🏀 Jayhawks Host Hornets in Exhibition Play Wednesday
LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 3 Kansas makes its first game appearance in Allen Fieldhouse for the 2021-22 season when it plays host to Emporia State, Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. CT. The contest will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.
Kansas is the preseason favorite in the Big 12 and ranked No. 3 in both national polls entering the season. KU returns four starters and eight letterwinners from last season’s 21-9 team that finished second in the Big 12 with a 12-6 record. KU advanced to its NCAA record 31st-consecutive NCAA Tournament in the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic season. KU welcomes 10 newcomers to its roster this season.
Senior guard Remy Martin was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and was joined on the preseason all-conference team with senior teammates Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack. Junior Christian Braun and redshirt-sophomore Jalen Wilson join Agbaji and McCormack as returning starters.
Emporia State is coming off an 11-12 season, including a 11-11 record in the MIAA in 2020-21. Emporia State was picked to finish seventh among the 14 teams in the MIAA media preseason poll and ninth in the coaches’ poll.
Kansas leads the all-time series with Emporia State, 21-3, including a 9-0 record in exhibition contests. KU has won the last 12 meetings with ESU dating back to 1992 with all of those being played in Allen Fieldhouse. This series dates back to 1904 and nine of the last 10 meetings have been exhibition contests. In the last meeting, the Jayhawks defeated the Hornets 93-55 on Oct. 25, 2018. Dedric Lawson led all scorers with 31 points for Kansas. Current Jayhawks who saw action in the game include Ochai Agbaji (eight points, four rebounds), Mitch Lightfoot (three points, three rebounds), David McCormack (three points, two rebounds) and Chris Teahan (three minutes).
Kansas is 90-9 in exhibition history and has won 31-straight exhibition contests dating back to Oct. 30, 2012. KU has won the last 52 exhibition games in Allen Fieldhouse beginning in 1994. With the 102-42 win versus Pitt State (Oct. 31, 2019), Kansas has scored 100-plus points in 30 exhibition games, including 14 under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks are 58-2 in exhibition play in Self’s 18 seasons at KU.
UP NEXT
Kansas will open the 2021-22 regular-season against Michigan State on Tuesday, Nov. 9, in the State Farm Champions Classic at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The game will be played inside historic Madison Square Garden in New York City. Beginning in 2011, the State Farm Champions Classic is a doubleheader series featuring men’s basketball powers Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and Michigan State. Kansas is 5-5 in the Champions Classic and the Jayhawks have won four of their last five appearances in the event. KU is 1-2 against Michigan State in the Champions Classic.
