Coach Bill Self’s presence was brief during Tuesday evening’s contest in Tempe.
The head coach for the Jayhawks team was expelled from the game during the initial half of No. 14 Kansas’ surprising 70-60 defeat by Arizona State, having stepped onto the court to vehemently protest a charging violation whistled against prominent player Darryn Peterson.
This dismissal subsequently ignited a substantial scoring surge for the Sun Devils, resulting in them establishing a 20-point advantage heading into the halftime break. Following Self’s departure, the Jayhawks only managed to score four points, including a solitary basket, and achieved a mere 21% field goal percentage throughout the first twenty minutes of play.
Towards the end of the initial half of the Big 12 matchup, Peterson attempted to maneuver towards the wing, but encountered Sun Devils guard Bryce Ford positioned in the low post. Despite Peterson raising both arms while making significant contact with Ford, the charging foul was unexpectedly assessed against Peterson himself.
Self displayed extreme anger, rushing onto the playing area to dispute the ruling with the referee. In rapid succession, he was issued a pair of technical fouls and consequently removed from the game.
Peterson’s first half concluded with him having scored only two points, missing all seven of his field goal attempts. During the initial segment, the Jayhawks accumulated ten turnovers and converted only two of twelve attempts from beyond the arc.
Although Kansas performed considerably better in the subsequent half, and the Jayhawks momentarily reduced the margin to a one-possession game, the preceding disadvantage proved insurmountable. The Sun Devils maintained their lead in the concluding minutes to secure the surprising 10-point victory. Unsurprisingly, this triumph led to a significant court invasion at Desert Financial Arena.
“I’m disappointed in myself that I wasn’t out there with the guys to finish the game,” Self said, via The Field of 68’s Sam Lance. “But that was a pretty temperamental crew tonight. That didn’t cost us. What cost us is we weren’t ready to play.”
Maurice Odum spearheaded the effort, tallying 23 points, including five successful shots from beyond the arc. Massamba Diop contributed 19 points and nine rebounds, being the sole additional player to reach double-digit scoring. This victory elevated the Sun Devils’ seasonal record to 16-14, representing only their second triumph against a nationally ranked adversary.
Tre White topped the Jayhawks’ scoring with 16 points, hitting four of Kansas’ seven successful three-point attempts. Flory Bidunga recorded 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Peterson concluded the game with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Notwithstanding their difficulties, Kansas still collected 25 offensive rebounds, a total not seen in a single game for the team since 2009.
The Jayhawks have now suffered defeat in four of their recent six matchups, a streak that encompasses a 23-point loss to No. 2 Arizona last Saturday. Their season will conclude with a game against Kansas State this coming Saturday. Although Tuesday’s defeat was undeniably detrimental with the Big 12 tournament looming, and Self’s early departure certainly offered no assistance, Kansas undeniably retains the ability to compete effectively against the conference’s elite. They will simply need to overcome this challenging period, and swiftly.
