No. 7/6 Kansas (17-4, 5-3) continues its two-game homestand when it plays host to Kansas State (13-8, 2-6) in the Sunflower Showdown sponsored by Dillons. Kansas is coming off a 90-84 overtime win against then-No. 20/19 Kentucky on Jan. 30 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Kansas State has won two of its last three games, including a 69-64 home win versus Ole Miss Jan. 30. Allen Fieldhouse is 88 miles from Bramlage Coliseum. 

ABOUT KANSAS

No. 7/6 Kansas is 17-4 overall and one game out of first-place in the Big 12 standings at 5-3 in league play. KU averages 84.0 points per game and is second in the Big 12 with a +14.0 scoring margin. KU pulls down an average of 39.1 rebounds per game and has a +5.8 rebound margin. The Jayhawks also average 16.5 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.9 blocked shots per contest.

Senior F Perry Ellis has scored 23 or more points in two of his last three games. Ellis is averaging 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds in Big 12 play and 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds overall. Ellis is the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top seven in scoring (third) and rebounding (seventh). Junior G Wayne Selden Jr. is coming off a career-high 33 points in Kansas’ 90-84 overtime win versus No. 20/19 Kentucky (1/3). Selden is fifth in the Big 12 in scoring at 15.4 points per game and second in the league in 3-points field goals made per game at 2.5 and third in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.3 percent. Junior G Frank Mason III is scoring 13.3 points per game which 10th in the Big 12 and is fifth in the league with a 4.7 assist average and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.3. He has a team-high 33 steals. Sophomore G Devonte’ Graham is scoring 10.5 points per game. He is second on the team with 28 steals and is third in the Big 12 with a 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. Junior FLanden Lucas rounds out the KU starters. He scores 3.9 points per game and is second on the team with a 5.1 rebound average, which is 20th in the Big 12.

Junior G Brannen Greene is a 3-point specialist who scores 6.8 points per game off the bench. He is 21-for-39 (53.8 percent) from beyond the arc this season. Sophomore G Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has made 20 3-pointers made this season, helping him average 5.7 points per game. Freshman F Carlton Bragg Jr., is averaging 4.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg overall. Freshman Cheick Diallo (4.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) has 13 blocked shots. Senior F Hunter Mickelson, who has started 10 games this season, missed the Kentucky (1/30) contest due to an ankle sprain, is averaging 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds and his 1.1 blocked shots per game are eighth in the Big 12. Senior F Jamari Traylor (2.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) has started seven games in 2015-16.

THE SERIES

Kansas leads the overall series with Kansas State, 188-93, but the Wildcats have won two of the last three meetings with both coming at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. Since Feb. 12, 1994, Kansas has won 49 of the last 54 meetings with K-State. This series started in 1907 and KU is 86-35 against KSU in games played in Lawrence, including a 45-18 record inside Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won the last nine games in Allen Fieldhouse beginning in 2007. Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, KU is 41-5 against KSU (33-5 in regular-season battles and 8-0 in the Big 12 Championship). Kansas head coach Bill Self is 24-5 all-time against K-State, including 23-5 while at KU. Bruce Weber is 2-6 against Kansas, including 2-5 while at K-State.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE

Located in Manhattan, Kansas, with an enrollment of 24,766, Kansas State is 13-8 overall and tied with Texas Tech for seventh in the Big 12 race at 2-6. K-State is coached by Bruce Weber who is 75-46 in his fourth season at KSU and 388-201 in his 18th season overall. Kansas State is 11-2 at home, 1-5 on the road and 1-1 on neutral courts this season. K-State averages 72.5 points per game and has a +5.7 scoring margin. The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28.7 percent. They also average 14.2 assists, 7.6 steals, third in the league, and 2.8 blocked shots per game.

