Jayhawks welcome West Virginia, College GameDay Saturday

Sophomore G Lagerald Vick 

 GM 27: vs. West Virginia
  Feb. 17
  5:15 p.m.
  Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
  Watch (ESPN)
  Listen
  Live Stats
  Game Notes

 

 Stats KU WVU
 Record 20-6, 9-4 19-7, 8-5
 Pts/GM 81.8 81.0
 FG% 48.9 43.4
 3FG% 39.3 34.4
 FT% 70.1 76.7
 Reb/GM 35.7 38.6
 Ast/GM 17.2 15.5
 Blk/GM 4.3 5.1
 Stl/GM 6.6 8.5
 Pts Allowed/GM 70.8 68.0
 FG% Defense 41.6 41.5
 3FG% Defense 32.3 35.9
 Rebound Margin -0.4 +3.8
 Ast-TO Ratio 1.5 1.3

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 13/13 Kansas (20-6, 9-4) returns to Allen Fieldhouse when it hosts No. 20/20 West Virginia (19-7, 8-5) on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 5:15 p.m. The Jayhawks look to remain within striking distance of the Big 12 lead as KU sits just a game behind Texas Tech, while the Mountaineers trail by two games. ESPN College GameDay will originate from Allen Fieldhouse for the eighth time earlier in the day, as ESPN will also broadcast the game, with Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Maria Taylor (reporter) calling the action.
 
KANSAS TO RETIRE COLE ALDRICH’S JERSEY
Kansas will retire the jersey of current Minnesota Timberwolves Cole Aldrich at halftime of the West Virginia contest. The 2010 Academic All-American of the Year, Aldrich was a three-year letterwinner at Kansas from 2008-10. The Bloomington, Minnesota, center was a two-time All-America selection, two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Big 12 First-Team honoree. A two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, Aldrich ended his career No. 3 on the KU career blocked shots list with 253. He also has two of KU’s top five single-season blocked shots records – 125 in 2009-10, which is third, and 95 in 2008-09, which is fifth. Aldrich ended his KU career with 1,038 points; his 57.4 career field goal percentage is the sixth-best in KU history. Having left to go to the NBA after three seasons, Aldrich earned his degree in communications studies from KU in 2013.
 
TIP-OFF

  • Through 13 games into the Big 12 season, Kansas (20-6, 9-4) is one game behind Texas Tech (22-4, 10-3) in the conference standings. West Virginia is in third at 8-5, while Kansas State is fourth at 7-6.
  • With its 83-77 win at Iowa State (2/13), Kansas won its 20th game for the 29th-consecutive season, beginning in 1989-90. KU’s current 29-straight 20-win seasons is the longest-active streak in the NCAA.
  • At 9-4 in Big 12 play, Kansas is going for its 24th-straight season with 10 or more conference victories, a run which started in 1994-95.
  • ESPN College GameDay will originate from Allen Fieldhouse for the eighth time Saturday and KU will be making its 18th all-time appearance on the show. The weekly-traveling telecast has originated from Allen Fieldhouse in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
  • At halftime of the West Virginia contest on Feb. 17, Kansas will retire the jersey of Cole Aldrich. Aldrich will be the fourth player in the Bill Self era to have his jersey retired.
  • Also for the West Virginia contest, KU will be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the 2008 NCAA National Championship. Former Jayhawks and staff from the 2008 team will be recognized during the contest and the current Jayhawks will wear blue throwback uniforms. 
  • Ten of Kansas’ 13 conference games this season have been decided by seven points or less with the Jayhawks going 8-2 in those battles. Stretching back to last season, KU has played 21 Big 12 games that were decided by seven points or less, going 18-3 in those contests.
  • Senior G Devonte’ Graham is the only player in NCAA Division I averaging 17.0-plus points, 7.0-plus assists, 1.7-plus steals and fewer than 3.0 turnovers per game. Graham is fifth nationally in assists per game at 7.2.
  • Kansas and William & Mary are the only two schools in NCAA Division I to have five players averaging 11.5 points or better this season (through games as of Feb. 13).

 
ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas (20-6, 9-4) is ranked No. 13 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls, released Feb. 5. Kansas leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made at 10.1 per game, which is 19th nationally. KU also ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring (third at 81.8), scoring margin (third at +11.0, 23rd nationally), field goal percentage (second at 48.9, 24th nationally), 3-point field goal percentage (second at 39.3, 25th nationally), 3-point field goal percentage defense (second at 32.3), assists (second at 17.2, 15th nationally) and assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 1.5, 15th nationally).
 
