No. 4/3 Kansas gets final preseason tune-up with Fort Hays State Tuesday

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Senior guard Devonte’ Graham 

LAWRENCE, Kan. –  After a 100-54 win over Pittsburg State on Halloween, No. 4/3 Kansas closes out 2017-18 exhibition play when it hosts Fort Hays State Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be televised on Jayhawk Television Network and can also be seen via the internet by fans outside of Kansas by visiting KUAthletics.com/ESPN3. For more information on accessing Kansas video content, visit KUAthletics.com/TV.
 
TIP-OFF

• Kansas is 3-0 all-time on Nov. 7 with all three of those games in exhibition play. The last time KU played on Nov. 7 was in 2006 in a 90-55 win against Emporia State.
• The Jayhawks are 6-0 in exhibition play since August. KU went 4-0 while touring Italy before picking up two more tune-up wins in October.
• Kansas defeated Missouri, 93-87, on Oct. 22 in a Showdown for Relief game at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The KU-MU contest generated $2.011 million for hurricane relief efforts. On Halloween, Kansas defeated Pittsburg State, 100-54, also in exhibition play.
• Kansas is 85-9 all-time in exhibition games, including 53-2 in games under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks have won 26-straight exhibition contests and 47-straight inside Allen Fieldhouse.
• The Jayhawks are 10-0 all-time against Fort Hays State, including a 7-0 record in exhibition games.
• Kansas returns two starters and four reserves from the squad that claimed the Jayhawks’ 13th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season title and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
• KU senior Devonte’ Graham is KU’s top returning scorer (13.4 ppg) and was selected as the Big 12’s Preseason Player of the Year. He was also named to the preseason All-Big 12 Team and was joined on the list by senior guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and redshirt-sophomore guard Malik Newman.
• Kansas is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press (AP) Preseason Poll. KU has been ranked in each of the last 162 AP polls dating back to Feb. 3, 2009, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.

 
ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas returns two starters and six letterwinners from last season’s 31-5 team, which won the Big 12 race with a 16-2 conference record. Senior guards Devonte’ Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk return as regular starters, while junior guard Lagerald Vick was also in the rotation with six starts. Sophomore center Udoka Azubuike had six starts in his 11 games played in before an injury ended his 2016-17 season.
 
Expect to see returning sophomore forward Mitch Lightfoot’s minutes increase. Sophomore guard Malik Newman, who sat out last year after transferring from Mississippi State, will play a significant role as will guards Marcus Garrett and Sam Cunliffe and forward Billy Preston. Garrett and Preston are freshmen, while Cunliffe is a sophomore who will sit out the fall semester after transferring from Arizona State last December. Last season, Garrett was the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, while Preston became KU’s 42nd McDonald’s All-American.
 
Graham is the 2017-18 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, as selected by the league coaches, while Newman is the league’s preseason newcomer of the year. Graham was a preseason all-conference first-team selection and Newman and Mykhailiuk were on the preseason league honorable mention team. Additionally, Graham is one of 20 listed on the preseason Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Watch List, an award won by KU’s Frank Mason III in 2016-17. Newman is one of 20 listed on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List entering 2017-18.
 
Through two exhibition victories against Missouri (10/22) and Pittsburg State (10/31), six Jayhawks are averaging double figures in scoring led by Newman at 18.0 points per game. Azubuike is at 16.5 ppg, followed by Graham at 15.5, Vick at 14.0, Preston at 11.0 and Mykhailiuk at 10.0. Azubuike has averaged 9.0 rebounds per game, while Graham is next with 8.0 rpg. Graham has s team-best 10 assists, while Newman has nine. Azubuike is five blocked shots, including four versus Missouri (10/22) and Preston is 9-for-10 from the field in the two games. Graham, Azubuike and Vick have each recorded a double-double in exhibition action.
 
ABOUT FORT HAYS STATE
Located in Hays, Kansas, with an enrollment of 13,825, Fort Hays State will play its second exhibition game of the 2017-18 season when it comes to Allen Fieldhouse. The Tigers lost at Kansas State, 79-56, on Oct. 29. Fort Hays State is coached by Mark Johnson who is entering his 17th season with FHSU and has a 322-149 record. Johnson has guided Fort Hays State to seven NCAA Tournament appearances with its last during the 2015-16 season.
 