Junior F Wesley Iwundu leads Kansas State in scoring at 12.2 points pet game. He is pulling down 4.9 rebounds per contest and is second on the team with 63 assists, one behind senior G Justin Edwards’ 64. Edwards is 11th in the Big 12 with 3.0 assists per game and Iwundu is 12th with the same average. Edwards scores 11.9 points per contest and is third in the Big 12 with 1.9 steals per game. He is tied for 15th in the league with 5.5 rebounds per game and has made 19 3-pointers in 2015-16. Freshman F Dean Wade leads K-State and is 11th in the Big 12 with 5.9 rebounds per game. Wade averages 10.1 points per outing. Freshman G Kamau Stokes scores 9.4 points per game and is 10th in the Big 12 with a team-leading 1.7 3-pointers made per contest. Senior F Stephen Hurt (6.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) rounds out the KSU starters.

Freshman G Barry Brown is second on the team with 26 3-pointers made this season. Brown averages 8.6 points per game. At 4.7 rebounds per game, junior F D.J. Johnson  is one of five Wildcats to average 4.4 boards or more this season. Johnson scores 7.2 points per game. Rounding out the K-State regulars are junior G Caribe Ervin II (3.2 ppg) and junior F Austin Budke (3.0 ppg).

HOME SWEET HOME

Since his arrival at KU, Bill Self is 201-9 in games played at Allen Fieldhouse for a 95.7 winning percentage, which includes five undefeated home seasons. Self’s Big 12 conference titles (11) are more than his home losses while at Kansas (9). Included was a school-record 69-game home-court winning streak which led the nation for more than two seasons and ranks 11th all-time in the NCAA records book as well as two 33-plus game home-court winning streaks, including KU’s current streak of 35, which is fourth-longest in KU history. Kansas is 147-3 in Allen Fieldhouse in its last 150 games. Kansas is 739-109 all-time in Allen Fieldhouse.

KANSAS NOTABLES

• KU ranks in the top three in the Big 12 in scoring offense (second at 84.0), scoring margin (second at +14.0), field goal percentage (second at 48.5), 3-point field goal percentage (second at 43.1), 3-point field goals made (second at 8.5), assists (tied for second at 16.5),  rebound margin (third at +5.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (third at 1.4).

• KU’s 43.1 3-point field goal percentage is fourth nationally and just behind the KU season record of 43.3 set in 1989-90. Its 84.0 scoring average is the best in the Self era (81.6 in 2009-10) and the highest since a 90.9 scoring average in 2001-02.

• Out of its 17 victories of the season, Kansas has won by 10 or more points in 11 of those wins. Five of those wins have been by 30 points or more.

• Kansas has out-shot 17 of 21 opponents this season. The Jayhawks have also out-rebounded 16 of 21 foes, including a +11 (42-31) versus Kentucky (1/30).

• Kansas was 8-for-17 from 3-point range against Kentucky (1/30). KU has shot 40 percent or better from 3-point range in 15 of its 21 games.

• The KU bench has outscored its opponents’ bench in 14 of 21 games this season and is 13-1 in those contests.

• KU has made seven or more three-pointers in 15 of 21 games this season. KU has made 10 or more 3-pointers eight times, including 15 threes vs. Northern Colorado (11/13) and Chaminade (11/23), which were one off the school record.

• Senior F Perry Ellis is the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top seven in scoring (third at 16.3 ppg) and rebounding (seventh at 6.7).

• Ellis has pulled down nine or more rebounds in seven games this season.

• Junior G Wayne Selden Jr., is second the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game at 2.5 and third in 3-point field goal percentage at .473 for all games. Selden has made three or more 3-pointers in 12 games this season.

• Kansas is 32-6 when following a conference loss under Self with only one of those losses coming in Allen Fieldhouse (Feb. 19, 2005 vs. Iowa State).

IN THE POLLS

In the most recent national rankings released on Feb. 1, Kansas is No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 6 the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. The Jayhawks now hold the longest active streak for consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25 (136) after Duke fell out of the poll for the first time in eight seasons, ending a 167-week streak.

KU spent two weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll (Jan. 4, Jan. 11) and one week at No. 1 in the Coaches’ poll (Jan. 11). On Jan. 11, the Jayhawks were ranked No. 1 in both national polls for the first time since Feb. 14, 2011.

