Men’s Hoops to Host Rider Monday, Nov. 24

Orlando Classic
No. 5/5 Kansas (1-1) plays host to Rider (2-1) in a non-bracketed game of the Orlando Classic on Monday, Nov. 24. Tip time is set for 7 p.m., from historic Allen Fieldhouse and the game will be televised on Jayhawk IMG TV and ESPN Full Court can also be seen via the internet by fans outside of Kansas by visiting KUAthletics.com/ESPN3.com. For more information on accessing Kansas video content, visit KUAthletics.com/TV.
 
Kansas is looking to rebound from its first loss of the season against No. 1 Kentucky, 72-40, in the State Farm Champions Classic, Nov. 18, in Indianapolis. Rider is 2-1 on the season after defeating Lehigh, 78-74, on Nov. 21 in its home opener. The Broncs lost at Princeton, 62-51, on Nov. 14 and won at Pennsylvania, 73-57, on Nov. 18.
 
About Kansas
Kansas is 1-1 on the season having defeated UC Santa Barbara, 69-59, on Nov. 14 in Allen Fieldhouse then falling to No. 1 Kentucky, 72-40, Nov. 18, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Jayhawks average 54.5 points per game and are getting outscored by an average of 11.0 points in their two games. KU is outrebounding opponents by 3.0 boards per contest and averages 7.5 assists, 6.5 steals and 4.0 blocked shots per contest.
 
Five Jayhawks are averaging 11-plus minutes per game through two outings. Sophomore guards Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden, Jr., lead the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game. Selden is second on the team with three assists, while Mason is 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Joining the duo in the starting lineup are junior forwards Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor. Ellis, KU’s leading returning scorer from last season at 13.5 points and rebounder at 6.7 boards per contest, is scoring 8.5 points per game in his first two outings. He has a team-best three steals and averages 6.0 rebounds per outing. Traylor leads KU with 8.5 boards per contest and is averaging 2.0 points. In KU’s last outing freshman G Kelly Oubre, Jr. (3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) started versus Kentucky, while sophomore G Brannen Greene (1.5 ppg) started the UC Santa Barbara contest. Other key contributors have been freshman F Cliff Alexander (8.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and freshmen guards Devonte’ Graham (7.0 pgg, 3.0 rpg) and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, team-best four assists). Sophomore F Landen Lucas (3.5 rpg) has also been adding depth inside for the Jayhawks.
 
About Rider
Located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, which is between New York City and Philadelphia, with an enrollment of 5,411, Rider is 2-1 on the season after defeating Lehigh, 78-74, on Nov. 21 in its home opener. The Broncs are coached by Kevin Baggett, who is 35-33 in his third season at Rider, and are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) where they were picked seventh in the 11-member league’s preseason coaches’ poll. Rider averages 69.7 points per game and has a +4.7 scoring margin. The Broncs are shooting 48.4 percent from the field, make 8.0 three-pointers per contest and average 10.7 assists. unior G Teddy Okereafor scored 29 points against Lehigh (Nov. 21) and leads the team with a 15.7 scoring average. He also has a team-high seven three-pointers made, 10 assists and five steals and is tied for the team best with 4.7 rebounds per contest. Sophomore G Zedric Sadler is next in scoring with 12.7 points per game. He pulls down 3.3 rebounds per outing and has four steals. Sophomore G Jimmie Taylor also scores in double figures at 10.7 points per game. He is third on the team averaging 4.0 rebounds. Rounding out the Rider starters is senior C Matt Lopez, a 7-0 who averages 7.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg and freshman F Kahlil Thomas (6.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg which is tied with Okereafor). Off the bench, look for junior G Khalil Alford (4.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg), sophomore forwards Xavier Lundy (4.3 ppg) and Shawn Valentine (3.7 ppg) and senior G Anthony D’Orazio (2.3 ppg) as main contributors.
 
