Kansas Survives Sluggish Performance to Defeat Utah 71-59

Flory Bidunga's career-high seven blocks lead the Jayhawks to their seventh straight win.

Feb. 7, 2026 at 6:15pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

No. 11 Kansas earned a 71-59 home victory over Utah on Saturday, pushing its winning streak to seven games. Flory Bidunga headlined the contest with a career-high seven blocks, helping the Jayhawks take control with a strong second half. Head coach Bill Self acknowledged his team's lack of energy and attention to detail, but was pleased they were able to grind out the win.

Why it matters

The Jayhawks continue to boast one of the nation's top defenses, with Bidunga emerging as a dominant force in the paint. This win keeps Kansas in the hunt for a high NCAA Tournament seed, though Self noted the team will need to play with more maturity and focus as they prepare for a showdown with Arizona on Monday.

The details

Bidunga led the way for Kansas with 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks and three assists. Self praised Bidunga's performance, saying he was the team's best player by far. However, the coach was critical of the rest of the team's effort, describing them as "average at best" with poor shooting and lacking energy. The Jayhawks struggled to defend some of Utah's plays, allowing eight points off "slips", but their defense was solid overall.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

The players

Flory Bidunga

A standout sophomore center for the Kansas Jayhawks, Bidunga had a career-high seven blocks in the win over Utah.

Bill Self

The head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, Self acknowledged his team's lack of energy and attention to detail in the win, but was pleased they were able to grind out the victory.

Melvin Council Jr.

The Kansas guard returned from injury, scoring and forcing a turnover to provide energy for the Jayhawks.

Darryn Peterson

The Kansas forward had an uneven performance, with Self saying he "didn't have a good week" and needs to play with more "pop and energy".

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I thought Flory was our best player by far. What'd he have? 17 and 10 and seven and three assists? So yeah, he was good, but other than that, I just thought we were average at best. Not the same energy, not the attention to detail. We shot it miserably from beyond the arc.”

— Bill Self, Head Coach, Kansas Jayhawks

“Well, he got six stitches under his chin, so is that toughness, or is that you have to get it stitched up? So, I love him. I think the best thing he did when he came back in, he scored, and then immediately forced a turnover too when we were just duds out there. We need him for his energy.”

— Bill Self, Head Coach, Kansas Jayhawks

“I didn't think he had a good week. I thought he was unbelievable against BYU for a half. And Texas Tech, he got through it. Today, he got through it. But there wasn't much pop or energy like there needs to be, so he's got to be a lot better. We all do.”

— Bill Self, Head Coach, Kansas Jayhawks

What’s next

The Jayhawks will face a tough test on Monday when they host No. 4 Arizona in a highly anticipated matchup. Self acknowledged his team will need to be more prepared and play with greater maturity and focus to slow down the Wildcats' dominant frontcourt.

The takeaway

Despite a sluggish overall performance, Kansas was able to grind out a victory over Utah thanks to a standout effort from Flory Bidunga. However, the Jayhawks will need to play with more energy and attention to detail as they prepare to face one of the nation's top teams in Arizona on Monday.