The last time Kansas was not ranked by AP was during the 2008-09 season. Under coach Bill Self, Kansas has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 222 weeks, which includes 160 weeks in the Top 10, 92 times in the Top 5 and 22 times at No. 1. In the coaches’ poll, under Self, Kansas has been ranked 235 times with 173 in the top 10 and 106 in the top five.

Kansas entered the 2015-16 season ranked No. 4 by AP and No. 5 in the coaches’ polls. This season’s AP poll is the highest ranking for the Jayhawks since 2009-10 when they entered the season No. 1 in the country. The preseason ranking is the 10th time in the Bill Self era that the Jayhawks enter the season slotted seventh or higher, including each of the last four seasons – No. 5 in 2015-16 and 2014-15, No. 6 in 2013-14, and No. 7 in 2012-13.

Last season, KU entered the year No. 5 nationally in the coaches’ poll and ended up No. 17. The Jayhawks were ranked in the top 10 in 12 times during the 2014-15 season.

KANSAS MILESTONES

• Senior F Perry Ellis became only the 20th Jayhawk to reach the 1,500 point plateau reaching the milestone against Kentucky (1/30). Ellis has 1,500 career points, which is 20th on the KU career scoring list. Earlier this month, Ellis became the 16th player in KU history to reach 700 career rebounds, currently 15th at 752. Ellis is on pace to become the eighth player in KU history to rank in the top 15 in both career points and career rebounds: Danny Manning (2,951 points/1,187 rebounds), Nick Collison (2,097 points/1,143 rebounds), Raef LaFrentz (2,066 points/1,186 rebounds), Clyde Lovellette(1,979 points/839 rebounds), Dave Robisch (1,754 points/815 rebounds), Mark Randall (1,627 points/723 rebounds) and Wayne Simien (1,593 points/884 rebounds).

• Junior G Wayne Selden Jr. had 33 points against Kentucky (1/30) and in the process became the 57th Jayhawk to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Selden already ranks 15th on the KU career 3-pointers made list at 141 and 15th on the 3-pointers attempted list at 366.

• With his four assists against TCU (1/16), junior G Frank Mason III surpassed the 300 career assists mark, currently at 313. Mason has 101 career steals. 

ELLIS NAMED A SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE

Senior F Perry Ellis is one of 30 candidates for the 2015-16 Senior CLASS Award®. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Each of the 30 candidate classes will be narrowed to 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans.

ELLIS AND SELDEN NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD MIDSEASON TOP 25

Senior F Perry Ellis and junior G Wayne Selden Jr., were named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s Midseason Top 25, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Jan. 13. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are the front-runners for the John R. Wooden Award, based on their performances during the first half of the 2015-16 season. Kansas is one of four schools to have two representatives on the list along with Gonzaga, Kentucky and North Carolina.

ELLIS NAMED TO LUTE OLSON AWARD MID-SEASON WATCH LIST

On Jan. 7, senior F Perry Ellis was one of 30 men’s basketball student-athletes named to the Lute Olson Award Mid-Season Watch List by CollegeInsider.com. Last season Ellis was a Lute Olson Award finalist (1 of 25). Former KU standout Sherron Collins won the inaugural Lute Olson Award following the 2009-10 season.

MICKELSON UP FOR NABC GOOD WORKS TEAM

Senior F Hunter Mickelson has been selected as a nominee for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2016 Allstate NABC Good Works Teams® the NABC announced Wednesday. This award shines a spotlight on a select group of student-athletes who have shown dedication to community service and altruism in their communities. NABC Good Works Team nominees were submitted by sports information directors and college basketball coaches. From the nominations, voting panels will select two 10-member teams comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA Division I level and five student-athletes from Divisions II, III and the NAIA. The final roster of 20 award recipients will be unveiled in February.

UP NEXT

Kansas will travel to TCU on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. on ESPN and return home to host West Virginia on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.