas squads rarely have to wonder about defensive performances, but the transfer portal acquisitions this year focused a bit more on addressing last year’s offensive issues. UNC comes into this game with KenPom’s 13th ranked offense, and Bart Torvik’s 9th. We know how well Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams defend. This will be the first challenge for new guys like David Coit, Rylan Griffen, and AJ Storr to show what type of defensive chops they have. UNC may put up a lot of points regardless, but I’m interested to see how well this team defends a top-tier offense.
2) How is AJ Storr coming along?
Storr, a Wisconsin transfer, was arguably the biggest name Self got from the transfer portal. However, he’s been coming off the bench so far and has done little to show off the kind of scoring ability he showed last year for the Badgers. Self has made comments about how he may be giving Storr too much to think about so early in the year, which may be holding him back a bit. Still, Storr has a natural ability to score in a variety of ways, and that natural talent should eventually shine through. This is a game where multiple players will likely need to step up, and it would be a great time for Storr to log his first big game as a Jayhawk.
3) Can Kansas play small?
UNC will have 3 players listed at 6’3 or shorter on the court at the same time for much of the night. While they do have players between 6’8 and 6’10 rotating in and out at the center spot, UNC wants to play fast, and won’t rely heavily on any single big man to carry the load. That may make this a game where Hunter Dickinson plays slightly fewer minutes than usual. If that happens, can this team play well with KJ or Bidunga as a small ball center? Can those two play together without destroying the offensive spacing? Is Bidunga polished enough to handle a team like UNC as the sole big man for stretches of time? We may or may not see these questions answered, as Dickinson could see his normal allotment of minutes, but this seems like a game where the athleticism and energy from guys like KJ and Bidunga could step up and play a major role. It also might give some insight as to how Self wants to deal with smaller, quicker teams this year.
Prediction
North Carolina will look to play fast, and put up and make a lot of threes. Kansas has shown it can light it up from three as well, but Self is still working on the team’s lineups and rotations. I don’t feel like Kansas has established any specific identity yet, whereas it appears UNC knows exactly how they want to play. Is that confidence in their playing style enough to win in Allen Fieldhouse? My guess is no. I think Self will exploit some of UNC’s height and defensive weaknesses and, even if the team hasn’t found its stride yet, there’s enough talent across the roster to get a win here. I’ll be surprised if this is a blowout, but I do think Kansas can come up with the victory going into next week’s matchup with Michigan State.
Kansas 82, North Carolina 77