No. 5 Jayhawks close 2018 with Eastern Michigan Saturday

Freshman David McCormack 

 GM 12: vs. Eastern Michigan
  Dec. 29
  1 p.m.
  Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
  Watch
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  Live Stats
  Game Notes

 

 Stats KU EMU
 Record 10-1 6-6
 Pts/GM 81.2 71.2
 FG% 48.2 46.0
 3FG% 35.9 27.3
 FT% 68.8 62.8
 Reb/GM 39.3 38.2
 Ast/GM 14.7 13.6
 Blk/GM 3.8 4.8
 Stl/GM 7.5 8.0
 Pts Allowed/GM 70.5 69.6
 FG% Defense 40.5 42.9
 3FG% Defense 33.3 35.7
 Rebound Margin +4.1 +3.9
 Ast-TO Ratio 1.2 1.0

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The No. 5/5 Kansas Jayhawks (10-1) get their final tune-up prior to the start of Big 12 play when they host Eastern Michigan (6-6) on Saturday, Dec. 29 at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas, coming off its first loss of the season, will tip-off against the Eagles at 1 p.m. (CT) on JayhawkTV and ESPN+. Dave Armstrong (play-by-play), Nick Bahe (analyst) and Kennetra Pulliams (reporter) 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 Eastern Michigan starting at 12:30 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 Eastern Michigan are meeting for the first time in men’s basketball. The Jayhawks are 14-1 all-time against current membership of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
  • Kansas is 85-11 following a loss in the Bill Self era. Since 2013-14, the Jayhawks are 35-3 following a loss. When the game following a loss is in Allen Fieldhouse, KU is 46-3 in the Bill Self era.
  • The Jayhawks are looking to close out the first two months of the season with one or fewer losses for the eighth time in Bill Self’s 16 seasons. KU has entered January undefeated on four occasions, and with just one loss three times.
  • Twenty-eighteen was a historic year for KU basketball, marking the only calendar year in the 120 of its existence that the program won a league title, advanced to a Final Four, touted a consensus First Team All-American, entered the following season as preseason No. 1 and claimed 30 or more victories throughout the course of the year.
  • Kansas is 30-7 in the 2018 calendar year, marking the 10th time KU has tallied 30 or more wins in a calendar year in the Bill Self era (15 years).
  • Six of Kansas’ first 11 games this season have been decided by six points or less. Three of the last four contests have been decided by four 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 first in scoring at 20.6 ppg, while senior G Lagerald Vick is fifth at 16.8 ppg.
  • Dedric Lawson is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double with 20.6 ppg and 11.4 rpg. Lawson also leads the Big 12 with eight double-doubles, which is tied for fifth nationally.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 5/5 Kansas is 10-1 and looking to bounce back from its first loss of 2018-19, 80-76, at No. 18/19 Arizona State on Dec. 22. Through 11 games, Kansas ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (second at 81.2), rebounding (third at 39.3) and steals (third at 7.5). KU has a +10.7 scoring margin, +4.1 rebound margin and has outrebounded eight of 11 opponents this season. KU also averages 7.1 3-pointers made, 14.7 assists and 3.8 blocked shots per game.
 
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson has four-straight double-doubles and a Big 12-leading eight for the season, which is tied for fifth nationally. After his season-high 30 points at Arizona State (12/22), Dedric Lawson has scored 20 or more points in seven of his last eight games. He leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.6 ppg and rebounding at 11.4 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 is tied for second on the team with 25 assists.
 
Senior G Lagerald Vick is next in scoring at 16.8 points per game, which is fifth in the league. He leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game at 3.0 and in 3-point field goal percentage at 50.0 percent, which is tied for fifth nationally. Vick is 37-of-74 from beyond the arc, making almost half of KU’s 78 treys this season. His 17 steals are second on the squad.
 

NCAA DI 3-POINT PERCENTAGE LEADERS
Rnk Player (School) 3PT-3PTA 3PT%
1 Noah Baumann (San Jose St.) 28-49 57.1
2 Brendan Barry (Dartmouth) 51-94 54.3
3 D’Mitrik Trice (Wisconsin) 36-67 53.7
4 Nate Navigato (Toledo) 40-75 52.6
t5 Lagerald Vick (Kansas) 37-74 50.0
 Min. 2.5 made per game | Through games played on Dec. 25, 2018

 
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 would be 10th in the league. Azubuike’s 10 blocked shots are tied for the team lead with Dedric Lawson.
 
