No. 1 Jayhawks look to stay unbeaten Tuesday against Coyotes

Sophomore guard Marcus Garrett 

 GM 10: vs. South Dakota
  Dec. 18
  7 p.m.
  Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
  Watch
  Listen
  Live Stats
  Game Notes

 

 Stats KU USD
 Record 9-0 6-5
 Pts/GM 80.9 67.4
 FG% 48.5 43.7
 3FG% 37.3 30.1
 FT% 66.0 70.6
 Reb/GM 38.9 32.3
 Ast/GM 14.4 11.4
 Blk/GM 3.6 2.2
 Stl/GM 7.2 6.6
 Pts Allowed/GM 71.3 62.7
 FG% Defense 40.7 42.1
 3FG% Defense 33.5 30.8
 Rebound Margin +3.9 -1.0
 Ast-TO Ratio 1.2 1.0

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The No. 1/1 Kansas Jayhawks (9-0) will look to claim its 10-straight win when they host the South Dakota Coyotes (6-5) Tuesday, Dec. 18 at Allen Fieldhouse. KU and USD will meet for the first time in men’s basketball in the contest slated for 7 p.m. on Jayhawk TV and ESPN+. Dave Armstrong (play-by-play) and Chris Piper (analyst) will 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 South Dakota starting at 6:30 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 South Dakota are meeting first time in men’s basketball. KU is 18-5 all-time against current members of the Summit League.
  • Kansas is looking to go 10-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 team opened the season 18-0. A 10-0 record would be the fifth in head coach Bill Self’s 16 seasons at KU (14-0 in 2004-05, 20-0 in 2007-08, 14-0 in 2009-10 and 18-0 in 2010-11).
  • A 10-0 start would also mark the 16th 10-game winning streak for the Jayhawks in the Self era and the longest since 2016-17 when KU won 18-straight from Nov. 15, 2016 to Jan. 21, 2017.
  • At 9-0, Kansas is one of nine teams in NCAA Division I still undefeated.
  • After its 74-71 win against No. 17/16 Villanova (12/15), Kansas improved to 3-0 against ranked foes this season with its other wins versus then-No. 10 Michigan State (11/6) and then-No. 5 Tennessee (11/23).
  • Five of Kansas’ nine wins have been by six points or less, including each of the last two three-point victories.
  • Kansas is 47-3 in Allen Fieldhouse when it is the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll, including 21-0 under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks have won 39-straight in Allen Fieldhouse when ranked No. 1 dating back to the 1994-95 season.
  • Kansas is the only team in the Big 12 with two players ranked in the top five in the league in scoring. Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson is first at 20.1 ppg, while senior G Lagerald Vick is fifth at 17.7 ppg.
  • With five double-doubles in his last six games and six-straight 20-point outings, Dedric Lawson is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double with 20.1 ppg and a conference-leading 10.8 rpg.
  • Dedric Lawson is one of only four players in NCAA Division I to average at least 20 points and at least 10 rebounds this season.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 1 Kansas is 9-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 team started the season 18-0. Through nine games, Kansas ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (third at 80.9) and rebounding offense (third at 38.9). KU has a +9.6 scoring margin, +3.3 rebound margin and has outrebounded seven of nine opponents this season. KU also averages 6.9 3-pointers made, 14.4 assists and 3.6 blocked shots per game.
 
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson has six-straight 20-point games with five of those being double-doubles, including 28 points and 12 rebounds against Villanova (12/15) in his last outing. He leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 and rebounding at 10.8 boards per game. Lawson is the only player in the league averaging a double-double. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week (11/12, 11/26), who was the conference newcomer of the week Dec. 3, Lawson also leads KU with 24 assists.
 

NCAA DI 20-POINT, 10-REBOUND PERFORMERS
Player (Team) PPG RPG
Yoeli Chiles (BYU) 22.9 10.9
Dedric Lawson (Kansas) 20.1 10.8
Mike Daum (South Dakota State) 24.5 10.6
Lamine Diane (Cal-State Northridge) 24.8 10.5
Through games played on Dec. 15, 2018

 
Coming off a 29-point effort against Villanova (12/15, senior G Lagerald Vick is next in scoring at 17.7 points per game, which is fifth in the league. He leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game at 3.6 and fourth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 53.3 percent. Vick is 32-of-60 from beyond the arc, making more than half of KU’s treys this season.
 
