LAWRENCE, Kan. – No. 6 Kansas (19-6, 7-5 Big 12) continues its two-game road swing at No. 25 Oklahoma (18-7, 6-6) on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tip from Lloyd Noble Center is set for 3 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Kansas is coming off a 79-50 loss at Texas Tech on Feb. 12. Under head coach Bill Self (since 2003-04), Kansas is 120-18 following a loss, including 5-0 this season. Oklahoma had its two-game winning streak end with a 79-62 loss at No. 12 Baylor on Feb. 13.
Kansas leads the overall series with Oklahoma, 156-69, including a 23-20 edge in Lloyd Noble Center meetings. KU has won the last six meetings with OU.
Kansas enters Saturday’s matchup averaging 77.0 points per game with a plus-9.0 scoring margin. The Jayhawks pull down 36.2 rebounds per outing with a plus-2.8 rebound margin. Kansas leads the nation in assists per game at 19.9. KU leads the Big 12 and is sixth nationally in field goal percentage at 50.0%. KU also averages 7.6 steals and 3.9 blocked shots per contest.
Named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team on Feb. 14, graduate G Kevin McCullar Jr. leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.5 points per game, which is 41st 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. McCullar has missed the last two games due to a bruised knee.
Also on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, senior C Hunter Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is seventh nationally in rebounds per game at 10.8. He has double-doubles in three of his last six games and his 13 DDs lead the Big 12 and are ninth 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 31 blocked shots and has 28 steals.
Junior F KJ Adams Jr. continues to lead the Big 12 and is 17th nationally in field goal percentage at 61.2%. Adams is averaging 12.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in Big 12 play and 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds for the season. He has 85 assists in 2023-24, including 22 in his last five contests.
Named a Bob Cousy Award top-10 candidate, redshirt-senior G Dajuan Harris Jr. leads the Big 12 with 6.5 assists per game, which is ninth nationally. Harris averages 7.9 points per contest and has a team-high 39 steals.
Freshman G Johnny Furphy (8.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 33 threes made) has started the last 10 games and is averaging 12.9 ppg and 6.4 rpg in that span.
Other KU regulars include freshman G Elmarko Jackson (4.4 ppg, 47 assists, 16 starts), graduate-senior G Nicolas Timberlake (4.0 ppg, 18 3FGs, started the last two games), graduate-senior F Parker Braun (2.4 ppg, 16 blocked shots) and freshman G Jamari McDowell (1.6 ppg). McDowell has missed the last two games due to illness but will be at Oklahoma Saturday.
UP NEXT
Kansas returns home to Allen Fieldhouse to host Texas on Saturday, Feb. 24. Tip will be at 5 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Kansas leads the overall series with Texas, 36-14, including a 19-2 record in Lawrence meetings, 17-2 in Allen Fieldhouse. This series dates back to 1938 and Texas has won the last two matchups. Dating back to 2019, this series is tied at 5-5 in the last 10 meetings.
