LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tre White scored 22 points, top recruit Tyran Stokes added 15 in his Kansas debut, and the No. 17 Jayhawks overcame early stretches of sloppy offense and porous perimeter defense to beat Fordham 95-65 in their season opener Monday night.
Leroy Blyden Jr. also had 15 points after transferring from Toledo, Melvin Council Jr. scored 10 in his return to the Jayhawks, and recent Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn came off the bench to score nine points and pull down five boards.
White, Council and Kaufman-Renn are among the dozens of players across the country who have won injunctions in court against the NCAA for another year of eligibility. The trio combined for 41 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in the opener.
Akira Jacobs had 20 points and Lateef Patrick Jr. scored 13 for the Rams, whose 3-point barrage kept them within 54-48 early in the second half before the Jayhawks embarked on a 19-3 run that finally gave them complete control.
Kaufman-Renn didn't play for Kansas during its exhibition slate, which included losses to second-ranked Duke and No. 11 Louisville in Allen Fieldhouse, as his eligibility situation was revolved and the former All-Big Ten forward got up to speed with his new team.
He checked in at 16:18 of the first half to chants of “T-K-R” from the student section and scored 13 seconds later.
The Jayhawks tried to put away the game with a 16-1 first-half run. But after missing 10 straight shots, the Rams started to hit from the perimeter — they made 13 3-pointers in all — and Kansas coach Bill Self burned a timeout early in the second half.
Eventually, the Jayhawks wore down Fordham with their size and athleticism. Their big second-half charge broke open a six-point game, allowing Kansas to cruise through the final 10 minutes and run its winning streak in home openers to 54 in a row.
Up next
Fordham begins a three-game homestand against Stonehill on Thursday night.
Kansas plays Middle Tennessee on Friday night in its final home game until Nov. 23.