🏀 GAME PREVIEW: vs. Texas
LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 3 Kansas (18-3, 7-1 Big 12) will host its first Big Monday at Allen Fieldhouse this season when the Texas Longhorns (14-7, 4-4 Big 12) come to Lawrence on Monday, Feb. 3. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Kris Budden (reporter) will call the action.
GAME INFORMATION:
#3/3 Kansas vs. Texas
Date/Time: Monday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. (CT)
Where:Â Allen Fieldhouse
Listen:Â Jayhawk Radio Network
Watch: ESPN
- Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst), Kris Budden (reporter)
TIPOFF
- Through eight games of Big 12 play, Kansas sits alone in second place at 7-1 in the league standings, one game behind Baylor (8-0). West Virginia (5-3) is in third, two games behind KU.
- The Kansas-Texas contest will be the second of four ESPN Big Monday games for the Jayhawks this season. Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, Kansas is 70-18 all-time on ESPN Big Monday (40-1 at home and
30-17 on the road). KU has won 15-straight Big Monday contests. - Kansas leads the overall series with Texas, 34-9, including a 17-1 in games played in Lawrence, 15-1 in Allen Fieldhouse. Dating back to the 2013-14 season, KU has won 12 of the last 13 meetings with Texas with the lone
loss last season in Austin. - KU is ranked No. 4 in the NET rankings as of Feb. 1 games. The Jayhawks’ strength of schedule is No. 1 nationally. Kansas is the only school with eight Quadrant 1 wins. KU is 8-3 against Q1.
- Kansas is 10-1 at home this season, including 9-1 in Allen Fieldhouse, which will celebrate its 65th birthday on March 1. Overall, KU is 797-114 in Allen Fieldhouse, three wins from No. 800 in the historic venue.
- KU head coach Bill Self is 698-214 in his 27th season overall, including 491-109 in his 17th season at KU. When he reaches the 700th career victory, Self (57 years, one month old) will be the second-youngest coach
in NCAA DI history to reach 700. Bob Knight was 56 years, four months old when he claimed win No. 700. - Senior Udoka Azubuike is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double in league games. Azubuike is averaging 10.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 3.4 blocks against conference foes.
- KU is 24-1 during Azubuike’s career when he scores 15 or more points.
- Six different Jayhawks have scored 20 or more points in a game this season. Devon Dotson, Isaiah Moss, Udoka Azubuike, Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack and Christian Braun have scored 20 points at least once this season.
NOTES:
MASTERS ON BIG MONDAY
Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, Kansas is 70-18 all-time on ESPN Big Monday (40-1 at home and 30-17 on the road), including 51-12 under head coach Bill Self (29-0 at home and 22-12 on the road). Additionally, KU has won 33 consecutive Big Monday games in Allen Fieldhouse. Overall, KU has won its last 15 ESPN Big Monday contests.
The Texas contest will be the second of four Big Monday contests the Jayhawks will play this season. KU topped Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 65-50, on Jan. 27 and will also welcome Iowa State
(2/17) and Oklahoma State (2/24) to Lawrence for its remaining two Big Monday games.
THE KANSAS-TEXAS SERIES
In a series that dates back to 1938, Kansas leads Texas 34-9, including a 17-1 record in Lawrence, 15-1 in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won 12 of the last 13 meetings, 17 of the last 19 battles and 20 of the last 23 matchups, starting with the 2008 Big 12 Championship title game. Before Texas’ 73-63 on Jan. 29, 2019, in Austin, KU posted 10-straight series wins beginning Feb. 22, 2014, with an 85-54 win in Allen Fieldhouse.
Since the inception of the Big 12, Kansas holds a 30-8 record against Texas with a 25-7 mark in regular-season play and 5-1 record in the Big 12 Championship. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 24-9 all-time against Texas, including 24-7 while at KU. Texas head coach Shaka Smart is 2-9 versus Kansas, including 1-9 while at UT. Smart’s 2011 VCU team defeated Kansas, 71-61, in the NCAA Tournament Southwest Region championship game in San Antonio.
