Jayhawks and Red Raiders set for top-25 tilt Saturday

Junior forward Mitch Lightfoot 

 GM 27: at #14 Texas Tech
  Feb. 23
  7 p.m. (CT)
  United Supermarkets Arena (15,098)
  Watch
  Listen
  Live Stats
  Game Notes

 

 Stats KU TTU
 Record 20-6 (9-4) 21-5 (9-4)
 Pts/GM 76.9 71.5
 FG% 47.2 46.6
 3FG% 36.1 35.6
 FT% 68.7 71.5
 Reb/GM 37.7 34.2
 Ast/GM 13.8 13.9
 Blk/GM 3.8 4.9
 Stl/GM 7.1 7.4
 Pts Allowed/GM 69.8 57.2
 FG% Defense 40.1 36.1
 3FG% Defense 32.8 27.6
 Rebound Margin +1.6 +2.3
 Ast-TO Ratio 1.0 1.1

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 12 Kansas (20-6, 9-4) and No. 14 Texas Tech (21-5, 9-4) will meet for the second time in three weeks Saturday when the Jayhawks and Red Raiders battle inside United Supermarkets Arena on Feb. 23. The two squads are currently tied for second in the Big 12 standings, one game out of first place, with five league games remaining. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN, with Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst) calling the action.

WATCH JAYHAWK GAMEDAY LIVE FROM LUBBOCK
Jayhawk Gameday Live, a 30-minute pregame show and a 60-minute postgame show, will be live before KU’s match-up with Texas Tech 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 Texas Tech have the two longest winning streaks in the Big 12 with the Red Raiders at four straight and the Jayhawks at three.
  • At 9-4, Kansas is tied with Texas Tech for second in the Big 12 race, one game behind Kansas State (10-3). Five of the 10 Big 12 teams are within two games of the league leader.
  • Kansas is 6-3 against the current Associated Press top-25 with victories against No. 5 Tennessee, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 11 Marquette, No. 14 Texas Tech, No. 17 Villanova and No. 19 Iowa State.
  • The KU-TTU contest will come after six days off for the Jayhawks. Under Bill Self, Kansas is 70-9 (.886) in games following five or more days off. That is the best such record in NCAA DI since 2003-04.
  • With its 78-53 win against West Virginia (2/16), Kansas won its 20th game for the 30th-consecutive season, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I and one shy of the all-time DI record.
  • At 9-4, Kansas is vying to win its 10th conference game for the 25th-consecutive season, a run which started in 1995 and is the longest active streak in the nation. 
  • Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.2 ppg and rebounding at 10.3 rpg. The last conference player to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in the same season was Blake Griffin of Oklahoma in 2008-09.
  • Freshman G Devon Dotson is averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals in Big 12 play. Named the CBS Sports/USBWA National Freshman of the Week on Feb. 12, Dotson averages 12.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in all games.
  • On Feb. 9, the NCAA selection committee posted its current top 16 with Selection Sunday just a month away. Kansas was slotted as a No. 3 seed and the No. 10 seed overall. Under Bill Self, KU has never been lower than a No. 4 seed and has been a No. 1 seed each of the last three years.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
No. 12/12 Kansas is 20-6 overall and 9-4 in Big 12 play after its 78-53 win versus West Virginia on Feb. 16. In all games, Kansas ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (second at 76.9), scoring margin (third at +7.1), field goal percentage (second at 47.2), field goal percentage defense (third at 40.1), 3-point field goal percentage (third at 36.1) and steals (third at 7.1). KU has a +1.6 rebound margin and also averages 7.5 3-pointers made, 13.8 assists and 3.8 blocked shots per game.
 
Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson posted his 16th double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds at TCU (2/11). He has 13 games of 20 or more points including two of KU’s last five contests. A national player of the year and All-American candidate, Dedric Lawson has five double-doubles in his last nine games and his 16 DDs leads the Big 12 and is tied for eighth nationally. Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.2 ppg and in rebounding at 10.3 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 five-time league newcomer of the week (12/3, 12/17, 1/14, 1/28, 2/11), Lawson leads KU with 28 blocked shots and his 1.1 blocks per game are fifth in the conference. His 50.6 field goal percentage is sixth in the league.
 

