Jayhawks to Host Bears on Valentine’s Day in Men’s Hoops

Kansas to Host Baylor on Valentine’s Day
No. 8/9 Kansas (20-4, 9-2) returns home to host No. 16/16 Baylor (18-6, 6-5) on Valentine’s Day at noon (Central) on CBS. In its last outing, Kansas won 73-51 at Texas Tech on Feb. 10. Baylor fell to No. 21/24 Oklahoma State, 74-65, on Feb. 9 in Waco, Texas. Kansas has won 20-straight games inside Allen Fieldhouse which is tied for the eighth-longest active streak in the nation and is the fourth-longest in the Bill Self era.
 
At 9-2 in Big 12 play, Kansas has two fewer losses than three other conference foes. Directly behind the Jayhawks are Oklahoma (8-4), Iowa State (7-4) and West Virginia (7-4). Baylor is a game behind the pack at 6-5 in league play.
 
For the Baylor contest, Kansas Athletics will recognize the accomplishments of former KU men’s basketball player and college coaching legend Dean Smith, who died Feb. 7 at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Smith was 83 years old. A native of Emporia, Kansas who grew up in Topeka, Smith competed at Kansas from 1949-53 and was a part of the Jayhawks’ NCAA national championship team in 1952 under the guidance of head coach Dr. Forrest “Phog” Allen. Smith and the Jayhawks were national runners-up in 1953. After graduation from KU, Smith served as an assistant coach at Kansas under Allen for the 1953-54 season. He later went on to coach North Carolina from 1961-97, winning two NCAA national championships (1982 and 1993) and the 1971 NIT title. When he retired, he was the winningest coach in college basketball history compiling an 879-254 record. His 879 wins are currently fourth all-time in NCAA Division I.
 
About Kansas
No. 8/9 Kansas (20-4, 9-2), 10-time defending Big 12 regular-season champion, scores 72.2 points per game and has a +7.9 scoring margin. The Jayhawks have outrebounded seven of their last 10 opponents, average 38.9 boards per game and have a +5.3 rebound margin. KU leads the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 40.9 percent and averages 14.4 assists, 6.6 steals and 5.2 blocked shots per game.
 
Stalwart junior F Perry Ellis leads Kansas with a 12.9 scoring average and 7.0 rebound average. He is the only player in the Big 12 to rank eighth or higher in scoring (eighth) and rebounding (fourth). Eliis hs scored 997 career points and is three shy from becoming the 56th player in KU history to reach 1,000 points. Sophomore G Frank Mason III is next in scoring at 12.5 points per game, which is 11th in the Big 12. Mason has 21-straight games scoring in double figures and is third in the league in assists at 4.3, with a team-best 103, and seventh in field goal percentage at 46.6. His 30 three-pointers made this season are third most on the team. Sophomore G Wayne Selden, Jr., has averaged 16.3 points in his last four games. In that span, he is 21-for-40 (52.5 percent) from the field, including 16-for-25 (64.0 percent) from three-point range. Selden leads KU with 43 three-pointers made, scores 10.0 points per contest and is second on the team with 72 assists. Rounding out the KU starters are freshman G Kelly Oubre, Jr., and freshman F Cliff Alexander. Oubre has started 16 games this season, including the last 15 straight, and is averaging 9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in Big 12 play. He averages 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game overall in 2014-15. Oubre’s 25 steals are second on the team to Mason’s 33 thefts and Oubre has made 23 three-pointers. Alexander started his second game of the season at Texas Tech (2/10). He leads KU with 34 blocked shots and his 1.4 blocks per game are eighth in the Big 12. Alexander scores 8.0 points per game and his 5.7 rebound average is 16th in the league.
 
Sophomore G Brannen Greene leads the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage in conference-games only at 62.5 percent. His 1.8 three-pointers made per conference contest are eighth in the league. For the season, Greene averages 6.5 points and is second on the team with 34 three-pointers made. Freshman G Devonte’ Graham leads the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio in conference games only at 5.0 with an impressive 30 assists to six turnovers in 10 league games played. Graham is scoring 4.9 points per game for the season and even though having missed seven games due to injury, is third on the team with 37 assists. Junior F Jamari Traylor has started 14 games this season and scores 4.7 points per contest and pulls down 3.8 rebounds. His 29 blocked shots are second on the team. Sophomore F Landen Lucas has averaged 15.3 minutes in his last six games played. He averages 2.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Lucas, who has started eight games in 2014-15, pulled down six boards against Iowa State (2/2).
 
