LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 3 Kansas (13-1, 1-0 Big 12) will play at new conference foe UCF (9-4, 0-1) on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The contest from Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida, will tip at 6 p.m. (Central) and will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.
Kansas takes a nine-game winning streak into Wednesday’s contest which is tied for the fifth longest nationally. KU is coming off an 83-81 win against TCU on Jan. 6 in Lawrence. UCF lost its conference opener at Kansas State, 77-52, on Jan. 6. This will be the first meeting between Kansas and UCF in men’s basketball.
Kansas enters Wednesday’s matchup averaging 79.9 points per game with a plus-13.4 scoring margin. The Jayhawks pull down 39.0 rebounds per outing with a plus-6.4 rebound margin. Kansas is second in the nation in assists per game at 21.3. KU is second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally in field goal percentage (50.7%). KU also averages 7.5 steals and 4.4 blocked shots per contest.
Graduate G Kevin McCullar Jr. is averaging 22.8 points in his last four game and leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, which is 21st nationally. His two triple-doubles are the most amongst the NCAA. McCullar also leads KU with 22 steals and 21 three-point field goals made. His 6.8 rebounds per game are second on the team.
Senior C Hunter Dickinson is coming off his second straight and ninth double-double of the season where he had 30 points and 11 rebounds against TCU on Jan 6. Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is second nationally in rebounds per game at 12.4. His nine double-doubles leads the Big 12 and are sixth nationally. A five-time Big 12 weekly award honoree this season, including Jan. 8 Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Week, Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. He also leads KU with 17 blocked shots.
Junior F KJ Adams Jr. recorded his first career double-double of the season with a season-high-tying 18 points and career-high-tying 11 rebounds versus TCU on Jan. 6. Adams is second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in field goal percentage at 63.2%. Adams is averaging 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds for the season and has 44 assists.
Redshirt-senior G Dajuan Harris Jr. leads the Big 12 with 7.0 assists per game, which is sixth nationally. Harris averages 7.1 points per contest and has 17 steals. Freshman G Elmarko Jackson (5.8 ppg, 40 assists) had a career-high 12 points against Wichita State on Dec. 30 and rounds out the KU starters.
Other KU regulars include freshman G Johnny Furphy (5.3 ppg, 14 3FGs), graduate-senior G Nicolas Timberlake (3.8 ppg, 11 3FGs), graduate-senior F Parker Braun (3.1 ppg, 12 blocked shots) and freshman G Jamari McDowell (2.2 ppg).
UP NEXT
Kansas returns home to host No. 9 Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 13. Tip from Allen Fieldhouse will be at 1 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.
Kansas leads the overall series with Oklahoma, 155-69, including a 79-16 record in Lawrence meetings, 52-7 in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won the last five meetings and eight of the last nine matchups with OU.
