Kansas Men's Basketball Returns Home to Face Coppin State Friday at 7 p.m.

Nov. 27, 2008

Kansas notes for Coppin State in PDF Format

After a two-game hiatus away from Allen Fieldhouse, 22nd-ranked Kansas begins a six-game home stand starting with Coppin State, Nov. 28. The game will be televised on Jayhawk TV. The six games will conclude with a Dec. 20 game against Atlantic 10 foe Temple. Included in the home stand is a Dec. 13 game against Massachusetts – the M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout – at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Kansas is 3-1 after its runner-up finish at the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo., last Monday and Tuesday. Coppin State brings a 1-1 record to Lawrence.

About Kansas

Kansas is 3-1 following it 89-81 loss to Syracuse in the championship game of the CBE Classic at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The loss ended the nation’s longest winning streak at 16 games for the defending national champion Jayhawks. Kansas is scoring 77.5 points per game and giving up 61. KU is outrebounding foes by a +4.5 rebound margin.

Junior guard Sherron Collins leads KU in scoring at 20 points per game. Collins has a team-high nine three point field goals and 13 free throws made. His 12 assists are second on the squad. Collins was named to the CBE Classic all-tournament team. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich leads Kansas with nine rebounds per game to complement his 14 point scoring average. He has 12 of KU’s 28 blocked shots through four games and leads the Big 12 with 3.0 bpg. Aldrich also leads the team with eight steals. Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor is coming off a 17-point performance against Syracuse and is averaging 9.8 points per game. Freshman forward Marcus Morris (7.8 ppg) and sophomore guard Tyrel Reed (7.3 ppg) are next in scoring. Freshman forward Markieff Morris is scoring 5.5 points per game, while sophomore guard Brady Morningstar is at 4.5 ppg and leads KU with 13 assists.

About Coppin State

Coppin State brings a 1-1 record to Allen Feildhouse following its 66-46 loss at No. 10 Purdue last Saturday. CSU defeated Wilmington 94-73 in its season opener on Nov. 15. Coppin State will play its first 15 games either away or on neutral courts with its first home game scheduled for Jan. 6. CSU has 11 players who have logged 12 or more minutes per game. Senior guard Tywain McKee leads the team with 18.5 points per game. The lone returning starter from last year, McKee also has a team-best five assists and four steals through two games to go along with a 4.5 rebound average. Sophomore guard Vince Goldsberry is next in scoring at 15 points per game. He is 11-for-13 (84 percent) from the free throw line through two games. Freshman guard Jordan Lee has a 13.0 scoring average and he is second on the team with 5.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Chuka Iloegbu leads CSU with four three-pointers to go along with his 8.5 scoring average. Senior forward Brian Chesnut is the team leader in rebounds with 7.5 per game. He is scoring 4.5 points per outing. CSU is scoring 70 points per contest and allowing 69.5. The Eagles are controlling the boards with a +8.5 rebound margin.

The Series

Kansas and Coppin State are meeting for the second time in men’s basketball. Under head coach Roy Williams, the Jayhawks defeated the Eagles, 91-69, on Dec. 5, 1994, in Allen Fieldhouse.

Team Notables

–Kansas’ scoring percentage is as follows – freshmen 37.7 percent, sophomores 35.8 percent and juniors 26.5 percent. Note: KU’s seniors – Brennan Bechard and Matt Kleinmann are walk-ons and have combined for one point.

–Kansas leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 32.8 percent. The Jayhawks are second in the conference with seven blocked shots per game.

–KU is 73-9 (89 percent) in its last 82 games.

–Kansas’ 26-game home winning streak ranks fourth nationally.

–KU has outshot two of three opponents this season. Syracuse outshot KU 48.3 percent to 41.9 percent. Last year, KU outshot 39 of 40 opponents.

–Kansas has held 114 of its last 117 opponents to under 50 percent shooting, including all four foes this season.

–On the season, the Jayhawk bench has outscored its opponents 71-53 for a 17.8 to 13.3 (+4.5) advantage per game.

Player Notables

–Junior guard Sherron Collins has led the team in scoring each game this season and has two games of 20-plus points – career-high 25 vs. Florida Gulf Coast and 21 vs. Syracuse. He ranks third in the Big 12 with a 20 point scoring average. Collins also leads the team with nine three pointers and 13 free throws. He is second on the squad with 12 assists.

–Sophomore center Cole Aldrich has led KU in rebounding each of the last two games, including a career-high 16 boards against Syracuse. Aldrich has led Kansas in blocked shots in three of four games this season. Aldrich leads the Big 12 with three blocked shots per game and is tied for second (OSU’s Obi Muonelo) in the league with nine rebounds per game. His 14 ppg is 18th in the conference and his 56.4 field goal percentage is seventh.

–Sophomore Brady Morningstar has 13 assists and just three turnovers through four games. He has a 4.3 assist-to-turnover ratio, which is second in the Big 12. His 3.25 assists per game are 15th in the league.

–Freshman Markieff Morris is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game which is sixth in the Big 12. Twin brother Marcus; 6.5 rpg is 14th in the conference.

–Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor is making 61.5 percent of his shots this season and is 12-for-18 in his last two games. He had a career-high 17 points against Syracuse.

Basketballs Available For Holidays

Basketballs autographed by the 2008-09 Kansas men’s and women’s basketball teams are now available online exclusively through the KUStore.com. Please note that these items will ship separate from other ordered items. The men’s basketballs are $159.95 and the women’s basketballs are $74.95 plus tax, shipping and handling. To purchase, log on to www.kustore.com.

Up Next

Kansas continues its home stand playing defending MAC champion Kent State Monday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m. on ESPNU. Kansas and Kent State are two of seven schools that have won at least 20 games each of the last 10 seasons. Following Kent State, KU will play New Mexico State on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. on Jayhawk TV. The fourth game of the home stand is against Jackson State on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. on Jayhawk TV.