No. 1 Seed Kansas to Face No. 4 Seed Michigan Friday at 6:37 p.m. in Sweet 16
March 26, 2013
Kansas notes for Michigan 
SWEET 16
No. 1 seed Kansas (31-5, 14-4 Big 12) will take on No. 4 seed Michigan (28-7, 12-6 Big Ten) in the South Regional semifinals round of the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, at 6:37 p.m. on TBS. Kansas defeated No. 16 seed Western Kentucky 64-57 on March 22 and North Carolina 70-58 on March 24 in Kansas City, Mo., to advance to the Sweet 16. Michigan defeated South Dakota State 71-56 on March 21 and VCU 78-53 on March 23 in Auburn Hills, Mich., to advance. In defeating Western Kentucky, Kansas won the school’s 2,100th game and became the first school in NCAA history to have won at least 30 games for the fourth-straight season (note: Memphis won 30 for four-straight seasons from 2006-09 but later vacated the 2008 season). Kansas 10th-year head coach Bill Self won his 300th game while at KU in the win versus North Carolina.
Kansas is in its 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance, as well as its 24th-consecutive trip to the tournament, the longest active streak in the nation. KU is a number one seed for the 11th time since seeding began in 1979. The Jayhawks were a one seed in 1986-92-95-97-98-2002-07-08-10-11 and this season, with the last five under head coach Bill Self. This is the third-straight season the Jayhawks have advanced to the Sweet 16 and seventh time under 10-year head coach Bill Self. Historically, KU will be playing its 30th game in the round of 16 in NCAA Tournament history.
Including 2013, KU, which is ranked No. 3 in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls, has won nine-straight Big 12 regular-season championships dating back to 2005 and six conference postseason championships under Self.
With Kansas’ women’s team advancing to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16, KU is the only school to have both its men’s and women’s teams reach the Sweet 16 each of the last two years.
ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas has won 12 of its last 13 games entering the Michigan contest. The Jayhawks are 17-1 at home, 7-3 in road games and 7-1 on neutral courts in 2012-13. In his 10th season at KU, Bill Self holds a 300-58 record for an 83.8 winning percentage. Overall, Self won his 500th career game with a 108-96 overtime win at Iowa State (2/25) and is 507-163 in his 20th season as a head coach. KU averages 74.9 points per game and leads the Big 12 with a +13.7 scoring margin. KU also leads the league in rebounding at 39.3, rebound margin at +6.5, field goal percentage at 47.9, field goal percentage defense at 35.7, which leads the nation, and blocked shots at 6.6.
Kansas starts four seniors, including three fifth-year seniors, and one freshman. An All-Big 12 First Team and USBWA Freshman All-America selection, redshirt freshman G Ben McLemore leads the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game. His scoring average leads all Big 12 freshmen and ranks third overall in the conference. The one-time Big 12 Player of the Week and three-time conference Rookie of the Week, McLemore leads the league in free throw percentage (87.0). A USBWA All-America Second Team selection, McLemore has a team-high 69 three-pointers made and is third on the team with 37 steals. Joining McLemore on the USBWA All-America Second Team is two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year senior C Jeff Withey, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 Big 12 Championship. Withey, who is averaging 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in two NCAA Tournament games, leads Kansas in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and has 13 double-doubles this season. An All-Big 12 First Team selection and three-time Big 12 Player of the Week, Withey leads the league in blocked shots at 3.9 per game, which ranks second nationally. Withey is Kansas’ and the Big 12’s all-time blocked shots leader with 306 and his 141 blocks this season broke his 2011-12 KU and conference record of 140. A USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year finalist, Wooden Award Final Ballot and Naismith Award Top-30 list honoree along with McLemore, Withey is scoring 13.8 points per outing and is second in the Big 12 with a 58.3 field goal percentage. Senior G Travis Releford is tied with Withey for the team high in scoring in NCAA Tournament games at 16.5 ppg. He is third in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 57.3 percent. An All-Big 12 Second Team selection, Releford is averaging 11.8 points per contest. For the season, All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and Big 12 Player of the Week (3/4) honoree senior G Elijah Johnson has a team-high 169 assists and is second on the team with 50 three-pointers made to complement his 9.8 scoring average. Senior F Kevin Young rounds out the KU starters; he is scoring 7.6 points per contest and is second on the team with 6.7 rebounds per outing. Other KU regulars include sophomore G Naadir Tharpe (5.6 ppg, 2.9 apg), freshman F Perry Ellis (5.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and redshirt freshman F Jamari Traylor (2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg). Tharpe tied his career high with 12 points against North Carolina (3/24). Ellis joined Withey on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team after he averaged a team-high 14.3 points and tied Withey with a team-best 6.3 rpg average in Kansas’ title run.