On every national player of year watch list, senior G Devonte’ Graham is scoring 19.0 points per game in Big 12 play and 17.5 in all games, which is third in the Big 12. Graham is second in the conference in assists (7.2), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7), eighth in free throw percentage (82.7), fifth in 3-point field goals made (3.0) and fifth in steals (1.7). Senior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (44.4) and third in 3-point field goals made (3.2) as he is the only player in the conference to rank that high in both 3-point stats. Mykhailiuk is averaging 15.6 points per game, which is tied for ninth in the Big 12.
 
Sophomore C Udoka Azubuike leads the country in field goal percentage at 76.5 percent and is 13-for-14 from the field in his last two games. He has five double-doubles on the season, two in Big 12 play, and ranks 14th in the league in scoring at 13.9 points per game. Azubuike’s 7.1 rebound average is sixth in the conference. Junior G Lagerald Vick scored 16 points at Iowa State (2/13) and is averaging 12.8 points per game, which is 19th in the conference. He is second on the team with a 5.1 rebound average, just ahead of redshirt-sophomore G Malik Newman’s 5.0 rpg. Newman is averaging 13.4 points in conference play and 12.1 points for the season. He is third on the team with 44 3-pointers made.
 
Freshman G Marcus Garrett has started seven games this season. He averages 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Garrett is second on the team with 29 steals, two ahead of Mykhailiuk. Sophomore F Mitch Lightfoot has started two games and he leads Kansas with 42 blocked shots. Lightfoot’s 1.6 blocks per game are tied for sixth in the conference. Lightfoot averages 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
 
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA
Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, with an enrollment of 31,287, No. 20/20 West Virginia is 19-7 and 8-5 in Big 12 play after its 82-66 win against TCU on Feb. 12. The Mountaineers are coached by Bob Huggins who is 248-126 in his 11th season at his alma mater and 838-337 in his 36th season overall. West Virginia averages 81.0 points per game and is second in the Big 12, ninth nationally, with a plus-12.9 scoring margin and scoring defense (68.0).
 
The “Press Virginia” has West Virginia lead the Big 12 turnovers forced at 17.8, which is third nationally, and turnover margin at plus-6.1, which is second nationally. WVU also leads the conference in steals per game (8.5, sixth nationally). WVU averages 38.6 rebounds per game and has a plus-3.8 rebound margin. The Mountaineers also average 15.5 assists and 5.1 blocked shots per game.
 
West Virginia is deep with 10 players averaging 10-plus minutes per game. Senior G Jevon Carter leads WVU in scoring at 16.9 points per game, which is fourth in the Big 12. Carter leads the conference with 3.1 steals per game, which is second nationally, and is fourth in the league with 6.8 assists per contest. Carter pulls down 4.9 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 51 3-pointers made this season. Like KU’s Devonte’ Graham, Carter is on most All-America watch lists. Senior G Daxter Miles Jr., scores 11.8 points per game and he is second on the team with 87 assists and 33 steals. Miles is tied for ninth in the Big 12 in assists per game at 3.5 and 12th in steals at 1.3. Sophomore F Lamont West is a starter who scores 10.6 points per game and pulls down 4.3 rebounds per game. West has made 44 3-pointers this season.
 
Sophomore F Sagaba Konate leads WVU in rebounds with 8.0 per game which is fifth in the Big 12. He scores 10.4 points per game and is second in the league with 3.2 blocked shots per contest. Sophomore G James Bolden (9.9 ppg, 25 steals) is leads WVU with 60 3-pointers made. Bolden is tied for fourth in the Big 12 with a 44.1 3-point field goal percentage and his 2.3 made per game are sixth in the conference. Junior F Esa Ahmad (9.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has started five of 10 games played this season, while freshman F Teddy Allen (7.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg) comes off the bench. Sophomore F Wesley Harris (6.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg) rounds out the WVU starters.
 
Other WVU regulars include sophomore G Chase Harler (2.2 ppg) and sophomore F Maciej Bender (1.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg).
 
THE SERIES
The Kansas-West Virginia series started when WVU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012-13, with KU holding a 7-4 advantage. KU is 5-0 against WVU in games played in Allen Fieldhouse and 1-4 at WVU Coliseum. In 2017, Kansas went 1-1 against West Virginia with a come-from-behind overtime win in Allen Fieldhouse. KU head coach Bill Self is 7-4 against West Virginia, with all 11 meetings as Kansas’ coach. Bob Huggins is 4-11 all-time against Kansas, 4-7 while at WVU.
 