Fort Hays State returns three starters and seven letterwinners from last season’s 18-11 team which tied for fourth in the MIAA with an 11-8 league record. Senior forward Hadley Gillum is the leading returner for the Tigers having averaged 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season. Juniors Kyler Kinnamon and Trey O’Neil are also back after starting last season. O’Neil averaged 7.0 points per game last year and made 46 3-pointers, while Kinnamon scored 5.7 points per contest and averaged 3.3 assists. Junior forward Brady Werth (6.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg) is also back.
 
In the Kansas State (10/29) contest, junior guard Marcus Cooper led Fort Hays State in scoring with 15 points and three steals. Gillum had a team-high five rebounds and Werth had two blocked shots.
 
THE SERIES
The Kansas-Fort Hays State series dates back to 1994 and the Jayhawks are 10-0 against the Tigers, including 7-0 in exhibition play. All 10 meetings have been in Allen Fieldhouse. In the last meeting, Kansas defeated Fort Hays State 95-59 behind 16 points from Perry Ellis and 15 from Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who was 5-for-8 from the field, all from 3-point range. Devonte’ Graham had 11 points and four assists, while Lagerald Vick had two points and two steals.
 
EXHIBITION HISTORY
Kansas is 85-9 in exhibition history and has won 26-straight exhibition contests starting Oct. 30, 2012. This past summer, KU posted a 4-0 exhibition record while touring Italy in August and defeated Missouri, 93-87, in the Showdown for Relief at Sprint Center on Oct. 22, and Pittsburg State, 100-54, on Halloween.
 
Kansas is 55-4 in exhibition contests played in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won the last 47 exhibition games in Allen Fieldhouse beginning in 1994. After the 100-54 win versus Pitt State (10/31), Kansas has scored 100-plus points in 29 exhibition games, including 13 under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks are 53-2 in exhibition play in Self’s 14-plus seasons at KU.
 
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 86-9 all-time in exhibition games … Extend Kansas’ home exhibition winning streak to 48 games dating back to the 1994 season … Give KU its 27th-consecutive exhibition victory … Make Kansas 11-0 against Fort Hays State, including 8-0 in exhibition games … Improve Kansas head coach Bill Self to 54-2 in exhibition play while at KU, including 30-0 in Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 59-4 in exhibition games in Allen Fieldhouse.
 
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Break KU’s 47-game home exhibition win streak, marking the first loss in an exhibition game in Allen Fieldhouse since a 93-82 loss to Australia on Nov. 9, 1993 … Give Fort Hays State its first win against Kansas in 11 tries … Make the KU-FHSU all-time series 8-1 in exhibition meetings … Drop Bill Self to 53-3 in exhibition play while at Kansas, including 29-1 in Allen Fieldhouse … Give KU a 58-5 record in exhibition play at Allen Fieldhouse and 85-10 all-time exhibition record.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Five Jayhawks chipped in double-figure scoring efforts as No. 3 Kansas dispatched of the Pittsburg State Gorillas Oct. 31 inside Allen Fieldhouse. Redshirt sophomore guard Malik Newman led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting to treat the 16,300 fans in attendance to an exhibition win on Halloween night.
 
Kansas got out to quick starts in both halves, outscoring the visitors by a tally of 53-11 in the opening eight minutes of each stanza. The 100-54 final marked KU’s largest margin of victory in exhibition play since 2015, when KU downed Chile, 106-41, at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.
 
Newman led all scorers with 19 points, shooting 70 percent from the field and connecting on 3-of-5 from the 3-point line. Svi Mykhailiuk added 17 points while Udoka Azubuike and Lagerald Vick both tallied double-doubles, Azubuike scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds and Vick tallying 15 points and 11 boards. Billy Preston rounded out the Jayhawks who scored in double figures after the freshman connected on 10 points with a perfect 5-of-5 clip from the field in just eight minutes of action.
 
Kansas No. 3 & No. 4 in preseason Polls
Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2017-18 season No. 3 in the USA TODAY Coaches’ poll released Oct. 30 and No. 4 in the Associated Press poll announced Nov. 1.
 
Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 162 AP polls dating back to Feb. 3, 2009, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. The AP ranking marks the fifth consecutive year the Jayhawks have been preseason ranked fifth of higher and the third straight at No. 4 or higher. Under 15th-year and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, this is the 12th time that Kansas enters the season ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press preseason poll and historically, the No. 4 ranking marks the 20th time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas will enter the season seventh or higher. Last season, KU entered the year No. 3 nationally in the Associated Press poll and ended at No. 3.
 
