Kansas Men's Basketball to Host Kansas State on Senior Night

March 1, 2005

Senior night is very special at most schools. But have you seen a senior class quite like the 2004-05 KU foursome? Keith Langford, Michael Lee, Aaron Miles and Wayne Simien have walked the walk as they need only one more league win to claim their third Big 12 championship. They will get their chance at the Big 12 title Wednesday night when Kansas (21-4, 11-3) plays host to Kansas State (15-10, 5-9) at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks snapped a three-game losing streak with an 81-79 win against No. 4 Oklahoma State Sunday. Kansas State brings a two-game winning streak Lawrence after its 84-82 win at Colorado Saturday.

About Kansas
Kansas snapped a three-game losing streak with its fourth win against a ranked foe this season on Sunday. As the winner, the Jayhawks have a one-game lead on the field heading into the final week of Big 12 play. Named to the Midseason Wooden Award watch list, senior Wayne Simien is coming off a career-high 32 points against No. 4 Oklahoma State on Sunday. Simien leads KU and the Big 12 in scoring at 19.2 points per game, including 20.5 ppg in Big 12 play. The Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year has recorded six double-doubles in his last seven games and has a conference-leading 13 double-doubles this season. Also named to the Midseason Wooden Award watch list is senior Keith Langford, who is averaging 15.2 ppg overall — 11th in the league — and 15.9 in Big 12 play. Sophomore J.R. Giddens is next in scoring at 10.2 ppg and has made three or more three-point field goals in three of his last six games. Senior Aaron Miles has crushed every KU and Big 12 assists record and is averaging a league-best 7.4 assists per game. Last week, his 7.4 average ranked sixth in the nation. His 923 assists are 11th all-time in NCAA Division I history. Junior Christian Moody is another starter who is averaging 6.4 ppg and is second on the team with 4.8 board per contest. Moody, who has pulled down six or more rebounds 10 times this season, missed two games due to injury and scored 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting against Oklahoma State Sunday. Senior Michael Lee (3.9 ppg) and freshman Sasha Kaun (3.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg) have been the first off the bench for KU this season.

Kansas Head Coach Bill Self
Kansas coach Bill Self recorded his 250th career win at Kansas State on Feb. 9. His win against Colorado on Feb. 12 marked Self’s seventh straight 20-win season as a head coach and his eighth overall. He is 45-13 in his second season at KU and 252-118 in his 12th season overall. Last year, KU posted a 24-9 record and finished tied for second in the Big 12 race at 12-4. KU advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year, falling to Georgia Tech in overtime, 79-71. Self’s 24 victories tied Dick Harp for the most wins by a KU coach in his debut season at Kansas. Prior to KU, Self led Illinois to two Big Ten titles and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Before Illinois, he guided Tulsa to two WAC championships in 1999 and 2000 and was The Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 2000. A four-time Naismith Coach of the Year Award finalist, Self began his coaching career at KU in 1985-86 and was an assistant at his alma mater – Oklahoma State – from 1986 until 1993. His first head coaching stint was at Oral Roberts where he guided the Golden Eagles to the NIT in 1996-97, their first postseason appearance since 1983-84. Self is 4-0 against Kansas State.

About Kansas State
Kansas State snapped a six-game losing skid with an 80-69 win against Baylor last Wednesday and defeated Colorado 84-82 Saturday in Boulder. Prior to the win streak, KSU lost six straight with four of the setbacks to ranked teams, including a 74-65 loss to Kansas on Feb. 9 in Manhattan. After winning its first eight games of the 2004-05 season, the Wildcats have gone 7-10. Senior forward Jeremiah Massey leads the charge for K-State. The 2004 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year is scoring 17.6 points per game, which ranks sixth in the Big 12, while his team-leading 6.9 rebounds are good for eighth in the Big 12. Massey is also a solid free throw shooter at 79 percent on 167 attempts. Sophomore Fred Peete is next in scoring at 13.4 ppg, good for 17th in the Big 12. A league newcomer of the year candidate, Peete leads Kansas State with 91 assists and 53 steals this season. Sophomore forward Cartier Martin is next in scoring at 10.7 ppg, while sophomore guard Lance Harris is chipping in 9.6 points per contest.

