Postgame Notes
Nov. 16, 2008
Kansas Postgame Notes
Kansas 71, UMKC 56
Kansas‘ win over UMKC…
… Marks the seventh straight year KU has won its season-opener.
… Gives the Jayhawks 17 wins in their last 18 season-opening games.
… Marks Kansas’ 36th straight home-opening win.
… Makes the Jayhawks 5-0 all-time against UMKC.
… Improves Kansas head coach Bill Self’s record to 143-32 at KU, 350-137 overall, and 5-1 against UMKC.
… Makes Kansas 1,944-785 all-time.
Notes
– The contest marked the first action in a KU uniform for freshmen forward Marcus Morris, center Markieff Morris, guard Travis Releford, guard Tyshawn Taylor and starting forward Quintrell Thomas. Thomas is the first true freshman to start in a season-opener since Sherron Collins started in a 91-57 win over Northern Arizona in 2006. Collins finished the game with 14 points and three assists.
– The Jayhawks did not score a field goal for nine minutes and seven seconds in the first half, until a steal by junior guard Sherron Collins led to a sophomore guard Brady Morningstar layup with four seconds remaining.
– Kansas’ last lead of the first half came at the 19:05 mark (5-3) before UMKC led for the next 12 minutes and 29 seconds. KU tied it up at 21 with 6:36 remaining, and went to the lockerroom tied 32-32 at the half.
– The last time Kansas was tied at halftime at home was against Arizona on Nov. 25 last season. The Jayhawks and Wildcats were tied 40-40 at the half, but KU went on to win 76-72 in overtime in the Big 12/Pac 10 Challenge matchup.
– UMKC had the lead or was tied with Kansas for a total of 21 minutes and 30 seconds during the contest.
– Kansas opened the second half on a 14-2 run to take a 46-37 lead. The Jayhawks also made 11 of their first 13 shots in the second half.
– Markieff Morris’ 15 rebounds were the most in a debut game since at least 1989. Only two other players have recorded double-digit rebounds in their first games – David Padgett (10) in 2003 and Wayne Simien (11) in 2001 since 1989.
– Morris’ performance is the third-best overall rebounding effort by a freshman in KU history. Eric Chenowith pulled down 20 on Jan. 14, 1998 and Raef LaFrentz recorded 16 on Jan. 9, 1995. It was also the best performance since Nick Collison grabbed 21 rebounds in the NCAA championship game against Syracuse April 7, 2003.
– Three Jayhawks scored in double-figures including Collins (16), Aldrich (13) and Reed (12). Aldrich’s points came on four dunks, one field goal and three free throws.
– Kansas shot eight percent from three-point range, missing 12 straight three-pointers. The shooting percentage is the lowest since the Jayhawks shot zero percent against Baylor on Feb. 9, 2008.
– Kansas’ 71 points were the fewest in a season-opener since defeating Vermont 68-61 on Nov. 19, 2004.
