Jayhawks head to Fort Worth for ESPN Big Monday

Freshman guard Ochai Agbaji 

 GM 25: at TCU
  Geb. 11
  8 p.m. (CT)
  Schollmaier Arena (6,800)
  Watch
  Listen
  Live Stats
  Game Notes

 

 Stats KU TCU
 Record 18-6 (7-4) 17-6 (5-5)
 Pts/GM 76.7 76.2
 FG% 47.3 46.9
 3FG% 36.3 35.2
 FT% 68.1 69.8
 Reb/GM 37.5 36.3
 Ast/GM 13.7 17.1
 Blk/GM 3.6 4.3
 Stl/GM 7.2 6.7
 Pts Allowed/GM 70.2 68.7
 FG% Defense 40.4 42.3
 3FG% Defense 33.7 30.3
 Rebound Margin +1.7 +3.2
 Ast-TO Ratio 1.0 1.3

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks will journey to the Lone Star State for a Big Monday battle with the TCU Horned Frogs on Feb. 11 inside Schollmaier Arena. KU, winners of 12-straight Big Monday contests will meet a TCU squad that is 11-1 at home this season. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN, with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (analyst) and Holly Rowe (reporter) calling the action.

WATCH JAYHAWK GAMEDAY LIVE FROM FORT WORTH
Jayhawk Gameday Live, a 30-minute pregame show and a 60-minute postgame show, will be live before KU’s match-up with TCU starting at 7:30 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

  • At 7-4, Kansas is tied for second in the Big 12 race, 1.5 games behind Kansas State (8-2). Seven of the 10 Big 12 teams are within 2.5 games of the league leader.
  • After its 84-72 win against Oklahoma State (2/9), Kansas is 90-12 (88.2) in games following a loss in the Bill Self era, including 5-1 this season. Since 2013-14, the Jayhawks are 40-4 (90.9) following a loss.
  • Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, Kansas is 67-18 all-time on ESPN Big Monday (39-1 at home and 28-17 on the road), including 47-12 under head coach Bill Self (28-0 at home and 19-12 on the road). KU has won 32-straight Big Monday games in Allen Fieldhouse. Overall, KU has won its last 12 Big Monday contests.
  • On Feb. 9, the NCAA selection posted its current top 16 with Selection Sunday just a month away. Kansas was slotted as a No. 3 seed and the No. 10 seed overall. Under Bill Self, KU has never been lower than a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and has been a No. 1 seed each of the last three years, including eight times in his 15 seasons at KU.
  • Kansas started four freshmen against Oklahoma State (2/9) for only the second time in the Bill Self era.
  • After his 25 points against Oklahoma State (2/9), redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson has 13 games of 20 or more points this season. Lawson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.6 ppg and rebounding at 10.6 rpg. He is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double.
  • Following his 23 points and six rebounds against Oklahoma State (2/9), freshman G Ochai Agbaji is now averaging 9.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Agbaji’s collegiate debut came 10 games ago against TCU (1/9) in Lawrence.
  • Kansas’ 18 game home court winning streak, which includes 17 victories in Allen Fieldhouse and one at Sprint Center, is tops in the Big 12 and tied for sixth nationally.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 13/14 Kansas is 18-6 overall and 7-4 in Big 12 play after its 84-72 win against Oklahoma State on Feb. 9. 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 40.4) and 3-point field goal percentage (second at 36.3). KU has a +6.4 scoring margin and a +1.7 rebound margin. KU also averages 7.4 3-pointers made, 13.7 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.6 blocked shots per game.
 
Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson posted his 13th game of 20 or more points with 25 against Oklahoma State (2/9). A national player of the year and All-American candidate, Dedric Lawson has four double-doubles in his last seven games and a Big 12-leading 15 for the season, which is tied for seventh nationally. He leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.6 ppg and in rebounding at 10.6 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 28 blocked shots and his 1.2 blocks per game are fifth in the conference. His 51.2 field goal percentage is fifth in the league.
 

