Kansas Men's Basketball Plays at Texas A&M Wednesday
Jan. 24, 2006
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For the second time this season, Kansas will play three games in six days in Big 12 action. KU is 11-6 and 2-2 in conference play after snapping a two-game losing skid with a 96-54 win against Nebraska Saturday. Texas A&M is 12-4 on the season and 2-3 in league play after its 86-81 overtime win at Iowa State Saturday, which ended a three-game losing streak.
About Kansas
Kansas is 10-2 in its last 12 outings and brings an 11-6 (2-2 Big 12) record into College Station, Texas. The Jayhawks’ 96-54 win against Nebraska Saturday was its widest margin of victory in a Big 12 game since a 98-47 win versus Baylor in 1998. KU leads the nation in field goal percentage defense at 35.5 and is outscoring opponents by 26.9 points in victories. The Jayhawks also lead the Big 12 in assists at 18.41 per game. Guard Brandon Rush has led the Big 12 freshmen class in scoring all season and is currently at 13.3 (16th overall in the league). Sophomore Sasha Kaun is next in scoring at 9.4 ppg and his six rebounds per game ranks 13th in the Big 12. Freshman Mario Chalmers leads KU in assists at 3.65 per game (eighth in the conference) and steals with a 2.47 average – second in the league. Averaging 8.6 points per game (14.5 in league play), Chalmers is second on the team and ninth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.48 per game. Sophomore Russell Robinson is second in the conference with a 2.15 assist-to-turnover ratio to go along with his 7.6 scoring average.
About Texas A&M
Texas A&M (12-4, 2-3) is 11-1 in Reed Arena this season with the lone loss to Oklahoma (45-44). The Aggies average 72.6 points per game and are giving up 59.3. A&M opened the season 10-0 and has gone 2-4 since. Junior guard Acie Law leads the team with a 17-point scoring average – sixth in the Big 12. Law has led the team in scoring in his last five games and eight times in 2005-06. Sophomore center/forward Joseph Jones is averaging 15.5 points per game and leads the team in rebounds at 7.1 rpg.
The Series
Kansas has won all 10 meetings with Texas A&M, which includes going 9-0 against the Aggies since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97. The series dates back to 1967 when Kansas defeated the Aggies, 78-52, at the Sunflower Double-Header in Manhattan, Kan. KU is 3-0 in Reed Arena and 5-0 in College Station. KU’s last two victories with A&M have been decided by six points or less with a 71-65 win in College Station in 2004 and a 65-60 victory in Lawrence last year.
Up Next
Kansas remains on the road when it travels to Iowa State for an 11 a.m. (Central) ABC telecast from Hilton Coliseum. The Jayhawks return home for a Big Monday game against Texas Tech. The game will air on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. from Allen Fieldhouse.
