No. 2 Seed Kansas to Face No. 11 Seed NC State in St. Louis Friday in Sweet 16
March 20, 2012
Kansas notes for NC State 
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2012 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
No. 2 seed Kansas (29-6, 16-2) advanced to its 28th NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a 63-60 win against Purdue on March 18. The Jayhawks will take on No. 11 seed North Carolina State (24-12, 9-7) on Friday, March 23, at approximately 9:17 p.m. (Central) at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. The contest will be televised on TBS. Kansas has advanced to the Sweet 16 six times in the nine seasons under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks have won 11 of their last 12 games.
Kansas is making its 41st NCAA Tournament appearance, as well as its 23rd-consecutive trip to the tournament, the longest active streak in the nation. KU is a number two seed for the fifth time since seeding began in 1979. The Jayhawks have been a two seed in 1990-93-96-2003-12.
KU, which is ranked No. 6 in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls, has won eight-straight Big 12 regular season championships dating back to 2005 under Bill Self. The eight consecutive titles are the nation’s longest active streak. Kansas has won 12 of the 16 Big 12 regular-season championships and its 55 overall league crowns are the most in NCAA Division I.
With Kansas’s women’s team defeating Delaware, 70-64, on Tuesday, KU is one of three schools with both the men’s and women’s team in the NCAA Sweet 16. Fellow Big 12 Conference member Baylor and Kentucky also have their women’s and men’s team in the Sweet 16.
About Kansas
No. 6 Kansas is 16-0 at home, 8-2 in road games and 5-4 on neutral courts this season. KU averages 74.3 points per game and allows 61.5 for a +12.8 scoring margin. KU leads the Big 12 in rebound margin (+5.7), field goal percentage defense (38.1), rebounding (37.2) and blocked shots (5.6). The Jayhawks also rank among the top three in the conference in scoring offense (third at 74.4), scoring margin (second at +12.9), field goal percentage (second at 48.0), scoring defense (second at 61.5), assists (second at 15.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 1.2) and steals (third at 7.3).
The Jayhawks are led by 2012 ESPN.com National Player of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year Thomas Robinson, who is the only player in the conference to average a double-double this season with 17.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. A soon-to-be consensus All-America First Team selection, with his 11 points and 13 rebounds against Purdue (3/18), Robinson tied the KU single-season double-doubles record of 25 by Drew Gooden in 2002. His 25 DDs lead the nation. A four-time Big 12 Player of the Week and one time Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week this season, Robinson has seven double-doubles in his last eight games and 11 DDs in his last 14 contests. His league-leading 11.8 rpg average ranks second nationally. An All-American candidate and Bob Cousy Award finalist, senior guard Tyshawn Taylor has scored 20 or more points in three of his last six games and averages 16.9 ppg for the season. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Taylor leads KU with 164 assists and is second on the team with 57 three-pointers made in 2011-12. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Big 12 Third Team selection Jeff Withey averages 9.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots for the season. Named the Big 12 and USBWA National Player of the Week on Feb. 13, Withey leads the conference with 3.3 blocked shots per game, which ranks seventh nationally. Junior guard Elijah Johnson has averaged 18.5 points in his last four games, including a career-high 26 points against Texas A&M (3/8). He is scoring 10.0 points per contest after his 18 points against Purdue (3/18). Johnson leads Kansas with 52 steals and 62 three-pointers made. He is second on the team with 129 assists. A lockdown defender, junior guard Travis Releford rounds out the Kansas starters. Releford, who was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 9, averages 8.4 points per game and has 39 steals.
Senior guard Conner Teahan, an Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, is third on the team with 50 three-pointers this season, including a 4-for-4 effort from beyond the arc against then-No. 3 Missouri (2/25). Teahan averages 5.9 points per game. Junior forward Kevin Young (3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg), sophomore forward Justin Wesley (1.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and freshman guard Naadir Tharpe (0.9 ppg, 21 assists) are also KU regulars.
