Kansas' experience delivers in win at Kentucky

Since John Calipari arrived at Kentucky in 2009, virtually every conversation has been about his freshmen. At Kansas, Bill Self recruits “one-and-done” guys, but his program isn’t defined by them.

On Saturday, Self and the Jayhawks proved – that for at least one night – it’s not all about the youth. For Kansas, a mixture of savvy veterans and a star freshman was the perfect recipe, as the Jayhawks walked into one of college basketball’s toughest road venues and walked out with a 79-73 victory and their second-straight win over the Wildcats (17-4).

The win for Kansas was impressive; not just because of who they played but because of the circumstances surrounding the game. The Jayhawks (19-2) had a tumultuous week, which began with a loss at West Virginia, then followed reports of an alleged sexual assault that took place at a dorm where players live. Then forward Carlton Bragg was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules — a decision Self said was unrelated to the dorm incident. That’s a lot for any team to do deal with, let alone in the days leading up to a road game against the No. 4 team in the country.

If the Jayhawks were fazed, they hid it well at Rupp Arena. After falling down by double-digits early, they chipped away, cutting the deficit to five by halftime. They scored 52 points in the second half and took control late.

And while Kentucky’s vaunted freshmen seemed to freeze in the game’s biggest moments, Kansas’ veterans thrived. Senior Frank Mason (who nearly attended Towson) finished with a game-high 21 points. Landen Lucas (who isn’t projected as an NBA Draft pick) had 13 points — 6-for-6 from the floor — and 5 rebounds and played his best in the clutch. Junior Devonte' Graham hit big shots late while Svi Mykhailiuk added game-clinching free throws.

Yes, freshman and future lottery pick Josh Jackson added 20 points and 10 boards (not to mention a few beautiful assists). But in this win, Kansas proved in a sport where the talk is increasingly about the game’s best freshmen and their NBA futures that there is more than one way to build a title contender.

You can do it by blending youth and raw, young talent. You can do it by taking some guys destined for the pros and mixing them with developmental players who take two or three years to find their way. Sometimes it isn’t about the star freshman who is destined to make millions, but instead the juniors and seniors who have seen and done it all.