A 7-foot-2 freshman hit four threes and helped end a Kansas streak dating to 1993

A 7-foot-2 freshman hit four threes and helped end a Kansas streak dating to 1993 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Kansas basketball has produced countless memorable nights inside Allen Fieldhouse, but Wednesday’s exhibition against Louisville delivered a result Jayhawks fans had not experienced at home in more than 30 years. The Cardinals walked into one of college basketball’s most intimidating buildings and escaped with an 89-83 victory, ending a remarkable 58-game Kansas home exhibition winning streak.

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The last time Kansas had lost an exhibition at Allen Fieldhouse was November 1993, when the Australian National Team defeated the Jayhawks. That was before many of today’s college basketball players were born, and long before Bill Self began his tenure in Lawrence.

Yet the most fascinating part of Louisville’s victory wasn’t simply the historical streak. It was the unlikely player who helped bring it to an end.

Obinna Ekezie Jr., a 7-foot-2 freshman who reclassified to join Louisville earlier than originally expected, came off the bench and delivered a performance that Kansas probably never anticipated.

The freshman Kansas dared to shoot

Ekezie finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots in just 19 minutes. Those numbers would have represented an impressive debut for almost any freshman big man, but his shooting made the performance especially unusual.

The Louisville center connected on four of six 3-point attempts, repeatedly punishing Kansas for giving him room along the perimeter. His ability to stretch the floor created problems for a Jayhawks defense that expected to handle him differently from Louisville’s established outside shooters.

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Self acknowledged afterward that Kansas had intentionally allowed Ekezie opportunities from deep. The Jayhawks were willing to test whether the freshman could consistently make those shots, but the strategy became increasingly…

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Publish date : 2026-10-23 11:50:00

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