Jayhawks in the Pros

Stay updated with all your Jayhawks from all your favorite Kansas sports in the professional ranks!

On Saturday night, Nov. 7, Gary Woodland was picked, for the first time in his career, to compete in the Presidents Cup for the U.S. Team by team captain Tiger Woods. Coming off a successful PGA Tour season, Woodland got his fourth career victory at the U.S. Open in June, while also claiming two second-place finishes. He will be the first Jayhawk to play in the Presidents Cup in program history.

More recently, Woodland finished in the top-5 of the Zozo Championship in Japan, where he and Woods were paired for the final two rounds.

The Presidents Cup will be held in Melbourne, Australia at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club from Dec. 9-15. For more on Woodland and the U.S. Team selections PresidentsCup.com.

BASKETBALL | NOVEMBER 5, 2019

Devonte’ Graham keyed an impressive 122-120 Charlotte win over the Indiana Pacers, leading his squad with a career-high 35 points. Graham was 4-of-9 from 3-point range and also converted on 11 of his 14 free throw tries. After the Hornets’ first seven games of 2019-20, he leads the team with 17.3 ppg and is hitting a torrid 46.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. That mark ranks 10th in the NBA among players who are averaging five or more attempts per game.

BASKETBALL | NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Andrew Wiggins notched his fourth 20-point outing in his first six games of the 2019-20 season in the Timberwolves loss at Milwaukee. Wiggins added three rebounds and two blocks, and is No. 2 on his team in scoring, averaging 21.7 points per game after the first two weeks of the season.

FOOTBALL | NOVEMBER 4, 2019

In the fourth quarter of the Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants Monday Night Football matchup, Dorance Armstrong Jr., snuck around the Giants’ left tackle before knocking the ball loose from quarterback Daniel Jones. The fumble was recovered by Cowboy Jourdan Lewis and returned for a touchdown, as the Cowboys ran away with a 37-18 victory. The sack marked Armstrong’s second of the season and the first forced fumble of his career.

BASKETBALL | November 1, 2019

Marcus Morris poured in 29 points against his former team as the Knicks fell to the Celtics, 104-102, in Boston. Morris went 5-for-8 from the beyond the 3-point line and added nine rebounds and 3 assists in 39 minutes. Morris is averaging 17.9 points per game after the first two weeks of the season, the second-highest on the New York squad.

BASKETBALL | October 28, 2019

In his second outing of the 2019-20 season, Joel Embiid turned in another eye-popping performance in the Sixers’ win at Atlanta on Oct. 28. The All-NBA center scored 36 points and added 13 rebounds in 33 minutes. Embiid’s night also featured a posterizing dunk that made waves across social media.

BASKETBALL | October 28, 2019

Devonte’ Graham turned in his first-career double-double as the Charlotte Hornets fell to the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 28. Graham was 5-for-11 from the field and 2-of-6 from deep as he posted his third double-digit scoring effort in his first four outings of the season. He also added a career-high 12 assists.

GOLF | October 27, 2019

Gary Woodland finished an impressive outing at the Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan, on Sunday, Oct. 27. Woodland carded 64-66-68-70 for 12-under par 286 and finished fifth on the leaderboard. This marks Woodland’s second top-5 finish of the 2020 tour and the 40th top-10 finish of his career.

BASKETBALL | October 25, 2019

The Charlotte Hornets’ Devonte’ Graham continued his torrid start to the 2019-20 NBA season with a 24-point, four-assist outing in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night. The former Kansas standout connected on 6-of-9 of his 3-point attempts and is now 12-of-16 from long-range in his first two outings of the season.

BASKETBALL | October 23, 2019

Kelly Oubre Jr. kicked off his sixth season in the NBA on a high note, posting 21 points and pulling down nine rebounds in the Phoenix Suns’ 124-95 win over the Sacramento Kings. Oubre Jr. was 8-of-17 from the field and added two blocks, a steal and an assist in his 2019-20 debut.

BASKETBALL | October 22, 2019

There will be 11 Kansas Jayhawks on opening day rosters for the 2019-20 NBA regular season that begins Tuesday, Oct. 22. Since 2005, Kansas has had at least 10 players on NBA opening-day rosters each year.

