Quentin Grimes Leads Balanced KU Past Oklahoma in Defensive Struggle

The fifth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks opened Big 12 play with a 70-63 victory over the No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.

Quentin Grimes led the way for Kansas with 14 points, with Dedric Lawson (13 points and 15 rebounds) and Devon Dotson (16 points) contributing to the victory.

Christian James had 11 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort for Oklahoma.

Jayhawks Need Consistency Out of Freshman Quentin Grimes to Realize Full Potential

Kansas has the look of the Big 12 favorite and a Final Four contender early on this season, and if the Jayhawks hope to be cutting down the nets in April, having Grimes play the way he did on Wednesday will be key.

Coming out of high school, 247Sports rated Grimes as a 5-star recruit and the 10th overall prospect in his class. He quickly showed why by dropping 21 points while drilling six triples in his first game as a Jayhawk in a victory over then-No. 10 Michigan State. He followed that up with another double-digit performance in his next game.

The freshman would reach double figures just once over his next nine games, though, averaging just 5.6 points per game. He shot just 32.8 percent from the floor during that stretch, making just three three-pointers.

Fortunately for Kansas, Grimes appears to be getting back on track as conference play gets underway.

Coming off a 16-point performance on Saturday, Grimes—who scored a game-high 11 points in the first half—played a big role in helping the Jayhawks take control against the Sooners early on.

Kansas has no shortage of talent with a roster that features the likes of Lawson, Lagerald Vick, Udoka Azubuike and Dotson. That core alone could have the Jayhawks as a Final Four contender this season. But when Grimes is feeling it, especially from deep, this team reaches another level that few in the country can match.

Sooners' Supporting Cast Must Step Up to Help Christian James

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Oklahoma got off to an 11-1 start this season behind the strength of an impressive James (17.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game entering Wednesday).

And while the Sooners recently cracked the Top 25, it is clear they will only go as far as James can carry them—unless the supporting cast begins to step up.

James has reached double figures in all but one game this season, with Wednesday night just the latest instance. And while he recorded his fifth double-double in his last six appearances, it wasn't a great night for him shooting the ball.

The senior guard went just 2-of-7, including 0-of-3 from three-point range, for five points in the first half. With no other Sooner besides Brady Manek (nine points) scoring more than five points in the opening 20 minutes, Oklahoma faced a 15-point deficit heading into the intermission.

The second half wasn't much kinder to James, as he finished the game with just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting (1-of-7 from three-point range). However, the Sooners were able to make it competitive down the stretch behind a balanced attack, as four different players reached double figures.

In Oklahoma's only other loss this season, a 78-58 defeat to then-No. 25 Wisconsin on Nov. 22, James put up 18 points. Unfortunately for him, only one other Sooner reached double digits and no teammate finished with more than 10 points in that contest.

To put it simply, James hasn't been enough to single-handedly win the two toughest games the Sooners have played thus far.

James has steadily improved over the course of his four years in Norman, putting together the best performance of his career to date. And while he may have strong individual numbers, it will tough for Oklahoma to compete for a Big 12 title or make noise in March unless its star gets more help when the level of competition rises.

What's Next

Both teams will be back in action on Saturday. Oklahoma (11-2) will return to Norman for a showdown with rival Oklahoma State, while Kansas (12-1) will hit the road for a battle against Iowa State.