Jayhawks welcome Longhorns for ESPN Big Monday

RS-Junior Dedric Lawson 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 7/9 Kansas is set to return home for a Big Monday contest against the Texas Longhorns on Jan. 14 inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks, winners of 13-straight games in Lawrence, will take on a UT squad looking to snap a two-game losing skid. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. on ESPN, with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (analyst) and Holly Rowe (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 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

• Kansas leads the overall series with Texas, 31-8, including a 16-1 record in Lawrence (14-1 in Allen Fieldhouse). KU has won the last nine meetings with UT, but the last three have been decided by 10 points or less.
• Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, Kansas is 65-18 all-time on ESPN Big Monday (37-1 at home and 28-17 on the road), including 45-12 under head coach Bill Self (26-0 at home and 19-12 on the road). KU has won 30-straight Big Monday games in Allen Fieldhouse. Overall, KU has won its last 10 ESPN Big Monday contests.
• Kansas has had six different players lead the team in scoring over the last eight games: Quentin Grimes, Devon Dotson, Udoka Azubuike, Dedric Lawson, Charlie Moore and Lagerald Vick.
• Kansas is the only team in the Big 12 with two players ranked in the top six in the league in scoring. RS-junior F Dedric Lawson is second in scoring at 19.3 ppg, while senior G Lagerald Vick is sixth at 14.8 ppg.
• On the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list, Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 in rebounding at 10.8 rpg and is the only player in the league averaging a double-double. He is vying to become the first Jayhawk to lead the league in rebound average since All-American Thomas Robinson in 2011-12.
• Lawson had five blocked shots and five steals at Baylor (1/12). He became just the third player in Big 12 history to tally 5+ blocks and 5+ steals in a single game, joining Baylor’s Quincy Acy in 2008 and Brian Skinner in 1996.
• In his last outing at Baylor, Vick became the 61st player in KU history to score 1,000 career points, currently at 1,012, which is 59th on the KU list. Vick is the 16th in the Bill Self era (since 2003-04) to hit the 1K scoring mark.
• On Jan. 6, Kansas head coach Bill Self announced that junior C Udoka Azubuike will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season due to an injured right wrist. Azubuike had successful surgery on the wrist Jan. 9.
• With its win against TCU (1/9), Kansas is 87-11 following a loss in the Bill Self era. Since 2013-14, the Jayhawks are 37-3 following a loss. When the game following a loss is in Allen Fieldhouse, KU is 48-3 in the Self era.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 7/9 Kansas is 14-2 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play after its 73-68 win at Baylor on Jan. 12. In all games, Kansas ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (third at 78.8), rebounding (third at 38.8), steals (second at 7.6) and assists (third at 14.7). KU has a +9.1 scoring margin, +2.7 rebound margin and has outrebounded 10 of 16 opponents this season. KU also averages 6.8 3-pointers made and 4.1 blocked shots per game.
 
Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson has seven double-doubles in his last nine games and a Big 12-leading 11 for the season, which is tied for first nationally. Dedric Lawson has scored 20 or more points in nine games this season with eight in his last 13 contests. He is second in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.3 ppg and leads the league in rebounding at 10.8 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 two-time league newcomer of the week (12/3, 12/17), Lawson leads KU with 19 blocked shots and his 1.2 blocks per game are eighth in the conference.
 

 
Senior G Lagerald Vick is coming off an 18-point performance at Baylor (1/12) where he was 6-for-8 from 3-point range. He scored his 1,000th career point at Baylor. Vick is scoring at 14.8 points per game, which is sixth in the league. He is tied for the Big 12 lead in 3-point field goals made per game at 3.1 and is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 45.8 percent. Vick is second on the team lead with 23 steals and his 1.4 spg are seventh in the conference.
 
Freshman G Devon Dotson ranks sixth in the Big 12 in steals at 1.6, sixth in free throw percentage at 78.1 and tied for 10th in assists at 3.1. Dotson averages 11.1 points per game and shoots 50.4 percent from the floor, which is 13th in the Big 12. Freshman G Quentin Grimes is second on the team with 18 3-pointers made this season. He has scored 14 or more points in three of his last five games and averages 8.9 points per contest for the season.
 
Freshman G Ochai Agbaji pulled his redshirt against TCU (1/9). In just two games, Agbaji is averaging 23.0 minutes, 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and is shooting 70.0 percent from the floor. Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has started the last three games and eight for the season. Garrett has six games with multiple steals this season and his 1.4 thefts average are eighth in the Big 12. Garrett is averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 40 assists.
 
Redshirt-sophomore G Charlie Moore has made nine 3-pointers in his last six games and 12 of his 20 field goals this season have been beyond the arc. Moore scores 3.9 points per game.
 