Junior C Udoka Azubuike left the Wofford (12/4) game with a sprained ankle and is out indefinitely. Azubuike scores 12.9 points per game and his 6.1 rebound average is 13th in the league. Freshman G Devon Dotson is a starter who is tied for the team lead with 14 steals and is second on the team with 22 assists. Dotson averages 11.0 points per game. Freshman G Quentin Grimes has started all nine games and is second on the team with 11 3-pointers made to complement his 7.4 scoring average. Grimes also has 21 assists this season.
 
Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has started the last three games and is averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds. After his four steals versus Villanova (12/15), Garrett is tied with Dotson for the team lead in steals. Other KU regulars include redshirt sophomore G Charlie Moore (3.4 ppg, 11 assists, one start), redshirt sophomore G K.J. Lawson (2.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg), junior F Mitch Lightfoot (1.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and freshman F David McCormack (1.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg).
 

REMAINING NCAA DI UNDEFEATED TEAMS
School Record Next Game
Furman 12-0 at LSU (12/21)
Michigan 11-0 vs. Air Force (12/22)
Nevada 11-0 vs. Akron (12/22)
Texas Tech 10-0 vs. Duke (12/20)
Buffalo 10-0 at Syracuse (12/18)
Houston 10-0 vs. Utah State (12/20)
St. John’s 10-0 vs. St. Francis (12/19)
Virginia 9-0 at South Carolina (12/19)
KANSAS 9-0 vs. South Dakota (12/18)
Through games played on Dec. 16, 2018

 
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA
Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, with an enrollment of 10,261, South Dakota is 6-5 on the season after its 68-63 win at Colorado State on Dec. 16. The Coyotes are coached by South Dakota alum Todd Lee who is in his first season at USD and his ninth season overall with a 160-86 record. USD averages 67.4 points per game and has a +4.6 scoring margin. The Coyotes pull down 32.3 rebounds per game and make 6.2 3-point field goals per contest, attempting 20.5 per outing.
 
South Dakota has 10 players averaging 10 or more minutes per game. Senior F Trey Burch-Manning leads the Coyotes in scoring at 13.5 points per game and in rebounding with a 7.1 average. Burch-Manning also leads the team in steals with 20 and 3-point field goals made with 17. Junior G Triston Simpson is next in scoring at 12.3 points per game. He is also second on the team with 17 steals and he leads the Coyotes with 33 assists. Simpson has made 13 3-pointers this season. Junior G Tyler Peterson is second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game to complement his 12.1 scoring average. Peterson’s 23 assists are third on the squad. Sophomore G Stanley Umude has a team high 11 blocked shots. He averages 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Junior G Cody Kelley (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) is another South Dakota starter.
 
Junior G Brandon Armstrong (7.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg) has started eight games and he is second on the team with 16 3-pointers made this season. Other South Dakota regulars include: senior F Dan Jech (5.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), senior F Logan Power (4.0 ppg), freshman G Nathan Robinson (1.8 ppg) and freshman F Matt Johns (1.8 ppg). Jech has only played the last two games and had eight points and four rebounds in starting at Colorado State (12/16).
 
THE SERIES
Kansas and South Dakota are meeting for the first time in men’s basketball. KU is 18-5 against current membership of the Summit League: 7-4 vs. Oral Roberts, 3-1 vs. Denver, 3-0 vs. North Dakota, 2-0 vs. South Dakota State, 1-0 vs. North Dakota State, 1-0 vs. Omaha and 1-0 vs. Western Illinois. KU defeated two Summit League opponents last season with both in Allen Fieldhouse – South Dakota State, 98-64, on Nov. 17, 2017, and Omaha, 109-64, on Dec. 18, 2017.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 10-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season and give KU a 10-game winning streak for the first time since the 2016-17 season and the 16th time in the Bill Self era … Give Kansas its 40th-straight win in Allen Fieldhouse when ranked No. 1 by Associated Press … Give KU a 1-0 series advantage against South Dakota and a 19-5 all-time record against the current Summit League … Give Kansas its 10th-straight win in Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 778-113 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 240-13 under head coach Bill Self …  Make Kansas 5-0 in the month of December for the eighth time in Bill Self’s 16 seasons at KU … Make Self 457-96 while at Kansas and 664-201 overall … Make Kansas 2,258-849 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 9-1, ending a nine-game winning streak … Give South Dakota a 1-0 record against Kansas and make KU 18-6 against the current Summit League … End a nine-game win streak in Allen Fieldhouse … End a 39-game win streak in Allen Fieldhouse when Kansas was ranked No. 1 … Make KU 777-114 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 239-14 under head coach Bill Self … Make Self 456-97 while at Kansas and 663-202 overall … Make Kansas 2,257-850 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The tandem of senior Lagerald Vick and redshirt-junior Dedric Lawson combined for 57 points as No. 1 Kansas outlasted No. 17 Villanova, 74-71, Dec. 15 inside Allen Fieldhouse. Vick scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, while Lawson posted his sixth double-double of the year as KU avenged its Final Four loss to the Wildcats last March.
 
