No. 7/8 Kansas faces UAB on Monday in CBE Hall of Fame Classic

Notes Kansas Game Notes (.pdf)
Notes UAB Game Notes (.pdf)

CBE HALL OF FAME CLASSIC
No. 7/8 Kansas (2-1) is in its second of four games played in an eight-day stretch when it faces UAB (2-1) in bracket play of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic on Monday, Nov. 21, at Sprint Center in Kansas City. The game will start at 8:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2. Kansas won its 43rd-straight home opener with an 86-65 win against Siena, Nov. 18, in a host game for the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. UAB is 2-1 and coming off a 74-51 win against Troy on Nov. 17.

KANSAS IN THE CBE HALL OF FAME CLASSIC
Kansas is participating in its third CBE Hall of Fame Classic and its first since winning the 2012 event at Sprint Center in Kansas City. The Jayhawks are 8-1 in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic with a 5-0 record in host contests and 3-1 mark in the championship brackets. KU first played in the event in 2008 losing to Syracuse, 89-81 in overtime, in the title game. KU defeated Saint Louis, 73-59, in the 2012 championship game.

KU’s Travis Releford was the Most Valuable Player of the 2012 event and was joined by Jayhawk Ben McLemore on the all-tournament team. KU’s Sherron Collins was a member of the 2008 CBE Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team.

Originally called the Guardians Classic, the event started in 2001 with the championship rounds played in Kansas City at either Kemper Arena or Sprint Center.

ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas has won two straight games which includes a 77-75 victory over No. 1 Duke (11/15) in the Champions Classic in New York City and an 86-65 win versus Siena (11/18). The Jayhawks average 87.3 points per game and have a +6.3 scoring margin. KU has outrebounded each of its last two opponents and average 39.7 rebounds per contest with a +4.0 rebound margin. Kansas averages 16.0 assists, 6.3 steals and 5.3 blocked shots per game.

Senior G Frank Mason III has led KU in scoring in all three games this season, including 18 points in KU’s last outing against Siena (11/18). The reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, Mason is second in the league in scoring at 23.0 points per game and also averages 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Junior G Devonte’ Graham is next in scoring at 14.0 points per game. He is also second on the team with 4.7 assists per game. Sophomore F Carlton Bragg Jr. is coming off his first career double-double that included career highs in points (15) and rebounds (11) against Siena (11/18). Bragg leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and has a team-best four steals to go along with his 12.0 scoring average. Freshman G Josh Jackson scored 11 points against Siena (11/18) on 5-of-6 shooting and averages 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Senior C Landen Lucas rounds out the KU starters. Lucas tied his career high with five blocked shots against Siena (11/18) and he averages 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest.

Sophomore G Lagerald Vick has been the first Jayhawk off the bench in all three games. He is coming off a career highs in points (12) and rebounds (8) against Siena. He was 6-for-9 from the field against the Saints. Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk leads KU with four 3-pointers made this season. He averages 7.3 points per game. Freshman C Udoka Azubuike (2.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) rounds out the KU regulars. Azubuike pulled down 12 rebounds against No. 1 Duke (11/15).

ABOUT UAB
Located in Birmingham, Alabama, with an enrollment of 18,698, UAB is 2-1 on the season. The Blazers are coached by Robert Ehsan who is in his in first season as a head coach. UAB averages 78.0 points and has a +11.0 scoring margin. UAB pulls down 41.3 rebounds per game with a +8.7 rebound margin. The Blazers also average 18.0 assists, 7.7 blocked shots and 5.7 steals per game.

Junior F Chris Cokley leads UAB in scoring at 14.3 points per game and he is tied for the team lead in rebound average at 6.0. Freshman G Dirk Williams is next in scoring at 13.0 points per game. He has made a team-best four 3-pointers through three games. Senior G Hakeem Baxter scores 11.0 points per game and he pulls down 3.7 rebounds per contest. Junior F William Lee leads UAB in rebounds with 6.0 per game and blocked shots with 13. Lee averages 9.3 points. Sophomore G Deion Lavender is a starter who has a team-best 16 assists in three games. He averages 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. Other UAB regulars include senior G Tyler Madison (10.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg), senior G Denzell Watts (5.5 ppg), freshman G Javien Williams (5.0 ppg), and senior F Tosin Mehinti (4.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg).