NCAA DI DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS
Rnk Player (School)  Games Double-Doubles
1 Devontae Cacok (UNC-Willmington) 26 19
t2 Mike Daum (South Dakota St.) 26 16
t2 Cletrell Pope (Bethune-Cookman) 24 16
t2 Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) 24 16
t2 Nico Carvacho (Colorado St.) 24 16
t2 Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) 24 16
t7 Dedric Lawson (Kansas) 24 15
Through games played on Feb. 9, 2019

 
Senior G Lagerald Vick, who announced that he would be taking a leave of absence from the team on Feb. 7, is second the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made at 2.9 and third in 3-point field goal percentage at 45.5. He is averaging 14.1 points per game which is 10th in the Big 12.
 
Freshman G Devon Dotson is averaging 17.0 points in his last three games, including a career-high 20 points versus Texas Tech (2/2) and 18 against Oklahoma State (2/9). Dotson has 29 assists in his is last six games, including a career-high eight assists and no turnovers against Iowa State (1/21). Dotson ranks tied for seventh in the Big 12 in assists at 3.5, ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.6 and tied for sixth in steals at 1.5.
 
Freshman G Ochai Agbaji scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 5-of-7 from 3-point range, with six rebounds against Oklahoma State (2/9). The 23 points versus OSU were one shy of his career high. Agbaji, pulled his redshirt prior to the TCU game (1/9), is averaging 15.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in his last four games. Overall, Agbaji averages 9.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest and is making 55.4 percent from the floor.
Freshman G Quentin Grimes is second on the team with 32 3-pointers made this season and has made 10 treys in his last five games. Grimes averages 7.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest and has 41 assists for the season.
 
Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has missed the last three games due to a sprained ankle. He has 14 steals in his last five games played 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 his last eight games played and 13 for the season. He averages 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and has 47 assists.
 
Other KU regulars include redshirt-sophomore G Charlie Moore (3.3 ppg, 14 3-pointers), redshirt-sophomore G K.J. Lawson (2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg), junior F Mitch Lightfoot (1.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and freshman F David McCormack (1.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg). McCormack made his first career start against Oklahoma State (2/9). Lightfoot is averaging 6.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg in his last two games, including six points and a season-high nine rebounds against Oklahoma State (2/9).
 
ABOUT TCU
Located in Fort Worth, Texas, with an enrollment of 10,394, TCU is 17-6 overall and 5-5 in the Big 12 after its 92-83 win at No. 17/16 Iowa State Feb. 9. The Horned Frogs have won two straight and are 11-1 at Schollmaier Arena this season.
 
TCU is coached by Jamie Dixon who is 62-33 in his third season at TCU and 389-156 in his 16th season overall. In all games, TCU leads the Big 12 in assists (17.1). The Horned Frogs also rank in the top three in the conference in scoring offense (third at 76.2), field goal percentage (third at 46.9), 3-point field goal percentage defense (second at 30.2), rebound margin (third at +3.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 1.3).
 
Junior G Desmond Bane leads TCU in scoring at 15.0 points per game which is seventh in the Big 12. Bane pulls down 5.3 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 62 assists, 36 3-pointers made and 26 steals this season. Sophomore F Kouat Noi is next in scoring at 14.8 points per game, which is eighth in the conference. He leads the team with 48 3-pointers made and his 2.5 threes made per game are third in the Big 12.
 
Senior G Alex Robinson leads the Big 12 in assists with 7.4 per game and his 1.6 steals per contest are fifth in the league. Robinson scores 12.9 points per game and has made 23 3-pointers this season.
 
Senior F JD Miller is a starter who averages 10.5 points per game and he is second on the team with a 6.4 rebound average, which is ninth in the Big 12. Redshirt freshman C Kevin Samuel leads TCU with 7.3 rebounds per game, which is fourth in the conference, and he has a team-high 44 blocked shots. Samuel’s 1.9 blocks per game are fourth in the league and he averages 7.4 points per game. Freshman G Kendric Davis comes off the bench and averages 6.0 points per game.
 
