LAWRENCE — Against Pittsburg State, Kansas basketball coach Bill Self saw a clear top performer for the Jayhawks.
Self, whose team won 80-62 on Friday at home in an exhibition game, highlighted a lot of areas of improvement for the team postgame on the Jayhawk Sports Network. But fifth-year center Christian Reeves stood out for how well he played, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. The only reason Reeves didn’t play longer than the slightly more than 10 minutes he had, is because he spent the offseason recovering from an injury, and Self didn’t see a need to put Reeves back in the game.
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“It was fun to get back out there,” Reeves said postgame on ESPN+. “Obviously, I had a long road of recovery this summer, so it’s just fun to get back out there with the guys, and I enjoyed it.”
Reeves, who transferred in from College of Charleston during the offseason, added his shoulder is feeling good and praised the staff for helping him get healthier. He thought fans could see the depth, size, speed and athleticism the Jayhawks have overall. Being able to play inside Allen Fieldhouse as a KU athlete was special for Reeves, too.
Should Reeves be able to translate that not just to the next two exhibition games, but the regular season as well, that can give Kansas a commanding force inside at 7-foot-2 and 260 pounds. It would also provide the Jayhawks with the option of more versatility, when it comes to playing with a bigger or smaller lineup. These next two exhibitions will provide much more of a challenge, though, with a Louisville matchup on Oct. 21 at home and a Duke matchup Oct. 25 at home.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at JMGuskey@usatodayco.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Christian Reeves shines in Kansas basketball's win vs Pittsburg State