Kansas State Head Coach Jim Wooldridge
Kansas State is coached by Jim Wooldridge who is 66-75 in his fifth season at KSU. Overall he is 295-222 in his 18th season. Kansas State is the fourth head coaching stint for Wooldridge. He was the head coach at Central Missouri State from 1985-91, Southwest Texas from 1991-94 and Louisiana Tech from 1994-98. From 1998 to 2000 Wooldridge was an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls of the NBA.

Series History
Kansas leads the all-time series with Kansas State 168-88… KU has won 29 straight against KSU overall, and 10 consecutive games in Lawrence and 35-17 versus the Wildcats when playing in Allen Fieldhouse. .. KU coach Bill Self is 4-0 against the Wildcats, and Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge is 0-9 versus the Jayhawks… The last time K-State defeated KU was in Allen Fieldhouse — a 65-56 decision on Jan. 17, 1994… The Jayhawks won the first-ever meeting with K-State, 54-39, on Jan. 25, 1907, in Lawrence.

Kansas Celebrating 50 Years of Allen Fieldhouse
Named in honor of the late Dr. F.C. “Phog” Allen, the Jayhawks’ head coach for 39 years, Allen Fieldhouse is labeled by many as one of the best places in America to watch a college basketball game. The Fieldhouse was dedicated on March 1, 1955, as the Jayhawks defeated Kansas State, 77-67, before an overflow throng of 17,228. This season, Allen Fieldhouse will celebrate its 50th year of existence. Ceremonies for the anniversary of the Fieldhouse are being planned around the March 2 game against Kansas State — the first opponent for KU in the facility.

Did You Know?
Should Kansas defeat Kansas State it would be KU’s 48th conference title. That is more than twice as many regular-season league titles than the next Big 12 team – Texas at 23.

Up Next
Kansas concludes its regular season with its first trip to Mizzou Arena when it faces Missouri on Sunday. The game will tip at 1 p.m. and be shown on CBS. Last year KU closed out Hearnes Center with an 84-82 win.

KU Signees
Mario Chalmers – G; 6-1; Anchorage, Alaska (Bartlett HS)
Micah Downs – G; 6-8; Kirkland, Wash. (Juanita HS)
Julian Wright – F; 6-8; Chicago Heights, Ill. (Homewood-Flossmoor HS)

KU Jersey Retirement Dates in 2004-05
Bill Bridges – December 9
Walt Wesley – December 18
Darnell Valentine – January 1
Bud Stallworth – January 31
Dave Robisch – February 27

2004-05 Kansas Headlines
–Kansas Celebrates 50 Years of Allen Fieldhouse
–KU Goes 4-0 in Preseason Canadian Exhibition
–Five Former Jayhawks Have Jerseys Retired
–KU the Preseason Media Choice to Win the Big 12
–Wayne Simien the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year
–Keith Langford Preseason All-Big 12 First Team
–Kansas Enters Season No. 1 in Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls
–KU Wins at No. 8 Kentucky
–Aaron Miles Becomes KU and Big 12 Career Assists Record Holder
–Kansas’ 14-0 Start is Fifth Best in School History
–KU Coach Bill Self Becomes Third Fastest KU Coach to Win 40 Games
–Kansas Coach Bill Self Wins 250th Career Game
–Langford Becomes Ninth Player in KU History to Score 1,700 Career Points
–Simien and Langford Named to the Midseason Wooden Award List
–Miles Registers His 900th Career Assist
–Simien Breaks School Record by Making 34 Straight Free Throws
–KU Notches its Fourth Win Against a Ranked Foe with 81-79 Thriller Versus No. 4 Oklahoma State
–Kansas One Win Shy of at Least a Share of its 48th Conference Title