Other TCU regulars include redshirt-freshman G RJ Nembhard (3.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, eight starts) and redshirt-freshman F Lat Mayen (2.1 ppg).
 
THE SERIES
Kansas is 17-2 all-time against TCU in a series which dates back to 1952 when the Jayhawks defeated the Horned Frogs, 68-64, on March 21 in the NCAA Midwest Regional at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas has won three straight and 13 of the last 14 meetings against the Horned Frogs dating back to Feb. 23, 2013. TCU last defeated Kansas, 85-82, in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Big 12 Championship. Kansas leads the meetings in Fort Worth, 6-1, including a 4-1 record in Schollmaier Arena. As members of the Big 12, KU leads the series 13-2, including a 4-1 record in Fort Worth. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 21-5 all-time against TCU, including 14-2 while at Kansas. TCU head coach Jamie Dixon is 1-5 versus Kansas.
 
Earlier this season, then-No. 7 Kansas defeated then-No. 25 TCU, 77-68, on Jan. 9 in Allen Fieldhouse. KU redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson led all scorers with a season-high 31 points and all rebounders with 14 boards. KU senior G Lagerald Vick added 12 points with four assists. KU led 40-31 at halftime and forced 20 TCU turnovers. TCU had five players reach double figures in scoring led by RJ Nembhard’s 14 points.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 19-6 and 8-4 in Big 12 play … Give Kansas its fourth-straight win against TCU … Give KU its 13th-straight win on ESPN Big Monday … Make Kansas 18-2 all-time against TCU, including a 7-1 record in Fort Worth meetings, 5-1 in Schollmaier Arena … Make Bill Self 466-102 while at Kansas, 673-207 overall and 22-5 all-time versus TCU (14-2 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,267-855 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 18-7 and 7-5 in conference play, tying last season’s league loss number … End a Kansas three-game winning streak against TCU … Make the KU-TCU series 17-3 in favor of the Jayhawks, including a 6-2 record in Fort Worth meetings, 4-2 in Schollmaier Arena … Make Bill Self 465-103 while at Kansas, 672-208 overall and 21-6 all-time versus TCU (13-3 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,266-856 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
A flurry of second-half 3-pointers helped No. 13/14 Kansas fend off the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 84-72, Feb. 9 inside Allen Fieldhouse. Redshirt-junior Dedric Lawson posted a game-high 25 points, 18 of which came in the second half, while freshman Ochai Agbaji connected on a career-high five 3-pointers to help the Jayhawks to their 17th-straight victory in Lawrence.
 
With the game knotted up at 49-49 and 14:08 to play in regulation, Kansas was seemingly unable to land the knockout blow to a pesky Oklahoma State squad that continued to counter each Jayhawk run. But a group of KU freshmen erupted on a shooting exhibition that handed KU a lead that it would not relinquish. The tie score lasted for approximately 10 seconds as Devon Dotson sprinted down the floor and sliced to the rim for two of his 18 points to put the lead back in the hands of the Jayhawks.
 
After OSU’s Cameron McGriff brought the Cowboys to within two points with 12:32 to play, 53-51, the Jayhawk shooters took over to help KU finally put some distance between themselves and the visitors. Freshmen guards Agbaji and Quentin Grimes hit two 3-pointers apiece on a 12-0 Kansas run to get the Jayhawk lead to double digits for the first time of the day, 65-51, midway through the second half.
 
Lawson then took over the scoring load, as the Memphis, Tennessee native scored 10 of his team’s next 11 points in the next five minutes of game action. The All-American candidate swished a pair of 3-pointers during that run as the Jayhawk lead was pushed to their largest of the game, 76-58, with 5:00 to go in regulation.
 
Lawson hit the 20-point plateau for the 13th time this season, scoring 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting. He also added seven rebounds and five assists. Agbaji posted his second-career 20-point outing with 23 points and a season-best five 3-pointers. Dotson was the third Jayhawk in double-figures, posting 18 points for his third-straight game scoring in double-figures.
 