About North Carolina State
Located in Raleigh, N.C., with an enrollment of 34,376, North Carolina State is 24-12 on the season and has won six of its last seven games entering its Sweet 16 contest against Kansas. The Wolfpack are coached by Mark Gottfried, who is 24-12 in his first season at NC State, 302-169 in his 14th season as a head coach and 7-7 in NCAA Tournament play. North Carolina State averages 73.3 points and gives up 67.8 points for a +5.5 scoring margin. The Wolfpack dominate the boards with a +4.5 rebound margin, average 15.8 assists and 6.7 steals per game. NC State has five players who average double digits in scoring, led by sophomore forward C.J. Leslie at 14.6 points per game. He also leads the team with 54 blocked shots and is second on the squad with 7.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Lorenzo Brown is next in scoring at 12.8 points per game and he leads the team with 231 assists and 64 steals. Junior forward Scott Wood scores 12.4 points per contest and leads the Wolfpack with a 90.1 free throw percentage and 93 three-pointers made. Junior forward Richard Howell leads NC State with 9.1 rebounds per game to complement his 11.0 scoring average. Senior forward/guard C.J. Williams rounds out the Wolfpack starters. He is scoring 10.6 points per contest, is third on the team with 63 assists and second with 39 steals. Other NC State regulars include junior center DeShawn Painter (6.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and senior guard Alex Johnson (4.5 ppg, 103 assists).
The Kansas-North Carolina State Series
Kansas and North Carolina State are meeting for the 12th time in men’s basketball with KU leading the series 10-1. NC State won the first meeting in 1958 while the Jayhawks have won the last 10 matchups against the Wolfpack. On March 23, 1986, exactly 26 years ago from the this year’s Sweet 16 meeting, Kansas defeated NC State 75-67 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., to advance to the Final Four in Dallas. More on that in “This Day in Kansas Basketball History” later in this release. KU and NC State last met on Dec. 21, 1996, a Kansas 84-56 win in Allen Fieldhouse.
Should Kansas Win – the other side of the Bracket Series
–North Carolina leads the overall series with Kansas 6-3, yet the Jayhawks won the last meeting with the Tar Heels, 84-66, in the 2008 NCAA Final Four semifinals at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. KU and UNC have met in the NCAA Tournament four times, including the 1957 triple-overtime championship game thriller won by UNC, 54-53, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The other three meetings were national semifinal battles: 1991, Kansas won 76-73 in Indianpolis; 1993, North Carolina won 78-68 in New Orleans; and 2008.
–Kansas has won all three meetings with Ohio, including a 49-38 win in the 1985 NCAA Tournament Southeast Regional first-round game in South Bend, Ind. During Kansas’ 2008 NCAA National Championship season, KU defeated OU 88-51 on Dec. 15, 2007, at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The Jayhawks also defeated the Bobcats 98-41 in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena on Nov. 26, 2010.
Kansas-Purdue Leftovers
–Kansas’ first lead came with 3:04 left in the contest after a deep three-pointer from Elijah Johnson made it 57-56. The Jayhawks had trailed for the previous 36:24. Kansas led for just 45 second of the game
–Purdue led by as many as 11 points in the first half (19-8 at 11:48) en route to a 36-30 halftime advantage. Despite the deficit the Jayhawks emerged on top, moving to 5-4 on the year when trailing at half.
–Kansas’ 33.9 shooting percentage for the game was its lowest in a victory since shooting 28.8 percent in a 62-59 win at Kansas State on 1/4/97.
–Kansas shot just 29.4 percent from the field in the first half, the second-lowest field goal percentage in a half and lowest in a first half for Kansas in NCAA Tournament play. The 1974 Jayhawks shot 28.6 percent in the second half of a 78-61 loss to UCLA.
–KU pulled down a team season-best 21 offensive rebounds, topping the squad’s previous high of 17 against Oklahoma State (2/11). Kansas out-rebounded Purdue 44-36, and improved to 20-4 when edging its opponent on the boards.
–For the second consecutive game junior guard Elijah Johnson turned up the scoring in the second half, pouring in 13 of his team-best 18 points after intermission. Johnson scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half of Friday’s win over Detroit. Johnson has reached double digits in 16 games this season.