THE LAST MEETING
Trailing by 12 points with under nine minutes remaining, the No. 10/10 Kansas Jayhawks outscored No. 6/7 West Virginia 28-11 to close out a come-from-behind win over the Mountaineers Jan. 15 inside WVU Coliseum, 71-66. KU senior guards Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Devonte’ Graham combined for 33 points, 20 of which came in the final eight minutes, to help their team stage its largest comeback win on the road in nearly 21 years.
 
The victory, which marked Kansas’ seventh-straight road win over an Associated Press top-10 ranked team. KU sophomore Udoka Azubuike just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, while KU teammates Malik Newman and Lagerald Vick each scored nine points in the win. WVU’s Sagaba Konate recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five blocked shots. Mountaineer senior Jevon Carter added 14 points and WVU teammate Esa Ahmad 15 for the game.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 21-6, giving KU 20 wins for the 29th-consectutive season, beginning in 1989-90 … Make Kansas 10-4 or better in Big 12 play, giving KU 10 conference wins for the 24th consecutive season, beginning in 1994-95 … Make the Kansas-West Virginia series 8-4 in favor of KU, including 6-0 in Allen Fieldhouse … Make Kansas 12-3 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, 232-13 under Bill Self and 769-113 all-time in the venue … Make Self 8-4 all-time against West Virginia, 437-94 while at KU and 644-199 for his career … Make Kansas 2,238-847 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 20-7 on the season … Make Kansas 9-5 in Big 12 play and give KU five conference losses for the first time since 2014-15 and the fourth time in the 22-season history of the conference, matching its most conference losses in that span … Make the KU-WVU series 7-5 in favor of the Jayhawks, including 5-1 mark in meetings in Allen Fieldhouse … Make Kansas 11-4 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, marking the first time KU has lost four games in the venue since going 10-4 in 1988-89 … Make Kansas 231-14 in Allen Fieldhouse under head coach Bill Self and 768-114 all-time in the venue … Make Self 7-5 against West Virginia, 436-95 while at Kansas and 643-200 as a head coach … Make KU 2,237-848 all-time.
 
IOWA STATE LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

  • The win made Kansas 20-6, giving KU 20 wins for the 29th-consecutive season, adding to its active NCAA record streak.
  • Kansas improved to 83-11 record in games following a loss during the Bill Self era
  • The Jayhawks tied a season low with seven turnovers. It marked the fewest by a Jayhawk squad in a road conference game since KU only tallied three turnovers against Texas on Jan. 24, 2015.
  • Udoka Azubuike, Malik Newman and Lagerald Vick combined to shoot 21-of-30 (70 percent) from the field, which included a 13-of-16 (81 percent) in the second half.
  • Kansas saw all five starters score in double figures for the sixth time this season. The Jayhawks are 5-1 in those instances.
  • KU’s 61.5 percent (16-of-26) field goal percentage in the second half marked the eighth time this season the Jayhawks were shot 60 percent of better in a half.
  • KU collected 21 points off of Iowa State’s 12 turnovers, while the Cyclones tallied just four points off the Jayhawks’ seven giveaways. The +17 points off turnover margin was KU’s largest in Big 12 play this season.
  • With his 13 points, senior G Devonte’ Graham passed Drew Gooden for No. 20 on KU’s all-time scoring chart now with 1,531 career points.
  • Graham became the first player since Wayne Selden (Nov. 25, 2015 vs. Vanderbilt) to commit no turnovers in at least 40 minutes of action.
  • Sophomore C Udoka Azubuike 9-of-10 clip from the field marked the highest field goal percentage by a Jayhawk with at least 10 attempts since Perry Ellis also tallied a 9-of-10 shooting night on Feb. 21, 2015 against TCU.
  • Redshirt sophomore G Malik Newman scored in double figures for the seventh time in his last eight games, averaging 15.4 ppg in that span. In the eight games prior, he scored in double figures just three times.
  • Newman led the team in rebounding (6) for the eighth time this season and the fifth time in his last six outings. In that span he is averaging 6.3 boards per game.

