Big 12 road tests continue for No. 3 Kansas at Texas Tech Saturday

GAME 25

Date Saturday, Feb. 9, 2017
Time 1 p.m. Central
Location Lubbock, Texas
Venue United Supermarkets Arena
Notes KU Game Notes
Notes TTU Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
TV ESPN
Video WatchESPN
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Audio SiriusXM 81
Audio Audio Stream
Stats Live Stats

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Twitter @KUHoops | #kubball
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 HOW THEY COMPARE

No. 3/3 Kansas (21-3, 9-2) continues its two-game road trip at Texas Tech (16-8, 4-7) Saturday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m., on ESPN. Kansas is coming off a 74-71 win at Kansas State, Feb. 6, in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on ESPN Big Monday. Texas Tech lost a one-point battle at TCU, 62-61, on Feb. 7.

ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas enters the week No. 3 in both the national polls and No. 3 in the Ratings Percentage Index. The Jayhawks average 83.6 points per game and have a +11.8 scoring margin. Kansas leads the Big 12 and is 10th nationally with a 49.5 field goal percentage. KU leads the league with a 41.7 3-point field goal percentage, which is seventh in NCAA Division I. KU averages 39.8 rebounds per contest, which also leads the Big 12. KU has a +5.3 rebound margin and also produces 16.7 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.7 blocked shots per contest.

On the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list and one of 10 watch list finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, senior G Frank Mason III is having a national player of the year season. The two-time Big 12 Player of the Week leads the conference in scoring with a 20.4 average and his 21.2 points per game in league play are also tops in the Big 12. Mason has 13 games of 20 points or more including three of his last four contests. He has led Kansas in scoring in 17 games this season. Mason also leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage at 51.9 percent. Also on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list, freshman G Josh Jackson has scored above his 16.0 scoring average in four of his last five games. The five-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week has three double-doubles in his last four outings and a team-high seven for the season. Jackson’s 16.0 scoring average is sixth in the Big 12 and his 6.8 rebounds per game are ninth. Jackson leads KU with 40 steals and 28 blocked shots. Junior G Devonte’ Graham has made multiple 3-pointers in each of his last six games and in 18 contests this season. Graham has made 16 3-pointers in his last six games and averages 13.3 points per outing. He leads KU with 58 3-pointers and is second on the team in assists with 106 and steals with 36. Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has made eight 3-pointers in his last three games and 52 for the season. He has made three or more treys in nine games this year with five against Big 12 foes. Mykhailiuk averages 10.8 points per game and is fourth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage at 43.0 percent and sixth in 3-pointers made at 2.2 per contest. Senior C Landen Lucas pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds against Iowa State (2/4). He leads the Big 12 in league games in rebounding at 11.5 rpg. Lucas has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in nine games this season, including eight Big 12 and four of his last six games. Overall, Lucas is fourth in the Big 12 in rebounds with an 8.4 average and is scoring 7.4 points per game.

Sophomore G Lagerald Vick scored eight points against Iowa State (2/4) which was his most in five games. Vick has started five times this season and is averaging 7.0 points per contest. He averages 23.5 minutes per game and has made 22 3-pointers. Freshman F Mitch Lightfoot has come off the bench each of the last five games, averaging 5.2 minutes in that span. He averages 1.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 18 games played this season. Junior F Dwight Coleby’s 10 minutes played at Kentucky (1/28)  and six minutes versus Baylor (2/1). His six rebounds against Baylor (2/1) were his KU career high. Coleby averages 1.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per contest. Sophomore F Carlton Bragg Jr. returned after a three game suspension to score six points and pull down three rebounds at Kansas State (2/6). Bragg is averaging 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH
Located in Lubbock, Texas, with an enrollment of 35,893, Texas Tech is 16-8 on the season and 4-7 in Big 12 play after its 62-61 loss at TCU Feb. 7. The Red Raiders are coached by Chris Beard who is 16-8 in his first season at Texas Tech and 155-56 in his seventh season overall. Texas Tech is second in the Big 12, behind Kansas, in field goal percentage at 48.2 percent.  The Red Raiders average 75.0 points per game and have at +9.8 scoring margin. They pull down 33.1 rebounds per game and limit opponents to just 28.8 boards. Texas Tech also averages 7.0 3-pointers, 14.9 assists, 5.5 steals and 3.5 blocked shots per contest.

Junior G Keenan Evans leads Texas Tech in scoring at 14.4 points per game, which is ninth in the Big 12. He is second on the team with 37 3-pointers, 71 assists and 25 steals. Junior F Zach Smith leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game, which is fifth in the Big 12, and his 1.6 blocked shots per game are sixth in the conference. Smith scores 13.0 points per game. Senior F Anthony Livingston is next in scoring at 11.5 points per game and he leads Texas Tech with 48 3-pointers this season. Livingston pulls down 3.8 rebounds per contest. Junior F Justin Gray scores 8.5 points per game and is second on the team with 21 blocked shots and a 5.3 rebound average. Senior G Devon Thomas rounds out the Texas Tech starters. Thomas leads the Red Raiders with 77 assists. He averages 5.1 points and 2.4 rebounds this season.

Other Texas Tech regulars include senior F Aaron Ross (10.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg), junior G Niem Stevenson (7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg), and junior G Shadell Millinghaus (4.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg).

THE SERIES
Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 32-4, which began in 1959. The Jayhawks have won 15 straight in the series since Jan. 16, 2010. Kansas is 12-4 against Texas Tech in games played in Lubbock, including an 8-3 record in United Supermarkets Arena. KU has won the last six meetings in Lubbock beginning in 2011. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, Kansas is 25-4 against Texas Tech; 22-4 in regular-season match-ups and 3-0 in conference championship meetings. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 19-6 all-time against Texas Tech, including 18-3 while at Kansas. Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard is 0-1 against Kansas.

