Kansas Basketball: Jayhawks' Keys to Beating Kentucky in 2014 Champions Classic

After taking care of business in its opener against UC Santa Barbara, Kansas faces a stiffer task Tuesday night in the Champions Classic against Kentucky. 

The No. 1 team in the country will provide the Jayhawks with a good litmus test of where they stand against the nation's best early in the season. 

Whether Bill Self's team can hang with the highly touted Wildcats remains to be seen. But the matchup does give us plenty of intriguing things to talk about before the clash at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Here's a look at five keys for the Jayhawks to take down Kentucky in the second game of the season. 

Perry Ellis' Play in the Paint

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Perry Ellis started his junior season in strong fashion Friday in the win over UC Santa Barbara with 13 points and 10 rebounds. 

For the Jayhawks to have any chance of defeating Kentucky, Ellis must play better in the paint against higher-profile individuals. 

Ellis will have to deal with Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee down low, which is something most players would dread. However, Ellis' numbers in big games from last season show he could turn in the best performance in the paint Tuesday night. 

In the Champions Classic against Duke, Ellis put up 24 points and nine rebounds. On five other occasions during the 2013-14 season, he scored in double digits versus ranked opposition, including a season-high 30 in the Big 12 tournament loss to Iowa State. 

If Ellis can find his footing down low early, he will draw more defenders. If that is the case, he could be poised for a few assists to his teammates in the backcourt, who could find open looks with a double-team on Ellis. 

Do Not Be Overwhelmed by the Occasion

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One thing we will see throughout the season with Kentucky is its ability to overwhelm opponents starting in the first minute due to its deep roster. 

The 10 players used by John Calipari all could be starting at top-notch programs across the nation, which could strike fear into a few squads during the regular season. 

Tuesday night will mark the first time Kansas' inexperienced players will be on a national stage against one of the best teams in the country. How the younger players respond to the first 10 minutes of play will tell us a lot about where they are in the development process. 

Most of the starting five will not have an issue with this, but the freshmen off the bench will have to block out all the distractions to deliver key performances. 

If the likes of Devonte' Graham, Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre are not flustered by the occasion, we could be in for one heck of a college basketball game. 

Put Kentucky Under Pressure Early

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As we saw Sunday, Kentucky is susceptible to a slow start. The Wildcats were down by five at the half to Buffalo before going on to win 71-52. 

Kansas is a much better team than Buffalo, and if it gets off to the same hot start, it could bury the No. 1 team in the nation early. 

For that to happen, the defensive pressure must be put on the Harrison twins. If the Kentucky ball-handlers fail to get in a rhythm, Kansas could be in a position to open up a double-digit point lead before halftime. 

Brannen Greene, Wayne Selden and Frank Mason will be tasked with shutting down the guard duo. If the Harrison twins can't settle into the game, the Wildcats will not be able to distribute the ball into the paint. 

The same pressure must be put on Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker when they come off the bench. If the experienced Jayhawk guards rattle the Kentucky freshmen, the Wildcats will have to find someone to step up and play the role of provider. 

Someone will eventually rise to the occasion due to Kentucky's fabulous depth, so Kansas' guards must find a way to keep their defensive intensity up for all 40 minutes. 

Devonte' Graham's Impact off the Bench

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Devonte' Graham was the most impressive player to come off the bench in the opening-night win over UC Santa Barbara with 14 points in 26 minutes. 

Graham looked comfortable in the Jayhawks offense, and if he continues to play well, he could see himself in the starting five sooner rather than later. 

Against Kentucky, Kansas will be in need of a key contributor off the pine to match Kentucky's talented bench. Graham should be the guy to fill that role once again, and he could earn more than the 26 minutes he played Friday. 

Not only was Graham a solid contributor during his time on the court, he was also an efficient shooter. He was 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line in his first collegiate game. 

An efficient player off the bench like Graham is ideal for a coach, and Self can only hope his freshman guard plays the same way Tuesday night. 

Finding a Second Impact Player to Insert into the Game

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To match the incredible depth of Kentucky, Kansas will have to find a seventh player to play a key role if it wants to leave Bankers Life Fieldhouse with a big nonconference victory. 

Graham and the five starters produced solid numbers during their time on the court Friday, but there was a bit of a drop-off in production behind them. 

Cliff Alexander is seen as the best player in the bench rotation, but he only played 12 minutes in the win over UC Santa Barbara. He did score nine points and pull down four rebounds, but 12 minutes in one game is a small sample size to examine his true impact. 

Perhaps the most shocking stat of the night was Kelly Oubre's four minutes of playing time. He is expected to be a key player off the bench for the Jayhawks, but that number has to concern fans a bit. 

Whether it is Alexander, Oubre, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk or Landen Lucas, someone has to join Graham as a major factor off the bench. Our money is on Alexander being that guy based off Friday night, but one of the other three could surprise us with a big night in Indianapolis. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.