THE KANSAS-MICHIGAN SERIES
Michigan holds a 5-2 series advantage against Kansas in men’s basketball yet the Jayhawks have won the last two meetings: 67-60 overtime on Jan. 9, 2011, in Ann Arbor, Mich., and 75-64 on Dec. 19, 2009, in Allen Fieldhouse. The Kansas-Michigan series dates back to 1949. Two of the matchups have been on neutral floors: a 49-47 Michigan win in 1949 in Kansas City and an 86-74 Michigan victory on Dec. 30, 1992, at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu.
In Kansas’ overtime win at Michigan in 2011, current KU senior Travis Releford played four minutes, with no points or rebounds, and left the game due to an ankle injury.
KANSAS VS. THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD
In 2012-13, Kansas played 18 games against 12 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament field: Belmont (1-0), Colorado (1-0), Iowa State (3-0), Kansas State (3-0), Michigan State (0-1), North Carolina (1-0), Ohio State (1-0), Oklahoma (1-1), Oklahoma State (1-1), St. Louis (1-0), Temple (1-0) and Western Kentucky (1-0). KU is a combined 15-3 against those squads.
SEED NOTES
Kansas is the No. 1 seed for the 11th time since the NCAA Tournament started seeding in 1979: 1986-92-95-97-98-2002-07-08-10-11-13. This is the fifth time KU has been a No. 1 seed under Bill Self. Kansas is 29-9 as a No. 1 seed and 3-4 against the No. 4 seed. Kansas’ 38 games as the No. 1 seed are KU’s most games played as any seed in the NCAA Tournament.
KANSAS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
–This year marks Kansas’ 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance.
–Kansas’ 24-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, from 1990-2013, is the nation’s longest active streak and ranks second-best all time. North Carolina had 27-straight tournament appearances from 1975-2001.
–Under head coach Bill Self, Kansas is 25-8 (75.8 percent) in the NCAA Tournament with seven Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, two Final Fours, one NCAA National Championship and one NCAA runner-up finish.
–In the last 11 NCAA Tournaments, Kansas has a 34-10 (77.3 percent) record with one NCAA National Championship (2008), four Final Four (2002-03-08-12) and seven Elite Eight (2002-03-04-07-08-11-12) appearances.
–The Jayhawks’ 42 NCAA Tournament appearances are fourth nationally behind only Kentucky (51), North Carolina (44) and UCLA (43).
–Kansas sports an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 95-40. The Jayhawks’ 95 wins rank tied for fifth with UCLA and trail Kentucky (111), North Carolina (109), Duke (97).
–The Jayhawks will play their 136th NCAA Tournament game on Friday. The Jayhawks’ 136 games in the event rank fourth all-time in NCAA history: Kentucky (157), North Carolina (151) and UCLA (141).
–KU’s NCAA Tournament winning percentage of 70.4 percent ranks sixth all-time for a minimum of 20 games played.
–Bill Self is making his 15th 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 (8), Indiana (5), North Carolina (5), Duke (4) and Connecticut (3).
–Kansas has appeared in the Final Four 14 times, making KU one of just six schools to reach the Final Four 10-plus times: North Carolina (18), UCLA (17), Duke (15), Kentucky (15) and Ohio State (11).
–KU has won 12 games in the Final Four, which is fifth-best all time behind: UCLA (25), Kentucky (19), Duke (16) and North Carolina (15).
–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. 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 in 2011. Allen became the fourth coach to win the NCAA National Championship at his alma mater, a feat that has been accomplished 14 times.