NCAA DI DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS
Rnk Player (School)  Games Double-Doubles
1 Devontae Cacok (UNC-Willmington) 28 20
t2 Mike Daum (South Dakota St.) 28 18
t2 Cletrell Pope (Bethune-Cookman) 27 18
t2 Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) 26 18
t5 Bruno Fernando (Maryland) 27 17
t5 Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) 26 17
t5 Nico Carvacho (Colorado St.) 25 17
t8 Dedric Lawson (Kansas) 26 16
Through games played on Feb. 19, 2019

 
Freshman G Devon Dotson is averaging 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals in his last five games. Included was a 15-point and career-high-tying eight assists against West Virginia (2/16). Named the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week on Feb. 12, Dotson ranks tied for 14th in the Big 12 in scoring (12.2), tied for fourth in assists (3.7), eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6) and sixth in steals (1.5).
 
Freshman G Ochai Agbaji has scored in double figures in each of his last three games and five of his last six contests. In his last three outings, Agbaji averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. That includes his second double-double of the season with 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds at TCU (2/11). Agbaji pulled his redshirt prior to the TCU game (1/9) and averages 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest and is making 53.5 percent from the floor.
 
Freshman G Quentin Grimes has six assists in his last two games and is second on the team with 33 3-pointers made this season. He has made multiple treys in three of his last five games and four of his last seven contests. Grimes averages 7.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
 
Sophomore G Marcus Garrett has missed the last five games due to a sprained ankle. He has 14 steals in his last five games played and ranks third in the Big 12 with 1.8 steals per contest. He has 10 games with multiple steals in 2018-19. Garrett averages 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and has 47 assists.
 
Other KU regulars include redshirt-sophomore G K.J. Lawson (3.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg), redshirt-sophomore G Charlie Moore (3.1 ppg, 14 3-pointers), freshman F David McCormack (2.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and junior F Mitch Lightfoot (2.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg). McCormack has started each of the last three games. Lightfoot is averaging 5.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg in his last four games and has three blocked shots in each of his last two games.
 
ABOUT TEXAS TECH
Located in Lubbock, Texas, with an enrollment of 38,246, No. 14/14 Texas Tech has the Big 12’s longest winning streak at four games after its 86-61 win against Baylor (2/16). The Red Raiders have won six of their last seven contests, with the lone loss at Kansas (79-63 on Feb. 2) and are 21-5 overall and 9-4 in league play. TTU is coached by Chris Beard who is 66-29 in his third season at TTU and 162-59 in his seventh season overall. Texas Tech has been ranked as high as No. 8 this season.
 
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (57.2), scoring margin (+14.3), field goal percentage defense (36.1), 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.6) and turnover margin (+3.3). The Red Raiders also rank in the top three in the league in free throw percentage (second at 71.5), field goal percentage (third at 46.6) and blocked shots (second at 4.9). TTU also averages 71.5 points and 13.9 assists per game.
 
Texas Tech primarily uses an eight-man rotation led by sophomore G Jarrett Culver. An All-America candidate, Culver is third in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.7 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounds at 6.3, which is 11th in the Big 12 and in assists with 95. Culver ranks ninth in the league in field goal percentage (49.8) and sixth in assists (3.7). Culver’s 33 3-pointers made are second on the team. Sophomore G Davide Moretti leads TTU with 47 3-pointers made to complement his 10.9 scoring average. Moretti is second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 91.4 percent and has 64 assists and 31 steals. RS Senior G Matt Mooney leads Texas Tech in steals with 46 and his 1.8 steals per game are second in the league. Mooney averages 10.7 points and 3.3 rebounds and has made 29 3-pointers this season. RS Senior F Tariq Owens leads the league in blocked shots at 2.4 per contest. Owens scores 8.4 points per game and is second on the team with a 5.3 rebound average. Senior C Norense Odiase (3.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg) rounds out the TTU starters.
 
