Big Monday, No. 9 West Virginia commences crucial week for No. 3 Kansas

GAME 26 – Big Monday

Date Monday, Feb. 13, 2017
Time 8 p.m. Central
Location Lawrence, Kan.
Venue Allen Fieldhouse
Notes KU Game Notes
Notes WVU Game Notes
Notes Big 12 Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
TV ESPN
Video WatchESPN
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Radio Westwood One Radio
Audio Audio Stream
Stats Live Stats

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 HOW THEY COMPARE

After a successful two-game road trip, Kansas (22-3, 10-2) returns home to host West Virginia (20-5, 8-4) on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. Central. Kansas is coming off road wins at Kansas State, 74-71 on Feb. 6, and at Texas Tech, 80-79 on Feb. 11. West Virginia brings a two-game winning streak to Allen Fieldhouse after its 85-66 home win against Kansas State on Feb. 11 and a 61-50 road victory over Oklahoma on Feb. 8.

In 2016-17, Kansas will be making four ESPN Big Monday appearances for the 11th-straight season.  The West Virginia contest is KU’s third of the season having won at Iowa State, 76-62, on Jan. 16, and at Kansas State, 74-71, Feb. 6. Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, Kansas is 59-20 all-time on Big Monday (33-1 at home, 26-19 on the road), including 40-12 under head coach Bill Self (22-0 at home, 18-12 on the road). Additionally, KU has won 26-straight Big Monday games in Allen Fieldhouse, which includes a 22-0 mark under Self.

ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas is No. 3 in both the national polls and No. 3 in the Ratings Percentage Index. The Jayhawks average 83.5 points per game and have a +11.4 scoring margin. Kansas leads the Big 12 and is 10th nationally with a 49.5 field goal percentage. KU leads the league with a 41.6 3-point field goal percentage, which is sixth in NCAA Division I. KU averages 39.5 rebounds per contest, which also leads the Big 12. KU has a +4.8 rebound margin. The Jayhawks also average 16.5 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.6 blocked shots per contest.

On the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list and one of 10 watch list finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, senior G Frank Mason III is having a national player of the year season. The two-time Big 12 Player of the Week leads the conference in scoring with a 20.1 average and his 20.4 points per game in league play are also tops in the Big 12. Mason has 13 games of 20 points or more, including three of his last five contests. He fought the flu yet scored 12 points, 11 in the second half, at Texas Tech (2/11). Mason has led Kansas in scoring in 17 games this season. Mason also leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage at 51.8 percent. Also on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list, freshman G Josh Jackson is coming off a career-high 31 points with 11 rebounds at Texas Tech (2/11). It was the most points for a KU freshman since the 2013-14 season. The five-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week has four double-doubles in his last five outings and a team-high eight for the season. Jackson’s 16.6 scoring average is fifth in the Big 12 and his 7.0 rebounds per game are tied for sixth. Jackson leads KU with 41 steals and 28 blocked shots. Junior G Devonte’ Graham has made multiple 3-pointers in each of his last seven games and in 19 contests this season. Graham has made 18 3-pointers in his last seven games and averages 13.0 points per outing. He leads KU with 60 3-pointers and is second on the team in assists with 112 and steals with 38. Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has made 11 3-pointers in his last four games after his three treys at Texas Tech (2/1). Mykhailiuk, who averages 10.7 points per game, has made 55 3-pointers for the season, is fifth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.6 percent and tied for sixth in 3-pointers made at 2.2. Senior C Landen Lucas pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds against Iowa State (2/4). He leads the Big 12 in league games in rebounding at 10.9 rpg. Lucas has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in nine games this season, including eight Big 12 and four of his last seven games. Overall, Lucas is fourth in the Big 12 in rebounds with an 8.3 average and is scoring 7.6 points per game.

