Udoka Azubuike Drops 17 as No. 3 Kansas Escapes No. 16 WVU's Upset Bid

The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks began Big 12 play with a 60-53 victory over the No. 16 West Virginia Mountaineers at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

The Mountaineers led by as many as 10 points, including a 30-24 halftime lead despite being held scoreless for the final three minutes of the first half, but Kansas surged once the second-half whistle blew.

Jayhawks senior center Udoka Azubuike had just six points in the first 20 minutes before leading KU's comeback effort by notching his fifth double-double of the season. Azubuike and sophomore guard Devon Dotson combined for 33 of Kansas' 60 points.

Neither squad shot particularly well. Kansas shot 40.4 percent from the field but went only 3-of-17 from three-point range, while West Virginia labored toward a 32.2 shooting percentage from the field (3-of-14 from three).

The Jayhawks improved to 11-2, having most recently lost 56-55 to No. 10 Villanova on Dec. 21. Kansas was ranked No. 1 in the country at the time.

West Virginia saw its four-game winning streak snapped by the Jayhawks. The 11-2 Mountaineers were riding high into this matchup after upsetting No. 2 Ohio State 67-59 on Sunday.

Notable Performances

KU C Udoka Azubuike: 17 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal, 6 blocks

KU G Devon Dotson: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals

KU G Marcus Garrett: 12 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

KU G Ochai Agbaji: 7 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal

WVU F Oscar Tshiebwe: 17 points, 17 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

WVU G Miles McBride: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

WVU F Derek Culver: 5 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

WVU G Jordan McCabe: 7 points, 1 assist, 1 steal

Oscar Tshiebwe's Importance to Mountaineers Reiterated in Loss

The freshman big man established his territory in the paint early and often at Allen Fieldhouse.

Tshiebwe entered halftime with 15 points and 10 rebounds, notching his sixth double-double of the season.

Kansas experienced firsthand what the Tshiebwe-led Mountaineers are capable of when the Congo native avoids foul trouble.

West Virginia still managed to upset No. 2 Ohio State while Tshiebwe was held scoreless in an abbreviated eight-minute outing. That was not the case for West Virginia on Saturday when Tshiebwe was neutralized in the second half:

Tshiebwe's dominant first-half performance did not completely absolve the Mountaineers from struggling:

West Virginia doesn't need to feel discouraged by this, however. It's January, and the Mountaineers are already four victories away from matching their 2018-19 win total. Instead, leaving Kansas with a loss should serve as an early reminder for head coach Bob Huggins that Tshiebwe's supporting cast can't rely solely on him in order to ride this wave into the NCAA tournament.

KU's Quest to Regain Big 12 Title Won't Be Easy

Kansas State and Texas Tech shared the Big 12 regular-season title last season, marking the first time since 2003-04 that the Jayhawks did not at least hold a share.

Iowa State then beat Kansas 78-66 in the Big 12 tournament final.

Saturday's opening of conference play, even though it resulted in a win, served as a reminder that the Jayhawks are no longer necessarily automatically a lock to claim the Big 12 like they were for 14 consecutive years.

Head coach Bill Self seemed to acknowledge this postgame:

The Mountaineers' efforts fell apart once Tshiebwe was shaken off his game in the second half, but moving forward, what could be more concerning for Kansas is that West Virginia's bench outscored Jayhawks reserves 20-6.

KU's next three games will serve as a good gauge. The Jayhawks will rematch with Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, before hosting the No. 6 Baylor Bears (Jan. 11) and traveling to Oklahoma (Jan. 14).

Baylor owns the conference's second-best scoring defense, second-best scoring margin and third-best scoring offense, according to the Big 12's official website. Kansas ranks seventh, first and first in those respective categories.

The Jayhawks' win over West Virginia served as a primer for what can be learned about this team against the Bears.

What's Next?

The Mountaineers will continue their road trip Monday against Oklahoma State.

The Jayhawks will travel to take on the Iowa State Cyclones, the reigning Big 12 tournament champions, on Wednesday.