Jayhawks host Sooners on Senior Night, ESPN Big Monday

GAME 30

Date Monday, Feb. 27
Time 8 p.m. Central
Location Lawrence, Kan.
Venue Allen Fieldhouse
Notes KU Game Notes
Notes OU Game Notes
Notes Big 12 Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
TV ESPN
Video WatchESPN
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Audio SiriusXM 81
Audio Audio Stream
Audio Westwood One Radio
Stats Live Stats

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 HOW THEY COMPARE

Big 12 regular-season champion Kansas (26-3 14-2) plays host to Oklahoma (10-18, 4-12) on Senior Night on ESPN Big Monday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. KU won its sixth-straight game with a 77-67 victory at Texas Feb. 25. OU ended a two-game losing streak with an 81-51 win against Kansas State Feb. 27.

Kansas has won a mind-boggling 33-straight home finales, including 32-consecutive Senior Days, dating back to the 1983-84 season. In 2006-07, Kansas did not have a senior on its roster.

Prior to the game, Kansas will recognize the three senior student-athletes and four senior managers on the 2016-17 roster. The managers include: Justin Bengtson (Salina, Kansas), Emma Gordon (Overland Park, Kansas), Chip Kueffer (Baldwin City, Kansas) and Jay Turnipseed (Deer Park, Texas).

Fifth-year seniors Landen Lucas and Tyler Self:
• Five Big 12 regular-season championships (2013-17)
• Two Big 12 Tournament titles (2013, 2016).
• Four in-season tournament titles (2012 CBE Hall of Fame Classic, 2014 Orlando Classic, 2015 Maui Invitational, 2016 CBE Hall of Fame Classic)
• Have advanced to two NCAA Tournament Sweet 16s (2013, 2016) and one Elite Eight (2016)
• Boast a combined 142-33 record, which is 28.4 wins per season.
• Are 74-3 (96.1 percent) in Allen Fieldhouse, including a 51-game winning streak in the venue.
• Have been a part of four 10-plus games winning streaks while at Kansas (18 in 2012-13, 13 in 2015-16, 17 in 2015-16 and 18 in 2016-17).
• Members of the USA gold medal team at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.
• Both graduated from Kansas in May 2016 (Self, sport management; Lucas business). Both are pursuing MBAs as Kansas.
• Both were named 2017 Academic All-Big 12 First Team.
• Lucas is a three-year starter who has led Kansas in rebounds 42 times, including 20 times as a junior and 16 times his senior season.
• Self has played in 42 games while at Kansas.

Fourth-year senior Frank Mason III:
• Four Big 12 regular-season championships (2014-17)
• One Big 12 Tournament title (2016).
• Three in-season tournament titles (2014 Orlando Classic, 2015 Maui Invitational, 2016 CBE Hall of Fame Classic)
• Has advanced to one NCAA Tournament Elite Eight (2016)
• Has a combined 111-27 record, which is 27.8 wins per season (and counting).
• Is 58-2 (96.7 percent) in Allen Fieldhouse, including a 51-game winning streak in the venue.
• Has been a part of three 10-plus-games winning streaks while at Kansas (13 in 2015-16, 17 in 2015-16 and 18 in 2016-17).
• A member of the USA gold medal team at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.
• Is only the 12th player in Kansas history to score 1,700 career points.
• Is only the fourth player in KU history to record 1,700 or more points and 500 or more assists (Kirk Hinrich, Darnell Valentine, Sherron Collins)
• MASON’S KU CAREER RANKINGS: points (12th at 1,717), assists (ninth at 531), 3-point field goals made (10th at 168), steals (18th at 156), consecutive games started (fourth at 103)

ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas is No. 1 in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks’ strength of schedule is ninth nationally. Kansas is 14-1 in home games this season, including 13-1 in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas averages 82.8 points per game and has a +11.0 scoring margin. KU leads the Big 12 and is 18th nationally with a 48.5 field goal percentage. KU leads the league with a 40.5 3-point field goal percentage, which is 11th in NCAA Division I. KU averages 39.1 rebounds per contest, which also leads the Big 12. KU has a +4.1 rebound margin. The Jayhawks also average 16.4 assists, 7.0 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 20.2 average and his 20.5 points per game in league play are also tops in the Big 12. He is the only conference player averaging 20 points or more this season. Mason has 16 games of 20 points or more, including three of his last four and five of his last seven contests. Mason has led Kansas in scoring in 20 games this season. Mason also leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage at 50.4 percent. Also on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list and a six-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2016-17, freshman G Josh Jackson is second on the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game, which is fifth in the Big 12. The two-time Big 12 Player of the Week has six double-doubles in his last nine outings. Jackson’s 7.0 rebounds per game are sixth in the conference and he leads KU with 49 steals and 32 blocked shots. Junior G Devonte’ Graham is 13th in the Big 12 with a 13.1 scoring average. Graham has made multiple 3-pointers in 10 of his last 11 games  and drained 29 treys in that span. He leads KU with 71 3-pointers and is second on the team in assists with 128 and steals with 44. Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk averages 9.8 points per game and has made 58 3-pointers for the season. He is seventh in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage at 40.0 percent and seventh in 3-pointers made at 2.0. Senior C Landen Lucas has pulled down 10 or more rebounds 10 times this season with all 10 in KU’s last 18 games. Lucas is second the Big 12 in league games in rebounding at 10.3 per contest. In all games, he 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 is one of the first Jayhawks off the bench and averaging 7.2 points per contest. He averages 23.7 minutes per game and has made 27 3-pointers. Sophomore F Carlton Bragg Jr., tied his career high with 15 points against TCU (2/22) while his seven boards against the Horned Frogs were his second most in conference play this season. Bragg is averaging 14.3 minutes, 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this season. Junior F Dwight Coleby tied his career high with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting at Texas (2/25) in just 13 minutes. He has appeared in 17 games and is averaging 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds this season. Freshman F Mitch Lightfoot has come off the bench in seven of the last 10 games. He averages 4.4 minutes, 0.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 21 games played this season.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA
Located in Norman, Oklahoma, with an enrollment of 30,813, Oklahoma is 10-18 overall and 4-12 in Big 12 play. The Sooners are coached by Lon Kruger, who is 121-75 in his sixth season at OU and won his 600th career game Feb. 25. He has now compiled a 600-379 record in 31 seasons overall. OU is 1-8 in true road games this season and has lost its last five contests away from Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma averages 73.7 points per game and has a -0.5 scoring margin. The Sooners pull down 38.1 rebounds per contest with a +0.7 rebound margin. Oklahoma averages 10.9 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.7 blocked shots per contest.

Senior G Jordan Woodard tore his ACL at Iowa State (2/11), ending his season. Woodard led OU in scoring (14.6 ppg), 3-pointers made (38), assists (61) and steals (38). Sophomore G Rashard Odomes averages 10.7 points in all games, pulls down 4.4 rebounds per game and has 28 steals. Freshman G Kameron McGusty leads OU in league game with 13.9 points per contest. He averages 10.4 points in all games and has made 33 3-pointers. Freshman F Kristian Doolittle leads Oklahoma and is 11th in the Big 12 with a 6.2 rebound average. Doolittle averages 8.5 points per game. Sophomore G Christian James is next in scoring at 8.1 points per game. He has made 32 3-pointers, one behind McGusty for the active team lead. Junior F Khadeem Lattin is second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per game to go along with an 8.0 scoring average. Lattin is third in the Big 12 with 2.0 blocked shots per game. Other OU regulars include  sophomore C Jamuni McNeace (4.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg), freshman G Jordan Shepherd (4.3 ppg), sophomore F Dante Buford (3.9 ppg), junior G Darrion Strong-Moore (3.7 ppg) and freshman F Matt Freeman (3.0 ppg).

THE SERIES
The series between Kansas and Oklahoma dates back to 1920 when both schools were members of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Kansas leads, 145-66. Since 2006, the Jayhawks have won 16 of the last 18 meetings against the Sooners. Kansas is 73-16 against Oklahoma in games played in Lawrence, which includes a 46-7 record in Allen Fieldhouse. Beginning in 1994, Kansas has won the last 15 games against OU in Allen Fieldhouse. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, Kansas is 24-6 against Oklahoma; 22-4 in regular-season play and 2-2 in the Big 12 Championship. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 17-5 all-time against Oklahoma, including 17-3 while at KU. Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger is 7-19 versus Kansas, 2-9 while at OU. Last year’s battles were epic top-10 matchups with Kansas winning a thrilling 109-106 triple-overtime game in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 4 and KU claiming a 76-72 win in Lloyd Noble Center on Feb. 13.

Earlier this season, Kansas won at Oklahoma, 81-70, on Jan. 10. KU senior Frank Mason III led all scorers with 28 points, while freshman Josh Jackson added 16 and junior Devonte’ Graham 13. Senior Landen Lucas recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Oklahoma led 36-27 at halftime but the Jayhawks erased the Sooners’ lead within a minute of the second period. The win was Bill Self’s 400th while at Kansas and Mason passed KU legend Wilt Chamberlain on the career scoring list.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD …
Make KU 27-3 overall, giving KU 26 wins for the third-straight season and the 10th time in the 14 seasons under Bill Self …  Give KU 15 league wins for the second-straight year and fourth time under Self … Give Kansas its 34th-straight regular-season home finale victory, beginning in 1983-84 … Give Kansas its fourth-straight win against Oklahoma, making the series 146-66 in favor of KU … Give KU its 16th-straight win against OU in Allen Fieldhouse dating back to 1994 … Make KU 14-1 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, 758-110 all-time in the venue, including 220-10 under Bill Self … Improve Selfto 412-86 at KU and 619-191 overall … Make KU 2,213-839 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD …
Make Kansas 26-4 overall and 14-3 in Big 12 play …  End Kansas’ 33-game home finale winning streak, which started in 1983-84 … End Kansas’ three-game winning streak against Oklahoma, making the series 145-67 in favor of KU … End a KU 15-game winning streak against OU in games played in Allen Fieldhouse, which started in 1994 … Give Kansas two losses in Allen Fieldhouse in the same season for the first time since the 2006-07 season … Make KU 13-2 in Allen Fieldhouse this season, 757-111 all-time in the venue, including 219-11 under Bill Self … Make Self411-87 while at KU and 618-192 overall  … Make KU 2,212-840 all-time.