Junior Mitch Lightfoot added a season-high nine rebounds and a pair of blocks in 20 minutes to along with his six points.
 
OKLAHOMA STATE LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

  • Kansas started four true freshmen for just the second time in the Bill Self era (since 2003-04). The other game that saw four freshmen in KU’s starting line-up occurred on Dec. 7, 2013, when Joel Embiid, Frank Mason III, Wayne Selden Jr., and Andrew Wiggins started at Florida. KU’s four starting freshmen combined for 47 points in the KU win against OSU.
  • The win made Kansas 90-12 following a loss in the Bill Self era, including 5-1 this season. Since the 2013-14 season, KU is now 40-4 following a loss.
  • The win also gave KU its 17th-straight in Allen Fieldhouse. KU is 13-0 at home this season.
  • KU outscored OSU 48-36 in the second half, snapping a four-game streak that saw the Jayhawks outscored by their opponent in the final frame.
  • The Jayhawks outrebounded OSU 38-26 marking the 14th time this season KU has edged its opponent on the glass. KU is now 11-3 in those games this season.
  • Kansas shot 50 percent from the field (31-of-62), improving its season record to 10-0 when shooting 50 percent or better and 248-9 in the Self era.
  • KU’s 84 points were the most scored by the Jayhawks in Big 12 play this season.
  • The Jayhawks’ 48 second-half points were the most KU has scored in a half during Big 12 play this season.
  • In their last two home games (against TTU and OSU) the Jayhawks have led their opponent for 76 minutes out of 80 played.
  • Dedric Lawson finished with 25 points, marking the 13th time this season the redshirt-junior forward has scored 20+ points and the 39th time in his career.
  • After his 3-of-6 clip from beyond-the-arc, Lawson is 12-of-24 (50 percent) from three in his last six outings. In the first 18 games of the season, Lawson was 6-of-29 (20.7 percent).
  • Freshman G Ochai Agbaji made a season-high five baskets from beyond the arc while scoring 23 points, just one shy of his season high.

 
TOUGH IN TEXAS
Kansas men’s basketball has had great success in the Lone Star State during the Bill Self era. The Jayhawks won the 2006 Big 12 Championship in Dallas and the 2008 NCAA National Championship in San Antonio, which was the same location of KU’s 2018 Final Four appearance, the third Final Four in the Self reign at KU. Kansas also played in NCAA tourney contests in Texas in 2011 and 2013. Including a 1-1 record this season, Kansas is 43-15 (74.1 percent) in the state of Texas under Self.
 
ESPN BIG MONDAY REGULARS
For the 13th year in a row Kansas men’s basketball will be featured four times on ESPN Big Monday. Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, Kansas is 66-18 all-time on ESPN Big Monday (38-1 at home and 28-17 on the road), including 48-12 under head coach Bill Self (28-0 at home and 20-12 on the road).
 
After its 80-76 win against Iowa State on Jan. 21, KU has won 32-straight Big Monday games in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won its last 12 ESPN Big Monday contests. On Feb. 11, the Jayhawks will be facing TCU for the first time on ESPN Big Monday.
 

KU ON ESPN’S BIG MONDAY (SINCE 2004)
Season Home Away Total
2004 1-0 1-2 2-2
2005 1-0 0-2 1-2
2006 1-0 1-1 2-1
2007 1-0 3-0 4-0
2008 3-0 0-1 3-1
2009 1-0 2-1 3-1
2010 2-0 2-0 4-0
2011 2-0 1-1 3-1
2012 2-0 2-0 4-0
2013 2-0 2-0 4-0
2014 2-0 1-1 3-1
2015 2-0 0-2 2-2
2016 2-0 1-1 3-1
2017 2-0 2-0 4-0
2018 2-0 2-0 4-0
2019 2-0 0-0 2-0
TOTAL 28-0 20-12 48-12

 
 
