SerpApi.Org
The Kansas Jayhawks alumni basketball team will need to bounce back rather quickly - and improve a lot - if it hopes to avoid an early elimination in the 2026 TBT.
Paced by Michael Beasley’s early onslaught of points and pinpoint passes that led to a plethora of slam dunks, Kansas State’s Purple Reign - which stormed to a 37-19 lead early in the second quarter - slugged KU’s JXH Hoops squad 80-61 on Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats and Jayhawks will meet in game two of the best-of-three opening-round series at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lee Arena on Washburn’s campus.
A KSU victory would eliminate the Jayhawks from the TBT. A KU victory would force a deciding game three on Friday night back at Bramlage.
“The way we played tonight is not the way we practice. It isn’t the way we play. So we’ll get a better effort (Wednesdsay),” JXH Hoops head coach Sherron Collins said after KU’s lopsided defeat.
“It’s going to hurt tonight. But the good thing is we’ve got another game tomorrow,” he added.
The Jayhawks appeared dazed after falling behind 10-1 early before 3,192 enthusiastic fans.
K-State’s Beasley, who scored 20 points with six assists (many leading to slam dunks), three blocks and two steals, talked trash to KU’s bench throughout the contest. At one point he put a shoulder into JHX’s Tra-Deon Hollins and drew a technical foul.
Beasley, ever the showman, actually planted a kiss on KU forward Carlton Bragg’s cheek as the Cats enjoyed every moment of Tuesday’s rout.
“I think any athlete that’s a competitor, you compete to win, and every win and every loss matters,” Collins said. “But to lose the right way is always giving your all or losing by one point.
“The way we lost is unacceptable the way we play, and they know that, and they feel that, and the talks are already about tomorrow. I like where our attitude is at and how we’re going to respond.”
KU had two injuries in the game. Marcus Garrett bumped knees with a KSU player in the first half and only played nine minutes, scoring five points. Collins said Garrett will be able to play Wednesday at Washburn.
Jamari Traylor (four points, three rebounds), suffered an injury late in the game that Collins said would be checked out by medical staff, his status unknown for game two.
“At Kansas, it’s always to win every game, and if you don’t win the game, it’s the end of the world. So I think we’ve all been under that pressure and that umbrella. So we’ll respond,” Collins said. “We’ll get some guys some treatment, but I’m for sure … a guy like Frank (Mason), Frank’s probably going to punch a wall or something later on.
“That’s how much of a competitor he is, and you can feel it. I can feel how he feels, so we’ll get fight tomorrow.”
Frank Mason scored 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting with six rebounds and four assists with seven of KU’s 19 turnovers in 31 minutes. Zeke Mayo had 12 points in 31 minutes. He was 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Jacob Hanna had 10 points and six rebounds with three assists, while Billy Preston totaled 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting with seven rebounds
Beasley, who had an early block of a Mason layup, seemed to set the tone for first-half domination by the KSU team. He hit two 3s and scored 13 points in the first half as K-State led 39-25 at the break.
Beasley and JHX player Hollins (who played college basketball at Omaha) had words as the teams exited for their locker rooms through the same tunnel at halftime. However, at the end of the game Beasley hugged Collins and Mario Chalmers (zero points, eight minutes) in the handshake line.
“You always are upset when that (happens), and no need for it. But that’s what Beasley was doing. It wasn’t anything malicious. That’s how he gets in your head. He messes with you,” Collins said of Beasley putting his shoulder into Hollins. “It was fine. Our guys responded well, but yes when you do that, you expect to get a retaliation or something like that.”
Beasley finished with 20 points, while Xavier Sneed had 16 points and eight boards and Austin Trice 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting for Purple Reign.
“Beasley’s going to be Beasley. He’s tough, man. He’s a pro. I think everybody knows that. We’e just gotta make him make stuff tougher for him. I think we let him get comfortable, and we gave him too much respect for sure,” Collins assessed.