Freshman G Devon Dotson is a starter who leads KU with 33 assists and is third on the team with 15 steals. Dotson averages 10.8 points per game. Freshman G Quentin Grimes has started all 11 games and is second on the team with 11 3-pointers made to complement his 7.4 scoring average. Grimes also has 24 assists this season.
 
Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has started the last five games and leads Kansas with 18 steals. He has eight thefts in the last three games. Garrett is averaging 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds and is tied with Dedric Lawson for second on the team with 25 assists. Redshirt sophomore G Charlie Moore has one start this season and is averaging 4.7 points per game with 10 3-pointers made, which is third-most on the team.
 
Freshman F David McCormack (2.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg) has five blocked shots in his 10 games played. Other KU regulars include redshirt sophomore G K.J. Lawson (2.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 8.7 mpg) and junior F Mitch Lightfoot (2.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg). Lightfoot is third on the team with eight blocked shots.
 
ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN
Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with an enrollment of 21,105, Eastern Michigan is 6-6 on the season after its 90-72 win against Siena Heights on Dec. 22. The Eagles are coached by Rob Murphy who is 135-116 in his eighth season as a head coach with every year at EMU. Eastern Michigan will be looking for its first road win of the season on its fifth try when it visits Allen Fieldhouse. EMU averages 71.2 points per game and has a +1.7 scoring margin. The Eagles pull down 38.2 rebounds per game with a +3.9 rebound margin. Eastern Michigan also averages 13.6 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.8 blocked shots per game.
 
Senior G Paul Jackson leads Eastern Michigan in scoring at 12.6 points per game. Jackson also has a team-high 49 assists. Senior G/F Elijah Minnie’s 17 3-pointers are the most on the team as he scores 11.5 points per game and pulls down 4.1 rebounds per contest. Minnie is tied for the team high with 15 steals.
 
Junior C Boubacar Toure leads Eastern Michigan in blocked shots with 20 and his 8.4 rebound average is second on the team. Toure averages 10.4 points per game, just ahead of senior F/C James Thompson IV’s 9.8. Thompson leads the Eagles with a 9.4 rebound average. Junior G Damari Parris is second on the team with 30 assists to complement his 5.0 points per game.
 
Sophomore G Kevin McAdoo is tied with Minnie for the team high with 15 steals. McAdoo scores 8.3 points and his 14 3-pointers are second most on the team. Sophomore F Ty Groce (6.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg) has 14 steals. Other EMU regulars include freshman G Tariq Silver (3.1 ppg) and sophomore G Malik Ellison (2.8 ppg).
 
THE SERIES
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.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 11-1 heading into Big 12 play … Make KU 86-11 following a loss in the Bill Self era … Give KU a 1-0 series edge against Eastern Michigan … Make Kansas 6-1 in the month of December … Give Kansas its 11th-straight win in Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 779-113 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 241-13 under head coach Bill Self … Make Self 458-97 while at Kansas and 665-202 overall … Make Kansas 2,259-850 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 10-2, giving Kansas a two-game losing streak for the first time since last season with the previous two-game skid during the 2013-14 campaign … Make the KU-Eastern Michigan series 1-0 in favor of the Eagles … Make Kansas 5-2 in the month of December … End a Kansas 10-game winning streak inside Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 778-114 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse, including 240-14 under head coach Bill Self … Make Self 457-98 while at Kansas and 664-203 overall … Make Kansas 2,258-851 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Just a single field goal over the final seven minutes of regulation spelled doom for No. 1/1 Kansas as the Jayhawks fell to No. 18/19 Arizona State, 80-76, Dec. 22 inside Wells Fargo Arena. KU’s Dedric Lawson led all scorers with a season-high 30 points and posted his eighth double-double of the season with 14 rebounds. A 15-4 Sun Devil run over the final 4:48 was too much for the visitors as the top-ranked Jayhawks suffered their first loss of the season.
 
It was all Kansas and all Lawson in the opening 20 minutes, as the KU forward scored 18 of his 30 points to help the Jayhawks take an eight-point lead into the locker room.
 
But back-to-back triples from Arizona State’s Rob Edwards cut the KU edge down to 67-65 with six minutes to play and got the Sun Devils as close as they had been all game. Just a minute later though, Lagerald Vick answered with a four-point play, converting on a 3-pointer of his own to go along with a foul shot, and for the moment, it seemed the Jayhawks had regained the momentum as they led 72-65 with just under five minutes to go.
 
