No. 2 Kansas Visits K-State for Dillons Sunflower Showdown, Pt. 2

Video Link Coach Self Press Conference
Notes Links Kansas Game Notes (.pdf)
Notes Links K-State Game Notes (.pdf)
Notes Links Big 12 Game Notes (.pdf)
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No. 2/2 Kansas (22-4, 10-3 Big 12) heads 88 miles west to Manhattan to face Kansas State (15-11, 4-9) in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown, Saturday Feb. 20, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. Kansas holds the Big 12’s longest winning streak at six games after its 94-67 win against Oklahoma State on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 15. The Jayhawks have a one-game lead in the Big 12 standings with five games to play, while Kansas State is eighth. The six-game winning streak is tied for ninth nationally. Kansas State is coming off a 63-49 win at TCU on Feb. 16. The Wildcats are 12-3 in Bramlage Coliseum this season and have won three of their last four in the venue.

ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas averages 83.1 points per game and has a +14.3 scoring margin. The Jayhawks are second nationally with a 42.6 3-point field goal percentage. KU pulls down an average of 38.6 rebounds per game and has a +5.9 rebound margin. The Jayhawks also average 16.0 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.1 blocked shots per contest.

Senior F Perry Ellis leads Kansas with a 16.6 scoring and 6.4 rebounding averages. He has scored 19 or more points in five of his last eight games, including four 20-point efforts. Ellis is averaging 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds during Big 12 play. He is one of two players in the Big 12 to rank in the top seven in both scoring (third) and rebounding (tied for seventh) with the other being Georges Niang of Iowa State. Junior G Wayne Selden Jr. led Kansas with 18 points, onm 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, against Oklahoma State (2/15) and is seventh in the Big 12 in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Selden is also third in the league in 3-point  field goals made per game at 2.3 and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage at 43.5 percent. Junior G Frank Mason III is scoring 13.1 points per game, which 11th in the Big 12. He is fifth in the league with a 4.6 assist average and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.2. Mason and sophomore G Devonte’ Graham are tied for the team high with 35 steals. Graham, who was named Big 12 Player of the Week (2/15), has averaged 15.5 points in his last four games. He is scoring 11.3 points per game and is third in the Big 12 with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio and 10th with 3.5 assists per game. Junior F Landen Lucas rounds out the KU starters. After his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Lucas has pulled down 36 rebounds in his last three games, including a career-high 16 boards against West Virginia (2/9). He scores 5.0 points per game and is second on the team with a 5.9 rebound average, which is tied for ninth in the Big 12.

Junior G Brannen Greene went 3-for-3 from 3-point range against Oklahoma State (2/15) and has scored 30 points in his last three games. He scores 7.0 points per game off the bench. Sophomore G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk had 10 points against Kansas State (2/3) which is his career high in Big 12 play. He has made 22 3-pointers this season, helping him average 5.3 points per game. After his six points against Oklahoma State (2/17), freshman F Carlton Bragg Jr., is averaging 4.2 ppg and 2.4 rpg overall. Freshman Cheick Diallo (3.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg) has five rebounds and three blocked shots versus Oklahoma State (2/15). He is 11th in the conference with 0.9 blocked shots per game. Senior F Jamari Traylor (2.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg) is a high-energy forward who has started seven games in 2015-16 and is 12th in the Big 12 with 0.8 blocked shots per game. Senior F Hunter Mickelson, who has started 10 games this season averaging 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds and his 1.0 blocked shots per game are ninth in the Big 12. 

ABOUT KANSAS STATE
Located in Manhattan, Kansas, with an enrollment of 24,766, Kansas State is 15-11 overall and 4-9 in Big 12 play. K-State is coached by Bruce Weber who is 77-49 in his fourth season at KSU and 390-204 in his 18th season overall. Kansas State is 12-3 at home, 2-7 on the road and 1-1 on neutral courts this season. K-State averages 71.2 points per game and has a +4.4 scoring margin. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 29.4 percent, which is seventh nationally. They also average 14.0 assists, 7.7 steals, third in the league, and 2.8 blocked shots per game.

Junior F Wesley Iwundu leads Kansas State in scoring at 12.1 points per game, which is 16th in the Big 12. He is pulling down 4.7 rebounds per contest and leads K-State with 94 assists. His 3.6 assists per game are eighth in the league. Senior G Justin Edwards scores 12.0 points per contest and is second in the Big 12 with 1.9 steals per game. He is 12th in the league with 5.7 rebounds per game and has made 25 3-pointers in 2015-16. Freshman F Dean Wade leads K-State and is second on the team, 16th in the Big 12, with 5.3 rebounds per game. Wade averages 10.0 points per outing. Freshman G Barry Brown started the TCU win on 2/16). He is tied for the team lead with 35 3-pointers made this season along with junior F D.J. Johnson who also started at TCU. Brown averages 9.0 points per game, while Johnson scores 8.0 points and pulls down 5.0 rebounds per contest. Johnson has a team best 20 blocked shots in 2015-16.

