Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji (30) moves in to the bucket against Oklahoma State guard Jonathan Laurent (1) during the first half on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 at Allen Fieldhouse.

As a supporting starter for the No. 1-ranked team in the country, Ochai Agbaji often blends in more than he stands out.

In the Jayhawks’ vital win at Baylor, he might have blended in a bit too much. Agbaji played 39 minutes, but he went scoreless for the first time this season and just the third time in his 44-game college career.

Agbaji said after that victory that he was still “happy for my teammates, happy for the outcome of the game.” But that doesn’t mean head coach Bill Self wants the 6-foot-5 sophomore guard playing passively on offense. When Kansas’ opponents devote most of their attention to Udoka Azubuike and Devon Dotson, opportunities for Agbaji often materialize. And when they do, KU needs Agbaji to take advantage of them.

During the Jayhawks’ 83-58 win over Oklahoma State on Monday night, Agbaji did exactly that. He produced 15 points, going 5 for 9 from the field and 2 for 6 on 3-pointers.

“A lot better,” Self said. “Aggressive. Shot a couple balls right off the bat.”

Agbaji’s good offensive showing began with an assist from the Jayhawks’ dominating big man, Azubuike. Dotson had just thrown KU’s senior center an entry pass into the paint, and as Azubuike gathered inside, OSU took an ultra-aggressive approach, sending four defenders at the 7-footer. Azubuike reacted by spotting Agbaji in the nearby left corner, and the sophomore side-stepped into a successful 3-pointer — KU’s first basket of the night.

That quick start had Agbaji confident enough to catch and fire quickly off a defensive stop on KU’s next possession. And even though that shot didn’t end up going in, it showed that Agbaji was comfortable taking initiative on offense.

He showed briefly he can do that as a playmaker, as well. At an early juncture of the first half, Agbaji dribbled hard toward the paint from the left wing, forcing the OSU defense to react. His decisive attack off the bounce created the opening Isaiah Moss needed to drain a wide-open 3-pointer and gave Agbaji an assist.

A particularly striking moment came above the rim. With a David McCormack block on defense serving as the catalyst for a fast break, Agbaji sprinted down the left side of the floor. Dotson served up a lob, and Agbaji slammed it.

Late in the first half, Agbaji again looked authoritative with the ball in his hands, driving right at OSU’s Lindy Waters III on a poor closeout and drawing a foul that led to two made free throws.

Agbaji did miss two well-contested 3-pointers in the final seconds of the first half, when the clock forced him to take shots he wouldn’t have to in most situations. But he came right back out in the second half ready to help put OSU away.

A few minutes removed from the halftime break, Agbaji found a larger defender, Cameron McGriff, checking him on the perimeter. So Agbaji went into attack mode, crossing over the 6-foot-7 forward and finishing over McGriff with a runner off the glass while drawing a foul for a 3-point play.

Just more than a minute later, Agbaji caught a pass on the right wing with eight seconds left on the shot clock. Azubuike came up to set a screen for him, and Agbaji used that opportunity to dribble into a 3-pointer that put KU up by 13 points.

Agbaji again responded firmly to a defensive opening for his final points of the night — his fifth double-digit-scoring game in Big 12 play this season.

When OSU opted to trap Marcus Garrett near midcourt, it left three defenders to cover four Jayhawks and a lot of space for Agbaji to operate once Garrett threw him a pass out on the right side. Agbaji wasted no time and dribbled into a rhythm jumper, which he buried from just behind the right elbow.

Self said he appreciated that Agbaji repeatedly sought out shots for himself.

“I don’t know football very well, but it seems like they’re playing nine in the box or whatever they call it,” Self said of defenses the Jayhawks have faced. “And it seems like to me you’ve got to throw long every now and then, even if it’s incomplete, just to stretch the defense. That’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to shoot the ball to stretch the defense. When we do that, it opens up a lot more driving area and lanes.”

KU’s most-used lineup versus OSU had Agbaji out on the court with Dotson, Azubuike, Garrett and Moss — KU’s starting five for the past four games. That unit played 15:09 versus OSU and outscored the Cowboys, 34-18.

What makes Agbaji (averaging 10.1 points a game this season, on 43% shooting and 34.1% 3-point accuracy) such a good fit as a third or fourth scoring option is KU doesn’t have to run actions for him for Agbaji to produce. Just as he showed versus OSU, he can accumulate points effectively by reading and reacting. Having an assertive approach in those moments brings out the best in Agbaji.

The Jayhawks don’t always need points from Agbaji, but his teammates and coaches do want him bringing an opportunistic attitude on offense.

“Defensively, he’s been pretty solid and good, basically all year long,” Self said. “But tonight he was different. He was different offensively. Much more confident.”