Sophomore G Lagerald Vick scored seven points at Texas Tech (2/11), which included his first 3-pointer in five games. Vick has started five times this season and is averaging 7.0 points per contest. He averages 23.6 minutes per game and has made 23 3-pointers. Sophomore F Carlton Bragg Jr., returned after a three-game suspension to score six points and pull down three rebounds at Kansas State (2/6). Bragg is averaging 14.8 minutes, 5.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season. Freshman F Mitch Lightfoot has come off the bench in five of the last six games. He averages 1.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 18 games played this season. Junior F Dwight Coleby’s 10 minutes played at Kentucky (1/28) and six minutes played versus Baylor (2/1). His six rebounds against Baylor (2/1) were his KU career high. Coleby averages 1.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per contest.

About West Virginia
Located in Morgantown, West Virgina, with an enrollment of 32,348, West Virginia is 20-5 overall and 8-4 in Big 12 play. The Mountaineers are coached by Bob Huggins who is 195-106 in his ninth season at WVU, his alma mater, and 785-317 in his 34th season overall. West Virginia is 5-2 in true road games this season and 7-3 in games played away from WVU Coliseum this season. The Mountaineers lead the Big 12 in scoring margin (+20.2), steals (11.1), turnover margin (+10.1) and offensive rebounds (14.7). WVU forces an NCAA-leading 22.2 turnovers per game.

West Virginia has a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging between 9.3 and 11.8 points per game. Junior G Jevon Carter leads the way with 11.8 points per game. He also leads WVU with 72 steals and his 2.9 steals per game are tops in the Big 12. Carter’s 4.3 assists per game are tied for sixth in the Big 12 and he has made a team-high 39 3-pointers. Carter also averages 4.4 rebounds per contest. Sophomore F Esa Ahmad is next in scoring at 11.6 points per game. He pulls down 4.1 rebounds per game and has 18 blocked shots. Senior F Nathan Adrian leads West Virginia with 6.4 rebounds per contest and averages 10.8 points per outing. Junior G Daxter Miles Jr., averages 9.5 points per game and has made 28 3-pointers. Senior G Tarik Phillip started the Kansas State (2/11) contest. He has eight starts this season and is averaging 9.3 points per game. He is second on the team with 42 steals and has made 25 3-pointers this season.

Other WVU regulars include senior G Teyvon Myers (6.8 ppg), freshman F Lamont West (6.1 ppg), senior F Brandon Watkins (6.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, eight starts), freshman G James Bolden (4.9 ppg, 19 3FGs), freshman F Sagaba Konate (4.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and junior F Elijah Macon (4.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg).

THE SERIES
The Kansas-West Virginia series started when WVU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012-13 and KU holds a 6-4 advantage. KU is 4-0 against WVU in games played in Allen Fieldhouse. Last year Kansas went 2-1 against West Virginia with a win in Allen Fieldhouse and in the title game of the 2016 Big 12 Championship at Sprint Center in Kansas City. KU head coach Bill Self is 6-4 against West Virginia, with all 10 meetings as Kansas’ coach. Bob Huggins is 4-10 all-time against Kansas, 4-6 while at WVU.

Earlier this season, West Virginia ended Kansas’ 18-game winning streak with an 85-69 win on Jan. 24 in Morgantown. Josh Jackson led the Jayhawks with 22 points, while Devonte’ Graham had 17 and Frank Mason III 15. Landen Lucas pulled down 10 rebounds and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk had a team-high seven assists. WVU led 38-35 at the half and shot 53.3 percent in the second period, outscoring Kansas 47-34. Esa Ahmad led WVU with 27 points.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD …
Make Kansas 23-3 overall, giving KU 23 wins for the 28th-consecutive season starting in 1989-90 … Give KU 11 league wins for the 22nd-straight season, starting in 1994-95 … Make the KU-WVU series 7-4 in favor of the Jayhawks, including a 5-0 record in Allen Fieldhouse …  Make KU 12-1 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, 756-110 all-time in the venue, including 218-10 under Bill Self … Improve Selfto 408-86 at KU and 615-191 overall … Make KU 2,209-839 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD …
Make Kansas 22-4 overall and 10-3 in Big 12 play …  Make the Kansas-West Virginia series 6-5 in favor of Kansas, including 4-1 in games played in Lawrence, with every matchup in Allen Fieldhouse … Give Kansas consecutive losses in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since the 1988-89 season, when KU lost four straight to Big Eight foes … Mark the first time KU has been swept in the conference home-and-home series under Bill Self … Give KU two losses in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time since the 2006-07 season … Make KU 11-2 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, 755-111 all-time in the venue, including 217-11 under Self … MakeSelf407-87 while at KU and  614-192 overall  … Make KU 2,208-840 all-time.