–Johnson was also responsible for both of Kansas’ go-ahead buckets, a three-pointer with 3:04 to play and a deciding lay-up with 0:23 left to play.
–Already the nation’s leader in double-doubles, junior forward Thomas Robinson notched his 25th double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Robinson tied the Kansas single-season mark for double-doubles, matching Drew Gooden (2002).
–Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor and junior guard Travis Releford each added 10 points to join Johnson and Robinson in double figures. Taylor moved into KU’s top-25 single season scoring ahead of Paul Pierce (1997) and Walter Welsey (1965) with 588 points (22nd).
Team Notables
–Kansas leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 38.1, which is sixth nationally. KU has led the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense in five of the last six seasons, all under head coach Bill Self.
–KU leads the conference in rebound margin at +5.7. The Jayhawks have led the Big 12 in rebound margin in each of the last five seasons, all under Bill Self.
–Kansas also leads the Big 12 in rebounding (37.2) and blocked shots (5.6).
–Kansas’ 22-game home court winning streak leads the Big 12 and is tied for fourth nationally. The 22-game streak followed a school-record 69-game home court winning streak. KU is 91-1 in its last 92 games at Allen Fieldhouse. At 16-0 at home this season, Kansas recorded its 17th undefeated home season in Allen Fieldhouse, includng three of the last four years.
–KU has tied or outrebounded 27 of 35 opponents this season, including 12 of the last 17 games. KU has 11 games with a +10 rebound margin, including a season-best 50-21 (+29) vs. Oklahoma State (2/11).
–Six different Jayhawks – Thomas Robinson, Tyshawn Taylor, Elijah Johnson, Conner Teahan, Travis Releford and Jeff Withey – have led Kansas in scoring through 35 games.
–KU has shot a higher percentage than 32 of 35 opponents this season. KU shot a season-high 61.4 percent against Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals and has shot 50 percent or better 14 times this season.
–Kansas has blocked five or more shots in 17 games this season, including a season-high 13 against Florida Atlantic (11/30). KU had 12 blocked shots against Long Beach State (12/6) and Texas A&M (1/23) and 10 versus Iowa State (1/14).
–Kansas is 5-4 against ranked teams in 2011-12, 31-12 versus ranked foes since 2006-07 and 40-22 against ranked foes under Bill Self (since 2003-04).
–Kansas’ 19-point deficit overcome against Missouri was the largest since KU was down 22 points to Texas on March 11, 2007, in the Big 12 Championship title game.
–Kansas has 163 dunks to its opponents’ 60 through 35 games. Thomas Robinson leads KU with 69 dunks, while Jeff Withey has 35.
Player Notables
–Junior Thomas Robinson, who has seven double-doubles in his last eight games, was named the ESPN.com 2012 National Player of the Year; USBWA, Sporting News, ESPN.com and NABC All-America First Team, the consensus 2012 Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team. His 25 double-doubles lead the nation and are tied for first on KU’s single-season list (25 by Drew Gooden in 2002). Robinson has scored 20-plus points on 11 occasions in 2011-12. A four-time Big 12 Player of the Week and one time Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week this season, Robinson had career highs with 30 points and 21 rebounds against North Dakota (12/31). Robinson is the only player in the Big 12 Conference this season that is averaging a double-double with 17.7 ppg and 11.8 rpg. His 11.8 rebounds are second in NCAA Division I in 2011-12. Robinson’s 17.7 points are tied for second in the league and he ranks third in field goal percentage (52.1) and 11th in blocked shots (1.0).
–Senior Tyshawn Taylor, a Bob Cousy Award finalist, has scored 20 or more points in four of his last seven games, including 20 points against Baylor in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship. A 2012 All-Big 12 First Team honoree and All-America Third Team selection by The Sporting News, he has 12 20-point games in 2011-12. Taylor scored a career-high 28 points in back-to-back games against Iowa State (1/14) and Baylor (1/16). A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week (1/16, 3/4), he is second on the team with 16.9 points per game and led KU in conference game scoring at 18.6 ppg. In all games, Taylor leads KU with 164 assists and a 41.6 three-point field goal percentage. His 57 three-pointers are second on the team. Taylor’s 16.9 ppg average is fifth in the Big 12. Also in the league, he is fifth in field goal percentage at 49.2, sixth in three-point field goal percentage at 41.6, 13th in three-pointers made at 1.6, sixth in assists at 4.7 and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.4. Taylor underwent knee surgery on Dec. 11 but returned to start the Davidson contest on Dec. 19, when he scored 15 points and had seven assists.
