Jayhawks to face off against Red Raiders Saturday

RS-Junior forward Dedric Lawson 

 GM 22: vs. #16 Texas Tech
  Feb. 2
  3 p.m.
  Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
  Watch (CBS)
  Listen
  Live Stats
  Game Notes

 

 Stats KU TTU
 Record 16-5 (5-3) 17-4 (5-3)
 Pts/GM 76.7 70.7
 FG% 47.3 47.2
 3FG% 35.7 34.7
 FT% 67.9 70.7
 Reb/GM 37.5 34.0
 Ast/GM 13.5 13.8
 Blk/GM 3.7 4.9
 Stl/GM 7.3 7.2
 Pts Allowed/GM 70.3 56.8
 FG% Defense 40.5 36.1
 3FG% Defense 33.5 26.4
 Rebound Margin +1.3 +2.3
 Ast-TO Ratio 1.0 1.1

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 11/12 Kansas (16-5, 5-3) returns home to face No. 16/15 Texas Tech (17-4, 5-3) on Feb. 2, at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are looking to snap a two-game losing streak, while the Red Raiders enter on a two-game winning streak. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. (CT) on CBS with Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst) and Seth Davis (reporter) set to call the action.

WATCH JAYHAWK GAMEDAY LIVE FROM ALLEN FIELDHOUSE
Jayhawk Gameday Live, a 30-minute pregame show and a 60-minute postgame show, will be live before KU’s match-up with Texas Tech starting at 2:30 p.m. (CT). Full postgame reaction and analysis will follow immediately after the game’s conclusion. The show will be available across the country on the ESPN app, as well as regionally on KMCI, Spectrum Sports, Midco Sports Network and Cox Cable. For more information on how to access Jayhawk Gameday Live as well as content from the Jayhawk Network, visit KUAthletics.com/JTV.
 
TIP-OFF

  • Kansas and Texas Tech are both 5-3 in the Big 12 race, one-half game behind conference leaders Kansas State and Baylor at 5-2. With almost half of the 2018-19 Big 12 season complete, seven of the league’s 10 schools are within two games of first place.
  • Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 34-5, including a 17-1 record in Allen Fieldhouse.
  • Texas Tech is vying to become the first Big 12 school to win back-to-back games in Allen Fieldhouse since Iowa State did it in 2000 and 2001. Prior to ISU, the previous times were during the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons by Oklahoma and Kansas State.
  • Kansas is 37-5 in conference games decided by 10 points or less since 2016.
  • Kansas is 88-12 following a loss in the Bill Self era, including 3-1 this season. Since 2013-14, the Jayhawks are 38-4 following a loss.
  • Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson has posted three double-doubles in his last four games. Six of his 14 double-doubles have been in Big 12 play. He is tied for second nationally with 14 double-doubles.
  • Dedric Lawson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. His 19.2 ppg are second in the league and he is tops in the conference with his 10.9 rpg.
  • Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has led KU in steals four of the last five games and eight times this season. Garrett is third in the Big 12 in steals at 1.8 and has 14 thefts in the last five contests.
  • Freshman G Ochai Agbaji scored a game- and career-high 24 points in KU’s loss at Texas on Jan. 29. It marked the third-most points by a Jayhawk in his first collegiate start during the Bill Self era.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 11/12 Kansas is 16-5 overall and 5-3 in Big 12 play after its 73-63 loss at Texas on Jan. 29. In all games, Kansas ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (second at 76.7), field goal percentage (second at 47.3), field goal percentage defense (third at 40.5), 3-point field goal percentage (third at 35.7) and steals (third at 7.3). KU has a +6.3 scoring margin and a +1.3 rebound margin. KU also averages 7.0 3-pointers made, 13.5 assists and 3.7 blocked shots per game.
 
Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson has three double-doubles in his last four games. A Wooden Award Midseason nominee, he has six double-doubles in his last nine games and a Big 12-leading 14 for the season, which is tied for second nationally. Dedric Lawson, a Sporting News Midseason All-America First Team selection, has scored 20 or more points in 11 games this season, including two of the last three contests. He is second in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.2 ppg and leads the league in rebounding at 10.9 rpg. He is the only player in the league averaging a double-double. A three-time Big 12 Player of the Week (11/12, 11/26, 12/26) and four-time league newcomer of the week (12/3, 12/17, 1/14, 1/28), Lawson leads KU with 24 blocked shots and his 1.1 blocks per game are seventh in the conference.
 

NCAA DI DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS
Rnk Player (School) Games Double-Doubles
1 Devontae Cacok (UNC-Willmington) 22 16
t2 Dedric Lawson (Kansas) 21 14
t2 Mike Daum (South Dakota St.) 23 14
t2 Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) 21 14
Through games played on Jan. 30, 2019

 
Senior G Lagerald Vick is second the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made at 3.0 and third in 3-point field goal percentage at 45.3. He is averaging 14.5 points per game which is ninth in the Big 12. He scored his 1,000th-career point at Baylor (1/2). Vick’s 47.5 field goal percentage is 14th in the conference.
 
Freshman G Devon Dotson has 16 assists and two turnovers in his last three games, including a career-high eight assists and no turnovers to go along with 11 points against Iowa State (1/21). Dotson ranks seventh in the Big 12 in assists at 3.4, eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.6 and tied for eighth in steals at 1.4. Dotson averages 10.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He has led KU in assists each of the last three games and five of the last six contests. Freshman G Quentin Grimes is second on the team with 26 3-pointers made this season. Grimes averages 8.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest and has 36 assists for the season.
 
Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has 14 steals in his last five games and ranks third in the Big 12 with 1.8 steals per contest. He has 10 games with multiple steals in 2018-19. Garrett has started the last eight games and 13 for the season. He averages 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and has 47 assists.
 
Freshman G Ochai Agbaji pulled his redshirt prior to the TCU game (1/9) and is coming off his best game of the season at Texas (1/29), his first start as a Jayhawk. Against the Longhorns, he posted career-highs in points with 24 on 8-of-10 shooting, rebounds with seven and tied his career highs with two steals and one blocked shot. In just seven games, Agbaji is averaging 21.0 minutes, 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and is shooting 57.9 percent from the floor.
 
Other KU regulars include redshirt-sophomore G Charlie Moore (3.1 ppg, 12 3-pointers), redshirt-sophomore G K.J. Lawson (2.5 ppg), freshman F David McCormack (2.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and junior F Mitch Lightfoot (1.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg). Lightfoot leads KU with five charges taken this season.
 
ABOUT TEXAS TECH
Located in Lubbock, Texas, with an enrollment of 38,246, Texas Tech ended a three-game losing skid by winning its last two outings and is 17-4 overall and 5-3 in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders are coming off an 84-65 win against TCU on Jan. 28. TTU is coached by Chris Beard who is 62-28 in his third season at TTU and 158-58 in his seventh season overall. Texas Tech, who has been ranked as high as No. 8 this season, is tied with Kansas for second in the Big 12 standings with both teams a half game behind league leaders Kansas State and Baylor at 5-2.
 
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (56.8), field goal percentage defense (36.1) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.4). The Red Raiders also rank in the top three in the league in scoring margin (second at +14.0), free throw percentage (second at 70.7), field goal percentage (third at 47.2), blocked shots (second at 4.9) and turnover margin (third at +3.0). TTU also averages 70.7 points, 13.8 assists and 7.1 steals per game.
 