Some hot shooting from Lawson and Vick had the Jayhawks out in front for the majority of the first half. After falling behind 13-8 before the 14:00 mark of the opening frame, KU sprinted on an 11-0 run, highlighted by triples from both Lawson and Vick. During this time KU held the Wildcats without a point for more than six minutes as it took a 19-13 lead before the under-8 minute media timeout.
 
Villanova countered with a trio of threes of their own over the final eight minutes of the first frame to claw their way back within reach before the break, as the Jayhawks held on to a 33-31 edge at the intermission.
 
The Wildcats came out of the halftime locker room on an 8-2 run to regain the lead at 39-35, less than four minutes into the second frame.
Vick and Lawson then took control on the offensive end, scoring 24 of their team’s next 26 points to help the Jayhawks carry a 61-56 lead into the final media timeout of the game.
 
Devon Dotson’s lone field goal of the second half was a big one as it gave the Jayhawks a two-possession lead, 63-58, with less than 2:30 to play in regulation. From there, KU used some impressive free throw shooting to keep the Wildcats at arm’s length down the stretch. The Jayhawks posted an 11-of-12 clip from the charity stripe over the final 1:10.
 
VILLANOVA LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

  • Kansas won its 39th-straight win in Allen Fieldhouse when ranked No. 1 by the AP and is now 47-3 overall in Allen as the No. 1 team.
  • The win made Kansas 2-1 against the defending national champion in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas last defeated defending champion UCLA on December 1, 1995.
  • Despite a season-low 35 rebounds, Kansas outrebounded Villanova by nine, as the Wildcats tallied just 26 boards, the fewest by a KU opponent this season.
  • Senior G Lagerald Vick and redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson’s combined 57 points were the most by a KU duo since February 15, 2013, when Elijah Johnson (39) and Travis Releford (19) combined for 58-points in an overtime win at Iowa State.
  • Vick and Lawson combined for a 19-for-30 (63.3 percent) clip from the field while the rest of the Jayhawks were 4-of-16 (25 percent)
  • Kansas posted a season best 76.7 percent free throw percentage while making a season high 23 from the line.  The Jayhawks have made 70 percent or better from the free throw line in three of their last four game.
  • Dedric Lawson’s six-straight 20-point outing is the second-longest in the Bill Self era behind Frank Mason III’s streak of seven straight 20-point games from February 27-March 25, 2017. In fact, those are Kansas’ only two streaks of six games or more since Raef LaFrentz had nine straight 20-point games from January 26-February 22, 1997.
  • In his five outings at Allen Fieldhouse this season, Vick has shot 42-of 67 from the field (63.7 percent), including a 21-of-41 mark from 3-point range (51.2 percent), and is averaging 24.2 points per game on James Naismith Court.

 
KANSAS AS NO. 1 IN ALLEN FIELDHOUSE
Kansas is 47-3 in Allen Fieldhouse when it is ranked No. 1 in the nation by the Associated Press. This includes at 21-0 record under Bill Self. The Jayhawks have won 39-straight in Allen Fieldhouse when ranked No. 1 dating back to the 1994-95 season. The last KU loss as a No. 1 team in Allen Fieldhouse was to Kansas State, 68-64, on Jan. 17, 1994.
 

NO. 1 KANSAS AT ALLEN FIELDHOUSE
Season Record vs. Top-25
1956-57 3-0 0-0
1989-90 4-1 0-1
1992-93 1-1 0-0
1993-94 0-1 0-0
1994-95 1-0 1-0
1995-96 1-0 0-0
1996-97 14-0 3-0
2001-02 2-0 0-0
2004-05 1-0 0-0
2009-10 14-0 0-0
2010-11 1-0 0-0
2015-16 3-0 2-0
2016-17 1-0 0-0
2018-19 1-0 1-0
TOTAL 47-3 7-1
Self Era 21-0 3-0

 
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 with six double-doubles this season. 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 42 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.
 