–Junior Elijah Johnson led Kansas in scoring in the Big 12 Championship with 20.5 ppg and is averaging 18.5 ppg in his last four games. Included was a career-high 26 points against Texas A&M in the Big 12 quarterfinals. Johnson has 31 assists and just eight turnovers in his last nine games. He has 16 games with 10 or more points this season. Johnson leads KU with 62 three-pointers made and has made multiple threes in four of his last five games and 17 times this season. In the NCAA Tournament, Johnson is 13-for-22 (59.1 percent) from the field, including 6-for-12 (50 percent) from three-point range. He has started all but one game this season for KU (Senior Night), is the team leader with 52 steals and is second on the team in assists with 129. Johnson is ninth in the Big 12 in assists at 3.7, fifth in steals at 1.5, fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.1 and 12th in three-pointers made at 1.8.
–Junior Jeff Withey averaged 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots in two Big 12 Championship games. He averaged 10.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots in Big 12 play and 9.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 3.3 blocks in all games this season. The 2012 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big 12 Third Team selection, Withey was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week and the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week after he scored a career-high 25 points at No. 6 Baylor (2/8) and had 18 points and a career-high 20 rebounds against Oklahoma State (2/11). Withey has scored in double figures in 12 of his last 19 games, including four double-doubles. Withey leads the Big 12 with 3.3 blocked shots per game, which ranks seventh nationally. His 65 blocked shots in league play set a new conference season record and his 116 for the season are second on the KU list. Withey has multiple blocks in each of his last five games. His 6.2 rebound average is ninth in the Big 12, while his 78.9 free throw percentage is 10th in the conference.
–Junior Travis Releford, the Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 9, pulled down six rebounds against Purdue (3/18) and seven boards against Baylor in the Big 12 Championship semifinals (3/9). He has scored in double figures 15 times this season, including 10 against Purdue. He is fifth on the team in scoring with 8.4 ppg in all games and scored 8.9 ppg in Big 12 contests. Releford opened Big 12 play with his first career double-double, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds against Kansas State (1/4). Both were career highs at the time. He then scored 28 points at Oklahoma (1/7). A lockdown defender, Releford has 39 steals this season.
–Senior Conner Teahan scored 12 points against No. 3 Missouri (2/25) on 4-for-4 shooting with all shots from three-point range. The four threes tied his career high, which he has done three times this season, and his 12 points were a conference career high. He has made 50 three-pointers in 2011-12, which is third most on the team and 76.9 percent of his field goals made are from beyond the arc. In his first career start, Teahan scored a career-high 14 points versus LBSU (12/6) and has chipped in 13 points twice (at USC, 12/22 and vs. Howard, 12/29). Teahan was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team on Feb. 16.
–Junior Kevin Young scored nine points in KU’s NCAA Tournament opener against Detroit (3/16). He pulled down seven rebounds in the next victory versus Purdue (3/18). Young had five points and five rebounds against Baylor in the Big 12 Championship semifinals (3/9). He had five points and pulled down a personal KU best eight rebounds against Missouri (2/25). Young averages 11.1 minutes, 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. His best scoring performance of the season came against then-No. 2 Ohio State (12/10) with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He has pulled down four or more rebounds 10 times this season.