Texas Tech primarily uses an eight-man rotation led by sophomore G Jarrett Culver. An All-America candidate, Culver is third in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.5 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounds at 6.9, which is seventh in the Big 12 and in assists with 82. Culver ranks sixth in the league in field goal percentage (51.8), fourth in assists (3.9) and 11th in steals (1.3). Culver’s 26 3-pointers made are second on the team. Senior G Matt Mooney leads Texas Tech in steals with 33 and his 1.6 steals per game are sixth in the league. Mooney averages 10.7 points and 3.4 rebounds and has made 19 3-pointers this season. Sophomore G Davide Moretti leads TTU with 34 3-pointers made to complement his 10.4 scoring average. Moretti is second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 90.5 percent and has 49 assists and 27 steals. Senior F Tariq Owens is second in the league in blocked shots at 2.4 per contest. Owens scores 8.4 points per game and is second on the team with a 5.1 rebound average. Senior C Norense Odiase (3.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg) rounds out the TTU starters.
 
Other key contributors include freshman G Kyler Edwards (6.2 ppg, 2.5 ppg, 15 3FGs, 19 steals), senior G Brandone Francis (5.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 19 3FGs, 16 steals) and sophomore F Deshawn Corprew (5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg).
 
THE SERIES
Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 34-5, which began in 1959. The Jayhawks have won 16 of the last 17 meetings in the series beginning Jan. 16, 2010. Kansas is 17-1 against Texas Tech in games played in Lawrence, with all 18 meetings inside Allen Fieldhouse.
 
Last year, Texas Tech picked up its first win in Allen Fieldhouse, 85-73, on Jan. 2, 2018. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, Kansas is 27-5 against Texas Tech; 24-5 in regular-season match-ups and 3-0 in conference championship meetings. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 21-7 all-time against Texas Tech, including 20-4 while at Kansas. Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard is 1-3 against Kansas.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 17-5 and 6-3 or better in Big 12 play for the 16th time in head coach Bill Self’s 16 seasons at KU … Make the Kansas-Texas Tech series 35-5 in favor of the Jayhawks, including 18-1 in Allen Fieldhouse … Be Kansas’ 16th-straight win in Allen Fieldhouse, including 12-0 this season … Make Kansas 784-113 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 246-13 under Self … Make Self 464-101 while at Kansas, 671-206 overall and 22-7 all-time versus Texas Tech (21-4 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,265-854 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 16-6 and 5-4 in conference play for the first time since the 1988-89 season when KU was 4-5 through nine games in the Big Eight race … Make Texas Tech the first team to win in Allen Fieldhouse in back-to-back seasons since Iowa State did it in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 … Make the Kansas-Texas Tech series 34-6 in favor of KU, including a 17-2 record in Allen Fieldhouse … End a KU 15-game winning streak in Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 11-1 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, 783-114 all-time in the venue, including 244-14 under head coach Bill Self … Make Self 463-102 while at Kansas, 670-207 overall and 21-8 all-time versus Texas Tech (20-5 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,264-855 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Trailing by double-digits on multiple occasions, Kansas cut its deficit to four points in the final minute, but the comeback fell short as Texas held off the No. 11/12 Jayhawks, 73-63, Jan. 29 in Austin. Freshman guard Ochai Agbaji led all scorers with a career-high 24 points but 10 3-pointers along with 21 free throws helped the Longhorns knock off the Jayhawks for the first time in their last 11 tries.
 
Some impressive free throw shooting from the Longhorns down the stretch, combined with a pair of Jase Febres 3-pointers, got the Texas lead back into double digits at 58-47 with 3:37 to play in the game.
 
The Jayhawks made one final push and cut the UT advantage to four points with 30 seconds left on the clock, but the Longhorns’ free throw shooting again thwarted the Jayhawk momentum as UT went 6-for-6 from the line to close out the game and the victory, 73-63.
 
Agbaji led the Jayhawks in scoring for the first time in his young KU career, going 8-for-10 from the field for a career-best 24-point outing along with seven rebounds. Lawson added 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half, while Vick rounded out the double-figure scoring Jayhawks with 10 points.
 