ACTIVE NCAA DI CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS
Rnk Player (Team) Gms Double-Doubles
1 James Thompson VI (E. Mich.) 110 61
2 Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) 108 53
3 Dedric Lawson (Memphis/Kansas) 74 42
4 Devontae Cacok (UNC-Willmington) 107 41
Through games played on Dec. 15, 2018

 
 
KANSAS VS TOP-25 TEAMS
With its wins over No. 17 Villanova on Dec. 15, No. 5 Tennessee in the NIT title game on Nov. 23 and versus No. 10 Michigan State on Nov. 6, Kansas added to an impressive record against ranked teams during the Bill Self era. Under Self, Kansas is now 93-45 against AP-ranked opponents. In his first 15 seasons at KU, Self’s Jayhawks have collected four wins or more over top-25 ranked foes in 12 of those seasons, which includes a 38-16 record from 2014-present.
 
KU’s record against top-10 ranked opponents is even more impressive. KU is 18-4 against foes ranked inside the top-10 of the AP poll since 2013-14, including 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 3-0 2-0
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 3-1
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 93-45 40-20

 
TOP-10 TRIUMPHS
With its win over then-No. 5 Tennessee in the title game of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Nov. 23, Kansas extended an impressive streak. The Jayhawks’ victory marked their 13th-straight over an Associated Press top-10 opponent in regular-season play. Since the 1996-97 season, no other team in the nation has strung together more than seven regular-season wins over top-10 foes. KU’s last regular-season loss to a team ranked in the AP’s top-10 came to No. 1 Kentucky in the 2014 Champions Classic (11/18/14).
 
Even more impressive, prior to its Champions Classic loss to the Wildcats in 2014, the Jayhawks amassed a streak of seven-straight regular-season top-10 victories. This means that Kansas is an astounding 20-1 in its last 21 regular-season contests against top-10 ranked squads.
 
Since Bill Self took the reins of the Jayhawks in 2003, KU is 40-20 against top-10 teams, which includes postseason play.
 

LONGEST REGULAR-SEASON WIN STREAKS VS. AP TOP-10 OPPONENTS (Since 1996-97)
School Consec. wins Dates
KANSAS 13 1/4/16 – Present
Duke 7 2/28/98 – 2/3/99
Kentucky 7 1/29/02 – 1/3/2004
Syracuse 7 11/20/09 – 12/07/10
KANSAS 7 2/8/12 – 1/18/14

 
 
JAYHAWKS REGULARS ON BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS
Kansas opened the 2018-19 season strong, earning Big 12 Player of the Week honors the first four weeks of the season. Kansas senior Lagerald Vick and redshirt junior Dedric Lawson each earned the accolade twice. Lawson was the first honoree on Nov. 12 and was also named Nov. 26, while Vick earned the honor Nov. 19 and Dec. 3.
 
Two times this season KU has swept the Big 12’s weekly honors as Lawson was the player and freshman guard Quentin Grimes the newcomer on Nov. 12 and Vick was the player and Lawson the newcomer Dec. 3. The two sweeps marks the second time in the 23-year history of the Big 12 that Kansas has swept the weekly honors twice in one season with the other in 2013-14.
 
TOUGH COMPETITION
Many talk about how tough the Kansas schedule is for 2018-19. One look at KU’s nonconference opponents shows that six foes were preseason selections in their respective league races, with an additional five picked for second-place finishes.
 

KU’S NON-CON OPPONENTS IN PRESEASON LEAGUE POLLS
Conference Opponent Preseason Pick
America East Vermont (W, 86-68) 1st
Big East Villanova (W, 74-71)
Marquette (W, 77-68)
1st
2nd
Big Ten Michigan St. (W, 92-87) 1st
Mid-American Eastern Michigan 1st
Pac-12 Arizona State
Stanford (W, 90-84 ot)
6th
9th
SEC Kentucky
Tennessee (W, 87-81 ot)
1st
2nd
Southern Wofford (W, 72-47) 2nd
Summit South Dakota 2nd
Sun Belt Louisiana (W, 89-76) 2nd
WAC New Mexico St. (W, 63-60) 1st
Preseason polls included both those from coaches and media panels

 
UP NEXT
Though it has played four games away from Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas makes its first official road game of the 2018-19 season at Arizona State, on Saturday, Dec. 22, in Tempe, Arizona.
 FOLLOW 

@KUHoops

/KansasBasketball

@KUHoops 

KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.