Kansas in St. Louis for the NCAA Tournament
Kansas will play its fifth NCAA Tournament game in the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis and its first since Bill Self’s first season at KU in 2004. KU is 3-1 in the venue winning its first two games of the 2002 event and later advancing to the Final Four in Atlanta. In the 2004 St. Louis Regional semifinal Kansas defeated UAB 100-74 in the Sweet 16 and lost to Georgia Tech, 79-71 in overtime, in the Elite Eight. In the 1993 Midwest Regional at St. Louis Arena, the Jayhawks defeated California 93-76 in the Sweet 16 and Indiana 83-77 in the regional final to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans. Kansas is 5-1 in St. Louis during the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas vs. the Field
Entering the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Kansas played 17 games against 11 teams in this year’s NCAA tourney field: Baylor, Davidson, Duke, Georgetown, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio State, South Florida, Texas. KU went a combined 11-6 against those squads.
Seed Notes
Kansas is the No. 2 seed for the fifth time since the NCAA Tournament started seeding in 1979 – 1990, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2012. This is the first time KU has been a No. 2 seed under Bill Self. Kansas is 15-4 as a No. 2 seed and 3-2 against the No. 11 seed. Kansas’ 19 games as the No. 2 seed is its second most in the NCAA Tournament behind its 36 games as the No. 1 seed.
Kansas in the NCAA Tournament
–2012 marks Kansas’ 41st NCAA Tournament appearance.
–Kansas’ 23-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, from 1990-2010, is the nation’s longest active streak and ranks second-best all time. North Carolina had 27 straight from 1975-2001.
–Under head coach Bill Self, Kansas is 20-7 (74.1 percent) in the NCAA Tournament, with six Sweet 16s (2004-07-08-09-11-12), four Elite Eights (2004-07-08-11), one Final Four (2008) and one NCAA National Championship (2008).
–In the last 10 NCAA Tournaments prior to 2012, Kansas has a 27-9 (75.0 percent) record with one NCAA National Championship (2008), three Final Four (2002-03-08) and six Elite Eight (2002-03-04-07-08-11) appearances.
–The Jayhawks’ 41 NCAA Tournament appearances are fourth nationally behind only Kentucky (51), North Carolina (42) and UCLA (42).
–Kansas sports an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 90-39 and the Jayhawks’ 90 wins rank fifth behind North Carolina (108), Kentucky (107), Duke (97) and UCLA (96).
–The Jayhawks will play their 130th NCAA Tournament game on Friday. The Jayhawks’ 129 games in the event rank tied for fifth all-time in NCAA history – Kentucky (153), North Carolina (147), UCLA (131) and Duke (129).
–Entering the 2012 event, KU’s NCAA Tournament winning percentage of 69.3 percent ranks seventh all-time for a minimum of 20 games played.
–Kansas coach Bill Self is in his 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach.
–KU is one of six schools that has won at least three NCAA Championships. The Jayhawks won the NCAA crown in 1952, 1988 and 2008. The other schools are UCLA (11), Kentucky (7), Indiana (5), North Carolina (5), Duke (4) and Connecticut (3).
–Kansas has appeared in the Final Four 13 times, making KU one of just six schools to reach the Final Four 10-plus times – North Carolina (18), UCLA (17), Duke (15), Kentucky (14) and Ohio State (10).
–Kansas has won 11 games in the Final Four, which is sixth-best all time.
–Five different Jayhawks have been named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, including B.H. Born in 1953 and Wilt Chamberlain in 1957, who both won the award even though KU lost in the finals. Clyde Lovellette (1952) and Danny Manning (1988) also won the honor. Mario Chalmers won the Most Outstanding Player Award for the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
–Former Jayhawk player and coach Dick Harp is the only person to play in the Final Four and later coach his alma mater in the Final Four.
NCAA Tournament Notables
–In 2007-08, Kansas became only the fourth school to win a BCS game, and then play in the Final Four the same academic year. The 2007 KU football team won the FedEx Orange Bowl and the men’s basketball team captured the NCAA National Championship. Other schools to accomplish the feat include Ohio State (1999), Wisconsin (2000) and Florida (2007).
–In 1993, Kansas became the first school in NCAA history to make a Final Four appearance, a College World Series appearance and win a bowl game in the same year.
