“Shak is a good defender on the ball and off the ball,” said freshman forward Flory Bidunga, who had nine points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. “I think he is someone we really like having on the team. Getting him back makes us all better.”

At the very least, he appeared like one for a singular play midway through the second half against Oakland. Mayo dribbled behind his back, took the ball coast-to-coast, crossed over a defender and swooped in for a windmill layup finish.

Oakland hasn’t had an excellent start to the year after beginning their season with matchups against Illinois and Boise State, and it won’t get any easier when they visit Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas.

The No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team is set to face Oakland on Saturday night at Allen Fieldhouse. KU defeated Michigan State on Tuesday, while the Golden Grizzlies lost to Illinois on Wednesday. KU holds a 2-0 lead in the all-time series. The Jayhawks won the programs’ last meeting 102-59 in 2017.