About Baylor
Located in Waco, Texas, with an enrollment of 15,616, Baylor is 18-6 on the season and 6-5 in Big 12 play. The Bears are coached by Scott Drew who is 222-156 in his 12th season at BU and 242-167 in his 13th season overall. Baylor is 13-2 at home in the Ferrell Center, 4-3 in road games and 1-1 on neutral courts in 2014-15. BU averages 70.0 points and has a +10.8 scoring margin. The Bears lead the Big 12 in rebounding with 41.2 rebounds per game and rank second in rebound margin (+10.0), assists (15.1), three-point field goal percentage (37.1). Baylor is first in three-point field goal percentage defense (29.8) and fifth in three point field goals made (6.6). The Bears also average 4.3 blocked shots and 7.4 steals per game.
 
Junior F Taurean Prince has started six games and is Baylor’s leading scorer at 12.6 points per contest, which is ninth in the Big 12. Prince also leads the team with 37 three-pointers made and is making 40.2 percent from beyond the arc. Senior G Kenny Chery is next in scoring at 11.6 points per game. A starter, Chery leads Baylor with 32 steals and is third on the team with 75 assists. Chery has made 33 three-pointers this season. Junior F Rico Gathers leads the Big 12 with 12.6 rebounds per game and is pulling down 13.5 boards per contest in Big 12 play. Gathers scores 11.2 points and is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double. Gathers is second on the team with 30 steals. Senior F Royce O’Neale scores 10.0 points per game and he is second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest and 78 assists. O’Neale has made 30 three-pointers this season. Redshirt freshman F Johnathan Motley is next in scoring at 8.8 points per game. He leads the team with 40 blocked shots. Rounding out the BU starters is junior G Lester Medford who scores 8.0 points per game and is second on the team with 35 three-pointers made and 31 steals. Redshirt freshman G Al Freeman (5.3 ppg, 17 threes), junior F Deng Deng (3.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and sophomore G/F Ishmail Wainright (1.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg) round out the BU regulars.
 
The Series
The Kansas-Baylor series dates back to 1951 with the Jayhawks leading 22-4. Kansas has won three-straight in the series and holds a 4-2 advantage in the last six meetings with Baylor’s wins in that span having been away from Allen Fieldhouse: 81-72 in the semifinals of the 2012 Big 12 Championship in Kansas City, Missouri and 81-58 in the 2013 regular-season finale for both teams in Waco, Texas. The Jayhawks are 12-0 versus the Bears in games played in Lawrence, including 11-0 in Allen Fieldhouse. Since the inception of the Big 12, KU is 20-4 versus BU: 20-2 in regular-season play and 0-2 in the Big 12 Championship. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 14-4 all-time against Baylor, including 14-3 while at Kansas, while Baylor’s Scott Drew is 3-14 versus Kansas.
 
Earlier this season, then-No. 12/13 Kansas opened Big 12 play with a 56-55 win at then-No. 21/22 Baylor on Jan. 7 in Waco, Texas. The victory marked the 24th-straight conference-opening win for Kansas. The Jayhawks were led by junior F Jamari Traylor who scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds. Sophomore G Brannen Greene added 12 points, while sophomore G Frank Mason III scored 11 points with five assists. Freshman G Kelly Oubre, Jr., had four steals in the game with his fourth in the waning seconds of the one-point KU victory. Baylor’s Kenny Chery led all scorers with 25 points, while BU teammate Rico Gathers led all rebounders with 14 boards.
 
