Kansas Jayhawks basketball rolls Howard Bison 87-57 in season opener

The Kansas Jayhawks opened up their 2024-25 campaign with a blowout win, crushing the Howard Bison 87-57.

It didn’t take long for the top-ranked Jayhawks to jump out in front, taking the lead for good at the 17:15 mark of the first half on a basket by senior center Hunter Dickinson. That led off a 21-3 run by Kansas that put the game out of reach by just after the midway point of the first half.

Monday’s opener was an especially efficient one for the KU offense, which shot 60.4% from the floor, 50% from three-point range and 75% from the free throw line.

“I thought the start of the game we were pretty good,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I thought we looked fast. I thought we looked athletic.”

Senior guard Zeke Mayo led the Jayhawks in scoring in the win, pouring in 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in 23 minutes off the bench.

It was a big night for Mayo, a Lawrence native playing his first regular-season game in front of his hometown crowd.

“I thought tonight, and the other game, he was more aggressive shooting the ball. I like it,” Self said regarding the transfer from South Dakota State. “He’s a weapon out there, he can knock it down.”

Mayo was one of three Jayhawks to score in double figures, joined by Dickinson and freshman center Flory Bidunga, who scored 16 and 13 points, respectively. It was the first action of any kind this year for Dickinson, who was held out of KU’s two exhibition games due to injury.

Fourteen players saw the floor for Kansas against Howard, notably not including sophomore guard Jamari McDowell. Self announced during his postgame media availability that McDowell will redshirt this season.

KU will be back in action on Friday night when the North Carolina Tar Heels come to Allen Fieldhouse. That game is set for 6:00 p.m. tip on Nov. 8.

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