No. 1 Kansas to Host Tennessee Tech in Men's Hoops Friday

Nov. 26, 2009

Kansas notes for Tennessee Tech in PDF Format

No. 1 Kansas concludes the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase when it plays host to Tennessee Tech Friday, at 7 p.m. on Jayhawk TV. The Jayhawks are 4-0 for the third time in the Bill Self era after its 89-59 win against Oakland on Wednesday. Tennessee Tech is 3-3 on the season after its 72-65 win at Southern Utah on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak with the win.

About Kansas

Kansas extended the nation’s longest home court winning streak to 44 games with its 89-59 win against 2010 Summit League favorite Oakland Wednesday. The win was KU’s third margin of victory of 30 points or more in four games this season. The top-ranked Jayhawks average 85.2 points per game and are giving up 55.8 points for a +29.5 scoring margin. KU is shooting 51.3 percent from the field, while its opponents are shooting 32.8 percent. Freshman guard Xavier Henry leads the team with a 17.3 scoring average, including 19 points against Oakland. He has a team-best 10 three point field goals. Senior guard Sherron Collins is at 14 points per game and he leads the team with seven steals. He has made eight three-point field goals and is tied with sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor (5.0 ppg) for the team lead with 15 assists. Sophomore forward Marcus Morris had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Oakland and is scoring 12.5 points per game. Junior center Cole Aldrich averages a team bests in rebounds at 8.3 rpg and blocked shots with 3.8 per outing. He is scoring 10 points per game. Sophomore forward Markieff Morris and junior guard Tyrel Reed are the first two off the bench for KU. Markieff averages 6.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and is 10-for-11 from the field this season. Reed is at 5.8 points and is making 46.2 percent from three-point range. Others in the KU rotation include freshmen Elijah Johnson (5.8 ppg) and Thomas Robinson (3.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

Kansas is the five-time defending Big 12 champion, finished 27-8 last season and won the 2009 league title outright with a 14-2 conference record. The Jayhawks advanced to their third-straight NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 before falling to NCAA runner-up Michigan State in Indianapolis last year.

About Tennessee Tech

Located in Cookeville, Tenn., Tennessee Tech is 3-3 on the season after its 72-65 win at Southern Utah on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles average 66.7 points per game and are giving up 79.5 points. They average 13.5 three-point attempts each game and make 4.7 per contest. Sophomore forward Kevin Murphy leads the team with 15.3 points. He is second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game. Senior guard Frank Davis is next in scoring at 10.3 points per game and he is tied with junior forward Alfred Jones (7.5 ppg) and senior guard Elijah Muhammad (9.5 ppg) in steals with six apiece. Jones leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per contest and Muhammad has a team-best 23 assists on the season. Sophomore forward Bassey Inameti (3.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg) is Tennessee Tech’s fifth starter. Four players come off the bench for TTU led by freshman forward Jud Dillard who scores 8.2 points per outing. He is joined by freshman forward Terrell Barnes (4.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), sophomore guard Zach Bailey (3.3 ppg) and junior forward Byron Pickens (2.3 ppg) in the TTU rotation.

The Series

Kansas and Tennessee Tech are meeting for the first time in men’s basketball. The Jayhawks are 15-0 all-time against current membership of the Ohio Valley Conference. KU last faced a OVC team when it played Tennessee State in the 2006 Las Vegas Invitational in Allen Fieldhouse – a Kansas 89-54 victory. The Jayhawks are 9-0 against the OVC’s Murray State and many will remember its last meeting with MSU – a 61-58 win in Lincoln, Neb., en route to the 1988 NCAA National Championship.

Up Next

Kansas will conclude its four-game home stand when it hosts Alcorn State on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. That game will be televised on Jayhawk TV. KU will then have its first true road game of the season at UCLA on Dec. 6 in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. That game will be televised on Fox Sports Net.