THE SERIES
Kansas and UAB are meeting for the fourth time with KU holding a 2-1 advantage. The teams first met in the 1984 Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage with UAB winning 50-46. KU then defeated UAB, 109-83, in the opening round of the 1989 Preseason NIT in Allen Fieldhouse. KU would go on to win the 1989 Preseason NIT. In KU head coach Bill Self’s first season, the Jayhawks defeated the Blazers, 100-74, in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in St. Louis.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD …
Make Kansas 3-1 or better for the 13th time in the Bill Self era … Advance Kansas to the title game of the CBE Hallf of Fame Classic for the third time in three trips to the event … Make the Kansas-UAB series 3-1 in favor of the Jayhawks … Make Kansas 32-6 in Sprint Center and 217-80 all-time in games played in Kansas City …
Improve Self to 388-84 at Kansas, 595-189 overall and 3-1 against UAB … Make KU 2,189-837 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD …
Make Kansas 2-2 for the first time since the 2005-06 season … Tie the KU-UAB series at 2-2 … Make Kansas 8-2 in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic … Make Kansas 31-7 in Sprint Center and 216-81 all-time in games played in Kansas City … Make Bill Self 387-85 while at KU, 594-190 overall and 2-2 against UAB … Make KU 2,188-838 all-time.

SIENA LEFTOVERS
• The win was Kansas’ 43rd-straight home opening victory dating back to 1973-74.
• Bill Self became the winningest coach in Allen Fieldhouse history picking up his 207th win in the venue.
• Kansas extended its Allen Fieldhouse winning streak to 41 games and its NCAA-leading home-court winning streak to 43 games.
• The Jayhawks improved to 8-1 in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic with a 5-0 record in host contests and 3-1 mark in the championship brackets.
• KU’s 10 blocked shots were the most since recording 10 against Texas on Feb. 28, 2015.
• Senior Frank Mason III led KU in scoring for the third-straight game with 18 points.
• Sophomore F Carlton Bragg Jr. notched career highs of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 27 minutes. It was his first career double-double. 
• Junior G Devonte’ Graham dished out a career-high nine assists with no turnovers.
• Senior C Landen Lucas tied a career-high five blocks in 21 minutes of action.
• Sophomore G Lagerald Vick set career highs in points (12), rebounds (eight), field goals made (six) and minutes played (32).

KANSAS IN KANSAS CITY
Kansas City has been a second home of sorts for Kansas over the years. KU’s first-ever game — a 16-5 loss to Kansas City YMCA on Feb. 3, 1899 — was played in Kansas City. The 2016 CBE Hall of Fame Classic game against UAB will mark KU’s 297th game played all-time in Kansas City, and its 38th in Sprint Center. KU is 31-6 in Sprint Center including winning the 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2016 Big 12 Championships in the venue and the 2012 CBE Hall of Fame Classic.

Kansas played 106 games in Kemper Arena with an 81-25 record. KU is 216-80 in games played in Kansas City. 

NUGGETS ON THE JAYHAWKS IN KC
• 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 played at least one regular-season game in Kansas City in 26 of the last 28 seasons, including every year Sprint Center has existed.
• Kansas has won a mind-boggling 26 conference tournaments (13 holiday conference tourneys and 13 postseason league titles) with 24 of those in Kansas City. The lone two titles not in KC were in 2006 in Dallas and 2007 in Oklahoma City.

KU IN SPRINT CENTER
Kansas is 31-6 in Sprint Center. Below is a breakdown of how Kansas has fared in the venue. Not included are two exhibition victories when KU, who represented the USA at the 2015 World University Games, defeated Canada in prepping for the Games.

SELF SETS ALLEN FIELDHOUSE MARK
With Kansas’ 86-65 win against Siena, Nov. 18, Kansas head coach Bill Self became the winningest coach inside Allen Fieldhouse. Self is 207-9 in Allen Fieldhouse and passed Ted Owens, who was 206-47 from 1964-65 to 1982-83. (Bill Self 207-9, Ted Owens 206-47, Roy Williams 201-17, Larry Brown 71-5, Dick Harp 51-29, Phog Allen 9-2).