 
RECORD BOOK REVIEW
Here are some things to keep an eye on as several Jayhawks continue to make an impact on the career and single-season KU record books:

  • Senior Svi Mykhailiuk recently became the 60th player in KU history to score 1,000 points, currently at 1,016. He is the 15th player in Bill Self’s 15 seasons at Kansas to reach the milestone. Mykhailiuk is 29 points shy from cracking the school’s all-time top 50 in scoring.
  • Mykhailiuk is already tied for seventh on the KU single-season 3-point field goals made list with 83 (Rex Walters, 1992-93). He is six threes from the top five and closing in on “Downtown” Terry Brown’s record of 111 treys hit during the 1990-91 season.
  • And finally, Mykhailiuk is hoping to continue one of the most accurate 3-point shooting seasons ever by a Jayhawk. He has hit 44.4 percent of his tries from long-range, which are just outside the KU top 10.
  • Against Baylor (2/6), senior Devonte’ Graham became the 22nd player in KU history to record 1,500 career points. He currently sits 20tht at 1,531. Graham is the third player in school history to tally 1,500 points, 500 assists and 175 steals in a career. Darnell Valentine and Kirk Hinrich are the only other Jayhawks to hit those numbers.
  • Graham is also on pace to became the No. 2 3-point shooter in school history. His 263 treys trail Billy Thomas (269 from 1995-98) for second on Kansas’ career 3-pointers list.
  • Graham is logging 37.2 minutes per game this year, which ranks as the fifth most in a single season.
  • Sophomore Udoka Azubuike is primed to become the most-efficient shooting Jayhawk in a single season. His 76.5 shooting percentage is more than 10 points better than Mark Randall’s record clip of 64.6 percent achieved during the 1988-89 campaign.

 
LET’S TALK CHARITIES
Free throw shooting has been a popular topic for those covering the Jayhawks this season, and for good reason. This year’s Kansas squad began the year averaging less than 12 free throw attempts per game over its first 12 contests, which included 10 games when it had 10 or fewer. All this after each of the previous 11 KU squads had averaged over 21 FTAs per outing in their respective seasons.
 
But in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign, the Jayhawks have turned this trend around. In games 13-26, KU has seen 19.7 attempts per outing, with four instances of 26 or more charity tries. The increase in attempts has translated to more points for the Jayhawks, who are getting 13.6 points per game from the stripe in games 13-26, compared 8.6 in the first the first 12 contests. Kansas’ 20.4 FTAs per game in league play are the fourth-most in the conference.
 
Devonte’ Graham is a big reason for the recent influx of free throws. The senior guard has accounted for 36.6 percent of his team’s free throw attempts during Big 12 play (7.5 per game). In his first 12 outings this year, Graham saw only 3.2 charity tries per game.
 
2008 REMEMBERED 10 YEARS LATER
Here are some notes on the 2007-08 Kansas basketball team which won KU’s fifth national title, third in the NCAA:

  • Kansas’ 37-3 record were the most wins in a season at KU, surpassing the 35 in 1985-86 and 1997-98.
  • The 2008 Final Four is the only one that all four participants were No. 1 seeds. For Kansas it was the school’s 13th of 14 Final Four appearances.
  • With a 13-3 league record, Kansas tied Texas for the Big 12 regular-season title, its fourth of the current NCAA record of 13.
  • KU won the Big 12 Tournament as the second seed, defeating top seed Texas (84-74) in the title game, avenging a regular-season loss to the Longhorns. Brandon Rush was the tourney’s most outstanding player and Mario Chalmers joined Rush on the all-tournament team.
  • Kansas opened the year 20-0 and finished winning its final 13 games. 
  • Kansas entered the year No. 4 by Associated Press and No. 3 in the USA TODAY Coaches’ polls. The Jayhawks were ranked in the top five in all but one poll during the season when they dipped to No. 6 by AP and No. 7 in the coaches’ poll. The following week they were back in the top five of both.
  • Individually, Chalmers was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Final Four. Darrell Arthur and Rush joined Chalmers on the Final Four All-Tournament Team. Chalmers, Rush and Sasha Kaun were members of the NCAA All-Regional team in Detroit. Rush was a Wooden All-American for the second straight season. He and Arthur were each named All-Big 12 First Team, while Chalmers was a second-team selection and Sherron Collins and Darnell Jackson were honorable mention honorees. Chalmers and Russell Robinson were selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and Collins and Kaun to the league’s all-reserve squad.
  • Kansas had a record five players taken in the 2008 NBA Draft – Brandon Rush (13 overall selection), Darrell Arthur (27), Mario Chalmers (34), Darnell Jackson (52), Sasha Kaun (56).

