Courtesy of Howard Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Freshman Blake Harper (Washington) made his debut in grand fashion, leading his team with 16 points, but the depth and talent proved to be too much as the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Howard University men’s basketball team, 87-57, in the Second Annual John McLendon Classic at Allen Fieldhouse before 15,300.
A freshman out of Gonzaga College High School in D.C., Harper connected on 6-of-10 from the floor–including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-5 Harper also added four rebounds and three assists.
The top ranked Kansas Jayhawks (1-0) bolted to the sizeable early lead and were never threatened as they took a 46-19 at the half.
The Bison (0-1) had problems slowing down Kansas’ fast break, which produced 23 points. The Jayhawks also employed their three-point specialist Zeke Mayo, who hit on 7-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Howard’s primary scorers, Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Marcus Dockery (Washington), combined for 11 points, 20 points below their average.
Graduate guard Anwar Gill (Washington), in his first season in a Bison uniform, contributed seven points and Jaren Johnson (Lynwood, Calif.) tallied six points in a losing effort.
Kansas was led by Mayo and Hunter Dickinson and Flory Bidunga, who contributed 16 points and 13 points, respectively.
“Winning in college basketball is hard, ” Howard University head coach Kenny Blakeney told Ed Hill in a preseason interview. “It can be a hard and long process. I like this group and am excited about the potential. This team is connected and has noticeable chemistry. We just have to stay in the moment and live in the past. I have been there before as an assistant to Mike Brey at Delaware. We won back-to-back America East tournament titles and then other factors set in with complacency. We have to avoid that.”
NEXT UP: Howard University continues its Midwest trip with a game at Missouri on Friday (Nov. 8). The game will be carried on the SEC Network.