No. 1 Jayhawks journey to Tempe to meet No. 18 Sun Devils Saturday

RS-Sophomore guard K.J. Lawson 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The No. 1/1 Kansas Jayhawks (10-0) will face their first true road test of the 2018-19 season when they journey to take on No. 18/19 Arizona State (8-2) on Saturday, Dec. 22 at Wells Fargo Arena. Kansas, one of nine undefeated teams remaining in the nation, will tip off against the Sun Devils at 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2. Dave Pasch (play-by-play) and Bill Walton (analyst) will call the action.

WATCH JAYHAWK GAMEDAY LIVE FROM TEMPE
Jayhawk Gameday Live, a 30-minute pregame show and a 60-minute postgame show, will be live before KU’s match-up with Arizona State 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 and Arizona State are meeting for the 11th time in men’s basketball and the series is tied at 5-5.
• Kansas is looking to go 11-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 team opened the season 18-0. An 11-0 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).
• At 10-0, Kansas has now won 10 or more consecutive games 16 times in Bill Self’s 16 seasons at KU. The 10 straight is the longest at KU since 2016-17 when the Jayhawks won 18-straight from Nov. 15, 2016 to Jan. 21, 2017.
• At 10-0, 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).
• The Jayhawks are 93-45 against AP top-25 teams in Bill Self’s 16 seasons, including a 29-11 mark since 2015-16.
• Five of Kansas’ 10 wins have been by six points or less.
• 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 second in scoring at 19.7 ppg, while senior G Lagerald Vick is fifth at 17.1 ppg.
• With six double-doubles in his last seven games, Dedric Lawson is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double with 19.7 ppg and a conference-leading 11.1 rpg.
• Lawson has seven double-doubles this season, which leads the Big 12 and is tied for sixth nationally.
• Lagerald Vick leads the conference in 3-point field goals made per game at 3.4 and his 54.0 3-point field goal percentage is second in the Big 12.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 1 Kansas is 10-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 team started the season 18-0. Through 10 games, Kansas ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (second at 81.7) and rebounding offense (third at 39.2). KU has a +12.2 scoring margin, +4.6 rebound margin and has outrebounded eight of 10 opponents this season. KU also averages 7.1 3-pointers made, 14.9 assists and 3.7 blocked shots per game.
 
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson has three straight double-doubles and a Big 12-leading seven for the season. Dedric Lawson has scored 20 or more points in six of his last seven games. He leads the Big 12 in rebounding at 11.1 boards per game and is second in scoring at 19.7 ppg. 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) and two-time league newcomer of the week (12/3, 12/17), Lawson is tied for second on the team with 24 assists.
 
Senior G Lagerald Vick is next in scoring at 17.1 points per game, which is fifth in the league. He leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game at 3.4 and is second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 54.0 percent. Vick is 34-of-63 from beyond the arc, making almost half of KU’s treys this season. His 15 steals are second on the squad.
 

 
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 leads KU with 28 assists and third on the team with 14 steals. Dotson averages 10.7 points per game. Freshman G Quentin Grimes has started all 10 games and is second on the team with 11 3-pointers made to complement his 7.3 scoring average. Grimes also has 24 assists this season.
 
Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has started the last four games and leads Kansas with 17 steals as he has seven thefts in the last two games. Garrett is averaging 6.0 points and 3.4 rebounds. Redshirt sophomore G Charlie Moore is coming off his best performance of the season where he led KU with 18 points, including six 3-pointers made, four assists and two steals against South Dakota (12/18). Moore is scoring 4.9 points per game.
 
Freshman F David McCormack is also coming off his best performance of the season where he had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots against South Dakota. McCormack averages 2.8 ppg and 2.2 rpg. Other KU regulars include redshirt sophomore G K.J. Lawson (2.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and junior F Mitch Lightfoot (2.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg). Lightfoot had seven points and six rebounds versus South Dakota.
 