This is the fourth-straight year the Jayhawks have opened the season in the top five in the coaches’ poll. Kansas is ranked in the preseason for the 26th time in time in the 29-year history of the coaches’ poll. The No 3 ranking marks the eighth time KU has been preseason No. 3 or higher in the coaches’ poll. Additionally, it is the 12th time in the Self era the Jayhawks have been preseason seventh or higher, including each of the last six seasons. In 2016-17 Kansas opened the year No. 2 in the preseason coaches’ poll and ended No. 4.
 
All four teams in the Nov. 14 Champions Classic are ranked in the top four of the coaches’ poll with No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Michigan State, No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 Kentucky. Last year, Kansas pulled a rarity and defeated the three other Champions Classic teams during the season.
 
PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12
Kansas guards Devonte’ Graham, Malik Newman and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk each garnered recognition on the 2017-18 Preseason All-Big 12 Team as voted on by the league’s men’s basketball coaches, the conference office announced Oct. 12.
 
Graham was named the 2017-18 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, while Newman was dubbed the league’s preseason newcomer of the year. Graham was also a preseason all-conference first-team selection, while Newman and Mykhailiuk securing preseason honorable mention honors. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes in the selection process.
 
PRESEASON BIG 12 POLL
For the 16th time in the 22-year history of the Big 12, Kansas men’s basketball has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference regular-season championship as the league released its coaches’ preseason poll Oct. 18.
 
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the poll and KU received a unanimous nine first-place votes and a total of 81 points. West Virginia was second in the poll receiving 71 points, followed by TCU (64). Three teams – Texas (49), Baylor (47) and Oklahoma (43) were clumped in spots 4-6, followed by Texas Tech (36), Kansas State (27), Iowa State (22) and Oklahoma State (10).
 
Kansas has won, or tied for, 17 of the 21 Big 12 regular-season titles, including the last 13 consecutive, a streak which ranks tied for first all-time in NCAA Division I history with UCLA (1967-79).
 
Historically, the preseason favorite has gone on to finish first in the regular season 14 times, which does not include 1996-97 as a coaches’ poll was not conducted. Kansas has been the preseason favorite in 13 of its 17 Big 12 regular-season titles, missing 1996-97 (no poll), 2005-06 (third) and 2010-11 (second).
 
PRESEASON NATIONAL HONORS
Kansas guards Devonte’ Graham and Malik Newman have both been named to preseason watch lists by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Graham is one of 20 candidates for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, while Newman is one of 20 on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch lists for each award.
 
Named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor, now in its 15th year, recognizes the top point guard in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. Graham is vying to become the second-straight Jayhawk to win the award as Frank Mason III was KU’s first-ever Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award winner last season.
 
Named after Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor, in its fourth year, recognizes the top shooting guard in Division I men’s college basketball.
 
CELEBRATING 120 YEARS IN 2017-18
Kansas Athletics will host numerous events throughout the 2017-18 season to celebrate 120 years of KU men’s basketball and other Jayhawk basketball milestones. The first celebration will be for 120 years of Kansas basketball. It will be held Saturday, Feb. 3 when KU hosts Oklahoma State in Allen Fieldhouse. Players, coaches and staff from every era of KU basketball will be recognized during the game; the weekend’s festivities will also celebrate the 30-year anniversary of KU’s 1988 NCAA National Championship team.
 
The 2017-18 season marks the 10th anniversary of the 2008 NCAA National Championship team, which will be honored when KU hosts West Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 17. That weekend, which is also the NBA All-Star Game weekend, KU will retire the jersey of former Jayhawk All-American Cole Aldrich. Additionally, plans are in place to retire the jersey of 2010 Consensus All-America First-Team selection Sherron Collins on KU’s ESPN Big Monday game against Oklahoma on Feb. 19.
 
JAYHAWKS TAKE PART IN SHOWDOWN FOR RELIEF
The Showdown for Relief, the Oct. 22 charity exhibition basketball game between the universities of Kansas and Missouri at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, generated $2.011 million for victims of recent natural disasters in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kansas won the exhibition, 93-87.
 
The donations are a combination of ticket sales ($1.15 million), the Pay-per-View stream ($768,000) and text-to-give contributions ($68,000). Donations from other entities totaled approximately $25,000, bringing the total donation to some $2.011 million. The funds will be directed to “One America Appeal for Hurricane Relief,” a joint appeal launched by all five living former U.S. Presidents. The following organizations will benefit from the game: the Houston Harvey Relief Fund, the Rebuild Texas Fund, the Florida Disaster Fund, Unidos Por Puerto Rico and the Fund for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
 
On the floor the old conference rivals did not upset the capacity crowd of 18,951 in the first KU-MU battle since 2012. Kansas built an eight-point lead, 27-19, midway through the first half behind five 3-pointers from senior Devonte’ Graham. Graham ended the contest with 25 points and 10 rebounds, all defensive. He was one of five Jayhawks in double figures for the game along with sophomore guard Malik Newman with 17 points, sophomore center Udoka Azubuike with 16, junior guard Lagerald Vick with 13 and freshman forward Billy Preston with 12.
 
