Kansas at UCF: Quick Preview and OGT

Darryn Peterson is, by all accounts, available to play today as the Jayhawks face the UCF Golden Knights at 1pm Jayhawk Time. The game will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network for TV viewers, and Peacock for those with a subscription. Kansas is currently favored by 4.5 points.

The spread might seem a little light, but UCF has been solid so far this season. They rank in the KenPom top 50 with an 11-1 record. Their lone loss came in November to a tough Vanderbilt team, and they’ve notched wins over Texas A&M and…well that’s where it gets a little tougher to judge how good this team is. Aside from A&M and Vandy, Pitt (94th) is the only other team in the KenPom top 100 they’ve played.

They’re a much tougher team on the offensive end of the court than they are on the defensive side. KenPom ranks their offense 35th, but their defense just 90th. The Knights rank just 92nd from inside the arc, but they’re 12th from behind it, hitting just shy of 40% from three. That alone could make them dangerous in any single game, though their 3 point rate isn’t very high at all, suggesting part of their 3 point clip could be from shot selection.

Another thing to look out for when UCF has the ball is their extraordinary offensive rebounding. Their numbers may be a bit inflated by playing a lot of low and mid major teams, but they still have the 4th best OR% in the country. Kansas will need to crash the boards to keep UCF from stealing extra possessions on the glass.

I expect Kansas to win this game, but a team that shoots well from three and annihilates the offensive glass is always going to be a concern to me. I’m bracing for this to be a little too close for comfort with Kansas potentially playing from behind at times, especially early on.