WHAT’S TRENDING
• Kansas leads the Big 12 in won-loss percentage at 89.7 percent, field goal percentage at 48.5 percent, 3-point field goal percentage at 40.5 percent and rebounding at 39.1 per game. Additionally, KU ranks in the upper half in the Big 12 in scoring (third at 82.8), scoring margin (second at +11.0), field goal percentage defense (second at 41.9), rebound margin (second at +4.1), assists (third at 16.4), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.3) and blocked shots (fourth at 4.6).
• The Jayhawks are 85-for-113 (75.2 percent) from the free throw line in their last four games. KU is now shooting 71.2 percent at the charity stripe in Big 12 play. In nonconference games KU had a 58.9 free throw percentage.
• Kansas has won its last two games by double digits. In KU’s previous eight games, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 18, KU either lost or had eight games decided by six points or less.
• Senior G Frank Mason III leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.2 points per game and 3-point field goal percentage (50.4). He is fourth in assists (4.9), tied for fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.2), ninth in field goal percentage (48.6) and tied for seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).
• Mason is 62-for-73 (84.9 percent) from the free throw line in his last eight games, making 7.8 charity shots per contest in that span.
• Mason is making 52.1 percent (38-for-73) from 3-point range and 2.4 treys per game in Big 12 play.
• Mason has led KU in scoring in 20 of 29 games this season, including 10 of the last 15 contests. Mason has 16 games of 20 or more points, including three of his last four and five of his last seven outings.
• Freshman G Josh Jackson has six double-doubles in his last nine games. His 10 double-doubles on the season, seven against Big 12 foes, rank tied for second in the conference.
• After going 2-for-3 from 3-point range at Texas (2/25), Jackson is 19-for-36 (52.8 percent) from beyond the arc in his last 11 games. 
• Jackson is fifth in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.5 ppg, which leads the conference freshman class. His 7.0 rebounds per game are sixth in the league and he is seventh with 1.7 steals per game. Jackson has 14 steals in his last seven games.
• Senior C Landen Lucas is second in the Big 12 in league games with a 10.3 rebound average. Overall, Lucas’ 8.3 rpg are fourth in the Big 12.
• Lucas was 4-for-4 from the field at Texas (2/25). He leads KU with a 63.0 percent field goal percentage for all games and is making a team-best 62.5 percent in conference games.
• Junior G Devonte’ Graham has made multiple 3-pointers in 10 of his last 11 games and 14 of his last 16 outings.
• Graham is 13th in the Big 12 in scoring (13.1), fifth in assists (4.4), tied for ninth in steals (1.5), third in 3-point field goals made (2.4), 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (.378) and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6).
• Graham has 15 assists and three turnovers in his last three games.
• Junior G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has made multiple 3-pointers in nine of his last 12 contests. He is seventh in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made at 2.0 per game and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage at 40.0.

THIS DATE IN KANSAS BASKETBALL HISTORY
Kansas is 14-13 all-time on Feb. 27
Feb. 27, 1960: Sophomore forward Wayne Hightower led all scorers with 27 points in an 85-72 victory at Missouri to force a three-way tie in the Big Eight Conference race. Junior center Bill Bridges added 18 points and 17 rebounds in the contest. Kansas won its remaining two regular-season games to share the league crown with Kansas State with a 10-4 mark in conference play. The Jayhawks defeated Kansas State in a one-game playoff in Manhattan to earn the Big Eight’s berth in the NCAA Tournament. KU advanced to the regional final before falling to Cincinnati, 82-71, and finished the year with a 19-9 record.

UP NEXT
Kansas concludes the regular season at Oklahoma State on Saturday, March 4 at 5 p.m., on ESPN. Kansas will be the No. 1 seed in the 2017 Big 12 Championship, March 8-11 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Jayhawks’ quarterfinal game will be March 9 at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2. KU will face the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeds who play Wednesday, March 8 at 6 p.m. Kansas has won 14 conference tournament titles, including 10 in the Big 12 era.

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