Other key contributors include freshman G Kyler Edwards (6.0 ppg, 2.5 ppg, 20 3FGs, 23 steals), senior G Brandone Francis (5.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 28 3FGs, 23 steals) and RS sophomore F Deshawn Corprew (5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg).
 
THE SERIES
Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 35-5, which began in 1959. The Jayhawks have won 17 of the last 18 meetings in the series beginning Jan. 16, 2010. Kansas is 14-4 against Texas Tech in games played in Lubbock, including 10-3 in United Supermarkets Arena. KU has won the last seven meetings in Lubbock with the last two by a combined three points (80-79 on Feb. 11, 2017 and 74-72 on Feb. 24, 2018).
 
Last year, Texas Tech picked up its first win in Allen Fieldhouse, 85-73, on Jan. 2, 2018. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1997, Kansas is 28-5 against Texas Tech; 25-5 in regular-season match-ups and 3-0 in conference championship meetings. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 22-7 all-time against Texas Tech, including 21-4 while at Kansas. Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard is 1-4 against Kansas.
 
Earlier this season, then-No. 11/12 Kansas defeated then-No. 15/16 Texas Texas, 79-63, in Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 2. The Jayhawks were hot early, shooting 55.2 percent, including 60 percent from 3-point range, and led 46-26 at halftime. KU redshirt-junior Dedric Lawson led all scorers with 25 points and posted a double-double with 10 rebounds. Freshman Devon Dotson had 20 points, four assists and three steals in the game, while freshman Ochai Agbaji had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 21-6 and 10-4 in Big 12 play … Give Kansas 21 victories for the 30th-consecutive season, beginning in 1989-90 … Give KU 10 league victories for the 25th-straight year, beginning in 1994-95 and would add to its nation’s longest active league 10-win streak … Be Kansas’ eighth-straight win in Lubbock … Make the KU-TTU series 36-5 in favor of the Jayhawks, including a 15-4 in Lubbock meetings (11-3 in United Supermarkets Arena) … Make Kansas 3-6 in true road games this season and 7-6 in games not played in Allen Fieldhouse … Make Bill Self 468-102 while at Kansas, 675-207 overall and 23-7 all-time versus Texas Tech (22-4 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,269-855 all-time.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Make Kansas 20-7 and 9-5 in conference play, tying last season’s league loss number … Give Texas Tech its first win against Kansas in Lubbock since March 4, 2009, ending a KU seven-game winning streak in Lubbock meetings … Make the KU-TTU series 35-6 in favor of Kansas, including a 14-5 mark in Lubbock meetings (10-4 in United Supermarkets Arena) … Make KU 2-7 in true road games this season and 6-7 in games not played in Allen Fieldhouse in 2018-19 … Make Bill Self 467-103 while at Kansas, 674-208 overall and 22-8 all-time versus Texas Tech (21-5 while at KU) … Make Kansas 2,268-856 all-time.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Five Jayhawks scored in double-figures as No. 14/14 Kansas out dueled West Virginia, 78-53, Feb. 16 inside Allen Fieldhouse. KU outscored WVU 43-16 in the first half before cruising to the 25-point win, the Jayhawks’ largest margin of victory in conference play this season. Freshman guard Devon Dotson and redshirt-sophomore guard K.J. Lawson led all scorers with 15 points apiece to go along with a 52.8 percent shooting clip from the field.
The first 20 minutes featured an impressive showing from the Jayhawks on both ends of the floor. After WVU jumped ahead on a 7-6 lead five minutes into the game, KU’s defense, and consequently its offense, hit full stride. Kansas outscored the visitors 21-2 over the next nine minutes of game action. All seven Jayhawks who entered in the opening frame scored during that KU run. Dedric Lawson’s jumper at the 6:11 mark saw Kansas’ lead go to 25-9.
 
