No. 2 Jayhawks to take on New Mexico State in Kansas City Saturday

Freshman forward David McCormack 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 2 Kansas (7-0) will look to go to 8-0 for the first time since 2010-11 when it plays host to the New Mexico State Aggies (7-1) at Kansas City’s Sprint Center on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m., in the Jayhawk Shootout presented by Advent Health. The Jayhawks and Aggies will meet for the fourth time and the first since the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The contest will be televised on ESPN2 with Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) calling the action.

WATCH JAYHAWK GAMEDAY LIVE FROM SPRINT CENTER
Jayhawk Gameday Live, a 30-minute pregame show and a 60-minute postgame show, will be live before KU’s match-up with New Mexico State starting at 7 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

• The Jayhawks and Aggies are meeting for the fourth time in men’s basketball with the last meeting in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, a Kansas 75-56 win in Omaha, Nebraska, in the first round of the event.
• Kansas is looking to go 8-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 team opened the season 18-0. An 8-0 record would be the fifth in head coach Bill Self’s 16 seasons at KU.
• At 7-0, Kansas is one of 11 teams in NCAA Division I still undefeated.
• The Jayhawks are 38-9 in games played inside Sprint Center and 224-83 all-time playing in Kansas City. KU has won 25 conference tournament titles in K.C., with five of those coming at Sprint Center.
• Kansas is the only team in the Big 12 that has two players ranked in the top five in league scoring. Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson is third at 19.0 ppg, while senior G Lagerald Vick is fifth at 17.9 ppg.
• With three double-doubles in his last four games and four-straight 20-point outings, Lawson is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double with a 17.9 ppg and 10.7 rpg.
• Dedric Lawson has four double-doubles this season, which leads the Big 12 and is 15th nationally. With 40 all-time, Lawson is fourth on the NCAA active double-double career list.
• Lagerald Vick leads the conference in 3-point field goals made per game at 4.0 and 3-point field goal percentage (57.1) and is 28-of-45 (62.2 percent) from 3-point range in his last six games.
• Kansas is 4-for-4 in Big 12 Player of the Week honors this season with Dedric Lawson on Nov. 12 and 26 and Lagerald Vick winning the honor on Nov. 19 and Dec. 3. Additionally, freshman Quentin Grimes was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week Nov. 12 while Lawson earned the newcomer nod on Dec. 3.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 2 Kansas is 7-0 for the second-straight season and sixth time under head coach Bill Self after its 72-47 win against Wofford Dec. 4. Through seven games, Kansas leads the Big 12 in scoring offense at 84.4. The Jayhawks also rank in the top three in the league in field goal percentage (third at 49.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (third at 1.3). KU averages 39.9 rebounds per game with a +3.9 rebound margin. The Jayhawks have outrebounded six of seven opponents this season.
 
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson has four-straight 20-point games with three of those being double-doubles. He leads Kansas with a 19.0 scoring average, which is third in the Big 12. With his 10.7 rebounds per game, Lawson is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week and the conference newcomer of the week last week, Lawson also leads KU with 22 assists.
 
Senior G Lagerald Vick is next in scoring at 17.9 points per game, which is fifth in the league. He leads the Big 12 in 3-point field made per game at 4.0 and 3-point field goal percentage at 57.1 percent. Vick is 28-of-45 (62.2 percent) from beyond the arc in his last six outings. Vick is tied for second on the team lead with 10 steals.
 
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 tied for 11th in the league. Freshmen guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes combined for 30 points against Wofford (12/4) and round out the KU starters. Dotson scores 11.4 points per game and leads KU with 13 steals. Grimes averages 8.7 points per game and he is second on the team with 10 3-point field goals made.
 
Sophomore G Marcus Garrett started the Wofford contest and recorded a season-high seven rebounds to go along with seven points. Garrett averages 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and has 14 assists. Other KU regulars include redshirt sophomore G Charlie Moore (3.4 ppg, 10 assists), redshirt sophomore G K.J. Lawson (3.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg), freshman F David McCormack (2.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and junior F Mitch Lightfoot (1.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg).
 

 
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE
Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with an enrollment of 14,852, New Mexico State is 7-1 on the season and brings a five-game winning streak to Kansas City. The Aggies are coached by Chris Jans who is 35-7 in his second season at NMSU and 56-19 in his third season overall.
 
New Mexico State is the preseason favorite of the coaches and the media to win the Western Athletic Conference title for the second-straight year. The Aggies average 81.0 points per game and have a +13.1 scoring margin. NMSU also dominates the boards, pulling down 38.5 per contest with a +8.5 rebound margin. The Aggies make 9.0 3-pointers per game and average 13.0 assists, 5.3 steals and 2.1 blocked shots per contest.
 