What’s Trending

• The NCAA is listing statistics and Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) on a regular basis. Through games as of Feb. 10, Kansas is No. 1 nationally in the RPI and No. 1 nationally in the toughest schedule.
• KU’s bench has outscored its opponent’s bench in each of the last eight games and is 188-57 for a 23.5 to 7.1 average in that span.
• Kansas leads the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 40.9 percent. The Jayhawks also rank in the upper half of the conference in scoring offense (fourth at 72.2), free throw percentage (fourth at 70.2), three-point field goal percentage defense (third at 31.6), assists (fourth at 14.4), rebounding (third at 38.9), rebound margin (third at +5.3), blocked shots (fourth at 5.2), steals (fifth at 6.6), assist-to-turnover ratio (third at 1.1) and three-point field goals made (second at 6.9).
• Kansas is 21-for-40 (52.5 percent) from three-point range in its last two games. The Jayhawks have made 10 or more threes in each of its last three contests and seven times this season with five of those in Big 12 play.
• Including seven of the last 10 games, Kansas has outrebounded 17 of 24 opponents this season, compiling a 16-1 record in those contests. Seven of those games have been by double figures, including two in Big 12 play.
• KU’s 22 assists against Iowa State (2/2) were two shy of its season high. Kansas has four games of 22 or more assists this season with two in Big 12 play.
• Sophomore G Wayne Selden Jr., is 16-for-25 (64.0 percent) from three-point range in his last four games and has averaged 4.0 made in the span. Selden’s 13 games of multiple threes are best on the KU team this season. Selden is averaging 16.3 points in his last four games and 10.0 for the season.
• Sophomore G Brannen Greene is 17-for-24 (70.8 percent) from three-point range in his last seven games and has averaged 10.7 points in that span. For the season, Greene is scoring 6.5 points per contest. Greene has nine games of 10 or more points this season with seven of those against Big 12 teams.
• Sophomore G Frank Mason III has scored 16 or more points five times in 2014-15, including three against Big 12 foes. He has scored in double figures in each of KU’s last 21 contests, which is tops on the KU team and the fourth-longest double-figure scoring streak under head coach Bill Self.
• Junior F Perry Ellis notched his team-leading sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Oklahoma State (2/7). His six double-doubles on the season are third in the Big 12 and he is the only player in the conference to rank in the top eight in scoring (eighth at 12.9 ppg) and rebounding (fourth at 7.0 rpg).
• Freshman F Cliff Alexander is 36-for-54 (66.7 percent) from the field in Big 12 play with 17 blocked shots. Alexander has at least one blocked shot in 14 of his last 15 games, including a career-high-tying four at Texas Tech (2/10).
• In conference games, freshman G Devonte’ Graham leads the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover at 5.0. Graham has 30 assists and six turnovers over the last 10 games. Graham has at least one steal in five of his last six games.
• Freshman G Kelly Oubre, Jr. has made multiple three-pointers in two of his last three games and seven times this season. Four of those have been against Big 12 competition. He has pulled down nine or more boards four times this season with two in league play. A two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Oubre has scored in double figures eight times this season, including five in Big 12 play.
• After his 2-for-5 effort from three-point range at Texas Tech (2/10), the Jayhawks are 7-0 when Oubre connects on two or more three-pointers this season.
• Six Big 12 teams are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (Feb. 9) which is more than any other conference. Nine of the 10 Big 12 teams have been ranked at one point during the 2014-15 season.
• At 104-22 (82.5 percent), the Big 12 is the only league nationally to have an 80 percent or better winning percentage against non-conference foes.

It’s all about that Bench
Kansas’ bench in 2014-15 has outscored its opponents bench in each of the last eight games and 17 times this season. Through 24 games, Kansas’ bench is scoring 23.9 points per game while its opponent averages 14.2 points per contest. In the Bill Self’s 12 seasons at Kansas, the 2014-15 Jayhawks currently rank second behind the 2010-11 team’s 24.4 bench scoring average. KU’s +9.7 bench scoring differential is tops in the Self era with the 2007-08 NCAA National Championship team second at +8.4.
 
In the Polls
In the Feb. 9 national polls, Kansas remained the same from the Feb. 2 ratings at No. 8 in the Associated Press and No. 9 in the USA Today Coaches’ polls. This season, the Jayhawks have been ranked in the top 10 in the AP and coaches’ poll nine and eight weeks, respectively. The Jayhawks have been ranked in each of the last 118 Associated Press polls dating back to the 2008-09 season, including in the top five 50 times. In the coaches’ poll, the Jayhawks have been ranked in each of the past 124 polls and in the top five on 54 occasions.
 
Versus Ranked Teams
With its 75-62 win against No. 17 Texas on Jan. 24, Kansas is 60-31 against Associated Press-ranked teams, including 6-2 in 2014-15, under head coach Bill Self. In each of the last five seasons, the Jayhawks have a winning record versus ranked foes, including a 7-3 mark in 2013-14. Since the 2009-10 season, KU is 38-14 against AP ranked teams.
 
