The Day After: Hawaii Oh-No

photo by: Nick Krug

Indiana forward Juwan Morgan (13) gets a hand on a shot from Kansas forward Landen Lucas (33) during the first half of the Armed Forces Classic at Stan Sheriff Center, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

photo by: Nick Krug

Indiana forward Juwan Morgan (13) gets a hand on a shot from Kansas forward Landen Lucas (33) during the first half of the Armed Forces Classic at Stan Sheriff Center, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

A week in paradise was spoiled by a hard-fought, overtime loss to No. 11 Indiana on Friday night, and now the Kansas men’s basketball team heads to New York, where its reward for dropping the season opener is a date with No. 1 Duke on Tuesday night.

The Jayhawks were good for long stretches of Friday’s loss, great for small spurts and still sluggish too many other times. Combine all of that together and pit it against a team that endured a very similar night, and it’s no wonder you got a high-octane game that came down to the final few possessions and needed an extra five minutes to be decided.

The teams shot an identical 31-of-71 clip from the field in this one, but the Hoosiers dropped in eight more three-pointers and just four fewer free throws. That should tell you just how well the Jayhawks actually did play. To give up a 20-point edge at the three-point line and free throw line combined and still have a chance to win the game is pretty solid.

Not everybody had a good night and a couple of guys were downright awful, but it’s important to remember that this was still just the first game and that the last time these guys played anything that had that much intensity and emotion and excitement tied to it was last March when they fell one win shy of reaching the Final Four. Competing at that high of a level takes time to perfect and is something that needs to be learned and there are still a few Kansas players who need to find their way.

Quick Takeaway

I definitely don’t think it’s any time to panic. For one, I think Indiana’s damn good. And they’re so tough and relentless on the glass. For two, I thought Kansas did enough good things to encourage people to believe that this team is on its way to being solid but, like all teams, still needs a little time to truly find itself and mesh all of the parts. I’m sure part of the reason this one stings is that it was the season opener in a high-profile game against another highly ranked team. Losing’s never any fun, but losing those types of games always has a way of stinging, at least in the moment. In the big picture, though, this will be one that benefits Kansas. Not only did they learn a few things they need to work on, they also learned that they can overcome a little adversity when it hits. Now they just need to learn to finish once they do.

Three reasons to smile

1 – Frank Mason’s will to win is flat-out incredible, perhaps up there with any Jayhawk ever to play for Self. With KU looking dead in the water late in regulation, Mason threw the team on his back, attacked the rim relentlessly and helped force overtime. There’s been a lot of talk about the improvement of other Jayhawks over the summer, but it appears that Mason, who was already terrific to begin with, might have improved as much as anybody.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) drives against Indiana forward OG Anunoby (3) during the first half of the Armed Forces Classic at Stan Sheriff Center, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2 – The Jayhawks competed. You can say they should’ve done this, could’ve done that or didn’t do something else, but there’s no doubt that these guys were battling in an absolute dog fight of a college basketball game. Indiana was strong and scrappy and KU did its best to match the Hoosiers’ fight and intensity from start to finish.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Lagerald Vick (2) and Kansas center Udoka Azubuike (35) fight for a rebound over Indiana forward OG Anunoby (3) during the first half of the Armed Forces Classic at Stan Sheriff Center, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

3 – Basketball’s back. It’s such a simple one, but it’s worth remembering and especially worth focusing on following a tough loss. This college basketball season figures to be very exciting and very entertaining for the Jayhawks and we now are officially under way. Enjoy the ride.

Three reasons to sigh

1 – It’s only been a couple of games and it may not last, but Devonte’ Graham’s cramps could be a concern. It was not all that humid in the Stan Sheriff Center nor was it that hot of a day outside. Graham said last week that he thought the issue had to do with not eating enough and you can bet the KU medical staff is doing all it can to figure this thing out. It looked as if Graham began feeling the effects of cramping with about 10 minutes remaining so give him credit for playing through it to the end of regulation.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) chases down a steal from Indiana guard James Blackmon Jr. (1) during the second half of the Armed Forces Classic at Stan Sheriff Center, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2 – What was up with the KU bench? Entering the season, there was a ton of talk about KU’s deep and talented lineup that figured to include some seriously talented depth. It’s not there yet. Udoka Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot are going to need some time still to develop into players KU can count on and even sophomore Lagerald Vick showed he still has some work to do to make the leap from most improved player to prime time contributor. They’ll get there, but this game was a good reminder of just how important the guys KU lost were to the Jayhawks’ success last season.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Landen Lucas (33) gets his fifth foul against Indiana forward De'Ron Davis (20) during overtime of the Armed Forces Classic at Stan Sheriff Center, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

3 – Landen Lucas battled his butt off, but he can only do so much. And if he has to play that hard against talented big men, it’s going to make him less effective at times. IU center Thomas Bryant exploited that a little bit and even though going small is something that will work against a lot of teams, it’s clear that it’s not going to work against every team, therein making the development of KU’s young bigs even more important.

Next up

After two days of rest, recovery and licking their wounds, the Jayhawks will jump right back in to another high-profile, hellacious battle when they face No. 1 Duke at 8:30 p.m. in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

By the Numbers: Indiana 103, Kansas 99 (OT)

— See what people were saying about KU’s matchup against Indiana during KUsports.com’s live coverage.

More news and notes from the loss against Indiana