ABOUT ARIZONA STATE
Located in Tempe, Arizona, with an enrollment of 103,410, No. 18/19 Arizona State is 8-2 on the season after its 81-65 loss at Vanderbilt on Dec. 17. The Sun Devils are coached by Bobby Hurley who is 58-48 in his fourth season at ASU and 110-69 in his sixth season overall. Arizona State averages 81.0 points per game and has a +8.8 scoring margin. The Sun Devils dominate the boards averaging 44.2 rebounds per game with a +10.7 rebound margin. Arizona State makes 19 free throws per game and also averages 13.8 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.3 blocked shots per outing. The Sun Devils are 5-0 at Wells Fargo Arena this season, winning by an average of 17.6 points on their home court.
 
Freshman G Lugenuentz Dorf leads Arizona State in scoring at 19.8 points per game. He has made a team-high 19 3-pointers this season and also leads the team with 19 steals. Dorf pulls down 5.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore G Kimani Lawrence is next in scoring at 13.1 points per game and he is second on the team with 17 3-point field goals made. Lawrence pulls down 4.3 boards per contest. Senior F Zylan Cheatham leads the team in rebounds at 10.1 per contest. He also has a team-best 41 assists and scores 11.9 points per game. Remy Martin is next on the team with 30 assists and he has an 11.6 scoring average. Sophomore F Romello White rounds out the ASU starters. He scores 8.1 points per game and pulls down 5.4 rebounds per contest. Other Arizona State regulars include freshman F Taeshon Cherry (8.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, three starts), junior G Rob Edwards (7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg), and senior F De’Quon Lake (5.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg). Lake leads the Sun Devils with 11 blocked shots.
 
THE SERIES
This series is tied at 5-5 after Arizona State’s 95-85 win in Allen Fieldhouse last season. KU has won two of the last three matchups. Before last year, KU won the previous meeting, 108-76, on March 22, 2003, in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City. KU would go on to finish runner-up in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. This series dates back to 1961 with Arizona State winning the first three matchups and Kansas the next three. Arizona State has won all three meetings played in Tempe – 72-58 on Dec. 11, 1961, 73-65 on Dec. 29, 1979 and 70-68 on Nov. 23, 1990.
 
In Arizona State’s 95-85 win in Allen Fieldhouse last season, current KU senior Lagerald Vick scored 25 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while Udoka Azubuike just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 11-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season when KU opened the year 18-0 … Give KU a 6-5 series advantage against Arizona State, including its first win in Tempe (1-3) … Give KU its fourth-straight nonconference true road victory, dating back to Dec. 22, 2015, a win at San Diego State … Make Kansas 6-0 in the month of December for the sixth time in Bill Self’s 16 seasons at KU … Make Self 458-96 while at Kansas and 665-201 overall … Make Kansas 2,259-849 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 10-1, ending a 10-game winning streak, the longest at KU since the 2016-17 season … End a KU three-game winning streak in nonconference true road games, giving KU its first true non-league road loss since Dec. 22, 2014, at Temple … Give Arizona State a 6-5 series advantage against Kansas, including 4-0 mark in games played in Tempe … Make Bill Self 457-97 while at Kansas and 664-202 overall … Make Kansas 2,258-850 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
A 30-6 run over the final 8:30 of regulation gave No. 1 Kansas the final separation it needed to take down the South Dakota Coyotes, 89-53, Dec. 18 at Allen Fieldhouse. Redshirt-sophomore Charlie Moore posted a season-high 18 points with the help of five second-half 3-pointers, while redshirt-junior Dedric Lawson was close behind with 16 points in posting his seventh double-double of the year.
 
The Jayhawks had trouble putting away the visitors, who cut the KU lead to 12 points, 59-47, with just over eight minutes to play. But a strong finish saw Kansas turn its lead from 12 into over 35 over the closing stretch. Moore scored 15 of his season-high 18 points in the second half, ending the night shooting 66 percent from the field via a 6-of-9 clip from beyond the arc. His six treys marked a career-high.
 