–Larry Brown is one of two coaches to take two different teams to the NCAA championship game (UCLA, 1980 and Kansas, 1988). Frank McGuire took St. John’s in 1952 and North Carolina in 1957. Brown attended North Carolina. McGuire’s 1957 North Carolina team defeated Kansas for the championship in triple overtime.
–Brown is the only man to coach teams to the NCAA Championship – Kansas in 1988 – and the NBA Championship – Detroit in 2004.
–When Phog Allen’s 1952 team won the NCAA title, Allen was 66 years old. That was the oldest age for the head coach of a championship team until Jim Calhoun (68) of Connecticut won last year. Allen became the fourth coach to win the NCAA National Championship at his alma mater, a feat that has been accomplished 14 times.
–Adonis Jordan’s 5-of-7 three-point shooting performance in the 1993 national semifinal game against North Carolina is tied for the second highest percentage ever in an NCAA Final Four game. Donald Williams of UNC accomplished the feat twice, both times in 1993. In 2011, Butler’s Shelvin Mack went 5-for-6 (83.3 percent) to break the record.
–Kansas won the NCAA Tournament in 1988 as a No. 6 seed. Only one team has won the tournament with a lower seed – Villanova in 1985 as an eighth seed. Jim Valvano’s 1983 N.C. State team also won the tournament as a No. 6 seed. In the 1990s, the lowest seed to win the tournament was the 1997 Arizona team, which captured the title as a No. 4 seed. The Wildcats upset Kansas, the top seed, in the Sweet 16.
KU is the Cradle of Tournament Coaching Legends
Eight head coaches who have advanced to the NCAA Tournament have graduated from the University of Kansas. In fact, the 121 combined NCAA Tournament wins by those men are easily the most by graduates of any one school: Phog Allen (KU 1906, 10-3), Tim Carter (KU, 1979, 0-2), Frosty Cox (KU 1930, 2-4), Dick Harp (KU 1940, 4-2), Ralph Miller (KU 1942, 5-11), Adolph Rupp (KU 1922, 30-18), Dean Smith (KU 1953, 65-27) and Mark Turgeon (KU 1987, 5-5).
Kansas Wins March Awards
Heading into the 2012 NCAA Tournament Kansas already earned a couple of national titles in March. On March 14, the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced KU the winner of the inaugural Naismith Student Section of the Year Award. The title comes with a $5,000 cash award, which Kansas Athletics will direct to the university’s general scholarship fund. A formal presentation of the award will take place at a home men’s basketball game at the beginning of the 2012-13 season.
The Naismith Awards Board of Selectors chose the Kansas basketball student section for the award from a field of eight finalists. An original field of some 80 entries was narrowed to eight by two rounds of public Facebook votes. Selection criteria included the student section’s name and attendance, as well as photos, video, a write-up submitted by the nominating school, as well as a weighted score based on the public vote. The contest was launched nationally Nov. 15. KU led the way into the final round of scoring with the highest vote tally throughout the first and second rounds of the public vote.
On March 13, Inside Higher Ed declared KU the champion of the 2012 “Academic NCAA Tournament,” which is based on the Academic Progress Rates of the 68 teams in the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. KU also won that competition in 2010 and reached the “Final Four” last year.
Taylor To Join Elite Company
Senior Tyshawn Taylor continues to etch his name into the all-time Kansas career lists. A four-year starter, Kansas is 124-20 (86.1 percent) during Taylor’s time in Lawrence with four Big 12 regular-season titles, two Big 12 Championship crowns, three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 and one Elite Eight. His 123 all-time KU starts are eighth all-time. Statistically, against Duke, Taylor became the 54th player in school history to record 1,000 points. He currently sits 18th with 1,523 points. He is seventh on the KU all-time assists list with 553. Taylor also ranks 12th with 162 career steals and his 38.5 percent career three-point percentage is 16th best at Kansas. Taylor is only the third player in KU history with the combination of at least 1,400 points, 500 assists and 150 steals in his career. He is in the company of KU greats Darnell Valentine (1,821 points, 609 assists, 336 steals) and Kirk Hinrich (1,753 points, 668 assists, 206 steals).