Senior F Stephen Hurt (6.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg) has started 24 of 26 games this season. Rounding out the K-State regulars are junior G Caribe Ervin II (2.9 ppg) and junior F Austin Budke (2.8 ppg). Freshman G Kamau Stokes scores 9.4 points per game and is ninth in the Big 12 with a team-leading 1.7 3-pointers made per contest. Stokes is out indefinitely due to a knee injury.

THE SERIES
Kansas leads the overall series with Kansas State, 189-93, but the Wildcats have won two of the last four meetings with both coming at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. Since Feb. 12, 1994, Kansas has won 50 of the last 55 meetings with K-State. This series started in 1907 and KU is 75-47 against KSU in games played in Manhattan, including a 23-4 record inside Bramlage Coliseum. Beginning in 1984, Kansas is 29-3 versus K-State in Manhattan yet the Wildcats have won the past two meetings in the Little Apple. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, KU is 42-5 against KSU (34-5 in regular-season battles and 8-0 in the Big 12 Championship). Kansas head coach Bill Self is 25-5 all-time against K-State, including 24-5 while at KU. Bruce Weber is 2-7 against Kansas, including 2-6 while at K-State.

Earlier this season, then-No. 7/6 Kansas defeated Kansas State 77-59 on Feb. 3, in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas built a 39-29 halftime lead and forced 23 K-State turnovers for the game. KU senior F Perry Ellis led all scorers with 19 points, while sophomore guards Devonte’ Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk added 10 each. KSU’s Wesley Iwandu led the Wildcats with 15 points.

KANSAS NOTABLES
• Kansas is tied with West Virginia for the Big 12 lead in scoring margin at +14.3. KU also ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (second at 83.1), field goal percentage (second at 48.9), 3-point field goal percentage (second at 42.6), 3-point field goals made (second at 8.5), assists (third at 16.0), rebound margin (third at +5.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (third at 1.3).
• Kansas’ 83.1 scoring average is the best in the Self era (81.6 in 2009-10) and the highest since a 90.9 scoring average in 2001-02.
• Out of its 22 victories of the season, Kansas has won by 10 or more points in 15 of those wins, including four of the last five games. Five KU wins have been by 30 points or more.
• KU has out-shot 22 of 26 opponents, including each of their last five opponents. KU is shooting 51.1 percent from the field in its last five games.
• The Jayhawks have out-rebounded 20 of 26 foes, including seven of the last eight contests. KU had a +18 rebound advantage against Oklahoma State (2/15), +21 at TCU (2/6) and +11 (42-31) versus Kentucky (1/30).
• Kansas has shot 40 percent or better from 3-point range in 18 of its 26 games, including each of the last three contests (52.4 vs. OSU, 42.3 at OU and 41.2 vs. WVU). The 52.4 percent against Oklahoma State (2/15) was its second highest in Big 12 play and fourth highest this season.
• The KU bench has outscored its opponents’ bench in 16 of 26 games this season and is 15-1 in those contests.
• After going 11-for-21 against Oklahoma State (2/15), KU has made seven or more 3-pointers in 19 of 26 games this season, including four of the last five battles. KU has made 10 or more 3-pointers 10 times, including 15 threes vs. Northern Colorado (11/13) and Chaminade (11/23), which were one off the school record.
• When KU guards Frank Mason III, Wayne Selden Jr. and Devonte’ Graham each score 10-plus points in the same game, Kansas is 13-0, including 7-0 in Big 12 play.
• Senior F Perry Ellis is one of two players in the Big 12 to rank in the top seven in scoring (third at 16.6 ppg) and rebounding (tied for seventh at 6.4).
• Ellis has pulled down nine or more rebounds in eight games this season.
• Ellis has led KU in scoring in seven of 13 Big 12 games, averaging 18.5 points per Big 12 contest (16.6 ppg overall).
• Sophomore G Devonte’ Graham is 21-for-36 (58.3 percent from the field in his last four games, including 13-for-24 (54.1 percent) from 3-point range.
• Junior G Wayne Selden Jr., is third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game at 2.3 and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage at .435 for all games. Selden has made three or more 3-pointers in 13 games this season, including four against Oklahoma State (2/15).
• Kansas’ 38-game winning streak in Allen Fieldhouse is the third longest in school history. In that span, KU has defeated 14 nationally-ranked opponents during the streak.
• Kansas is 32-6 when following a conference loss under Self with only one of those losses coming in Allen Fieldhouse (Feb. 19, 2005 vs. Iowa State).

QUITE THE COMPARISON
In Kansas’ 22 victories this season, the Jayhawks have won by an average of 19.2 points per game. In its four losses, KU lost by 12.2 points per game. Here is a breakdown of statistics when the Jayhawks win compared to when they lose.