–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 KU, 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 122 combined NCAA Tournament wins by those men are easily the most by graduates of any one school: Phog Allen (KU 1906, 10-3), Tad Boyle (KU 1985, 1-2), 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 IN TEXAS FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The 2013 NCAA Tournament is the eighth time in Kansas men’s basketball history the Jayhawks have played in the event in the state of Texas and third time in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. KU is 6-6 all-time in the Lone Star state with its last three trips being in the Alamodome in San Antonio: the 2011 Southwest Regional (1-1), the 2008 Final Four (2-0) and the 2001 Midwest Regional (0-1). It’s previous trip to Dallas was in the 1986 Final Four which ended in a 71-67 loss to eventual national champion Duke at Reunion Arena. In Kansas’ run to the 1957 NCAA title game, the thrilling 54-53 triple overtime loss to North Carolina in Kansas City, KU started in Dallas with wins against SMU (73-65 in overtime) and Oklahoma City (81-61) in the Midwest Regional. Kansas went 1-1 in Lubbock, Texas, in the 1966 NCAA Tournament and lost both Final Four games in 1971 at the Houston Astrodome.
KANSAS-NORTH CAROLINA LEFTOVERS
–The win gives Kansas 31 victories for the fourth-straight season and the sixth time in the Bill Self era.
–Kansas advances to its 20th Sweet 16 and its seventh under head coach Bill Self (2004-07-08-09-11-13). The Jayhawks will play their 30th game in the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Teams did not advance to the round of 16 until 1975.
–Kansas went 8-0 in the Sprint Center in 2012-13 and is 22-4 all-time in the venue.
–Kansas is 95-40 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including 16-7 in NCAA Tournament games played in Kansas City.
–The win was head coach Bill Self’s 300th while at KU. He is 507-163 all-time and 35-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament including 25-7 while at Kansas.
–For the second-straight game, and just the eighth time this season, Kansas trailed at the break. Kansas was down 30-21, matching the Jayhawks’ largest halftime deficit of the season having trailed both Baylor and TCU by nine in road losses to both schools. It was the largest deficit overcome by Kansas this season as the Jayhawks evened the tally at 4-4 when behind at half.
–Kansas shot 25 percent (7-for-28) in the first half, its lowest field goal percentage in a half in NCAA Tournament play. Kansas’ previous shooting low for a half was 28.6 percent in the second half against UCLA in the 1974 Final Four.
–Kansas had a season-high-tying 50 rebounds. The total was the most in a regulation game this year as Kansas pulled down 50 boards in a double-overtime win at Oklahoma State (2/20).
–Kansas turned the ball over a season-high 22 times.
–Senior G Travis Releford logged his third 20-point effort inside the Sprint Center this season with 22 points against UNC. It was the most points ever in NCAA Tournament play for the Kansas City native, topping his previous high of 15 against Ohio State in the Final Four last year. The 22 points are the third-highest total for Releford in his career. Releford inched closer to 1,000 points for his career and has 949 with potentially four games left in his career.
–Senior C Jeff Withey blocked five shots against UNC and topped his own Kansas single-season record set a year ago (140) with 141, while pushing his Big 12 and Kansas career record to 306 blocks. Furthermore, Withey’s blocks moved him past Duke’s Shelden Williams (39), Florida’s Joakim Noah (41) and Duke’s Shane Battier (42) into second place for career blocks in the NCAA Tournament at 44. Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan leads the all-time list with 50 career blocks in NCAA action. Withey has blocked 12 shots in two games during this year’s tournament after setting the NCAA single tournament record with 31 a year ago.
–In addition to impacting the game on the defensive end, Withey recorded a double-double – his first ever in NCAA Tournament play – with 16 points and 16 rebounds. The double-double was his 13th this season which ranks 10th on KU’s single season list. The 16 rebounds were a season best.
–Sophomore G Naadir Tharpe reached double figures in an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in his short career with a career-high-tying 12 points, all in the second half. Tharpe hit all three of his three-point attempts in the second half and finished the game 3-of-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from long range.
–Senior F Kevin Young narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. It was Young’s 10th game in double figures this year and first since scoring 14 in the Jayhawks’ regular-season home finale.
KANSAS TEAM NOTABLES
–Kansas leads the NCAA Division I in field goal percentage defense at 35.7 percent and is second nationally in blocked shots at 6.6 per game. Both stats lead the Big 12 and KU also leads the conference in scoring margin (+13.7), field goal percentage (47.9), rebounding (39.3) and rebound margin (+6.5). The Jayhawks also rank in the top four of the Big 12 in scoring (third, 74.9), free throw percentage (third, 73.7), rebound defense (second, 32.8), assists (fourth, 15.4), steals (fourth, 7.1), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth, 1.1) and three-point field goals made (fourth, 5.8).
–Kansas has held a double-digit lead in all but seven contests this season. KU has held the lead in all but one game in 2012-13.