Other KU regulars include redshirt-sophomore G K.J. Lawson (2.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg), freshman F David McCormack (2.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and junior F Mitch Lightfoot (1.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg). Lightfoot leads KU with five charges taken and is third on the team with nine blocked shots.
 
ABOUT TEXAS
Located in Austin, Texas, with an enrollment of 51,334, Texas is 10-6 on the season and 2-2 in Big 12 play. The Longhorns look to end a two-game losing streak after their 68-62 loss to No. 8/8 Texas Tech on Jan. 12. Texas is coached by Shaka Smart who is 60-56 in his fourth season at UT and 223-112 in his 10th year overall.
 
Texas averages 71.1 points per game with a +7.2 scoring margin. The Longhorns rank in the top three in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (third at 8.3) and blocked shots (third at 4.7). UT averages 36.2 rebound per game with a +0.8 rebound margin. The Longhorns also average 13.5 assist and 6.3 steals per contest.
 
Senior G Kerwin Roach II leads Texas in scoring at 13.6 points per game, which is 11th in the Big 12. Roach’s 24 3-pointers made are second-most on the team, as are his 50 assists. He pulls down 5.0 rebounds per game and has 19 steals. Freshman F Jaxson Hayes is a starter who scores 10.1 points per game. He is second in the Big 12 with 2.5 blocked shots per game and pulls down 5.1 rebounds per contest.
 
Sophomore G Matt Coleman III leads Texas with 55 assists and he scores 10.1 points per game. Coleman has made 20 3-pointers this season. Senior F Dylan Osetkowski is third in the Big 12 in rebounds per game at 8.0. He is second on the team with 20 steals and scores 9.5 points per game.
 
Sophomore G Jase Febres has 11 starts this season and he leads UT with 32 3-pointers made while his 2.0 threes per game are tied for fifth in the league. Febres averages 8.1 points per outing. Junior G Elijah Mitrou-Long leads UT in steals with 22. He averages 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
 
Other UT regulars include freshman G Courtney Ramey (5.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg), sophomore F Jericho Sims (5.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg), sophomore F Royce Hamm Jr. (3.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and freshman F Kamaka Hepa (2.1 ppg).
 
THE SERIES
In a series that dates back to 1938, Kansas leads Texas 31-8, including a 16-1 record in games in Lawrence, 14-1 in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won nine straight, 14 of the last 15 meetings, and 17 of the last 19 matchups, starting with the 2008 Big 12 Championship title game.
 
Since the inception of the Big 12, Kansas holds a 27-7 record against Texas with a 23-6 mark in regular-season play and 4-1 record in the Big 12 Championship. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 21-8 all-time against Texas, including 21-6 while at KU. Texas head coach Shaka Smart is 1-6 versus Kansas, including 0-6 while at UT. Smart’s 2011 VCU team defeated Kansas, 71-61, in the NCAA Tournament Southwest Region championship game in San Antonio.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 15-2 and 4-1 or better in Big 12 play for the 13th-straight season beginning in 2006-07 … Give Kansas a 32-8 all-time series record against Texas, including a 17-1 record in Lawrence (15-1 in Allen Fieldhouse) … Make KU 28-7 against Texas in the Big 12 era … Give Kansas its 14th-straight win in Allen Fieldhouse, including 10-0 this season … Make KU 782-113 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 244-13 under Bill Self … Make Self 462-98 while at Kansas, 669-203 overall and 22-8 all-time versus Texas (22-6 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,263-851 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 14-3 and 3-2 in conference play for the first time since the 2005-06 season … End a Kansas nine-game winning streak against Texas and make the KU-Texas series 31-9 in favor of Kansas, 16-2 in games played in Lawrence (14-2 in Allen Fieldhouse) … End a Kansas 13-game winning streak in Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 9-1 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, 781-114 all-time in the venue, including 243-14 under Bill Self … Make Self 461-99 while at Kansas, 668-204 overall and 21-9 all-time versus Texas (21-7 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,262-852 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Six threes from senior Lagerald Vick and some stingy Kansas defense helped the No. 7/9 Jayhawks take down the Baylor Bears, 73-68, Jan. 12 inside the Ferrell Center. Vick led all scorers with 18 points and was closely followed by Dedric Lawson, who scored in double figures for the 12th time in his last 13 outings with his 17 points.
 
It was a stellar start for the Jayhawks, specifically on the defensive end. KU held the Bears without a field goal until the 9:34 mark of the opening half. In that span, KU notched six blocks and forced four Bear turnovers. Meanwhile, the lockdown defense helped Kansas build an 18-2 lead midway through the first frame with Ochai Agbaji’s dunk at the 10:30 mark.
 