LAWSON COLLECTION OF MIDSEASON WATCH LISTS GROWS
Redshirt-junior Dedric Lawson has a quickly growing collection of midseason accolades that have him among a small list of players on watch for national awards come season’s end. Here is a quick rundown of the recent announcements that included Lawson:
 

  • Lawson was named to the 2018-19 Sporting News Midseason All-America First Team, the publication announced Jan. 15. Last year, 11 of the 15 players on the midseason team made on the final ballot.
  • On Feb. 4, Lawson was named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s Late Season Top 20 list by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Kansas has had representation each of the last two seasons at the Wooden Award ceremony as Frank Mason III won the award in 2017 and Devonte’ Graham was a finalist last year. Lawson is vying to become the third Jayhawk to win the honor with Mason in 2017 and Danny Manning in 1988.
  • On Feb. 6, Lawson was named one of 12 to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Final Midseason Watch List by the USBWA. Like the Wooden, the Oscar Robertson Trophy recognizes the national player of the year. Frank Mason was the first KU player to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 2017.
  • On Feb. 7, Lawson was named one of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year by the Naismith Hall of Fame. Established in 2015, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year will be narrowed down to five finalist with the winner being named April 12, 2019.

 
AGBAJI NAMED BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Kansas freshman Ochai Agbaji (OCH-eye, uh-BAH-gee) averaged 17.0 point and 8.5 rebounds in his first two career starts and has been named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in a vote by a media panel which covers the league, the conference announced Monday.
 
Agbaji pulled his redshirt prior to the TCU game (1/9) and is coming off his first double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in Kansas’ 79-63 win against No. 16 Texas Tech (2/2). The Texas Tech performance came after his first career start at Texas (1/29), where the Kansas City, Missouri, guard posted a career-high 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting with seven rebounds and two steals. In just eight games, Agbaji is averaging 22.5 minutes, 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and is shooting 54.3 percent from the floor.
 
Agbaji becomes the fourth different Jayhawk to be named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week this season, a feat claimed seven times in 2018-19 for Kansas. Redshirt-junior forward Dedric Lawson has been the league newcomer of the week four times (12/3, 12/17, 1/14, 1/28), while Quentin Grimes was named Nov. 12 and Devon Dotson Dec. 31.
 
Including KU’s five Big 12 Player of the Week honors this season, the Jayhawks have amassed 12 league weekly accolades in 2018-19, which is more than any other league team. The program record for Big 12 weekly awards is 13 earned during the 2016-17 campaign.
 
BEST AT BOUNCING BACK
Despite setbacks in four of their last seven 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 over 88 percent in games after a loss under Bill Self, which is the best in the nation since 2003-04.
 
Kansas is 90-12 following a loss in the Self era, which includes a 5-1 mark this season. Since 2013-14, the Jayhawks are 40-4 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 90 12 88.2
2 Gonzaga 75 16 82.4
3 Duke 86 20 81.1
4 North Carolina 104 26 80.0
5 Memphis 113 33 77.4

 
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
After his 25 points and 10 rebounds against Texas Tech (2/2), redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 with 15 double-doubles this season, including four of his last seven contests and seven in his last 12 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 51 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 15 DDs are just one 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.) 123 68
Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) 121 61
3 Devontae Cacok (UNC-Willmington) 122 54
4 Dedric Lawson (Memphis/Kansas) 89 51
5 Mike Daum (South Dakota State) 130 48
Through games played on Feb. 9, 2019

 
UP NEXT
Kansas will host the West Virginia Mountaineers inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 16. The contest is set for 3 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2.
 
In the two squads’ first meeting this season on Jan. 19, WVU held Kansas scoreless over the final 2:34 of regulation, to blow past the Jayhawks in the final seconds, 65-64, in Morgantown. West Virginia’s Jermaine Haley hit the go-ahead bucket with seven seconds remaining before two Jayhawk game-winning attempts on the other end fell short as KU suffered its second loss of the Big 12 season. 

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