CHICAGO (AP) — Tre White scored a career-high 30 points, Tyran Stokes had 23 and No. 15 Kansas routed No. 24 Kentucky 89-69 on Tuesday night.
White was 11 for 16 from the field, and Stokes looked quite comfortable in his first big test. The touted freshman also had 10 rebounds and four assists.
Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points as Kansas moved to 3-0 for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Jayhawks also improved to 13-24 against the Wildcats
with their third straight win in the series against their fellow blueblood.
Playing without veteran guard Melvin Council Jr., who broke a bone in his right foot during practice Monday, Kansas led by as many as 23 points. Council could return for the start of the team’s Big 12 schedule.
Zoom Diallo scored 24 points for Kentucky (2-1) on 10-of-15 shooting. Malachi Moreno had 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Diallo is one of six transfers brought in by Kentucky coach Mark Pope ahead of this season. Milan Momcilovic, a transfer from Iowa State, was held to five points on 2-for-7 shooting.
Kentucky dropped to 6-10 in the Champions Classic, and Kansas improved to 10-6 in the annual doubleheader that also includes Duke and Michigan State in various combinations and different cities early in the season.
The Jayhawks grabbed control with an early 9-0 run and then started to pull away in the second half. White capped a 12-0 spurt with one of his four 3-pointers, making it 63-41 with 15 minutes left.
Kansas takes on UNLV in Las Vegas next Tuesday night.
Kentucky hosts Northern Arizona on Friday night.
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