The Bearcats basketball team is trying to break out of a funk against No. 11 Kansas (11-3, 2-1). UC welcomes the Jayhawks to Fifth Third Arena for a 2 p.m. ET tip on ESPN+ this Saturday. UC is 0-3 in Big 12 play so far and is in the thick of its first three-game losing streak of the season.

The Jayhawks’ defense was lacking in the first half, allowing Arizona State to shoot 46.7% from the field. The Sun Devils’ 42 points in the first half was the most a team has scored against KU this season. Jayhawks coach Bill Self must have delivered one heck of a halftime speech, because KU’s defense was phenomenal in the second half.

Kansas basketball bounced back from losing its Big 12 opener with a historic 99-48 beatdown of UCF. KU head coach Bill Self credited his team's improved intensity after the win, sending a message of continued urgency to the Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks forced eight turnovers in the first half alone. Kansas did an excellent job of swarming UCF’s players in the paint and held Knights star Keyshawn Hall to 11 points on 2-for-7 shooting.