Jamari McDowell may have been Kansas’ biggest positive in Big 12 Tournament blowout

Despite missing stars Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar in Wednesday’s blowout loss to Cincinnati at the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas freshman Jamari McDowell didn’t make any excuses.

He wears a Jayhawk jersey with the utmost pride.

“At the end day, we play for Kansas,” McDowell told The Star. “I expect to win every game. That didn’t happen today, but like I said, it’s a lesson. So we will learn from it and keep it (pushing).”

McDowell played extended minutes against the Bearcats with only seven scholarship players available. He finished with 24 minutes overall, totaling seven points and six rebounds.

He immediately made an impact in his first stint of the game when he converted two layups off hard cuts to the basket

He even broke KU’s ice-cold start on 3-pointers, canning Kansas’ first made 3 about 23 minutes into the game. And he played a pivotal role in cutting UC’s 17-point lead to just two points in the second half.

Whether gathering rebounds, playing good defense or hitting the 3 that cut UC’s lead to six points, McDowell made his presence felt on Wednesday.

Kansas even had multiple opportunities to take the lead but couldn’t take advantage.

McDowell didn’t hide his disappointment when asked about Kansas’ near comeback.

“We really just thought that we could — I felt like we could really do it,” he said. “We had (done) it before, so I was positive in that moment. I was really, really into it.”

Ultimately, KU’s lack of shooting proved to be its downfall… yet again.

Kansas shot 2-for-18 (11.1%) from deep until KU walk-on Patrick Cassidy made a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left.

“The bottom line is we need to be able to make six or seven 3s,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “When you get outscored 15 to 30 points every game from beyond the arc, that’s a lot of 2s, and you don’t have enough opportunities to make those up.”

And that was the big-picture story for KU on a day Self was actually somewhat pleased with his team’s defense. But the biggest silver lining may have come from McDowell, who at one point was expected to redshirt this season.

Instead, McDowell played well enough to compete for the last starting role—ultimately losing out to fellow freshman Elmarko Jackson. (Jackson would later lose that spot to freshman wing Johnny Furphy.)

In his extended minutes, McDowell provided a glimpse into his bright future — and a rare silver lining for a KU fan base that has been frustrated with the Jayhawks’ play all season.

“It just comes with playing and practice — reps, reps, and reps,” he said.

And he’s learned quite a bit from this older Jayhawk squad.

“Keep your poise — you never know what’s going to happen,” McDowell said. “Bring energy. You’ve got to show up everyday to work, regardless of how you’re feeling.”