Earlier this season Kansas won its third-straight conference road game with a 66-57 win at Texas on Jan. 18. KU sophomore Devon Dotson led all scorers with 21 points, while senior Udoka Azubuike had 17 and junior Marcu Garrett 13. Azubuike just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, while Garrett pulled down seven rebounds and had seven assists.
KANSAS NOTABLES
- Kansas leads the Big 12 in scoring (76.1), scoring margin (+14.95), field goal percentage (49.0), rebound defense (32.4) and blocked shots (5.1). The Jayhawks rank in the upper half of 17 conference stats.
- Kansas is also the only Big 12 school with two players ranked in the top five in assists with Marcus Garrett fourth (4.5) and Devon Dotson fifth (4.3). Additionally, KU is the lone league school with three players ranked in the top 11 in steals – Dotson second (2.2), Garrett ninth (1.5) and Ochai Agbaji 11th (1.4).
- Kansas has had six different players score 20 or more points in a game this season. Devon Dotson, Isaiah Moss, Udoka Azubuike, Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack and Christian Braun – have posted 20 or more points in a game this season. Dotson (7), Azubuike (2), Moss (2) and Agbaji (2) have all hit the 20-point plateau in multiple games.
- Senior center Udoka Azubuike has shot 80% or better in 10 games this season including two of his last four outings. Sixty-five of Azubuike’s 111 field goals this season have come by way of a dunk. For his career, Azubuike has tallied 399 field goals, 236 of which have come by way of a slam which is 59.1 percent.
- Sophomore guard Devon Dotson not only leads the Big 12 in scoring at 18.2 ppg, he also leads the conference in free throws made (97). His 120 free throws attempted are second in the league (Derek Culver of WVU at 136).
ABOUT TEXAS
Located in Austin, Texas, with an enrollment of 51,832, Texas 14-7 on the season and 4-4 in Big 12 play after its 72-68 win against Iowa State Feb. 1. The Longhorns will bring a two-game winning streak to Allen Fieldhouse. UT is coached by Shaka Smart who is 85-73 in his fifth season at UT and 248-129 in his 11th season overall. Texas is 3-3 in true roads games this season and 5-4 in games not played in the Erwin Center.
The Longhorns average 66.2 points per game and have a plus-2.6 scoring margin. UT makes 8.6 3 pointers per contest and attempt 24.9 per game, making 34.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Junior guard Matt Coleman III leads Texas in scoring at 12.3 points per game which is 15th in the Big 12. He also leads the team with 89 assists and 31 steals. His 4.2 assists per game are sixth in the Big 12 and his 1.5 steals average are tied with KU’s Marcus Garrett for ninth. Coleman is one of four Longhorns who have made 28 or more 3-pointers this season as he has drained 34 from beyond the arc.
SERIES HISTORY:
vs. Texas: KU leads 33-9
Current Streak: Win 2
Longest KU Win Streak: 10 (2014-19)
Longest KU Losing Streak: 2 (2004)
Last 10 Games: 9-1
In Lawrence: KU leads 17-1
In Austin: KU leads 11-7
Neutral Sites: KU leads 6-1
Under Bill Self: KU leads 24-7
First Meeting: Dec. 16, 1938 (L, 34-36)
Last Meeting: Jan. 18, 2020 (W, 66-57)
Largest Margin of Victory: 31
Largest Margin of Defeat: 25
UP NEXT:
Kansas opens a two-game Big 12 road swing at TCU on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 11 a.m. (Central). The contest will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
Kansas is 18-2 all-time against TCU and has won the last four meetings. The Jayhawks are 7-1 versus TCU in meetings in Fort Worth, Texas, including a 5-1 record in Schollmaier Arena. Beginning in 2014, KU has won the last six meetings against TCU in Fort Worth including last year’s 82-77 overtime victory.