TEXAS LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

  • The loss ended a Kansas 10-game winning streak against Texas, a run which started Feb. 22, 2014.
  • The loss also dropped the Jayhawks to 88-12 under Bill Self in games following a loss. KU has now lost two or more consecutive games just eight times under Self and only five times since 2006-07.
  • KU led for just :09 seconds on the night, marking the shortest time with a lead for the Jayhawks this season.
  • The Jayhawks’ 27 rebounds marked the fewest by KU since Kansas grabbed 25 rebounds against Kansas State on Jan. 13, 2018.
  • Paired with its 7-of-7 clip from the charity stripe in their first meeting with KU on Jan. 14, UT was 28-of-30 from the free throw line (93.3 percent) in their two games against KU this season. UT entered Tuesday night shooting 68.7 percent from the stripe this season.
  • Texas’ 18 free throws made in the second half are the most by a KU opponent in a half since Austin Peay sank 18 in the second half during the NCAA Tournament (3/17/16).
  • With a career-best 24 points, Agbaji registered his second double-digit and first 20-point scoring performance of his career.
  • Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson’s three steals and two blocks marked his fourth game this season with multiple steals and multiple blocks in a game.

 
AGBAJI’S FIRST START ONE OF THE BEST UNDER SELF
Freshman guard Ochai Agbaji earned his first-career start in Tuesday’s game at Texas and turned in one of the top scoring efforts by a Jayhawk making his first collegiate start under Bill Self. Agbaji’s 24 points marked the third-most by a Jayhawk in his first career start since the 2003-04 season, trailing only Xavier Henry (27 pts vs. Hofstra [11.13.09]) and Darrell Arthuer (26 pts vs. Towson [11.19.06]). 
 
Just nine KU players have scored 15 or more points in the first start of their collegiate career under Self, with five of those players on this season’s roster: Quentin Grimes (21 pts vs. Michigan St. [11.6.18]), Devon Dotson (16 pts vs. Michigan St.), Udoka Azubuike (17 pts vs. UNC-Ashville [11.25.16], Lagerald Vick (15 pts vs. UNC-Ashville) and Agbaji.
 

MOST POINTS IN FIRST COLLEGIATE START AT KU (Since 2003-04)
Player Opponent (Date) Points
Xavier Henry vs. Hofstra (11.13.09) 27
Darrell Arthur vs. Towson (11.19.06) 26
OCHAI AGBAJI at Texas (1.29.19) 24
Quentin Grimes vs. Michigan State (11.6.18) 21
Udoka Azubuike vs. UNC-Ashville (11.25.16) 17
Devon Dotson vs. Michigan State (11.6.18) 16
Andrew Wiggins vs. UL-Monroe (11.8.13) 16
Lagerald Vick vs. UNC-Ashville (11.25.16) 15
Perry Ellis vs. SE Missouri St. (11.9.12) 15
Conner Teahan vs. Long Beach St. (12.6.11) 14
Sherron Collins vs. Northern Ariz. (11.11.06) 14

 
LAWSON CLAIMS SEVENTH BIG 12 WEEKLY HONOR
On Monday, Jan. 28, Kansas redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson was named the co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for his back-to-back double-doubles against nationally-ranked opponents. It marked the seventh time this season Lawson has earned a conference weekly honor as he has been named Big 12 Player of the Week three times (11/12, 11/26, 12/26) and newcomer four times (12/3, 12/17, 1/14, 1/28).
 
With just over a month left in the regular season, Lawson’s four Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors are tied for the seventh most in conference history and are the most by a Jayhawk since Josh Jackson earned the honor seven times in 2016-17. Lawson’s three weekly player accolades are tied for 11th on the Big 12 list and are the most by a Jayhawk since national player-of-the-year Frank Mason III also had three in 2016-17.
 
With senior G Lagerald Vick’s two Big 12 Player of the Week honors, Kansas has five for the season, which is more than any other league team. Freshman guards Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson have both earned league newcomer of the week giving Kansas six of the accolade this season, which is also a league high.
 