WHAT’S TRENDING
• Kansas leads the Big 12 in won-loss percentage (tied for first at 88.0), field goal percentage at 49.5 percent, 3-point field goal percentage at 41.6 percent and rebounding at 39.5 per game. Additionally, KU ranks in the upper half in the Big 12 in scoring (third at 83.5), scoring margin (third at +11.4), field goal percentage defense (second at 41.8), rebound margin (second at +4.8), assists (third at 16.5), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.3) and blocked shots (fifth at 4.6).
• During Big 12 play, KU is shooting 69.4 percent at the charity stripe. In nonconference games KU had a 58.9 free throw percentage.
• Senior G Frank Mason III leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game and 3-point field goal percentage (51.8). He is fourth in assists (4.9), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), ninth in field goal percentage (49.8) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9).
• Mason is making 55.6 percent (30-for-54) from 3-point range in Big 12 play. He is 8-for-14 (57.1 percent) from beyond the arc in his last three games.
• Mason has led KU in scoring in 17 of 25 games this season, including seven of the last 11 contests. Mason has 13 games of 20 or more points, including three of his last five outings.
• Mason was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line versus Baylor (2/1), marking the most single-game free throws made without a miss by a Jayhawk since Darnell Valentine also went 12-of-12 at Oklahoma (1/23/1980). Mason’s free throw streak ended at 18 as he was 10-for-12 against Iowa State (2/4).
• Freshman G Josh Jackson has four double-doubles in his last five games. His eight double-doubles, five against Big 12 foes, rank tied for third in the conference.
• Jackson is 15-for-28 (53.6 percent) from 3-point range in his last seven games. 
• Jackson ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.6 ppg, which leads the conference freshman class. His 7.0 rebounds per game are tied for sixth in the league and he is eighth with 1.6 steals per game. He has six steals in his last three games.
• Senior C Landen Lucas leads the Big 12 in league games with an 10.9 rebound average. Overall, Lucas’ 8.3 rpg are fourth in the Big 12.
• Lucas leads KU with a 62.9 percent field goal percentage for all games and is 10-for-15 (66.7 percent) from the field in his last three games.
• Junior G Devonte’ Graham has made multiple 3-pointers in each of his last seven games and 11 of his last 12 outings.
• Graham is 13th in the Big 12 in scoring (13.0), fifth in assists (4.5), 11th in steals (1.5), fourth in 3-point field goals made (2.4), 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (.390) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5).
• Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has made 11 3-pointers in his last four games and multiple 3-pointers in seven of his last eight contests. He is 11-for-23 (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc in his last four games.
• Mykhailiuk is tied for sixth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made at 2.2 per game and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.6.

GOING FOR GUINNESS RECORD
One of the loudest venues in college basketball, Allen Fieldhouse will be going for a record when it hosts West Virginia on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 13. Representatives from the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS will be in attendance to see if Allen Fieldhouse can set the world record for the loudest crowd roar at an indoor sports event.

Jayhawk fans may be familiar with the record as Kentucky set it when it played host to Kansas earlier this season on Jan. 28, 2017, in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Rupp Arena measured at 126.4 decibels just before tip of the Kansas victory. UK broke the previous record set by the Sacramento Kings in November 2013.