–Out of its 36 games, Kansas has held 21 of its opponents to 60 points or less, including 57 against Western Kentucky and 58 versus North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.
–KU has outrebounded 28 of 36 opponents this season. KU has had eight games with 10-plus rebounds over its opponent, including a 40-30 advantage against Iowa State (3/15). Kansas’ 50 rebounds against North Carolina tied a season high. KU also had 50 boards at Oklahoma State (2/20) and its +22 against Texas Tech (3/4) was its widest margin of 2012-13.
–KU has out shot all but five opponents in 2012-13. Additionally, KU has shot 50 percent or better in 14 games this season. Kansas has shot 53.2 percent or better in four of its last eight games, including a season-best 66.0 percent vs. Texas Tech (3/14) in the Big 12 Championship.
–Kansas has held a 40-plus point lead in four different games this season.
KANSAS SHOOTING
Kansas out shot all but five opponents in 2012-13 and have shot 50 percent or better from the field in 14 games, including five of the last nine contests. KU leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 47.9 percent. Individually, senior C Jeff Withey is second in the Big 12 and senior G Travis Releford third in field goal percentage at 58.3 and 57.3, respectively. Withey is 44-for-64 (68.8 percent) from the field in his last eight games, including a 7-for-9 effort against Western Kentucky (3/22). Withey has shot 50 percent or better in 28 of 36 games this season, including 17 games of 62.5 percent or better. Releford is shooting a team-best 68.4 percent (13-for-19) from the field in the NCAA Tournament. He was 4-for-6 versus WKU, 9-for-13 against North Carolina and has 17 games this season in which he has shot 66.7 percent or better. Redshirt freshman G Ben McLemore has nine games of 60 percent or better shooting this season. Senior F Kevin Young is 32-for-49 (65.3 percent) in his last 10 games and has 15 games shooting 60.0 percent or better in 2012-13. Freshman F Perry Ellis is 34-for-56 (60.7 percent) from the field in his last 10 games. He was 18-for-23 (78.3 percent) in KU’s three Big 12 Championship victories, setting a KU record for a conference tournament.
SELF REACHES 300 WINS AT KU, THE FASTEST
With his 300th KU victory versus North Carolina on March 24, Bill Self further cemented himself as one of KU’s all-time greatest coaches. There have only been eight men’s basketball head coaches at Kansas and Self joined Roy Williams, Ted Owens and Forrest “Phog” Allen as KU coaches with 300 victories. Self is the fastest among them to reach the milestone. It took Self just 358 games at KU to reach 300 wins. Williams was the next fastest, needing 370 games, while Allen was third, getting to 300 in 387 contests.
SELF WINS 500TH CAREER VICTORY
With Kansas’ 108-96 win at Iowa State on Feb. 25, Kansas coach Bill Self won his 500th all-time game. He tied for the ninth-fastest coach to accomplish the feat, tying John Chaney (Cheyney and Temple) in doing it in 662 games. Additionally, Self is one of only four coaches to reach the milestone in his 20th season or earlier joining Roy Williams, who reached it in his 19th, Jerry Tarkanian (20th) and John Calipari (20th).
SENIOR LEGACY
The legacy the four senior players will leave at Kansas is quite impressive. Entering the final games of their careers, fifth-year senior Travis Releford has a 158-26 record for an 85.9 winning percentage when wearing the Crimson and Blue. Fourth-year seniors Elijah Johnson and Jeff Withey have a 131-18 (87.9 percent) record, while senior transfer Kevin Young is at 63-12 (84.0 percent).
Releford has been a part of five Big 12 Conference regular-season titles, while Johnson and Withey four and Young two. Additionally, in the last four seasons, Kansas has won three Big 12 postseason championships (2010, 2011, 2013), advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight twice and one Final Four, including last year’s run to the NCAA championship game in New Orleans. Combined these seniors are 17-4 in postseason play.
MCLEMORE AND WITHEY NATIONAL ACCOLADES
On March 18, Kansas’ Jeff Withey and Ben McLemore were named USBWA All-America Second Team while Kansas joined Indiana as the only schools with two representatives on the first and second teams. On March 9, McLemore and Withey were named to John R. Wooden Award final ballot. On Feb. 25, the duo was selected as Naismith Top 30 candidates. McLemore has also been named USBWA Freshman All-America and All-America Third Team by The Sporting News (TSN), while Withey was a TSN All-America Second Team honoree. The Naismith Award had three schools with two players listed (Kansas, Duke and Indiana) and the Wooden Award final ballot consisted of 15 players. The 2013 Wooden Award Gala will take place April 11-13, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All-Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas head coach Bill Self.