NOT BAD COMPANY FOR FRANK
In Kansas’ first two games, senior G Frank Mason III scored 51 points and collected 14 assists. Mason’s points are the most in the first two games for a Jayhawk since Carl Henry scored 53 points in KU’s first two contests of the 1982-83 season. Mason’s 14 assists are the most since Aaron Miles also had 14 dimes in the first two games of the 2002-03 season.

IN THE POLLS
Kansas entered the 2016-17 season No. 3 in the Associated Press poll and No. 2 in the USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll. In this week’s rankings, the Jayhawks are No. 8 coaches’ poll and No. 7 in the AP poll after a season-opening 103-99 overtime loss to now-No. 6/5 Indiana (11/11). 

Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 144 AP polls dating back to the 2008-09 season, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.

Kansas was ranked in the preseason for the 25th time in time in the 28-year history of the coaches’ poll. The No. 2 preseason ranking marked the sixth time KU has been preseason No. 2 or higher in the coaches’ poll.

Last season Kansas tied its previous season’s record by facing 16 ranked foes. The Jayhawks’ 12 wins against ranked teams was an all-time season high. In 2015-16 Kansas opened the year No. 5 in the preseason coaches’ poll and ended No. 3.

The AP ranking marked the highest preseason rank for the Jayhawks since entering the 2009-10 season No. 1. This is the fourth-straight season KU has been ranked No. 5 or higher by the AP preseason poll. KU was No. 4 last season in the AP preseason poll and No. 5 in 2014-15 and 2013-14. It is also the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by the AP.

Under Bill Self, this is the 11th time that Kansas entered the season ranked seventh or higher in the AP preseason poll and historically, the No. 3 ranking marked the 19th time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas entered the season seventh or higher.

Last season, KU entered the year No. 4 nationally in the Associated Press poll and ended at No. 1. The AP’s final poll is released prior to the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were ranked in the top 10 every week during the 2015-16 season.

MASON NETS BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior G Frank Mason III scored a career-high 30 points against No. 11 Indiana on Nov. 11 to earn the season’s first Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honor. Mason posted his career game on Veterans Day, in the State Farm Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu, a game which KU lost 103-99 in overtime. Mason scored the Jayhawks’ final 11 points in regulation, including two free throws to send the game to overtime.

Also in the contest, Mason set career highs in free throws (13) and free throw attempts (15). His 30 points marked his fifth career game of scoring 20 or more points and his nine assists against the Hoosiers was the 14th time in his career he has had seven or more assists.

JAYHAWKS NAMED TO WATCH LISTS
Kansas senior Frank Mason III, junior Devonte’ Graham and freshman Josh Jackson were named to the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s® Preseason Top 50, the Los Angeles Athletic Club Nov. 15.

Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for John R. Wooden Award. The same three Jayhawks were named to the Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List on Nov. 10.
With three Jayhawks on the Wooden list, Kansas has tied for the most by any school on the preseason watch. Duke, Kentucky and Oregon also have three each on the preseason top 50. Jackson joins six other freshmen on the list as well.

CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Including 2015-16, Kansas has won 16 of the 20 Big 12 regular-season titles (includes ties), including the last 12, which ranks second on the NCAA all-time consecutive list. Kansas’ 59 conference titles are the most in NCAA Division I. Kentucky is second with 53 and Penn third at 37. KU’s 12-straight league titles are the longest active streak in NCAA Division I and the longest streak in school history. UCLA, from 1967-79, holds the NCAA record of 13 straight, which was under two coaches. Kansas’ current run has been under head coach Bill Self.

KANSAS IS PRESEASON BIG 12 FAVORITE
For the 15th time in the 21-year history of the Big 12, Kansas men’s basketball was selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference regular-season championship. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the poll and KU received a unanimous nine first-place votes and a total of 81 points. West Virginia was second in the poll receiving 65 points, followed by Texas (59), Iowa State (56) and Baylor (53). Oklahoma was sixth with 40 points, while Oklahoma State and Texas Tech tied for seventh with 32 points. Kansas State (20) and TCU (12) rounded out the coaches’ preseason poll.

