🏀 Jayhawks to Host Wolf Pack Wednesday in 2021 Finale

LAWRENCE, Kan. – In a replacement contest, No. 6/6 Kansas (9-1) will close out the 2021 calendar year playing host to Nevada (6-4) on Wednesday, Dec. 29, at 7 p.m. CT.

The replacement game versus Nevada came to light after KU’s original opponent, Harvard, did not make the trip to Lawrence because of a combination of injuries and positive COVID-19 tests within the Harvard program. Additionally, KU’s scheduled Big 12 opener against TCU on Saturday, Jan. 1 has postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the TCU program.

Kansas has won five consecutive games after its 80-72 win against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 18. After opening the season 1-4, Nevada has won five straight games after its 68-63 win against Loyola Marymount on Dec. 18.

Through 10 games, Kansas leads the Big 12 in scoring at 85.8 points per game, which is sixth nationally, and has a +18.3 scoring margin, which is 14th in the NCAA. The Jayhawks also lead the Big 12, and are third nationally, in field goal percentage shooting 51.9 percent and three-point field goal percentage at 37.6 percent. KU pulls down 35.6 rebounds per game with a +6.5 rebound margin. KU averages 17.3 assists, 4.5 blocked shots and 7.7 steals per game.

Senior guard Ochai Agbaji leads the Big 12 and is third nationally in scoring at 22.0 points per game. He also leads the Big 12 in three-point field goals made per game (3.1), three-point field goal percentage (48.4%) and has made 16 threes in his last four games.

Junior guard Christian Braun has scored 85 points in his last four games which is a 21.3 average. He is next in scoring at 16.8 points per game, which is fourth in the Big 12. Braun leads Kansas with a 6.7 rebound average, which is fifth in the conference.

Super-senior guard Remy Martin is scoring 10.9 ppg, he pulls down 4.1 rebounds per contest and is second on the team with 33 assists. Senior David McCormack averages 8.5 points per game and he pulls down 5.4 rebounds per outing. He is 16-for-27 (59.3%) from the field in his last five games and leads Kansas with 15 blocked shots. Redshirt-sophomore Dajuan Harris Jr. (3.7 ppg) rounds out the starters. He leads KU with 39 assists and has 12 steals. Harris is second in the Big 12, 24th nationally, in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.0.

Other KU regulars include super-senior forward Mitch Lightfoot (5.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg), redshirt-sophomore Jalen Wilson (5.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg), super-senior guard Jalen Coleman-Lands (4.1 ppg), freshman forward Zach Clemence (3.8 ppg), sophomore guard Joseph Yesufu (2.4 ppg), freshman guard Bobby Pettiford (2.1 ppg, 11 assists), and freshman forward KJ Adams Jr. (5.4 minutes per game).

Up Next

With the Jan. 1 game against TCU being postponed, Kansas will open the 2021-22 Big 12 Conference season at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. Kansas leads the overall series with Oklahoma State, 119-60, and the Jayhawks have won six of the last seven matchups.