LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 4 Kansas (18-5, 6-4 Big 12) returns home to host Baylor (17-5, 6-3) on Saturday, Feb. 10. Tip from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 5 p.m. CT with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Jess Sims on the call.
February is Black History Month and Kansas Athletics will honor KU legend Bud Stallworth as its men’s basketball Marian E. Washington Trailblazer Series recipient at the Baylor contest.
For the Kansas-Baylor game, ESPN College GameDay will originate from historic Allen Fieldhouse for the 12th time since the show began in 2004-05. The College GameDay show runs 10-11 a.m. CT. The event is free, including parking, and doors open at 8:30 a.m. for students and 8:45 a.m. for the general public.
Kansas is coming off a 75-70 overtime loss at Kansas State on Feb. 5. At 6-4, KU is one game behind Big 12 leader Houston (7-3). Baylor is tied with Iowa State for second in the league with 6-3 league marks. Baylor brings a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s contest after its 79-73 victory versus No. 23 Texas Tech on Feb. 6.
Kansas leads the overall series with Baylor, 35-9, including a 19-1 record in Lawrence, all in Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks are 12-0 at home and their 17-game home court winning streak is tied for fifth nationally with UConn and San Diego State. Kansas enters Saturday’s matchup averaging 78.7 points per game with a plus-10.9 scoring margin. The Jayhawks pull down 37.1 rebounds per outing with a plus-4.5 rebound margin. Kansas leads the nation in assists per game at 20.7. KU leads the Big 12 and is third nationally in field goal percentage (51.0%, Wright State is first at 53.6%). KU also averages 7.4 steals and 4.0 blocked shots per contest.
Named to the Wooden Award Late Top 20, graduate G Kevin McCullar Jr. leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.5 points per game, which is 39th nationally. His two triple-doubles are the most amongst the NCAA. McCullar also leads KU with 35 three-point field goals made. His 6.4 rebounds per game are second on the team and he ranks in 11 Big 12 statistical categories.
Named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Feb. 5, his third time this season, senior C Hunter Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is sixth nationally in rebounds per game at 11.1. He has double-doubles in three of his last four games and his 13 DDs lead the Big 12 and are sixth nationally. A six-time Big 12 weekly award honoree, Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. He also leads KU with 30 blocked shots and has 26 steals.
Junior F KJ Adams Jr. continues to lead the Big 12 and is 14th nationally in field goal percentage at 63.0%. He is 17-for-24 (70.8%) from the field in his last three games. Adams is averaging 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in Big 12 play and 12.7 points and 4.6 rebounds for the season. He has 80 assists in 2023-24, including 17 in his last three contests.
Named a Bob Cousy Award top-10 candidate, redshirt-senior G Dajuan Harris Jr. leads the Big 12 with 6.7 assists per game, which is seventh nationally. Harris averages 7.7 points per contest and has a team-high 36 steals, two ahead of McCullar.
Freshman G Johnny Furphy (8.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 32 threes made) has started the last eight games and is averaging 13.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg and is 17-for-37 (45.9%) from three-point range in that span.
Other KU regulars include freshman G Elmarko Jackson (4.5 ppg, 46 assists, 16 starts), graduate-senior G Nicolas Timberlake (3.4 ppg, 14 3FGs), graduate-senior F Parker Braun (2.5 ppg, 15 blocked shots) and freshman G Jamari McDowell (1.6 ppg).
UP NEXT
Kansas hits the road and will play at #23 Texas Tech on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 12. Tip from United Supermarkets Arena is set for 8 p.m. CT.
Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 43-7, including a 17-6 record in Lubbock (13-4 in United Supermarkets Arena). Kansas has won the last four and eight of the last nine meetings with Texas Tech. The Jayhawks have won the last four meetings in Lubbock.
