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Kansas ready to return to dominant Big 12 team in Champions Classic

By Kevin Connelly

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives to the basket during the second half against the Northeastern Huskies in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives to the basket during the second half against the Northeastern Huskies in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas Jayhawks are looking to return to its dominant self after a disappointing season last year against the Duke Basketball team in the Champions Classic.

After a disappointing 2018-19 season, the Kansas Jayhawks are looking to return to its dominant self against the Duke Blue Devils on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic.

Kansas didn’t win the Big 12 Regular Season Championship last season, for the first time in 14 seasons, and the Jayhawks were bounced in the Round of 32 by the Auburn Tigers in the NCAA Tournament last season.

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Ranked No. 3 in the Preseason Associated Press Poll, Bill Self will turn to Devon Dotson for a majority of the Jayhawks scoring outputs this season but the Jayhawks also return a healthy Udoka Azubuike in addition to Mitch Lightfoot, David McCormack, and Silvio De Sousa.

In the backcourt with Dotson, the Self will also pair Marcus Garrett with his star guard, but one player the Jayhawks might not have available is Isaiah Moss who is a graduate student from Iowa and has been dealing with a hamstring injury.

Azubuike only played nine games last season due to injury while Dotson is Kansas’ leading returning scorer as he averaged 12.3 points per game last season while shooting 48.2% from the field and 36.3% from 3-point range.

Silvio De Sousa did not play last year due to being under investigation by the NCAA in the FBI scandal regarding payments to athletes and their families. De Sousa did play against Duke in the Elite 8 in the 2017-18 season and had the best game of his career, playing 26 minutes off the bench and adding four points and ten rebounds.

Kansas also has a Top-20 recruiting class led by Jalen Wilson who is the No. 53 recruit in the nation according to 247 Sports and the Jayhawks’ highest rated recruit.

Tristan Enaruna, Christian Braun, and Issac McBride round out Kansas’ four-man class this season.

The No. 4 Duke Blue Devils will go to battle against the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks on Tuesday, November 5 in the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden at 7:00pm EST and the game can be seen on ESPN.

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