Kansas is going for a world record for the second-straight season.  Allen Fieldhouse set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest gathering of people wearing holiday sweaters on Dec. 19, 2015, in a home game against Montana when 3,473 patrons wore holiday sweaters. The sweater record shattered the previous record of 1,175 people and was set December 10, 2014, at Loughborough University in Loughborough, United Kingdom.

30-POINT GAMES
Senior G Frank Mason III scored a career high with 32 points against Iowa State (2/4). It marked the third time this season Mason has reached the 30-point plateau. With Josh Jackson’s 31 points at Texas Tech (2/11), in the Bill Self era at Kansas, there have been 24 times a Jayhawk has scored 30 or more points in a game. KU’s four 30-point games this season is the most since the 2013-14 season when KU also had four 30-point efforts with Andrew Wiggins two and Perry Ellis two.

30-Point Games Under Bill Self
41 – Andrew Wiggins at West Virginia (3-8-14)
39 – Elijah Johnson at Iowa State (2-25-13)
36 – Ben McLemore vs. West Virginia (3-2-13)
33 – Wayne Selden Jr. vs. Kentucky (1-30-16)
33 – Ben McLemore vs. Iowa State (1-9-13)
33 – Marcus Morris vs. Iowa State (1-12-11)
33 – Sherron Collins vs. Cornell (1-6-10)
33 – Julian Wright at Missouri (2-10-07)
32 – FRANK MASON III VS. IOWA STATE (2-4-17)
32 – Perry Ellis vs. TCU (2-15-14)
32 – Sherron Collins vs. North Dakota State (3-20-09)
32 – Wayne Simien vs. Oklahoma State (2-27-05)
31 – JOSH JACKSON AT TEXAS TECH (2-11-17)
31 – Xavier Henry vs. LaSalle (12-12-09)
31 – Wayne Simien vs. Missouri (3-7-04)
30 – FRANK MASON III VS. UMKC (12-6-16)
30 – FRANK MASON III VS. INDIANA (11-11-16)
30 – Perry Ellis vs. Iowa State (3-14-14)
30 – Andrew Wiggins vs. Oklahoma State (3-13-14)
30 – Ben McLemore vs. Kansas State (2-11-13)
30 – Thomas Robinson vs. North Dakota (12-31-11)
30 – Mario Chalmers vs. Texas (3-16-08)
30 – Wayne Simien vs. Oklahoma State (3-12-05)
30 – Wayne Simien vs. UAB (3-26-04)

30-Point Breakdown (under Bill Self)
4 – Wayne Simien
3 – Frank Mason III, Ben McLemore
2 – Perry Ellis, Andrew Wiggins, Sherron Collins

KANSAS VS. RANKED TEAMS
Kansas is 3-2 against ranked foes in 2016-17 with all three victories against top-5 teams. In 2015-16, KU posted a season-high 12 wins against Associated Press Top 25 teams. The mark surpassed the previous season, 2014-15, of 10. In the Bill Self era, Kansas is 73-40 against ranked opponents and has only had one non-.500 record, that being his first in 2003-04. Each of the past two seasons, Kansas has played a season-high 16 games vs. ranked foes

THIS DATE IN KANSAS BASKETBALL HISTORY
Kansas is 24-5 all-time on Feb. 13.
Feb. 13, 1960: Sophomore forward Wayne Hightower topped all scorers with 28 points in a 64-52 victory against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Hightower shot 10-for-16 from the field and 8-for-9 at the free throw line to lead KU to its third-straight Big Eight Conference win. Junior center Bill Bridges added 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds. The Jayhawks ended the regular season tied for first place in the Big Eight with Kansas State with a 10-4 league mark, which forced a one-game playoff in Manhattan to determine the conference’s representative in the NCAA Tournament. KU won the playoff game in overtime, 84-82, earning its first NCAA berth in three seasons.

UP NEXT
Kansas will play at Baylor on Saturday, Feb. 18 at noon on CBS and returns home to host TCU on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. KU will then play at Texas on Saturday, Feb. 25, and host Oklahoma for Senior Night on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.

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