No. 9/8 Kansas to Host Kansas State Wednesday in Men's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2007
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Kansas (19-4, 6-2) faces its second straight red-hot team when its plays host to state rival Kansas State (17-6, 6-2). The Jayhawks are coming off a 69-66 loss to Texas A&M as the two teams battled for first place in the Big 12 standings. One game behind the Aggies, KU and K-State are tied for second in the league race at 6-2 with the Wildcats bringing a seven-game winning streak to Allen Fieldhouse.
About Kansas
Kansas (19-4, 6-2) is looking to bounce back from a 69-66 loss to No. 10/8 Texas A&M Saturday. The Jayhawks have won three of their last four games and 13 of their last 15. KU averages 77.2 points per game and is giving up 60.4. The Jayhawks are outrebounding foes 39.7 to 33 per game and outshooting them 48.4 to 38 percent. Additionally, Kansas boasts a +3.2 turnover margin this season. Kansas is a young team as its top five scorers are sophomores and freshmen. Sophomore guard Brandon Rush, a Midseason Wooden Award All-American team selection, leads Kansas in scoring at 14.1 points per game and with 43 three-point field goals made. He is scoring 15.6 points and pulling down 7.3 rebounds in Big 12 play. Sophomore guard Mario Chalmers is next in scoring with an 11.6 average and leads the team with 63 steals. Sophomore forward Julian Wright leads KU in rebounds with 7.8 per outing to go along with his 11.3 scoring average. Wright’s 36 blocked shots are two behind freshman forward Darrell Arthur’s team-leading 38 swats. Arthur is scoring 11.3 points per game. Freshman guard Sherron Collins is scoring 13 points in Big 12 play and 10.7 on the season. He is making a team-high 45.9 percent from three-point range. Junior guard Russell Robinson, a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, leads KU with 104 assists to go along with his 6.8 scoring average. He is second on the team with 42 steals. Junior Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson round out the regulars. Kaun, a center, is a starter scoring 6.2 points per game and shooting 52.9 percent from the field, while Jackson, a forward, is averaging 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing.
About Kansas State
Kansas State (17-6, 6-2) has answered the bell heading into Allen Fieldhouse. KSU is coming off a 73-72 win at then-No. 22 Texas Saturday and has won seven straight. Six of those victories have been against Big 12 foes with five wins coming by nine or fewer points. K-State averages 71.7 points per game and is giving up 64.1 points. The Wildcats are outrebounding foes 37.9 to 33.3 and outshooting them 42.9 to 39.9 percent. Senior forward Cartier Martin is a non-starter who leads the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game and in free throw percentage at 80 percent. Junior forward David Hoskins is next in scoring at 14.7 points per game and has been to the free throw line 155 times, almost twice as many as any Jayhawk, making 78.7 percent. He is second on the team with a 5.9 rebound average. Senior guard Lance Harris is scoring 11.3 points and has made a team-high 40 three-pointers, one ahead of Martin. Senior guard Akeem Wright leads KSU with 6.1 rebounds per game to go along with a 7.3 scoring average. Junior guard Clent Stewart paces Kansas State with 59 assists and is scoring 5.9 points per game. Junior guard Blake Young (5.8 ppg) leads the team with 27 steals and freshman center Jason Bennett leads the Big 12 with 2.25 blocked shots per game.
The Series
Kansas has won 32 of the last 33 meetings with Kansas State dating back to the 1990 season. The Jayhawks hold a 171-89 all-time series advantage over the Wildcats, including a 77-35 mark in games played in Lawrence and 36-18 record in Allen Fieldhouse. Last season, Kansas State snapped a 31-game KU winning streak with a 59-55 victory in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 14. Kansas returned the favor with a 66-52 win in Manhattan to claim a share of the Big 12 regular-season championship. Since the inception of the Big 12, KU holds a 24-1 record against Kansas State. The Jayhawks won the first-ever meeting with K-State, 54-39, on Jan. 25, 1907, in Lawrence.
Up Next
Kansas hits the road for two games starting Saturday at Border Showdown foe Missouri. Tip from Mizzou Arena is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ABC. KU edged MU 80-77 on Jan. 15 and has lost two straight in Columbia. On Valentine’s Day, Kansas will be at Colorado for an 8 p.m. (Central) battle at the Coors Events Conference Center. KU has won the last three meetings in Boulder and defeated CU 97-74 on Jan. 27 in Lawrence.
