For the first time in three years, the Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team has opened the season with a victory.
Senior wing Ochai Agbaji erupted for a career-high 29 points and newcomer point guard Remy Martin added 15 points all in the second half as the No. 3-ranked Jayhawks defeated unranked Michigan State, 87-74, in Tuesday’s Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.
David McCormack contributed 10 points as KU prevailed after opening with a loss to Gonzaga last season and to Duke in 2019-20. Martin also had six rebounds from the point guard position.
KU improved to 16-3 in season openers during the Bill Self era. A.J. Hoggard had 17 points and Julius Marble 13 for MSU.
Agbaji scored 12 points and freshman Zach Clemence seven points as the Jayhawks led 39-32 at halftime.
Several newcomers played well. For instance KJ Adams, who entered with 4.2 seconds let in the first half, contributed a forceful block of a Hoggard shot at the buzzer. Adams also saved the ball from sailing out of bounds the second half and fed Christian Braun for a hoop.
Guard Bobby Pettiford scored five points (three the first half) and had a stellar assist on an inside bucket by Clemence. It was a half in which senior Remy Martin did not take a shot. He had two assists and two rebounds in 11 minutes. McCormack had four points on 1-of-4 shooting with two turnovers in his 10 minutes. Hoggard had eight points to lead MSU in the half. Senior forward Mitch Lightfoot helped out with four points in five minutes. KU closed that half with a 9-1 run.