But that Vick 3-pointer would be the Jayhawks’ final field goal of the game as the Sun Devils managed to come up with some key stops and convert on some late free throws to end the contest on a 15-4 run. Kansas had two chances in the final minute to tie or take the lead, but the Jayhawks turned it over on both trips down the floor. Arizona State took advantage and closed out the upset, claiming its second win over the Jayhawks in as many years, 80-76.
 
In addition to Lawson’s 30-point outing, his highest of the season, Vick and Devon Dotson joined their teammate in double-figures, scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively. Despite posting a season-best 94 percent clip (15-of-16) from the free throw line, Kansas allowed a 32 ASU free throw attempts, which the Sun Devils converted into 20 points.
 
ARIZONA STATE LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

  • The loss made Kansas 10-1, ending a 10-game winning streak, the longest at KU since the 2016-17 season.
  • The loss also ended a KU three-game winning streak in non-conference true road games, giving KU its first true non-league road loss since Dec. 22, 2014, at Temple.
  • KU led 72-65 with five minutes remaining, marking just the 16th time in the Bill Self era the Jayhawks have lost when leading with 5:00 left in regulation. Kansas is now 419-16 in the last 16 seasons in those instances.
  • Kansas set season highs in 3-point field goal attempts (28), free throw percentage (93.8) and turnovers (16).
  • When ranked No. 1 in the country, Kansas dropped its all-time record to 33-11 when on the road.
  • The Jayhawks are 50-61 (82.0 percent) from the free throw line in their last three contests.
  • With the Jayhawks’ largest lead of 12 points, the loss marked the largest lead blown in a KU loss since Iowa State came back from a 15-point deficit to beat Kansas in Lawrence on Feb. 4, 2017.
  • The KU bench managed just five points, a season low. ASU’s bench, on the other hand, scored 26, the second-most in 2018-19 by a KU opponent after South Dakota’s bench put in 30 of the team’s 53 total points on Tuesday night (12/18).
  • Arizona State’s 32 free throw attempts were the most by a KU opponent since Dec. 3, 2016, when Stanford shot 37 charities in a Jayhawk win in Lawrence.
  • Dedric Lawson posted his eighth double-double, fourth-straight, of the season by pulling down 14 rebounds. Of those 14 total rebounds, he tied his season high with 12 on the defensive glass.
  • Redshirt sophomore G Charlie Moore had two steals and has seven thefts in his last four games.

 
CLOSING OUT AN INCREDIBLE 2018
The 2018 calendar year will go down as one of the most memorable in program history. It started on a sour note with a 73-85 loss to Texas Tech in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 2, the Red Raiders’ first-ever win in Lawrence. But after that, 2018 proved to be a highlight-filled year for the Jayhawks. Here are just a few of the achievements that came the Jayhawks’ way over the last 365 days:

  • KU won its 61st and 14th-straight regular-season league title, both figures are NCAA DI records.
  • Kansas also won its 15th postseason conference tournament title.
  • Devonte’ Graham claimed both Big 12 Player of the Year and Consensus First Team All-America honors.
  • KU was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time and advanced to the Final Four for the 15th time.
  • Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk became KU’s 81st and 82nd NBA Draft selections, each getting picked in the second round of the June draft.
  • Kansas found itself ranked No. 1 in the 2018-19 Associated Press preseason poll, marking the third time in the AP poll’s history KU has entered a season at No. 1.
  • The Jayhawks won the NIT Season Tip-Off in November, giving KU its fifth-straight in-season tournament championship.
  • Kansas won 30 games in the 2018 calendar year (30-7 entering Dec. 29), marking the 10th time under Bill Self the Jayhawks have won 30 or more games in a calendar year.

 
30-POINT GAMES UNDER BILL SELF
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson scored a season-high 30 points at Arizona State (12/22). Lawson’s feat marked the 31st time in the Bill Self era that a Jayhawk has posted 30 or more points in a game. KU senior G Lagerald Vick accomplished the feat twice earlier this season.
 