Ellis Approaching 1,000 Career Points
Junior F Perry Ellis is at 997 career points entering Saturday’s game against Baylor. Once he gets to 1,000 points Ellis will become the 56th KU player to accomplish the feat. He will be the first Jayhawk to reach that plateau since Thomas Robinson did it toward the end of 2011-12 season. Tyshawn Taylor also scored his 1,000th point during the 2011-12 season, but it was long before Robinson. Jayhawks Kevin Young in 2012-13 and Tarik Black in 2013-14 each scored their 1,000th career point while wearing a KU uniform but had combined college points from their previous schools with Young at Loyola-Marymount and Black at Memphis.
 
Historic Allen Fieldhouse Celebrating 60 Years
Kansas is currently playing its 60th season in historic Allen Fieldhouse, which has been deemed the greatest place to watch a college basketball game. The Jayhawks have sold out of 223-straight games in the Fieldhouse and are 724-109 (86.9 percent) all-time in the facility. At 186-9 (95.4 percent) in 12 seasons, Bill Self has won more Big 12 titles (10) than lost home games (9) in Allen Fieldhouse.
 
Dedicated on March 1, 1955, in a 77-67 win against rival Kansas State, here are some notables regarding Allen Fieldhouse:

• Allen Fieldhouse has sold out each of its last 223 games back to the 2001-02 season.
• Kansas won its 700th regular-season game in Allen Fieldhouse with an 80-63 victory against ULM on Nov. 18, 2013. KU is 724-109 all-time in the venue.
• Five of the eight KU head coaches have coached in Allen Fieldhouse. Ted Owens has the most victories with 206, followed by Roy Williams (201), Bill Self (186), Larry Brown (71), Dick Harp (51) and Phog Allen (9).
• Starting with Wilt Chamberlain in 1957, 12 of KU’s NCAA-leading 28 Consensus All-American First Team selections played in Allen Fieldhouse.
• Kansas has led its league in home attendance each of the last 27 seasons dating back to 1986-87 and 32 times in the last 36 years.
• KU is second all-time winningest program in NCAA Division I history with 2,146 wins and the Jayhawks won victories 1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400 and 1,900 in Allen Fieldhouse. The 1,900th all-time win also won the 2007 Big 12 regular-season title outright.
• Kansas has won 31-straight home season finales in Allen Fieldhouse, including 30 consecutive Senior Nights. In 2006-07, Kansas did not have a senior on its roster.
• From 2006-13 Kansas won 68-straight games against non-conference competition in Allen Fieldhouse.
• Self is 186-9 in games played at Allen Fieldhouse for a 95.4 winning percentage, which includes four of Kansas’ 17 undefeated home seasons.
• Self’s Big 12 conference titles (10) are more than his home losses while at Kansas (9).
• Kansas’ school-record 69-game home-court winning streak from Feb. 7, 2007 to Jan. 22, 2011, led the nation for more than two seasons and ranks 11th all-time in the NCAA records book.
• KU’s current 20-game winning streak inside Allen Fieldhouse ranks tied for 12th on the school’s all-time home-court winning streak list and is the fourth longest in the Self era.
• Kansas is 128-3 in Allen Fieldhouse in its last 131 games.

Going Retro
On Jan. 29, Kansas Athletics and adidas released the Heritage Classic uniform the Jayhawks will wear during their matchup against the Texas Longhorns on Feb. 28. Inspired by the Jayhawks’ 1988 National Championship uniform, the Heritage Classic uniform pays homage to the successful history of Kansas basketball. Featuring the best of the past and present, the new uniform is made with the same lightweight Revolution 30 technology used in the NBA and showcases throwback letters, numbering and logos inspired by the 1988 uniform.
 
KU Not Being Swept
In regular-season play, Kansas has not been beaten twice by the same Big 12 opponent in the Bill Self era. When including the Big 12 Championship, Kansas has been beaten by the same conference opponent twice in a season only once (67-82 at Texas, 2/23/04; 60-64 vs. Texas, 3/13/04) in Self’s 12 years. Note: Kansas has yet to play West Virginia in 2014-15.
 
Up Next
Kansas will next play at West Virginia on Feb. 16 in its third of four ESPN Big Monday appearances of the 2014-15 season. The game will begin at 8 p.m. (Central), 9 p.m. local. The Jayhawks will return home to host TCU on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m., on either ESPN or ESPN2.
 
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