NCAA TOURNAMENT RECAP
Behind back-to-back solid games from senior C Jeff Withey, Kansas remained perfect in Kansas City during the 2012-13 season with a record of 8-0 in games played at the Sprint Center. In the round of 64, Withey had 17 points, six rebounds and seven blocked shots in Kansas’ 64-57 win over Western Kentucky. Senior G Travis Releford and freshman G Ben McLemore joined Withey in double figures with each adding 11 points. As a team the Jayhawks were 0-for-6 from behind the arc, snapping a streak of 200 consecutive games with at least one three-pointer made going back to Feb. 9, 2008, in a win against Baylor. The win pushed KU over the 30-win threshold for the fourth-straight season–an NCAA record.
In the round of 32 Kansas faced North Carolina for the second-consecutive season in the NCAA Tournament after the Tar Heels knocked off Villanova, 78-71, in their first game of the tourney. After struggling through turnovers and missed shots early, the Jayhawks overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat the Tar Heels, 70-58, and improve head coach Bill Self to 3-0 against UNC while at Kansas with all three wins coming in the NCAA Tournament. Releford led all scorers with 22 points in his final game in his hometown of Kansas City as a Jayhawk. Withey posted his 13th double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and grabbing 16 rebounds while adding five blocks to give him 12 for the weekend. Withey now has 306 blocked shots in his career and 43 in the NCAA Tournament. He is second all-time in blocks in NCAA Tournament history behind Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan who finished his career with 50. Sophomore G Naadir Tharpe went 3-for-4 from behind the arc versus UNC. Tharpe’s 12 points gave him his first career double-figure scoring effort in NCAA tourney action.
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
Tabbed as the battle between the two Big 12 Conference regular-season co-champions, then-No. 7/6-ranked Kansas completed the three-game series sweep over then-No. 11/12-ranked Kansas State March 16 to earn the league’s automatic big to the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Senior C Jeff Withey, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, led the way for the Jayhawks with 17 points in a 70-54 title-game victory of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Championship at Sprint Center. Earlier in the event, Kansas completed season sweeps of Texas Tech (91-63) in the quarterfinals and Iowa State (88-73) in the semifinals.
For the third time in the last four seasons, Kansas, the nine-time Big 12 Conference regular-season champions, earned both the regular-season and tournament titles. The 2013 tournament championship is Kansas’ 13th all-time league tournament title and ninth Big 12 tourney crown.
Freshman F Perry Ellis had an outstanding tournament leading Kansas in scoring with a 14.3 ppg average in the three games. Included was a career-best 23 points against Iowa State (3/15) in the semifinals. He claimed All-Big 12 Tournament honors along with Withey.
BIG 12 REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS
Down but not out was the theme in Kansas’ run to its ninth-consecutive Big 12 Conference regular-season title in 2013. After opening conference play with a 97-89 overtime win against Iowa State, the Jayhawks would begin conference play 7-0. Oklahoma State ended KU’s 33-game home court winning streak in what was the first of three-straight conference losses (at TCU and at Oklahoma). Kansas would rebound to win seven of its last eight league games and tie Kansas State at 14-4 for the regular-season title.
Kansas has won 13 of the 17 Big 12 regular-season titles (includes ties), including the last nine, which ranks tied for fifth on the NCAA all-time consecutive list. Kansas’ 56 conference titles are the most in NCAA Division I. Kentucky is second with 51 and Penn third at 37. Kansas’ nine-straight league titles is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I and the longest streak in school history. Including 2013, Belmont (Atlantic Sun/Ohio Valley East) and Murray State (Ohio Valley West) are next at four on the active league title list.
CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE REGULAR-SEASON WINNERS (source: NCAA Record Book; *active streak)
No. – Team, Conference – Seasons
13 – UCLA, Pac-12 – 1967-79
11 – Gonzaga, West Coast – 2001-11
10 – Connecticut, Yankee – 1951-60
10 – UNLV, Big West – 1983-92
*9 – KANSAS, Big 12 – 2005-13
9 – Idaho St., Rocky Mountain – 1953-61
9 – Kentucky, Southeastern – 1944-52
8 – Long Beach St., Big West – 1970-77
WITHEYBLOCKPARTY.COM
Here are some block party notables for Kansas All-American candidate Jeff Withey:
–A USBWA All-America Second Team and All-Big 12 First Team selection, Withey leads the Big 12 and is second nationally with 3.9 blocked shots per game. KU’s record for single-season blocked shot average is 3.6 set by Withey in 2012.