Noting Kansas Basketball
–Kansas has gone 239 games without consecutive losses, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. KU’s last two straight losses were Jan. 14 vs. Kansas State (59-57 in Allen Fieldhouse) and Jan. 16 at Missouri (89-86 overtime in Mizzou Arena), during the 2005-06 season.
–Kansas has 2,067 all-time victories, second most in NCAA Division I.
–Kansas won its 1,000th all-time conference game with the 83-50 win against Texas Tech on Feb. 18, 2012.
–Kansas has held 174 of its last 180 opponents to under 50 percent shooting.
–KU has held opponents to fewer than 100 points in 369 consecutive games. The last team to score 100 on Kansas was Texas on Feb. 11, 2002, a KU 110-103 overtime victory.
–Kansas has sold out its last 180 games in Allen Fieldhouse, dating back to the second game of the 2001-02 season.
–Over the last five seasons, prior to 2011-12, Kansas has averaged 33 victories per year with four 30-win seasons.
–Each KU senior class since 1986-87 has won at least 100 games. Tyshawn Taylor’s four-year record is 124-20. A fourth-year senior last season, Tyrel Reed’s record of 132-17 tied for the second-most wins in a four-year span in NCAA Division I history.
–Including 2012, Kansas has won 12 of the 16 Big 12 regular-season titles (includes ties), including the last eight. Kansas’ 55 conference titles are the most in NCAA Division I. Kansas’ eight-straight league titles is a school record, surpassing the six straight set from 1922-27.
–Including 2011-12, Kansas has won 23 or more games in each of the last 23 seasons dating back to 1988-89 and has 22 victories 27 times in the last 28 years starting in 1984-85.
–Including 2011-12, Bill Self has won 23 or more games each of his last 14 seasons as a head coach.
–Kansas is the only team in the Big 12 to have a winning series record against every conference foe.
–Including 2011-12, KU has led its league in home attendance each of the last 26 seasons dating back to 1986-87 and 31 times in the last 35 years.
–Kansas’ 2002 team is the only squad in Big 12 history to go undefeated in conference play at 16-0.
–Kansas is first in the conference in wins with a 217-41 record in Big 12 regular-season games. Texas is next at 176-82. Including the league postseason championship, Kansas is tops at 248-49, while Texas is second at 197-98.
–Kansas is the only Big 12 school to have won a regular-season championship with two different coaches (Roy Williams and Bill Self).
–Under Bill Self, Kansas is 69-4 (94.5 percent) in Big 12 home games: 8-0 in 2004, 7-1 in 2005, 7-1 in 2006, 7-1 in 2007, 8-0 in 2008, 8-0 in 2009, 8-0 in 2010, 7-1 in 2011 and 9-0 in 2012.
–Kansas has won 10 or more league games for the last 18 seasons and 50 times overall, including 2011-12.
–Kansas leads the Big 12 with 48 all-time Academic All-Big 12 selections since the inception of the conference in 1996-97.
–Including 2011-12, KU has 37 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selections and 11 second team selections. KU’s 37 first team selections are 16 more than Texas and Kansas State’s 21 each.
–In the Bill Self era, Kansas has had 25 Academic All-Big 12 selections, which is best in the Big 12, for an average of almost three per year (2.8 average). This includes 2011-12.
–In December 2010, KU alum David Booth bought the original rules of basketball by the inventor of the game and KU’s first coach James Naismith. Booth plans to bring the rules to Lawrence and Allen Fieldhouse.
–Kansas’ school-record 69-game home court winning streak, from 2007-11, which led the nation for more than two seasons and ranks 11th all-time in the NCAA records book. With the current 22-game win streak, Kansas is 91-1 in Allen Fieldhouse in its last 92 games.
–Under Bill Self, Kansas has won 10 or more consecutive games 10 times, including once during the 2011-12 season.
–Kansas has won 55-straight home games against non-conference competition.
–Under Bill Self, Kansas is 43-6 following a loss. Kansas has won 25-straight games following a loss.
Up Next
Should Kansas advance from St. Louis, Kansas would play in its 14th Final Four, March 31 and April 2, in New Orleans, La.
