
The Kansas basketball team is looking to rebound from its loss to North Carolina with a strong performance on Tuesday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Jayhawks will play their second home game of the year as they look to get back in the win column on ESPN+.
There is little doubt that KU will come out on top, considering it is a 25.5-point favorite and given a 97.3% chance to win in ESPN's matchup predictor.
However, that doesn't mean there won’t be things to watch for. Several Jayhawk players are expected to see extended minutes, especially once the game gets out of hand.
Here are three players who should receive some extra run tonight.
After knocking down four 3-pointers in the first half against UNC, Tiller established himself as a legitimate offensive threat for the remainder of the season.
He is a 6-foot-11, 240-pound stretch big who has been incredibly promising through KU's exhibition slate and first two games. His last outing showed that he is also capable of hitting shots from beyond the arc, a quality that is direly needed on this roster.
Tiller only played 15 minutes last time out due to foul trouble, but his minutes could rise into the 20s if his offensive surge continues.
Another frontcourt player who could see more time tonight is Mbiya. The former NC State commit has played just 11 total minutes through his first two collegiate games after appearing in only three vs. the Tar Heels.
Mbiya has been outplayed by Tiller and can't share the floor with starting center Flory Bidunga, which leaves him in an odd spot in the rotation.
Therefore, it is crucial that he makes the most of his minutes tonight because there may not be many more opportunities to prove himself during nonconference play.
A Loyola Chicago transfer, Dawson played 10 minutes and hit a 3-pointer in his last game, but he has been relatively underwhelming through the first two contests.
He is now shooting 2-for-8 from the field overall and hasn't quite earned the coaching staff's trust yet. Bill Self is reluctant to play him against better competition right now due to his defensive limitations.
The positive sign is that Dawson isn't afraid to let it fly from deep. He needs to keep shooting with confidence, as it is his best asset since he isn't offering much else on the court so far.
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