Historically, the preseason favorite has gone on to finish first in the regular season 13 times, which does not include 1996-97 as a coaches’ poll was not conducted. Kansas has been the preseason favorite in 12 of its 16 Big 12 regular-season titles, missing 1996-97 (no poll), 2005-06 (third) and 2010-11 (second).

JAYHAWKS EARN PRESEASON BIG 12 HONORS Kansas guards Frank Mason III, Devonte’ Graham and Josh Jackson each garnered recognition on the 2016-17 All-Big 12 Preseason Team as voted on by the league’s men’s basketball coaches.

Mason and Graham were on the five-member All-Big 12 Preseason Team, while Jackson is an honorable mention selection as the recipient of at least one vote by the league’s coaches who could not vote for their own student-athletes. Jackson was also voted as KU’s fourth-straight Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.

Jackson is the fourth-straight Jayhawk to be named preseason freshman of the year joining Cheick Diallo last season, Cliff Alexander in 2014-15 and Andrew Wiggins in 2013-14. KU has had eight Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year selections starting with Nick Collison in 1999-2000.

TRIO NAMED TO NAISMITH WATCH LISTS
The Kansas trio of Frank Mason III, Devonte’ Graham and Carlton Bragg Jr. have been named candidates for three respected national honors the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Named one of 20 candidates, Mason is on the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard Award list and Graham was named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award list. Bragg is one of 20 candidates on the 2017 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, an honor Perry Ellis was a finalist for in both of the last two seasons.

DOMINATING DEFENSE
In Bill Self’s 13 seasons at Kansas, the Jayhawks have led the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense nine times and finished no lower than fourth. Nationally, Self-coached Jayhawks have ranked eighth or higher in all but four seasons in field goal percentage defense and have ranked in the top five on eight occasions, including first in 2005-06 and 2012-13.

BIG 12 RUN NO CAKEWALK
Kansas ended 2015-16 ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) and its strength of schedule was second nationally. In Bill Self’s 13 seasons, KU has ranked fifth or higher in the final RPI nine times, including each of the last seven years.

KANSAS VS. RANKED TEAMS
Kansas opened the 2016-17 season going 1-1 against ranked foes. In 2015-16, Kansas posted a season-high 12 wins against Associated Press Top 25 teams. The mark surpassed the previous season, 2014-15, of 10. In the Bill Self era, Kansas is 76-38 against ranked opponents and has only had one non-.500 record, that being his first in 2003-04. Each of the past two seasons, Kansas has played a season-high 16 games vs. ranked foes.

DOWNTOWN
In 2015-16, Kansas made a season-record 304 3-pointers. The Jayhawks’ 41.8 percent from 3-point range tied for second best in school history.

SOME THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN 2016-17
• Bill Self has 387 wins at KU (13 shy of 400), 594 overall (six shy of 600). When he won his 500th, Self tied for the ninth fastest in NCAA history. Entering 2016-17, Self coached 780 games, which is how many it took Phog Allen to win his 600th. Self will most likely end up 10th or 11th fastest to 600.
•KU is 745-109 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, approaching win No. 750 in the venue.
•Kansas has the nation’s longest active home court winning streak at 43 games entering 2016-17; 41 of those in Allen Fieldhouse.
•KU has sold out of 244-straight games in Allen Fieldhouse, approaching 250.
•Kansas has won 2,188 all-time games, approaching 2,200, which is second all-time in NCAA history. Kentucky is first at 2,208 and North Carolina is third at 2,181.
• Entering the 2016-17 season, Kansas is the winningest program, by percentage, this decade: 1. KANSAS (216-43, 83.4%); 2. Kentucky (217-47, 82.2%); 3. Duke (210-47, 81.7%).
•Should Kansas advance to the 2017 NCAA Tournament it would be its 28th-consecutive NCAA tourney appearance. The current 27 straight is tied for the NCAA Tournament longest consecutive appearance streak with North Carolina (1975-2001).
• Junior G Devonte’ Graham ranks sixth on the KU career 3-point field goal list (min. 200 attempts), currently at 42.2 percent. Milt Newton (1985, 1987-89) holds the record at 44.6.
• Senior G Frank Mason III ranks No. 38 in KU career scoring (1,201 points). Mason is No. 15 in assists (406). Mason is the 11th player in KU history to rank that high in both points and assists.
•Mason has started 77-straight games, which ranks 10th on the KU career list.

