The Kansas Jayhawks and the UCF Knights continue Big 12 Conference men’s basketball action on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Orlando, Fla.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. central on ESPN+. The Jayhawks (9-3, 01 in Big 12) are ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 while UCF (10-2, 1-0) is not ranked.
Kansas is coming off a 62-61 loss to West Virginia at Allen Fieldhouse, which was the Mountaineers’ first win in Lawrence in program history. UCF claimed a solid road win at Texas Tech, 87-83. The Knights are on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, per ESPN.
Here is a preview of Sunday’s game.
How to Watch Kansas vs. UCF
Date: Sunday, January 5, 2025
Time: 3 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN+
Site: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Fla.
Kansas vs. UCF Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Kansas -5.5
Current Line: Kansas -5.5
Over/Under: 149.5
Kansas vs. UCF Predictions
Kansas has now lost three of its last five games. If the Jayhawks make a deep run in March, this stretch will be a blip. If not, it may be seen as predictive for the rest of the season.
All three losses have come to high major teams (Creighton, Missouri and WVU). Two were road blowouts and one was a close loss where Kansas failed to execute on both ends in the final two minutes. It’s safe to say that, right now, the Jayhawks aren’t clicking. The good news is there is plenty of runway to fix it.
Center Hunter Dickinson (15.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg) is averaging a double-double. He’s had double-doubles in two of those losses. Guard Zeke Mayo (14.7 ppg, 3.0 apg) has been terrific and dropped 27 points on WVU, his third straight game of 20 or more points. Guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (10.3 ppg, 5.8 apg) is doing his usual thing.
So, what’s up? The 3-point shooting that coach Bill Self imported hasn’t paid off yet. The team is shooting 34.8% from the arc, which is No. 12 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks aren’t playing well away from home (0-2 in true road games). And, while KU is No. 8 in Ken Pom defensive efficiency, it hasn’t paid off lately against power conference teams.
The Jayhawks need a tune-up, not an overhaul. A road win in conference would help.
UCF’s win over Texas Tech was significant on a couple of levels. It was the Knights’ first true road game and win. It was their second Quad 1 win of the season. And, it marked the returns of Jaylin Sellers and Mikey Williams from injury.
They both came off the bench against the Red Raiders, as Sellers played 14 minutes and scored seven points while Williams played five minutes and scored two points. Both will be brought along slowly as each has only played two games.
Others have more than made up for their absence. Guards Darius Johnson and Keyshawn Hall dropped 24 and 22 on the Red Raiders, respectively. They’ve emerged as two of the team’s top three scorers, with Hall averaging 15.8 and Johnson averaging 15.5. In between is another guard, Jordan Ivy-Curry, who averages 15.7. Johnson is firing a dizzying 47.1% from the arc.
The Knights are guard-dominant, so the play in the paint falls to center Moustapha Thiam, who is averaging 8.0 points and 5.2 rebounds. He’s getting help from Benny Williams and JJ Taylor.
But these Knights aren’t as imposing inside as they were a year ago, which helped them beat Kansas in their matchup in Orlando last January. What they do have is a set of guards that are capable of firing away from outside and a defense that plays better than its No. 81 Ken Pom defensive efficiency ranking suggests.
Kansas 68, UCF 64
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Kansas (74.7% Chance of Winning)
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
