Kansas’ shocking loss to Arizona State was first of its kind under Bill Self appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Nothing was more emblematic of Kansas’ frustrations against Arizona State on Tuesday than coach Bill Self getting ejected in the first half.
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Self went after the referees after Darryn Peterson was whistled for charging. Self earned a pair of technical fouls and got automatically tossed from Desert Financial Arena.
The No. 14 Jayhawks failed to regroup after Self’s exit and lost to the unranked Sun Devils, 70-60.
Kansas did not necessarily play poorly, as the numbers would show. But sometimes, the statistics do not tell the whole story. The Jayhawks’ defeat was a rarity under Self, as pointed out by a longtime fan on X.
“The Jayhawks collected 55 rebounds tonight. Entering tonight’s game, Kansas was 21-0 under Bill Self when they had 50+ rebounds in a game,” read the post.
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It added: “KU also had 12 steals tonight. Before tonight, KU was 71-5 under Self when they had 12+ steals in a game.”
Arizona State took control early, putting up a commanding lead at halftime, 40-20.
Kansas tried to rally, with Peterson scoring 13 of his 15 points in the second half. The Sun Devils, however, refused to let go of the driver’s seat, completing the upset in what could be coach Bobby Hurley’s last game at home.
Peterson, who has often received praise from Self, struggled with his efficiency, going 3-of-18 from the floor, including 2-of-11 from three-point range. He had 10 rebounds, four assists, and five steals.
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Tre White led the scoring for the Jayhawks with 16 points, although he was also awful from the field, shooting 6-of-17. He added 14 rebounds and three assists.
Kansas, which fell to 21-9, will look to bounce back against Kansas State on Saturday.
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