The Jayhawks carried that momentum into the second half. Vick connected from deep again just over a minute after the restart and began a 14-4 KU run that got its lead back to a comfortable distance, 49-32, with Quentin Grimes’ triple at with 13:45 to play.
 
The KU lead swelled to 23 points with less than seven minutes to play as the Jayhawks held the Bears to just one field goal from the 11-minute mark to the six–minute mark.
 
BU outscored KU 17-4 in those final three minutes, cutting the Jayhawk lead to four points, 72-68, on Devonte Bandoo’s 3-pointer with 26 seconds remaining. But that is as close as the home side could get as Kansas held off the late Bears charge to secure the 73-68 win.
 
BAYLOR LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

• KU’s seven first-half blocks were its most in a half since KU notched seven blocks in the second half against Siena on Jan. 18, 2016.
• The Jayhawks’ 11 blocks for the game were a season high and their most since KU tallied 12 rejections against Nebraska on Dec. 10, 2016.
• Kansas shot above 50 percent (54.5 percent) for the seventh time this season and the 254th time during the Bill Self era. KU is now 245-9 since 2003-04 when shooting 50 percent or better.
• Kansas was outrebounded for the fourth time this season, the Jayhawks are now 3-1 in those games. KU posted a season low in rebounds (30) while giving up a season high (49). Baylor’s 49 rebounds are the most against KU since Oklahoma tallied 55 on Jan. 4, 2016.
• Baylor’s 19-rebound advantage tied for the most by a KU opponent since the 1988-89 season. Oklahoma held a +19 rebound differential against the Jayhawks (2/26/11).
• With his 3-pointer at the 1:45 mark of the first half, senior G Lagerlad Vick tallied his 98th, 99th and 1,000th points of his career. It made him the 61st player in KU history to score 1,000 points and the 16th player in the Bill Self era.
• Vick’s 6-of-8 clip from beyond the 3-point arc marked the fourth time this season he has tallied six or more triples. This makes him the first Jayhawk in the Big 12 era to post four or more games with six or more 3-pointers.
• With his five blocked shots, Dedric Lawson became just the third player in Big 12 history to tally 5+ blocks and 5+ steals in a single game, joining Baylor’s Quincy Acy in 2008 and Baylor’s Brian Skinner in 1996.

 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 with 11 double-doubles this season, including seven in his last nine 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 47 career double-doubles are third on the NCAA Division I active list. Lawson is the only non-senior on the NCAA Division I top-10 list.
 

 
ESPN BIG MONDAY REGULARS
For the 13th year in a row Kansas men’s basketball will be featured four times on ESPN Big Monday beginning Jan. 14 against Texas. Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, Kansas is 65-18 all-time on ESPN Big Monday (37-1 at home and 28-17 on the road), including 46-12 under head coach Bill Self (26-0 at home and 20-12 on the road).
 
KU has won 30-straight Big Monday games in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won its last 10 ESPN Big Monday contests. The Jayhawks are 7-3 versus Texas on ESPN Big Monday, including 4-0 in Allen Fieldhouse.
 

 
LAWSON NAMED TO WOODEN MIDSEASON LIST
Kansas redshirt junior Dedric Lawson has been named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s Midseason Top 25 list, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Jan. 9. Just two seasons ago, KU’s Frank Mason III won the 2017 Wooden Award, becoming the second Jayhawk to win the honor as he joined Danny Manning (1988).
 
The Memphis, Tennessee, forward leads the Big 12 in rebounding at 10.8 rebounds per game and double-doubles with 11, which is tied for first nationally. He is second in the conference in scoring at 19.3 points per contest. A three-time Big 12 Player of the Week (11/12, 11/26, 12/26) and two-time league newcomer of the week (12/3, 12/17), Lawson is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double.
 
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
VICK COLLECTS 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Senior G Lagerald Vick scored his 1,000th-career point at Baylor Jan. 12. Vick has averaged 9.2 ppg in his 110 outings as a Jayhawk and 12.9 ppg since the start of his junior season. He is the 61st Jayhawk and the 16th player in the Bill Self era (since 2003-04) to hit the 1,000-point plateau and his 1,012 career points are 59th on the school list. Kansas has had at least one player hit 1,000 points in nine of the last 11 years, including each of the last five seasons. 
 

 
UP NEXT
Kansas hits to road to take on West Virginia, Saturday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. (Central). The game will be televised on either ESPN or ESPN2.
 
Kansas is 10-4 all-time against West Virginia with all 14 meetings in the Big 12 era. The Mountaineers hold a 4-2 edge over the Jayhawks in Morgantown meetings but Kansas did win at WVU Coliseum, 81-70, last season, ending a WVU three-game home winning streak in the series.  
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