Lawson added his seventh double-double of the season, with 10 points and 10 rebounds coming in the final 20 minutes, to add to his 16 points and 14 rebounds on the night.
 
After posting only four first-half points, freshman David McCormack recorded new career-highs of 12 points and two blocks in 17 minutes of play. McCormack pulled down six rebounds, matching his season high against Louisiana earlier this year.
 
SOUTH DAKOTA LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

• Kansas improved to 10-0 for the first time since the 2010-11 season and gave KU a 10-game winning streak for the first time since the 2016-17 season and the 16th time in the Bill Self era.
• Kansas posted its 40th-straight win in Allen Fieldhouse when ranked No. 1 by Associated Press.
• Nine of the 10 Jayhawks who saw action scored, with four recording double-digit performances.
• Kansas is 77.8 percent performance (35-45) from the free throw line in its last two contests. In its previous eight outings, Kansas shot 64.2 percent from the free throw line (113-176).
• Kansas set season-highs for points in a half (52, 2nd), field goals (34), free throw percentage (80 percent) and steals (11). The Jayhawks tied season highs for 3-point field goal attempts (23) and defensive rebounds (32).
• The Jayhawks never trailed, marking the first time this season Kansas has not faced a deficit.
• The Jayhawks’ 36-point win is the largest margin victory of the season.
• Kansas’ 40 bench points are the most since the non-starters scored 45 points against Austin Peay on March 17, 2016, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• South Dakota’s five second chance-points were the fewest by a Kansas opponent this season.
• Redshirt sophomore G Charlie Moore recorded a season-high 18 points on only nine shots, including a team-high six 3-pointers. That also marks his career high in 3-point field goals for the Cal transfer.
• Moore’s 18 points off the bench were most by a Jayhawk since Malik Newman’s 27-point performance at Iowa State on Jan. 9, 2018.
• Freshman F David McCormack recorded a career high with 12 points and six rebounds points off of the bench, including an emphatic block late in the second half. McCormack had two blocked shots for the game.
• Junior F Mitch Lightfoot tied his season highs in points (7) and rebounds (6), which were the same stats against New Mexico State (12/8) just two game prior to South Dakota (12/18).

 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 with seven 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 43 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.
 

 
LAWSON OUT TO HISTORIC SCORING START
Redshirt junior Dedric Lawson has scored 197 points through his first 10 games in a Kansas uniform. Only two other Jayhawks since 1950 have scored more points in their first 10 outings at KU. Wilt Chamberlain posted 329 points in the first 10 outings of his sophomore season in 1956-57 (first year of eligibility) while Wayne Hightower tallied 200 points in his first 10 contests as a Jayhawk in the 1959-60 season.
 

 
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 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.
 

 
 
10-GAME WINNING STREAKS UNDER SELF
With its 89-53 win against South Dakota (12/18), Kansas posted its 10th-straight win. Under Bill Self, KU has won 10 or more straight games 16 times with its most recent being an 18-game streak during the 2016-17 season.
 

 
SELF TIES WOODEN ON ALL-TIME WINS LIST
With Kansas’ win over South Dakota on Dec. 18, head coach Bill Self picked up his 664th career victory, tying him with coaching legend John Wooden, who tallied 664 wins in his 29 seasons at the helm at Indiana State and UCLA from 1947-75.
 
Self’s 664 career wins, 456 of which have come at Kansas, pull him into a tie at 35th on the NCAA DI all-time coaching victories list. Self is one of 15 active coaches among the top-50 on the career wins list.
 

 
UP NEXT
After a short holiday break, Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse to host Eastern Michigan on Dec. 29, to close out the calendar year.
 
This will be the first meeting between Kansas and Eastern Michigan in men’s basketball. Kansas is 14-1 against current membership of the Mid-American Conference (MAC): 3-0 vs. Ohio, 3-0 vs. Toledo, 2-1 vs. Ball State, 2-0 vs. Kent State, 2-0 vs. Miami (Ohio), 1-0 vs. Bowling Green and 1-0 vs. Western Michigan. 

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