BEST AT BOUNCING BACK
Despite two-straight setbacks in their last two games, KU still remains one of the best programs in the nation at rebounding after a loss over the last 16 seasons. The Jayhawks have a winning percentage of nearly 90 percent in games after a loss under Bill Self, which is the best in the nation since 2003-04. Kansas is 88-12 following a loss in the Self era, which includes a 3-1 mark this season. Since 2013-14, the Jayhawks are 38-4 following a loss. Under Self, KU has lost two or more consecutive games on just eight occasions and only five times since 2006-07.
 

BEST RECORDS IN GAMES FOLLOWING A LOSS
(SINCE 2003-04)
Rnk Team Wins Losses Win%
1 KANSAS 88 12 88.0
2 Gonzaga 75 16 82.4
3 Duke 86 20 81.1
4 North Carolina 104 26 80.0
5 Memphis 113 31 78.5

 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
After his 20 points and 15 rebounds at Kentucky (1/26), redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 with 14 double-doubles this season, including his last three contests and 10 in his last 13 outings. Lawson entered the 2018-19 season with 36 double-doubles in his two seasons at Memphis. He had 17 as a freshman in 2015-16 and 19 as a sophomore in 2016-17.
 
Lawson’s 50 career double-doubles are fourth on the NCAA Division I active list. Lawson is the only non-senior on the NCAA Division I top-10 list.
 
Lawson is also already making his impact on the Kansas single-season double-double chart. His 14 DDs are just two shy from entering the school’s top-10 list of single-season double-doubles. Thomas Robinson holds the record with 27 DDs in the 2011-12 season.
 

ACTIVE NCAA DI CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS
Rnk Player (Team)  Gms Double-Doubles
1 James Thompson VI (E. Mich.) 121 68
2 Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) 118 59
3 Devontae Cacok (UNC-Willmington) 118 51
4 Dedric Lawson (Memphis/Kansas) 86 50
5 Mike Daum (South Dakota State) 127 46
Through games played on Jan. 30, 2019

 
KANSAS VS TOP-25 TEAMS
With its loss at No. 8 Kentucky (1/26), Kansas is 6-2 against top-25 teams in 2018-19. Under Bill Self, KU is now 96-47 against AP-ranked opponents. In his first 16 seasons at KU, Self’s Jayhawks have collected four wins or more over top-25 ranked foes in 13 of those seasons, which includes a 41-18 record from 2014-present.
 
KU’s record against top-10 ranked opponents is even more impressive. KU is 18-5 against foes ranked inside the top-10 of the AP poll since 2013-14, including 2-1 this season and 4-1 in 2017-18. Last season, KU’s top-10 wins included Kentucky, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Duke. Since Bill Self’s first season, the Jayhawks are 13-3 against AP top-10 teams inside Allen Fieldhouse, which includes KU’s current streak of nine-straight home victories against top-10 foes.
 

KU VS. AP TOP-25 TEAMS UNDER SELF
Season Record vs. Top-10
2018-19 6-2 2-1
2017-18 8-4 4-1
2016-17 6-3 5-1
2015-16 12-4 4-1
2014-15 10-6 0-1
2013-14 7-2 3-0
2012-13 5-2 2-1
2011-12 7-5 6-4
2010-11 5-1 1-1
2009-10 8-1 2-0
2008-09 3-3 1-2
2007-08 5-2 3-0
2006-07 5-2 2-2
2005-06 3-3 1-2
2004-05 4-2 3-1
2003-04 2-5 1-2
TOTAL 96-47 40-20

 
UP NEXT
Kansas will journey to Manhattan for the season’s first installment of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown when it meets Kansas State in Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN or ESPN2. KU has won the last eight meetings with Kansas State and leads the overall series, 196-93. The Jayhawks are 26-4 against the Wildcats in Bramlage Coliseum and have won each of the three meetings in the venue starting in 2016.
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