Earlier this season, Kansas defeated Texas Tech, 85-68, on Jan. 7 in Allen Fieldhouse. KU senior Frank Mason III led all scorers with 26 points, which included 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Junior Devonte’ Graham had 20 points, while freshman Josh Jackson recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. KU led 37-27 at the half, shot 51.8 percent for the game and outrebounded Texas Tech 38-29. The win was Kansas’ 2,200th all-time victory and improved KU to 14-1 on the season. Zach Smith and Aaron Ross led Texas Tech with 17 points each, while Keenan Evans scored 16.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD …
Make Kansas 22-3 overall, giving KU 22 wins for the 28th-consecutive season … Give KU 10 league wins for the 23rd straight season … Give KU its 16th-straight win versus Texas Tech, seventh straight in Lubbock, making the all-time series 33-4 … Make KU 7-1 in true road games and 11-2 in games away from Allen Fieldhouse  this season … Improve Bill Self to 407-86 at KU and 614-191 overall … Make KU 2,208-839 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD …
Make Kansas 21-4 overall and 9-3 in Big 12 play … End a KU 15-game winning streak against Texas Tech … Make the Kansas-Texas Tech series 32-5 in favor of Kansas, including 12-5 in games played in Lubbock and 8-4 in United Supermarkets Arena …  Make Bill Self 406-87 while at KU and  613-192 overall  … Make KU 2,207-840 all-time.

WHAT’S TRENDING
• Kansas leads the Big 12 in won-loss percentage (tied for first at 87.5), field goal percentage at 49.5 percent, 3-point field goal percentage at 41.7 percent and rebounding at 39.8 per game. Additionally, KU ranks in the upper half in the Big 12 in scoring (third at 83.6), scoring margin (third at +11.8), field goal percentage defense (second at 41.6), rebound margin (second at +5.3), assists (third at 16.7), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.3) and blocked shots (fifth at 4.7).
• During Big 12 play, KU is shooting 69.9 percent at the charity stripe. In nonconference games KU had a 58.9 free throw percentage.
• Senior G Frank Mason III leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.4 points per game and 3-point field goal percentage (51.9). He is fourth in assists (5.1), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), seventh in field goal percentage (50.6) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).
• Mason is making 56.0 percent (28-for-50) from 3-point range in Big 12 play. He is 6-for-10 from beyond the arc in his last two games.
• Mason has led KU in scoring in 17 of 24 games this season, including seven of the last 10 contests. Mason has 13 games of 20 or more points including three of his last four outings.
• Mason was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line versus Baylor (2/1), marking the most single-game free throws made without a miss by a Jayhawk since Darnell Valentine also went 12-of-12 at Oklahoma (1/23/1980). Mason’s free throw streak ended at 18 as he was 10-for-12 against Iowa State (2/4).
• Freshman G Josh Jackson has three double-doubles in his last four games. His seven double-doubles, four against Big 12 foes, rank fourth in the conference.
• Jackson is 13-for-24 (54.2 percent) from 3-point range in his last six games. 
• Jackson ranks sixth in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.0 ppg, which leads the conference freshman class. His 6.8 rebounds per game are ninth in the league and he is eighth with 1.7 steals per game. He has five steals in his last two games.
• Senior C Landen Lucas posted a career-high 18 rebounds against Iowa State (2/4). He leads the Big 12 in league games with an 11.5 rebound average. Overall, Lucas’ 8.5 rpg are fourth in the Big 12.
• Lucas leads KU with a 62.4 percent field goal percentage for all games.
• Junior G Devonte’ Graham has made multiple 3-pointers in each of his last six games and 10 of his last 11 outings. He is 7-for-16 (43.8 percent) from beyond the arc in his last three contests.
• Graham is 13th in the Big 12 in scoring (13.3), seventh in assists (4.4), tied for 10th in steals (1.5), fourth in 3-point field goals made (2.4), 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (.392) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5).
• Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has made eight 3-pointers in his last three games and multiple 3-pointers in six of his last seven contests. He is 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) from beyond the arc in his last three games.
• Mykhailiuk is sixth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made at 2.2 per game and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage at 43.0.

MASON & JACKSON ON NATIONAL POY LIST
Senior Frank Mason III and freshman Josh Jackson were named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Feb. 8, and among 30 players in consideration for the 2017 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Feb. 9.

The 10 semifinalists for the Naismith award will be announced March 1, 2017. The Wooden Award top-15 will be submitted to voters on the Final Ballot prior to the NCAA Tournament. The 10-man Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.

STREAKING
Here are some active Kansas streaks, all of which lead the nation.
• 12 Big 12 Conference regular-season titles
• 27 NCAA Tournament appearances
• 28 seasons with 20+ wins (including 2016-17)
• 156 weeks ranked in AP Top 25
• Won at least 12 league games for 16-straight years

THIS DATE IN KANSAS BASKETBALL HISTORY
Kansas is 29-11 all-time on Feb. 11.
Feb. 11, 1926: Kansas and Oklahoma State, known as Oklahoma A&M at the time, played each other for the first time in series history with KU earning a 38-18 victory in Robinson Gymnasium in Lawrence. KU’s Albert Peterson led all scorers with 14 points, while sophomore guard Glenn Burton added 10 for the Jayhawks. Leading 22-12 at halftime, KU held the visitors from Stillwater to only six points after the intermission while pulling away for the 20-point win. Under head coach Phog Allen, Kansas won its final 14 games to end the year with a 16-2 record and claim its fifth-straight conference title in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

UP NEXT
Kansas hosts West Virginia on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m., and will then play at Baylor on Saturday, Feb. 18 at noon on CBS. KU returns home to host TCU on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

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