–The 2012 and 2013 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Withey set the KU and Big 12 single-game record with 12 blocked shots versus San Jose State (11/26).
–A three-time Big 12 Player of the Week, including twice in 2012-13, Withey’s 141 blocks in 2012-13 broke his KU and Big 12 single-season record of 140 set in 2011-12 and are more than six Big 12 teams this season.
–Earlier this season, Withey broke the Kansas and Big 12 Conference career blocked shots record, currently at 306. He passed Greg Ostertag who had 258 blocks at Kansas from 1992-95 and Chris Mihm of Texas’ 264 from 1998-2000.
–For his career, Withey has had 12 games with seven or more blocked shots, including five in 2012-13.
–Withey broke the NCAA Tournament record for blocked shots with 31 in the 2012 event. His 44 career NCAA Tournament blocked shots are second all-time to Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan’s 50.
AIRMCLEMORE.COM
A USBWA and Sporting News All-America Second Team and All-Big 12 First Team member, Kansas G Ben McLemore leads the conference freshman class with a 15.8 scoring average, which is third overall in the league. A three-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week and one-time Player of the Week honoree, McLemore leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 87.0 and also ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (eighth, 49.4), rebounding (20th, 5.3), three-point field goal percentage (second, 41.6) and three-pointers made (eighth, 1.9). KU’s leading scorer, McLemore has 10 games with 20 points or more this season, including three 30-point efforts: 36 vs. West Virginia (3/2), 33 vs. Iowa State (1/9) and 30 vs. Kansas State (2/11). He is the only freshman in KU history to have three 30-point games in one season. His 36 points against West Virginia (3/2) broke the Kansas freshman record of 35 points set by Danny Manning against Oklahoma State (3/2/1985).
Kansas freshman record-wise, McLemore’s:
…569 points are a Kansas freshman record. He is the only KU freshman to have scored more than 500 points.
…15.8 ppg would surpass the KU freshman record of 14.6 ppg held by Danny Manning in 1985.
…5.3 rebound average would rank tied for eighth on the KU freshman list.
…69 three-pointers made in 2012-13 are tied for third on the KU freshman list (Xavier Henry, 2010).
…41.6 three-point field goal percentage is sixth on the KU freshman list.
…87.0 free throw percentage is first on the Kansas freshman list.
KANSAS VS. RANKED TEAMS UNDER Bill Self
Kansas has played 73 games against Associated Press-ranked opponents in the nine-plus seasons under head coach Bill Self. Kansas is 5-1 against ranked foes this season after its 70-54 win against then-No. 11 Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship title game (3/16). Under Self, KU is 48-25 (65.8 percent) against ranked competition. That percentage has an upward trend as the last six seasons the Jayhawks are 38-15 (71.7 percent) versus ranked foes.
NICE COMPANY
Redshirt freshman G Ben McLemore logged his third 30-point game of the season with a KU freshman-record 36 points against West Virginia (3/2). Senior G Elijah Johnson became the second Jayhawk to record 30 or more points this season with his 39 scored at Iowa State (2/25). This marks the second time in the Bill Self era at Kansas that two different players have scored 30 or more points in a game during the same season. Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry each had 30-point games during the 2009-10 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
Since his arrival at KU, Bill Self is 161-8 in games played at Allen Fieldhouse for a 95.3 winning percentage. Self’s Big 12 conference titles (nine) are more than his home losses while at Kansas. Included was a school-record 69-game home-court winning streak which led the nation for more than two seasons and ranks 11th all-time in the NCAA records book as well as a 33-game home-court winning streak, that ended Feb. 2, 2013, tied for fourth most in KU history. Kansas is 107-2 in Allen Fieldhouse in its last 109 games. Additionally, Kansas has won 63-consecutive games in Allen Fieldhouse against non-conference foes.
UP NEXT
Should Kansas defeat Michigan, Kansas would advance to its 22nd Elite Eight and play either No. 3 seed Florida or No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast, Sunday, March 31 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