BILL SELF INDUCTED INTO NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
Kansas head coach Bill Self, along with 10 others, was officially enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Sept. 8 at Springfield Symphony Hall in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts.
 
Joining Self in the evening’s enshrinement festivities were the other 10 Class of 2017 inductees: Zack Clayton (player, posthumous), Nick Galis (player), Robert Hughes (coach), Mannie Jackson (contributor), Tom Jernstedt (contributor), Jerry Krause (contributor, posthumous), Tracy McGrady (player), Rebecca Lobo (contributor), George McGinnis (player) and Muffet McGraw (coach).
 
Self becomes the 19th person associated with Kansas basketball to be inducted, the last being coaching legend John McClendon, who was inducted in 2016 for the second time. As only the eighth coach in KU history, Self is the fifth KU mentor to be inducted into Hall joining James Naismith, Dr. F.C. “Phog” Allen, Larry Brown and Roy Williams. Kansas has the highest percentage of coaches in the Hall of Fame, 63 percent, than any other school. KU’s five matches North Carolina’s five for the most inducted in college coaching with St. John’s third with four.
 
FROM DOWNTOWN
In 2016-17, Kansas made a single season-record 318 3-pointers, besting the previous school-record mark of 304 treys from just one season earlier. In both years, the Jayhawks shot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc.
 
CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Including 2016-17, Kansas has won 17 of the 21 Big 12 regular-season titles (includes ties), including the last 13, which is tied for the NCAA record. Kansas’ 60 conference titles are the most in NCAA Division I. Kentucky is second with 54 and Penn third at 37. KU’s 13-straight league titles are the longest active streak in NCAA Division I and the longest streak in school history. Kansas is now tied with UCLA, which from 1967-79, also won the NCAA record of 13 straight, which was under two coaches. Kansas’ current run has been under head coach Bill Self.
 
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2017-18

• Bill Self needs just three wins to move to No. 2 on Kansas’ all-time wins list. Self, enters the season with 416 victories as the head coach at KU. Roy Williams amassed 418 wins in his 15 seasons in Lawrence. Phog Allen is the Jayhawks’ all-time wins leader, tallying 590 victories in his 39 seasons.
• With a 247-48 (83.7 percent) record since 2010, Kansas is the winningest program, by percentage, this decade: 1. KANSAS (247-48, 83.7%); 2. Gonzaga (239-47, 83.6%); 3. Kentucky (249-53, 82.5%); 4. Wichita State (233-53, 81.7); 5. Duke (238-56, 81.0%).
• The Jayhawks are pursuing their 14th-conseuctive Big 12 regular-season championship. A 14th-league title would break UCLA’s NCAA record mark of 13-consecutive conference championships from 1967-79.
• Should Kansas advance to the 2018 NCAA Tournament it would be its 29th-consecutive NCAA tourney appearance. The current 28 straight is the NCAA Tournament longest consecutive appearance streak with North Carolina (1975-2001) second at 27.
• Junior G Devonte’ Graham ranks seventh on KU’s career 3-point field goal list, currently with 186 career 3-pointers.  Jeff Boschee holds the school record at 338-career treys and Billy Thomas is second with 269.
• Graham also enters the season at 45th on KU’s career points list with 1,075. If he maintains his career average (10.4 ppg) for the regular season, he would reach approximately 1,400 career points, which would move him near the top-25 of KU’s all-time scorers.

 
BIG 12 RUN NO CAKEWALK
Kansas ended 2016-17 ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) and its strength of schedule 19th nationally. In Self’s first 14 seasons, KU has ranked fifth or higher in the final RPI 10 times, including each of the last eight years.
 
UP NEXT
Kansas will open its 120th season of basketball when it welcomes Tennessee State to Allen Fieldhouse on Friday, Nov. 10. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 8 p.m. on ESPNU. KU has won 43 straight home openers in Allen Fieldhouse.
 
KU and Tennessee State have met once prior. The Jayhawks defeated the Tigers on Nov. 21, 2006 in Lawrence, 89-54, as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. Kansas went on to win the Las Vegas Invitational with a victory over No. 1-ranked Florida, 82-80, in overtime.
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