While the Mountaineers broke up the KU run over the next few minutes, the Jayhawks managed to once again construct a strong closing stretch to the first half. Dotson’s lay-up kick-started a 19-4 run over the final 4:40 of the opening frame and helped Kansas head to the locker room with a 43-16 lead.
 
It was a much more evenly contested game after the intermission; however, Kansas never let its lead shrink to less than 24 points. K.J. Lawson connected on a pair of 3-pointers as part of his eight second-half points and was one of nine Jayhawks to hit a field goal over the final 20 minutes.
 
K.J. Lawson’s 15 points marked his highest output as a Jayhawk. Dotson scored in double-figures for the fifth-straight game with his 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Dedric Lawson added 14 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Ochai Agbaji rounded out the KU double-figure scorers with his 10 points.
 
WEST VIRGINIA LEFTOVERS & NOTABLES

  • The win gave Kansas 20 victories for the 30th-consecutive season, beginning in 1989-90, which is the longest active streak in the nation and one behind the all-time NCAA D1 record of 31-straight 20-win seasons by North Carolina (1971-2001).
  • Kansas extended hits home court winning streak to 19 games, which includes 18-consecutive victories in Allen Fieldhouse.
  • KU held West Virginia to a season-low 16 points in the first half, the lowest by a KU opponent in a half since TCU scored nine (2/23/13).
  • KU’s 27-point halftime lead (43-16) was the largest halftime margin this season by the Jayhawks.
  • KU forced West Virginia to commit 24 turnovers, which marked the most by a Jayhawk opponent this season and the most since KU forced 24 turnovers against Howard on Dec. 29, 2011.
  • West Virginia’s 13 percent from beyond the arc was a season low by a KU opponent, and the third time this season Kansas has held its opponent to under 20 percent from 3-point range.
  • Freshman G Devon Dotson scored in double figures for the fifth-straight game as the he tallied 15 points, going 5-for-7 from the field.
  • Dotson tied his season high with eight assists, a mark he also set against Iowa State (1/21/19).
  • Freshman G Ochai Agbaji finished with 10 points, marking the third-consecutive game Agbaji has tallied 10+ points.
  • Redshirt-junior F Dedric Lawson tallied 14 points including a perfect 4-for-4 mark from the free throw line. Lawson has now scored in double digits 24 times this season and 80 in his career.
  • Sophomore F Mitch Lightfoot played a season-high 23 minutes, scoring five points while grabbing seven rebounds.

 
PREP TIME = WINNING TIME
With the Jayhawks enjoying their longest stretch between games of the conference season (six days), it’s time to look at Kansas’ past performances when coming off other similar long in-season breaks. Under Bill Self, the Jayhawks are 70-9 in games following five or more days of preparation, which includes a 4-0 mark this season. That winning percentage, 88.6, is the best among all NCAA DI teams since the start of the 2003-04 season.
 

NCAA DI BEST RECORDS AFTER 5 OR MORE DAYS OFF
(SINCE 2003-04)
Team Wins Losses Win %
KANSAS 70 9 .886
Duke 57 9 .864
North Carolina 79 16 .832
Gonzaga 73 15 .830
Kentucky 69 16 .812

 
LAWSON COLLECTION OF MIDSEASON WATCH LISTS GROWS
Redshirt-junior Dedric Lawson has a quickly growing collection of midseason accolades that have him among a small list of players on watch for national awards come season’s end. Here is a quick rundown of the recent announcements that included Lawson:

  • Lawson was named to the 2018-19 Sporting News Midseason All-America First Team, the publication announced Jan. 15. Last year, 11 of the 15 players on the midseason team made on the final ballot.
  • On Feb. 4, Lawson was named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s Late Season Top 20 list by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Kansas has had representation each of the last two seasons at the Wooden Award ceremony as Frank Mason III won the award in 2017 and Devonte’ Graham was a finalist last year. Lawson is vying to become the third Jayhawk to win the honor with Mason in 2017 and Danny Manning in 1988.
  • On Feb. 6, Lawson was named one of 12 to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Final Midseason Watch List by the USBWA. Like the Wooden, the Oscar Robertson Trophy recognizes the national player of the year. Frank Mason III was the first KU player to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 2017.
  • On Feb. 7, Lawson was named one of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year by the Naismith Hall of Fame. Established in 2015, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year will be narrowed down to five finalists with the winner being named April 12, 2019.
  • On Feb. 13, Lawson was one of 30 named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team by the Atlanta Tip Off Club. KU’s Frank Mason III won the honor in 2017 as did Danny Manning in 1988. The Naismith Trophy will narrow down its nominees to 10 on March 6 and later will announce its four finalists.

 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Kansas has one of the youngest teams in the nation having started four freshmen in each of its last three games. In KU’s 13 conference games, the Jayhawk freshmen have accounted for 45.7 percent of the minutes played and 42.4 percent of the scoring.
 

KANSAS CLASS BREAKDOWN IN BIG 12 PLAY
Class Min played % Pts scored %
Senior 11.7% 13.2%
Junior 22.8% 28.7%
Sophomore 19.8% 15.7%
Freshman 45.7% 42.4%

 
KANSAS STREAKING AT HOME (AGAIN)
The Jayhawks are once again building an impressive winning streak on their home court, something that has been a common occurrence in Lawrence over recent decades. KU has won 19-straight home games, 18 of which have come at Allen Fieldhouse (Dec. 8, 2018 win at Sprint Center considered a home game). The streak currently ranks as the sixth-longest active among NCAA DI schools. KU’s last home loss came to Oklahoma State on Feb. 3, 2018.
 
Kansas has posted home-court winning streaks of 20 games or more 14 times, with 10 of those streaks coming at Allen Fieldhouse. The program record is 69-straight home wins from Feb. 7, 2007 to Jan. 22, 2011. That streak is a Big 12 record and the 11th-longest in NCAA DI history.
 

NCAA DI LONGEST ACTIVE HOME COURT WINNING STREAKS
Team Streak Started Next Home Game
Houston 32 11/10/17 vs. USF (2/23)
Tennessee 24 1/06/18 vs. Kentucky (3/2)
Buffalo 23 12/09/17 vs. Kent State (2/22)
Michigan 21 1/15/18 vs. Michigan St. (2/24)
Gonzaga 20 1/27/18 vs. Pepperdine (2/21)
Northern Ky. 19 1/28/18 vs. Youngstown St. (2/21)
KANSAS 19 2/6/18 vs. Kansas State (2/25)
Hofstra 17 2/15/18 vs. Towson (2/21)

 
KANSAS VS. TOP-25 TEAMS
With its win versus then-No. 16 Texas Tech (2/2), Kansas is now 7-2 against top-25 teams in 2018-19. Under Bill Self, KU is now 97-47 against AP-ranked opponents. In his first 16 seasons at KU, Self’s Jayhawks have collected four wins or more over top-25 ranked foes in 13 of those seasons, which includes a 42-18 record from 2014-present.
 
KU’s record against top-10 ranked opponents is even more impressive. KU is 18-5 against foes ranked inside the top-10 of the AP poll since 2013-14, including 2-1 this season and 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 7-2 2-1
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 3-0
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 97-47 40-20

 
UP NEXT
Round two of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown is set for Monday, Feb. 25 when the Jayhawks host Kansas State inside Allen Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN Big Monday. Kansas, which leads the all-time series 196-94, will look to split the regular-season series after the Wildcats came out on top, 74-67, on Feb. 5 in Manhattan.
 
The game will also mark the 900th contest inside Allen Fieldhouse, now in its 64th season. KU is 786-113 (.874) all-time inside the venue and 248-13 (.950) under Bill Self. 

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.