Kansas basketball clinches worst Big 12 record of Bill Self era with loss at Baylor

The Kansas men’s basketball team is finding itself a bit further from the top of the Big 12 standings than the program is used to.

As the clock winded down in another conference road defeat, this time an 82-74 loss to No. 15 Baylor at Foster Pavilion on Saturday, a certain reality is settling in for Kansas.

KU came into the season with sky-high expectations and was ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Poll.

Instead, the Jayhawks (21-8, 9-7 Big 12 ) have seven conference losses for the first time in the Bill Self era at Kansas. And this is KU’s worst conference season in terms of winning percentage since the 1988-89 season.

Saturday’s game was close in the early stages, and the score was tied at 40-40 around three minutes into the second half.

But the Bears went on a 20-8 run over the next 6 minutes, 20 seconds to take control of the game, leading 60-48. The closest Kansas got after that was within four points.

KU guard Kevin McCullar returned to the starting lineup on Saturday after having missed four of KU’s last five games due to a bone bruise. He finished with 20 points and five rebounds against Baylor

Hunter Dickinson scored 20 points alongside McCullar as Kansas lost in its first appearance at Foster Pavilion.

Up next: Kansas is set to play host to K-State for senior night on Tuesday.

Until then, here are some takeaways from KU’s loss to the Bears...

Kansas can’t defend the long ball

Kansas fans may feel a sense of deja vu. In yet another game, the Jayhawks struggled to defend the 3-point line, costing them heavily.

The Bears came into the game ranked No. 2 in 3-point percentage (40.4%), so it wasn’t exactly a surprise BU could shoot well from deep.

Yet, the Jayhawks left Baylor wide open too often. Whether it was due to slow rotations by KU or BU taking advantage of fast-break situations, Baylor made the most of its chances.

For the game, the Bears shot 7-of-17 (41.2%) from 3. The Jayhawks shot 4-for-13 (30.8%).

McCullar’s return helps the starting five

After only playing in one of KU’s last five games, McCullar finally returned from injury vs. Baylor.

McCullar looked slightly rusty on the offensive end early but still had six points while shooting 3-for-8 in the first half.

In the second half, McCullar looked more like his usual self. Within minutes, he stole the ball from Baylor and turned it into a fast-break bucket. His 20 points came on 9-for-19 shooting, including 0-for-5 from 3, but he chipped in with the five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Even in a loss, it was important to the Jayhawks that McCullar return before the postseason begins. Playing in KU’s last few regular season games, KU hopes, will allow McCullar to get into a rhythm before the all-important NCAA Tournament.

KU attacks the paint vs. Baylor

On Saturday, one of the most impressive things was KU’s surgical precision in slicing up the Bears’ interior defense.

For Baylor, defending 2-pointers has been a major struggle this season — BU was ranked No. 226 in opposing team 2-point percentage (51.4%) before Saturday’s matchup.

Kansas did an excellent job of moving the ball around, finding openings and getting quality shots at the rim. Kansas had 22 points in the paint alone in the first half.

KU finished with a 10-point advantage in paint points (46-36).

One area that hurt KU inside, however, was rebounding. The Bears outrebounded the Jayhawks 31-23 with a 10-7 advantage in offensive rebounds.