DOWNTOWN
Kansas is making 42.6 percent from 3-point range which is second nationally and second in the Big 12. At their current percentage pace, the 2015-16 Jayhawks would finish second on the school’s single-season 3-point field goal percentage list.

IN THE POLLS
In the most recent national rankings released on Feb. 15, Kansas is No. 2 both the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches’ Poll. The Jayhawks hold the longest active streak for consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25 (138) after Duke fell out of the poll for the first time in eight seasons, ending a 167-week streak, on Feb. 1.

KU spent two weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll (Jan. 4, Jan. 11) and one week at No. 1 in the Coaches’ poll (Jan. 11). On Jan. 11, Kansas was ranked No. 1 in both national polls for the first time since Feb. 14, 2011.

The last time Kansas was not ranked by the AP was during the 2008-09 season. Under coach Bill Self, Kansas has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 222 weeks, which includes 160 weeks in the Top 10, 92 times in the Top 5 and 22 times at No. 1. In the coaches’ poll, under Self, Kansas has been ranked 235 times with 173 in the top 10 and 106 in the top five.

Kansas entered the 2015-16 season ranked No. 4 by AP and No. 5 in the coaches’ polls. This season’s AP poll is the highest ranking for the Jayhawks since 2009-10 when they entered the season No. 1 in the country. The preseason ranking is the 10th time in the Bill Self era that the Jayhawks enter the season slotted seventh or higher, including each of the last four seasons – No. 5 in 2015-16 and 2014-15, No. 6 in 2013-14, and No. 7 in 2012-13.

KANSAS MILESTONES
• Senior F Perry Ellis is only the 20th Jayhawk to reach the 1,500 point plateau, reaching the milestone against Kentucky (1/30). Ellis has 1,588 career points, which is 14th on the KU career scoring list. Earlier this season, Ellis became the 16th player in KU history to reach 700 career rebounds, currently 13th at 779. Ellis is the eighth player in KU history to rank in the top 15 in both career points and career rebounds: Danny Manning (2,951 points/1,187 rebounds), Nick Collison (2,097 points/1,143 rebounds), Raef LaFrentz (2,066 points/1,186 rebounds), Clyde Lovellette (1,979 points/839 rebounds), Dave Robisch (1,754 points/815 rebounds), Mark Randall (1,627 points/723 rebounds) and Wayne Simien (1,593 points/884 rebounds).
• Junior G Wayne Selden Jr., had 33 points against Kentucky (1/30) and in the process became the 57th Jayhawk to reach the 1,000-point plateau. He is 47th on the KU scoring list at 1,048 points and ranks 13th on the KU career 3-pointers made list at 148 and 12th on the 3-pointers attempted list at 392.
• With his four assists against TCU (1/16), junior G Frank Mason III surpassed the 300 career assists mark, currently at 334, which is 19th on the KU all-time list. Mason has 103 career steals. 

ON THE CUSP
Junior G Frank Mason III is 15 points from becoming the 58th player in KU history to reach 1,000 career points. He will join teammates Perry Ellis (1,588) and Wayne Selden Jr. (1,048) who have also reached the milestone. Historically, the last time Kansas has had three 1,000-point scorers during the same season was in 2004-05 with Keith Langford (1,821), Wayne Simien (1,593) and Aaron Miles (1,183). Once it happens, Kansas and Oklahoma will be the only two Big 12 schools that have three active players with 1,000 points or more. OU has senior Buddy Hield, senior Isaiah Cousins and junior Jordan Woodard.

DOMINATING DEFENSE
In Bill Self’s previous 12 seasons at Kansas, the Jayhawks have led the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense eight times and finished no lower than fourth. Nationally, Self-coached Jayhawks have ranked eighth or higher in all but two seasons in field goal percentage defense and have ranked in the top five on eight occasions, including first in 2005-06 and 2011-12.

BIG 12 RUN NO CAKEWALK
Kansas currently ranks No. 1 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI), through games of Feb. 16 and its strength of schedule is fifth nationally. KU ended 2014-15 ranked No. 5 in the RPI and No. 1 in strength of schedule. Following the 2013-14 season, for the second time in the Bill Self era, Kansas ranked first in strength of schedule, according to data from RPIratings.com. KU was also tops in Self’s second season, 2004-05. Prior to 2015-16, in Self’s 12 seasons, KU has ranked fifth or higher in the final RPI eight times, including each of the last six years. Kansas was fourth in the final RPI in 2013-14, its highest since 2010-11 when it ranked first.

UP NEXT
Kansas will continue its three road games in 10 days when it travels to Baylor on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. They Jayhawks return home to host Texas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. on ESPN. Kansas will then travel to Texas for an ESPN Big Monday matchup on Feb. 29 at 8 p.m.

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