New Mexico State is deep as 12 Aggies average 11 or more minutes per game. Redshirt junior G AJ Harris leads team in scoring at 12.3 points per game. He is second on the squad with 19 assists and has made 11 3-pointers this season.
 
Junior F Ivan Aurrecoechea is next in scoring at 11.6 points per game. He is second on the team with a 5.8 rebound average. Junior G Terrell Brown comes off the bench to score 11.1 points per contest. He leads NMSU with 16 3-pointers made.
 
Redshirt senior F Eli Chuha has started four games and leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per contest. Chuha scores 9.3 points per game and has four blocked shots. Redshirt senior G JoJo Zamora is a starter who averages 8.3 points, while junior G Clayton Henry (6.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has seven starts in eight games.
 
Other New Mexico State regulars include: junior F Mohamed Thiam (5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), redshirt sophomore F Johnny McCants (5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, team-high six blocked shots), redshirt freshman G Jabari Rice (4.9 ppg), redshirt junior F C.J. Bobbit (4.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg), junior G Shunn Buchanan (3.0 ppg, team-high 23 assists) and senior G Keyon Jones (2.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg).
 
THE SERIES
Kansas and New Mexico State have met three times previously with KU winning all three matchups. This series dates back 53 years when the Jayhawks defeated the Aggies, 102-51, on Dec. 7, 1965, in Allen Fieldhouse. Fast forward 43 years and Kansas won the second matchup, 100-79, on Dec. 3, 2008. That game was also played in Allen Fieldhouse.
 
The Jayhawks and Aggies last met in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region in Omaha, Nebraska. KU went on the win the contest 75-56 behind 17 points from Frank Mason III. Mason tied Landen Lucas for the team lead in rebounds with nine apiece.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 8-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season … Make KU 4-0 all-time against New Mexico State … Give Kansas its fourth-straight win in Sprint Center and make KU 39-9 in the venue … Make KU 225-83 all-time in games played in Kansas City … Make Kansas 3-0 in the month of December for the 11th time in Bill Self’s 16 seasons at KU … Make Self 455-96 while at Kansas and 662-201 overall … Make Kansas 2,256-849 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 7-1, ending a seven-game winning streak … Give New Mexico State its first win in the series, making it 3-1 in favor of Kansas … Make Kansas 38-10 in Sprint Center, ending a three-game winning streak in the venue … Make KU 224-84 all-time in games played in Kansas City … Make head coach Bill Self 454-97 while at Kansas and 661-202 overall … Make Kansas 2,255-850 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The combo of freshman Devon Dotson, redshirt-junior Dedric Lawson, and a 27-0 second-half run proved to be too much for Wofford as the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks claimed a 72-47 win over the Terriers Dec. 4 inside Allen Fieldhouse. With Wofford coming into the game averaging 11 3-pointers per game, some stout Jayhawk defense helped close out on the perimeter, leading to the Terriers to a 3-of-23 clip from beyond the arc, a season low.
 
It was a cold-shooting first half for both squads as the two teams combined to hit just three 3-pointers on a total of 19 attempts. Despite the cold touch from deep and an early injury to junior center Udoka Azubuike, the Jayhawks managed to take a 29-26 lead into the halftime locker room. This was due to 18-combined points from Lawson, Dotson and Marcus Garrett in the opening 20 minutes.
 
After Wofford cut the lead back to within two at the 11:15 mark of the second half, the Jayhawks didn’t look back. Kansas exploded on a 27-0 run over the next 8:49 to put the visitors away once and for all.
 
Lawson showed his consistency and experience with 20 points and eight rebounds on the night, shooting an impressive 10-of-17 from the field. Dotson continued his hot streak as he finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He also dished out three assists. Grimes bounced back after some quiet outings with 14 points.
 