30-POINT GAMES UNDER BILL SELF
PTS PLAYER OPPONENT (DATE)
41 Andrew Wiggins at West Virginia (3-8-14)
39 Elijah Johnson at Iowa State (2-25-13)
36 Ben McClemore vs. West Virginia (3-2-13)
35 Devonte’ Graham vs. Syracuse (12-2-17)
35 Devonte’ Graham vs. Toledo (11-28-17)
33 Lagerald Vick vs. Louisiana (11-16-18)
33 Wayne Selden Jr. vs. Kentucky (1-30-16)
33 Ben McLemore vs. Iowa State (1-9-13)
33 Marcus Morris vs. Iowa State (1-12-11)
33 Sherron Collins vs. Cornell (1-6-10)
33 Julian Wright at Missouri (2-10-07)
32 Lagerald Vick vs. Vermont (11-12-18)
32 Malik Newman vs. Duke (3-25-18)
32 Frank Mason III vs. Iowa State (2-4-17)
32 Perry Ellis vs. TCU (2-15-14)
32 Sherron Collins vs. North Dakota St. (3-20-09)
32 Wayne Simien vs. Oklahoma State (2-27-05)
31 Josh Jackson at Texas Tech (2-11-17)
31 Xavier Henry vs. LaSalle (12-12-09)
31 Wayne Simien vs. Missouri (3-7-04)
30 Dedric Lawson vs. Arizona State (12-22-18)
30 Malik Newman vs. Oklahoma State (3-8-18)
30 Frank Mason III vs. UMKC (12-6-16)
30 Frank Mason III vs. Indiana (11-11-16)
30 Perry Ellis vs. Iowa State (3-14-14)
30 Andrew Wiggins vs. Oklahoma State (3-13-14)
30 Ben McLemore vs. Kansas State (2-11-13)
30 Thomas Robinson vs. North Dakota (12-31-11)
30 Mario Chalmers vs. Texas (3-16-08)
30 Wayne Simien vs. Oklahoma State (3-12-05)
30 Wayne Simien vs. UAB (3-26-04)

 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Redshirt junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 with eight double-doubles this season, including one in each of his last four 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 44 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.) 112 62
2 Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) 109 54
3 Dedric Lawson (Memphis/Kansas) 76 44
t4 Devontae Cacok (UNC-Willmington) 109 42
t4 Mike Daum (South Dakota State) 119 42
t4 Jordan Konchar (Purdue-FW) 115 42
Through games played on Dec. 25, 2018

 
LAWSON CLAIMS THIRD BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
After two more double-doubles and his first 30-point outing in a Kansas uniform, redshirt-junior forward Dedric Lawson was named the Big 12’s Player of the Week it was announced by the league office Dec. 26. Lawson, the conference’s leader in scoring and rebounding, earned his fifth weekly award of the season and the third player of the week honor.
 
Lawson posted back-to-back double-doubles with 16 points and 14 rebounds in a home win against South Dakota and a season-high 30 points with 14 rebounds at No. 18 Arizona State. He has four double-doubles in his last four games and a Big 12-leading eight for the season.
 
This is the third time in 2018-19, Lawson has earned the player of the week honor and his fifth conference weekly award this season. The Memphis, Tennessee, forward was Big 12 Player of the Week Nov. 12, 26 and now Dec. 27, while also securing Newcomer of the Week accolades on Dec. 2 and Dec. 17.
 
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.
 

ALL-TIME NCAA DI CAREER COACHING WINS
Rnk Coach Wins Losses Win%
33 Rick Barnes 670 359 65.1
34 Gary Williams 668 380 63.7
35 Bill Self 664 202 76.7
35 John Wooden 664 162 80.4
37 Ralph Miller 657 382 63.2

 
KANSAS IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
Following its first loss of the season, Kansas fell in the national polls this week, but remained in the top-five. KU checked in at No. 5 in both the Associated Press and the USA TODAY Coaches’ polls released on Dec. 24.
 
Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 188 AP polls dating back to Feb. 3, 2009, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. For the third time in poll history Kansas entered the season ranked No. 1 by Associated Press (AP), as the AP released its poll Oct. 22. Three days later, Oct. 25, Kansas was once again picked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll.
 
This is the fifth-straight year the Jayhawks have opened the season in the top five of the coaches’ poll. The No. 1 ranking marked the ninth time KU has been preseason No. 3 or higher in the coaches’ poll. Additionally, it was the 13th time in the Bill Self era the Jayhawks have been preseason seventh or higher, including each of the last seven seasons.
 
UP NEXT
Kansas opens Big 12 play by hosting Oklahoma on Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 8 p.m. (Central). The game will be televised on ESPN2. Kansas is 147-67 all-time against Oklahoma, including a 75-16 record in Lawrence (48-7 in Allen Fieldhouse). KU has won the last 17 clashes with OU in Allen Fieldhouse dating back to Jan. 10, 1994.
 
Kansas has been 1-0 in conference play for each of the last 27 seasons, a streak which started in 1991-92.
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