 
COLLEGE GAMEDAY RETURNING TO LAWRENCE
ESPN College GameDay Covered by State Farm will return to historic Allen Fieldhouse Saturday, Feb. 17, for the eighth time in advance of that afternoon’s West Virginia-Kansas match-up. The KU-WVU contest will air at 5:15 p.m. (Central) from Lawrence; the one-hour GameDay show will begin at 10 a.m. Both telecasts will air on ESPN. Doors to Allen Fieldhouse will open at 8 a.m., for fans wishing to attend the morning show. The event is free to the public and tickets are not required. Allen Fieldhouse concessions will be open and interpreter services will be provided.
 
Feb. 17 marks the 18th time the Jayhawks will be featured on GameDay, with 14 regular-season appearances and three at neutral locations. The Jayhawks are 9-5 in their previous regular-season appearances (12-5 overall).
 
The weekly-traveling telecast has originated from Allen Fieldhouse in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. KU was the GameDay road team in 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. KU was also part of GameDay when it was at the 2006 Big 12 Championship semifinals in Dallas and the 2008 Final Four when Kansas won the title in San Antonio.
 
THIS DAY IN KANSAS BASKETBALL HISTORY
Kansas is 23-13 all-time on Feb. 17
Feb. 13, 1958: The Jayhawks beat Missouri 84-69. During that game, Wilt Chamberlain had 27 rebounds. This makes him fifth place for most rebounds in a single game in KU’s history. However, four out of the top-five records of rebounds in a single game belong to Chamberlain, with his career high being 36 rebounds against Iowa State set two days earlier on Feb. 15, 1958. Kansas went on to end the year with a 19-9 record.
 
KU FROM DOWNTOWN
Kansas leads the Big 12 with 10.1 3-point field goals made per game, which is 19th nationally. The Jayhawks are also second in the conference with a 39.3 3-point field goal percentage. Kansas has made 10 or more 3-pointers in six conference games and 13 total in 2017-18. For the season, the Jayhawks are 11-2 in games where they have made 10 or more threes. KU has also been deadly from long range in Allen Fieldhouse, hitting 42.6 percent of its 3-point tries on its home floor. Both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Jayhawk squads hit better than 44 percent from three on James Naismith Court.
 
Last year, KU set the school single-season 3-point record, making 318 from beyond the arc for 8.8 per game. Three of the last eight Jayhawk squads have averaged more than seven treys per game, with both of the last two KU teams hitting an average of eight or more threes per contest. This season’s team recently became the sixth KU squad to make 250 3-pointers in a season.
 
DEVONTE’ + SVI = THREES
The senior pairing of Devonte’ Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk recently established itself as one of the top long-range shooting duos in KU history. Already this year, the two Jayhawk guards have combined for 160 of KU’s 263 3-pointers, which is 60.8 percent of the team’s threes. The prolific outside shooting from these two is nothing new as they continue to move up the all-time KU 3-point charts.
 
Since the advent of the 3-point line prior to the 1986-87 season, no other Kansas duo has tallied more threes over a three-year stretch than the 436 that Graham and Mykhailiuk have combined for since the 2015-16 season. At Oklahoma (1/23), Graham and Mykhailiuk passed Jeff Boschee and Kirk Hinrich as the most prolific 3-point shooting twosome in school history. Boschee and Hinrich amassed 405 treys while they played together from 2000-02. Graham is also one half of another sharp-shooting pair after he and Frank Mason III combined for the fourth-most threes (353) among KU duos during the last three seasons (2015-17).
 
Graham and Mykhailiuk are also among the most-accurate Jayhawk pairs. They have teamed up to shoot 41.4 percent from beyond the arc in that same three-year span, the third-best mark among KU teammates who have combined for 700 or more attempts. Rush and Chalmers boast the best combined percentage with a 42.7 percent (385-of-901) clip coming during their three seasons in Lawrence from 2006-08.
 
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
Udoka Azubuike ranks first in NCAA Division I in field goal percentage at 76.5 percent and he is the only player shooting 70 percent or better with a minimum of five shots made per game. Azubuike is on pace to break the Big 12 single-season record of 69.3 percent by Ricardo Ratliffe of Missouri in 2011-12.
 
History has shown that it isn’t easy to lead the nation in a statistic. In fact, checking the NCAA Records Book of annual leaders, only twice has a Jayhawk led the country in a season stat and both were KU All-Americans. KU legend Clyde Lovellette led the NCAA in scoring average in 1951-52 at 28.6 points per game. More recently, Thomas Robinson led the country in double-doubles with 27 during the 2011-12 season. Under Lovellette’s leadership KU won the 1952 NCAA National Championship and Robinson led the Jayhawks to a runner-up finish in 2012.
 