KANSAS INKS TWO
Kansas men’s basketball had two standouts sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) two during the early signing period, guard Marcus Garrett and forward Billy Preston.

Garrett, from Dallas Skyline High School, has been described as utility guard who plays multiple positions, and can run an offense and provide versatility in playing multiple positions. At 6-foot-5, 180 pounds he creates match-up problems and also has been described as an elite defender.

A 2015-16 all-state selection as a junior at Skyline High under head coach Paul Graham, Garrett is a four-star recruit who verbally committed to KU in early August. Rivals.com ranks Garrett No. 37 in the 2017 national rankings.

Last season, Garrett averaged 17.7 points, 10.1 assists and 7.0 rebounds in leading Skyline to a 32-3 record. With Garrett at the controls, Skyline made a run to the state tournament, advancing to the UIL Class 6A Region II semifinals. When not playing for the Skyline Raiders, Garrett plays AAU basketball for Dallas-based Swaghouse coached by his uncle, Matthew Watts.

A 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward from Los Angeles, Preston plays for national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, for coach Steve Smith. The five-star recruit is ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect by 247sports.com and No. 8 by rivals.com and scout.com.

Prior to transferring to Oak Hill, Preston played for Advanced Prep International in Dallas, where he averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in 2015-16. Preston has played AAU basketball for Mo Williams, Houston Hoops and Belmont Shores.

FIFTEEN JAYHAWKS ON NBA OPENING DAY ROSTERS
A total of 15 Jayhawks were opening day rosters for the 2016-17 NBA regular-season which began Oct. 25.

Paul Pierce has the most tenure of the Jayhawks in the NBA, entering his 19th and final season of his hall-of-fame career. Pierce is in his second year with the Los Angeles Clippers. Oklahoma City’s Nick Collison is next entering his 14th season with the Thunder.

The Minnesota Timberwolves carry the most Jayhawks  with Cole Aldrich, Brandon Rush and Andrew Wiggins. Aldrich, from Bloomington, Minnesota, returns home for his first season with the Timberwolves and his seventh season in an NBA uniform. Rush is in his ninth season in the league, while Wiggins, the No. 1 overall NBA Draft selection in 2014, is in his third.

Darrell Arthur, who is in his eighth season in the NBA and fourth with Denver. Arthur missed 2011-12 due to injury.

Twins Marcus and Markieff Morris are entering their sixth year in the league with Marcus on the Detroit Pistons, and Markieff with the Washington Wizards. Joining Markeiff on the Wizards is Kelly Oubre Jr., who is in his second season in the NBA.

Jeff Withey (Utah Jazz) begins his second year in a Jazz uniform and his third overall in the NBA. Thomas Robinson is in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers as he joins fellow Jayhawk Tarik Black, who is in his third season with the franchise. Fourth-year player and No. 7 overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, Ben McLemore continues his career with the Sacramento Kings.

The No. 3 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, Joel Embiid suffered through injuries his first two seasons but is now healthy for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Cheick Diallo is the youngest Jayhawk in the NBA as he begins his rookie season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

THIS DATE IN KANSAS BASKETBALL HISTORY
Kansas is 6-1 all-time on Nov. 21.
Nov. 21, 1997: Kansas defeated UNLV 92-68 in the second round of the Preseason NIT. Seven days later, the Jayhawks would win the Preseason NIT with a victory over Florida State in Madison Square Garden. In the 100th season of KU basketball, the Jayhawks would go 35-4 and were both the Big 12 Conference regular season and tournament champions.

UP NEXT
Kansas will either play Georgia or George Washington Nov. 22 in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. The consolation game will be at 6:30 p.m., on ESPN3 and the finals at 9 p.m., on ESPN2. Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse to host UNC Asheville in its second host game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic on Friday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m., on Jayhawk TV/ESPN3.

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