Takeaways from Kansas' win vs. Syracuse -- including a new starting five

Shreyas Laddha, The Kansas City Star on Nov 25, 2025

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Redshirt-sophomore guard Jamari McDowell’s body hit the court hard inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Syracuse forward William Kyle III had pushed aside the Kansas guard to collect an offensive rebound. He caught the ball and turned the second-chance opportunity into a wide-open dunk.

In a game in which both teams were missing their best player, every possession was a battle. The effort in Tuesday’s second-round game of the Players Era tournament mirrored a game in March. And that was despite the notable absences.

Kansas played without freshman phenom Darryn Peterson and key reserve Jayden Dawson while Syracuse didn’t have leading scorer Donnie Freeman.

The result was an ugly 71-60 Kansas victory. The Jayhawks improved to 5-2, riding exactly the kind of win that coach Bill Self wants from him teams early in the season.

And once again, KU’s frontcourt played a major role.

Tre White scored 15 points with 10 rebounds and three assists. Big man Flory Bidunga added 13 points and 14 rebounds.

McDowell started in place of Kohl Rosario, marking his first ever time in the opening group. He finished with nine points. Bryson Tiller joined those players, plus Melvin Council, in the KU starting five and contributed 11 points.

Kansas led by nine at half and for more than 37 minutes of game time, but this one got close for a moment. While Syracuse shot just 31% in the first half and 32.4% in the second, the Orange closed the gap to two points with about six minutes left.

The Jayhawks responded.

After a Bidunga score to go up 54-50, White went on a personal 6-0 run. The Jayhawks took a 10-point lead and Syracuse never got closer than seven from that point on.

Up next: KU will play its final game at the Players Era tournament, with the opponent to be decided later on. The game is expected to be sometime Wednesday.

Until then, here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s action:

Bidunga has answered Self’s call

A few weeks ago, Self said he hoped Bidunga would eventually become KU’s second option. But he thought it would take some time.

In that regard, Bidunga is ahead of schedule. He seems to have made it a personal mission to carry the offense with Peterson missing time.

For the second straight game, Bidunga scored double-digit points in the first half. He had 11 through the first 20 minutes and finished with the double-double.

That offensive outburst included a long mid-range jumper. It was quite possibly the farthest shot he’s made in two seasons at KU.

Bidunga previously told The Kansas City Star he’s worked on his jumper for the last two summers. And it finally showed up in a game.

That said, he’s got to do a better job of taking care of the ball. He ended the game with seven turnovers.

Tiller continues to show promise

In KU’s win against Notre Dame on Monday, Tiller dropped 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

He kept up his stellar play against Syracuse. The freshman forward has made his impact felt on both ends of the court lately. And he finally looks comfortable in the starting group.

Between Bidunga and Tiller, the Jayhawks are able to defend the rim and guard on the perimeter. They can switch on defense and still keep opponents in check.

Tiller had eight points and five rebounds in the first half. He hit a number of timely buckets in the second and finished with 11 points, eight rebounds.

His touch around the rim also stood out. It’s part of why Self has called him a future NBA player.

McDowell makes most of his start

Before Tuesday, McDowell had averaged 9.5 minutes per game.

So call it a total surprise — at least to those outside the KU locker room — that McDowell started in place of Rosario. McDowell certainly didn’t play like he was caught off guard.

The third-year KU guard played fearless in his first-ever start. When he was open, he didn’t hesitate to shoot. McDowell even drove into the teeth of the defense and made a layup.

It was the best he’s looked all season. He finished with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and no turnovers in 34 minutes. If he can continue to give the Jayhawks some offense, he will see his minutes increase.