Get the full rundown on the Jayhawks in the NBA this season ➙ kuathne.ws/2JaH9Qc

Jayhawks on 2019-20 NBA Opening Day Rosters

FOOTBALL | October 13, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Chris Harris Jr.,  Denver Broncos
NFL veteran Chris Harris Jr., set the tone early in the game for the Denver Broncos against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, intercepting quarterback Marcus Mariota and returning it 11 yards just before halftime.

Harris’ interception was the first of the season for him, but he helped propel the Broncos defense to three interceptions and seven sacks, leading to the Broncos shutout of the Titans, 19-0.

The interception was also Harris’ 20th of his career, as he became just the 12th Bronco in franchise history to reach the milestone.

FOOTBALL | October 6, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Steven Sims Jr., Washington Redskins
In just his rookie season, Jayhawk Steven Sims Jr., has been running loose with the Washington Redskins this season, scoring his first-career touchdown against the New England Patriots on October 6.

In the first quarter of the game, Sims took the end-around handoff from quarterback Colt McCoy, before Sims made it around the edge and shook off numerous Patriots defenders. Sims then used his speed along the sideline to take it to the house for a 65-yard touchdown, the first of his young career.

So far this season, Sims has been a bright spot for an 0-5 Redskins team, as he ranked third in the NFL in kick return yards following week five of the NFL season with 205 yards. Offensively, Sims has caught four passes for 25 yards and one rush for 65 yards, resulting in a touchdown.

FOOTBALL | October 6, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Dorance Armstrong Jr., Dallas Cowboys

Now in his second year in the NFL, Dorance Armstrong Jr., made his presence felt against the Green Bay Packers on October 6, where Armstrong was able to get to Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers to record his first-career NFL sack.

In the fourth quarter of the game, Armstrong burst through the middle of the Packers’ offensive line, before coming down on Rodgers for a loss of 12 yards. Armstrong finished the game with a career-high three tackles.

TRACK & FIELD | October 2, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Bryce Hoppel, Team USA
In his first-career World Championship appearance, Bryce Hoppel made his impact on the World stage in the 800 meters, where he advanced through the qualifying round, semifinals round all the way to the event finals on October 1. In the finals, Hoppel capped off his standout season by running the fastest time of his career, 1:44.25, en route to placing fourth overall.

Hoppel’s fourth-place finish comes after winning both indoor and outdoor NCAA titles during the 2018-19 track and field season, before turning pro and placing third at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

FOOTBALL | September 24, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Steven Sims Jr., Washington Redskins
Steven Sims Jr., more than left his mark on the Kansas football program and early in his professional career with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL), Sims is doing more of the same.

Through the first three games of the 2019 NFL season, Sims leads the league in kickoff return yards with 168 yards on seven attempts. He turned in a career-long run of 45 yards in the Redskins’ Monday Night game against the Chicago Bears.

A pretty impressive start for the undrafted free agent wide receiver/kick returner.

VIDEO VIA REDSKINS.COM

FOOTBALL | September 15, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Bradley McDougald, Seattle Seahawks
McDougald recorded three tackles and an interception to help pace the Seahawks to a week 2 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-26.

BASKETBALL | July 27, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Frank Mason, Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks signed guard Frank Mason III to a Two-Way contracts. Mason III appeared in 38 games for the Sacramento Kings last season and averaged 5.1 points, 2.2 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game. In two seasons with the Kings, Mason III averaged 6.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds. He was drafted by the Kings with the 34th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft after finishing a highly-decorated collegiate career at Kansas as the consensus National Player of the Year.

BASKETBALL | July 24, 2019

Jayhawk in Action: Ben McLemore, Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets signed Ben McLemore to a two-year deal. McLemore is a 6’5”, 26-year-old shooting guard who once showed some promise in averaging 12.1 points per game in the 2014-2015 season, but his playing time has steadily decreased since then, and he played in just 19 games last year with the Sacramento Kings, averaging just 8.3 minutes per game, though he did shoot 41 percent from deep in limited opportunity.

He carries career averages of 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 41.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc in five seasons with the Kings and one with the Memphis Grizzlies.