The Series
Kansas is 2-0 versus Rider in a series that dates back to the Larry Brown era, 1987. The Jayhawks won the first meeting, 110-72, on Dec. 12, 1987, and reached the century mark for the second time against the Broncs with a 103-51 victory on Dec. 15, 1990. Both contests were played in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas is a combined 13-1 against MAAC teams: 3-1 vs. Iona, 2-0 vs. Canisius, Niagara, Rider and St. Peter’s and 1-0 vs. Fairfield and Siena.
 
Kansas’ In-Season Tournament History Under Bill Self
Under head coach Bill Self, Kansas has played in 10 regular-season tournaments. The Jayhawks have won five events in Self’s 11 seasons: the 2006 Las Vegas Invitational, the 2007 Jayhawk Invitational, the 2009 Hall of Fame Showcase, the 2011 Las Vegas Invitational and the 2012 CBE Classic.
 
Kansas Regular-Season Tournaments in the Bill Self Era
Season – Event (location) – place (record includes early round games played prior to final destination)
2003-04 – Holiday Classic (Reno, Nevada) – second (1-1)
2005-06 – Maui Invitational (Lahaina, Hawaii) – seventh (1-2)
2006-07 – Las Vegas Invitational (Las Vegas, Nevada) – first (4-0)
2007-08 – Jayhawk Invitational (Lawrence, Kansas) – first (4-0)
2008-09 – CBE Classic (Kansas City, Missouri) – second (3-1)
2009-10 – Hall of Fame Showcase (Lawrence, Kansas) – first (4-0)
2010-11 – Las Vegas Invitational (Las Vegas, Nevada) – first (4-0)
2011-12 – Maui Invitational (Lahaina, Hawaii) – second (3-1)
2012-13 – CBE Classic (Kansas City, Missouri) – first (4-0)
2013-14 – Battle 4 Atlantis (Nassau, Bahamas) – third (3-1)
 
Self After a Loss at Kansas
Kansas head coach Bill Self is 326-70 in his 12th season at KU. In games following losses during his tenure, the Jayhawks are 61-8 with 37 of those victories in Allen Fieldhouse. 
 
In the Polls
Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2014-15 season at No. 5 in both the Associated Press the USA Today Coaches’ polls released Nov. 17. The Jayhawks have been ranked in each of the last 106 Associated Press polls dating back to the 2008-09 season and in the top five in 50 of those polls. In the coaches’ poll, the Jayhawks have been ranked in each of the past 112 polls and in the top five 53 times.
 
Kansas Men’s Hoops to Host Holiday Clinic Dec. 28
Kansas men’s basketball program will hold its annual Men’s Basketball Holiday Clinic for boys and girls ages first through sixth grade on Sunday, Dec. 28, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse. The annual clinic, hosted by current KU players, coaches and staff, will include fundamental instruction, an official camp T-shirt, a Junior Jayhawk basketball and one general admission ticket to KU’s Dec. 30 home game against Kent State. Additionally, there will be an autograph session with the current KU team and coaches following the clinic.
 
The cost of the clinic is $85 and pre-registration must be done online at www.billselfbasketballcamp.com. No walk-up registration will be taken on the date of the clinic. Families with a child attending the clinic can purchase a maximum of two additional Kent State tickets at check-in on Dec. 28 ($50/per ticket).  These can be purchased only at check-in (cash or credit card) and will not be available to be purchased online. Check-in begins at 11 a.m., and lasts until 11:50 a.m., in the south end of Allen Fieldhouse. Parents are welcome to watch and take pictures from the second level of Allen Fieldhouse during the clinic.
 
Up Next
Kansas will head to Orlando, Florida, for bracket play in the Orlando Classic. KU will face Rhode Island at 1:30 p.m. (Central) on Thanksgiving Day and either Tennessee or Santa Clara the following day, Nov. 28, at 11 a.m. The event concludes on Sunday, Nov. 30, with Georgia Tech, Marquette, Michigan State and Rider as possible opponents for the Jayhawks. KU will return to Allen Fieldhouse to play No. 8/7 Florida on Friday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. (Central) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The KU-UF game will be televised on ESPN.
 
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