Kansas guard Tre White (3) jumps up to slap hands with the Kansas students above the scoreboard following the Jayhawks’ 69-56 win over Houston on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

It’s quite common for Kansas coach Bill Self to tell reporters a player needs to be more aggressive to develop into a more consistent part of the Jayhawks’ offense.

In the case of Tre White, though, with how much he appeared to be pressing during a recent slump, the opposite remedy was in order.

“I think he was less aggressive,” Self said of White after KU’s 69-56 win over Houston on Monday, “and he made easy plays.”

The results were obvious. White, a senior transfer from Illinois whose development beyond the production of his prior three seasons of college basketball helped KU earn quite a few wins earlier in the season, experienced a return to form against the Cougars. He did what he’s done well for much of the season: knocked down 3s (3-for-4 from beyond the arc) and got to the free-throw line (8-for-8). Just as importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over, an issue that has plagued him all season.

The result was that he finished with a game-high 23 points, his largest output of the season and since Dec. 10, 2024, and five rebounds in just 28 minutes. It was his first game as KU’s leading scorer since he scored 19 on Jan. 13 — also in a top-five home win, against Iowa State.

“You shoot the ball when you’re open, you pass it when you’re not,” Self said of White’s showing. “You go rebound the ball, you get fouled getting rebounds.”

It was the apex of a three-game uptick for White after essentially the low point of his season, an 0-for-3, two-point showing at ISU on Feb. 14 after he had gotten oral surgery during the previous week. But even prior to that he had endured some tough games, like four points on 1-for-6 shooting (albeit with the game-sealing free throws) against Arizona five days earlier.

To his credit, White said he’s remained consistent with his preparation even as his in-game results have fluctuated.

“Trusting my work, just keeping my routine,” he said. “You know, I feel like those are good shots for me. Just got to have my confidence, keep shooting it. These guys (his teammates) are here every time, every day. They just keep telling me to shoot it, shoot it when it’s open. So you know, I have no (choice) but to just let it fly.”

He did just that on 6-for-9 shooting, matching his most efficient performance from the field since Nov. 26.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson called White a key difference maker for KU as the Jayhawks approach the NCAA Tournament, and it’s easy to see why given the relatively low number of contributors on the roster who are making 3s and getting to the free-throw line — both skills the senior forward is able to provide.

“I thought he was exceptional offensively, but I think up until this, when you’re pressing, you try to do too much sometimes, and I didn’t think he did that tonight,” Self said. “I thought he let the game come to him. He made the game easy tonight for himself.”

White, now averaging 16.7 points and 4.3 rebounds with one total turnover across his last three games, will get another crack at Arizona as the Jayhawks travel to Tucson, Arizona, for a Saturday afternoon showdown with the second-ranked Wildcats.