WOFFORD LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

• Kansas moved to 163-1 under Bill Self when holding its opponent to 59 points or fewer.
• Kansas won its ninth-straight game in Allen Fieldhouse, including a 4-0 record this season.
• After Wofford cut the Jayhawk lead to two points following an 8-2 run, Kansas responded with a 27-0 run over a span of 8:49 to go up 78-41. During that stretch, Kansas was 12-of-16 from the floor (75 percent).
• Wofford’s 47 points marked an opponent season-low for the Jayhawks. This total was the lowest by a Jayhawk foe since the Montana Grizzlies scored 46 in KU’s 88-46 win on Dec. 19, 2015.
• Kansas forced 18 Wofford turnovers. Kansas has now forced 18 or more turnovers three times in its seven games this season. Last year, the Jayhawks forced 18+ opponent turnovers three times in 38 games.
• The Jayhawks were able to convert Wofford’s 18 turnovers into 25 points. Kansas has scored 25 or more points off opponent turnovers three times already this season.
• Wofford entered the game averaging 11 3-point field goals per game this season. The Jayhawks held the Terriers to season lows in both 3-point field goals (5) and 3-point percentage (19.2).
• The Jayhawks held Wofford to a field goal percentage of 26.2, which was 21.1 percent below its season average of 47.5 percent per game. This is the lowest opponent shooting percentage since Kansas held Texas to 21.8 percent (12-of-55) on Feb. 16, 2013.
• Freshman G Devon Dotson’s 16 points marked the fourth-straight game he has hit double figures and the third time this season he has tallied 16 or more points.
• After tallying two points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first half, freshman G Quentin Grimes had 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added a pair of rebounds and an assist in the second half.
• Freshman F David McCormack set a career high with six points.
• Senior G Lagerald Vick was held scoreless for the first time since Feb. 1, 2017, his sophomore season, when the Jayhawks played No. 2 Baylor at home.
• Freshman G Garrett Luinstra made his Kansas debut when he entered the contest with 1:02 remaining in the second half.

 
KANSAS IN KANSAS CITY
Kansas City has been a second home for KU over the years. The Jayhawks’ first-ever game — a 16-5 loss to Kansas City YMCA on Feb. 3, 1899 — was played in Kansas City. The Dec. 8, 2018, Jayhawk Shootout will mark KU’s 308th all-time game played in Kansas City, and its 48th in Sprint Center. Excluding exhibition contests, KU is 38-9 in Sprint Center including winning the 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018 Big 12 Championships in the venue and the 2012 and 2016 CBE Hall of Fame Classics.
 
MORE ON THE JAYHAWKS IN KANSAS CITY

• Beginning in 1984-85, Kansas has played at least one regular-season game, be it in a tournament or a home contest, in Kansas City in 30 of the last 33 seasons. KU only missed 1987-88, 1990-91 and 1996-97 and in those seasons the Jayhawks played league tournament or NCAA Tournament postseason games in KC.
• KU is 224-83 in games played in Kansas City.
• KU played 106 games in Kemper Arena with an 81-25 record. Kansas went 26-4 in Kemper Arena from 1997 until 2006, when it played its last game in the venue. Included in that run were Big 12 Championship titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
• Kemper Arena was the host of the 1988 NCAA Final Four when the Jayhawks won the national championship.
• Kansas has won a mind-boggling 27 conference tournaments (13 holiday conference tourneys and 14 postseason league titles) with 25 of those in Kansas City. The lone two titles not in KC were in 2006 in Dallas and 2007 in Oklahoma City.

                                             
Kansas Conference Tournament Titles in KC
Municipal Auditorium (Conference Holiday Tournament) – 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
Kemper Arena (*Big Eight Holiday Tournament) – *1974, *1977, *1978, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007
Sprint Center – 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018
 
KANSAS IN SPRINT CENTER
In the 11-plus seasons since its opening, Sprint Center has been a welcome site for Kansas basketball, with the Jayhawks holding a 38-9 record in the venue. Below is a breakdown of how KU has fared in the venue. Not included are three exhibition victories for KU, two versus Canada while prepping for the 2015 World University Games, and an October 2017 fundraising win against Missouri.
 

 
 
VICK MAKING 3-POINT HISTORY
Kansas senior Lagerald Vick recorded one of the best five-game shooting stretches in program history. In five outings from Nov. 12 to Dec. 1, the Memphis product combined for a 28-of-43 clip from 3-point range, good for 65.1 percent in that span.
 
His 28 triples are the most in program history for a Jayhawk over a five-game span. Only one other Jayhawk in school history who has hit 25 or more threes over a five-game stretch. “Downtown” Terry Brown (1989-91), connected on 25 or more treys over a string of five outings on two occasions during the 1990-91 season.
 
Vick’s 65.1 percent shooting in that span has not been matched by another Jayhawk. The two closest are Brown and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. Over five games during the 2017-18 season, Mykhailiuk hit 22-of-41 tries (53.7 percent) in the Jayhawks’ first five outings of conference play.
 

 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 lead with four 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 40 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.
 

 
UP NEXT
In a rematch of the 2018 NCAA Final Four semifinal, Kansas will host defending national champion Villanova on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN. Villanova holds a 4-3 series advantage and the Wildcats have won the last three meetings. This will be only the second meeting in Lawrence with the first on Jan. 2, 2004, a KU 86-79 win.
 
This will mark the third time in the arena’s 63 years that KU will host the defending NCAA Champion at Allen Fieldhouse. KU fell to the 1962 champion Cincinnati, 64-49, on Dec. 16, 1962 and defeated the 1995 champion UCLA Bruins, 85-70, on Dec. 1, 1995. 

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