With a minimum of 175 attempts, the Kansas single-season field goal percentage record is 64.6 percent by Mark Randall in 1988-89. Last year, Landen Lucas shot 63.1 percent from the field, which ranks fourth on the KU single-season list. On the NCAA level, with a minimum of five makes per game, there have been only 12 players who have shot 70 percent or better in a season, with the most recent being Devontae Cacok of UNC-Wilmington, who set the NCAA record last season (2016-17) at 80.0 percent.
 
CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Including 2016-17, Kansas has won 17 of the 21 Big 12 regular-season titles (includes ties), including the last 13, which is tied for the NCAA record. Kansas’ 60 conference titles are the most in NCAA Division I. Kentucky is second with 54 and Penn third at 37. KU’s 13-straight league titles are the longest active streak in NCAA Division I and the longest streak in school history. Kansas is now tied with UCLA, which from 1967-79, also won the NCAA record of 13 straight, which was under two coaches. Kansas’ current run has been under head coach Bill Self.
 
BIG 12 RUN NO CAKEWALK
Kansas ended 2016-17 ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) and its strength of schedule was 19th nationally. In Self’s first 14 seasons, KU has ranked fifth or higher in the final RPI 10 times, including each of the last eight years. This season the strength of the Big 12 is quite prevalent. Kansas tops leads the league in RPI at eighth nationally and strength of schedule at No. 2 (through games of Feb. 13). Texas Tech is second in RPI at 11th, while TCU is second in strength of schedule at 14th.  
 
KANSAS VS TOP-25 TEAMS
Kansas is 3-3 against ranked foes this season with wins over then-No. 7 Kentucky on Nov. 14, No. 16 TCU on Jan. 6 and No. 6 West Virginia on Jan. 15. The KU losses were to No. 16/17 Arizona State on Dec. 10, No. 18 Texas Tech on Jan. 2 and at No. 12 Oklahoma on Jan. 22. Under Bill Self, Kansas is 85-44 against AP ranked opponents. In his first 14 seasons, Self’s Jayhawks have collected four wins or more over top-25 ranked foes in 11 of those seasons, which includes a 30-15 record from 2014-present.
 
Kansas’ record against top-10 ranked opponents is even more impressive. KU is 14-3 against foes ranked inside the top-10 of the AP poll since 2013-14. This number includes the Jayhawks’ victory over Kentucky on Nov. 14 and at West Virginia on Jan. 15. Since Bill Self’s first season, the Jayhawks are 13-2 against AP top-10 teams inside Allen Fieldhouse, which includes KU’s current streak of nine-straight home victories against top-10 foes.
 
WHAT ELSE TO WATCH FOR…

  • Senior G Devonte’ Graham is quickly moving up the school’s all-time career lists. Graham entered his senior season No. 45 on the KU scoring list with 1,075 points. At West Virginia (1/15), Graham became the 22nd player in KU history to score 1,500 career points. He currently sits at 20th with 1,531 points.
  • Against Iowa State (1/9), Graham moved into third all-time on the KU 3-point field goal list, currently at 263. Jeff Boschee (1999-2002) is first at 338 and Billy Thomas (1995-98) is second at 269.
  • Entering 2017-18 with a 247-48 (83.7 percent) record since 2010, Kansas is the winningest program, by percentage, this decade: 1. KANSAS (247-48, 83.7%); 2. Gonzaga (239-47, 83.6%); 3. Kentucky (249-53, 82.5%); 4. Wichita State (233-53, 81.7); 5. Duke (238-56, 81.0%).
  • The Jayhawks are pursuing their 14th-conseuctive Big 12 regular-season championship. A 14th league title would break UCLA’s NCAA record mark of 13-consecutive conference championships from 1967-79.

 
UP NEXT
Kansas will face its second-straight ranked opponent when it plays host to No. 23/23 Oklahoma on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. (Central). The contest will be the third of four ESPN Big Monday appearances for Kansas this season. The Jayhawks are 2-0 on ESPN Big Monday this season with wins at West Virginia (1/15) and at Kansas State (1/29).
 
Kansas is 146-67 all-time against Oklahoma, including a 74-16 record in games played in Lawrence (47-7 in Allen Fieldhouse). OU won the first 2017-18 battle, 85-80, on Jan. 23 in Norman.
 FOLLOW 

@KUHoops

/KansasBasketball

@KUHoops 

KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.