Tag Archives: Kansas Jayhawks

Arkansas eliminates defending NCAA champion Kansas, 72-71

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The season has come to an end for the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks. For the Arkansas Razorbacks, they have advanced, and they’re heading to Las Vegas with their loyal fans for the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.

It all unfolded Saturday, when the eighth-seeded Razorbacks rallied to knock off the No. 1 Jayhawks 72-71 in a West region round of 32 game at Des Moines, Iowa.

With Davonte Davis scoring 21 of his 25 points in the second half and Ricky Council IV hitting clutch free throws in the final minutes, the Razorbacks knocked out the Jayhawks, who became the second top-seed in the tournament to lose in 24 hours.

On Friday night, Farleigh Dickinson shook the basketball landscape by becoming only the second No. 16 seed in 38 years to beat a No. 1, as the Knights eliminated the Purdue Boilermakers in the East region, and now Kansas has gone down, as well.

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, celebrating with the Razorbacks’ fans, ripped off his shirt at courtside in the moments after the victory and had to put it back on for his televised post-game interview.

“I mean, that’s such an unbelievable win,” Musselman said on the CBS telecast. “I keep telling people that we’re getting better. Not many teams can get better this time of year. I’m so, I’ve never been prouder of a team like tonight.”

Asked how his team could come back from an eight-point halftime deficit against the regular-season champions in the Big 12, Musselman acknowledged that it had a lot to do with Davis, a 6-4 junior guard from Jacksonville, Ark.

“I love this kid so much,” the coach said.

Davis was in tears as he tried to explain how he met his coach’s challenge to become a leader on the team.

“I don’t know,” Davis said, bending over and pausing to compose himself. “It’s crazy. I feel real glad we came out with the win.”

Asked about the tears, Davis replied, “Putting in the work. This team has struggled, and we figured it out, and I’m glad we did at the right time. And I hope we continue to do it.”

The Razorbacks will advance to play next week against the winner between the UConn Huskies and Saint Mary’s (Calif.) Gaels, who will play Sunday in Albany, N.Y.

Despite the absence of veteran head coach Bill Self, Kansas pushed out to an early lead and held it for most of the game. Led by Davis, Arkansas gradually cut into the lead throughout the second half and eventually took over the game in the final minutes.

Self had a heart procedure and was hospitalized last week during the Big 12 tournament. He didn’t coach in the conference title game against Texas last Saturday, and then was released from the hospital on Sunday.

The coach was with the team in Des Moines but wasn’t on the bench for either Thursday’s victory over Howard or in the loss to Arkansas. Assistant coach Norm Roberts worked all three games for the Jayhawks.

Forward Jalen Wilson scored 20 points for Kansas and center K.J. Adams added 14. Guards Kevin McCullar, Jr. and Dajuan Harris., added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

McCullar left the Texas Tech Red Raiders after last season and transferred to play as a senior at Kansas. He formerly was one of the best players in San Antonio for the Wagner High School Thunderbirds.

Midwest Region
Round of 32

No. 2 seed Texas 71, No. 8 Arkansas 66, at Des Moines
No. 1 seed Houston 81, No. 9 Auburn 64, at Birmingham

McCullar returns to the lineup as top-seeded Kansas routs Howard

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Kansas coach Bill Self wasn’t in the arena for an NCAA tournament opener at Des Moines, Iowa, but guard Kevin McCullar, Jr. was.

With San Antonio’s McCullar returning to the lineup after sitting out a Big 12 title-game loss to Texas, the top-seeded Jayhawks stormed to a 96-68 victory over the Howard University Bison Thursday in a round-of-64 West region game.

The victory allowed the top-seeded Jayhawks to advance to play the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks in the round of 32 on Saturday. Arkansas downed ninth-seeded Illinois, 73-63.

Self’s status for the next round remains in question following a heart procedure and hospitalization last week.

The setback caused him to miss last Saturday’s Big 12 championship game, a 76-56 loss to Texas in Kansas City.

Though he was released from a Kansas City-area hospital on Sunday, the two-time NCAA championship coach wasn’t on the bench for the Jayhawks as they took the floor in Des Moines for the tournament opener.

Led by assistant coach Norm Roberts, the Jayhawks steadied themselves after a shaky start, shot 52 percent from the field in a fast-paced game and blew out the Bison. Jalen Wilson scored 20 points and freshman Gradey Dick added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Kansas.

McCullar, a former standout at San Antonio’s Wagner High School, enjoyed a solid game across the board with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. It was McCullar’s first NCAA tournament game with the Jayhawks after an offseason transfer from Texas Tech.

In his first season at Kansas, he was named to the Big 12’s all-defensive team and helped the Jayhawks to the conference’s regular-season title. Kansas finished 13-5 in conference, a game ahead of Texas and two games in front of Kansas State and Baylor.

Islanders ousted

A spirited run by the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders ended Thursday in Birmingham, Ala. The top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide, backed by a home-state crowd, blew out the Islanders 96-75 in the South region round of 64.

Islanders coach Steve Lutz, an East Central High School graduate, led his team to a 24-11 record and the first NCAA victory in school history.

Point guard Jalen Jackson, from Wagner, scored 22 on Tuesday night in a round-of-68 victory over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Dayton, Ohio. Jackson couldn’t get it going against the Crimson Tide, finishing with four points and three assists.

Kevin McCullar Jr. set to play for the defending NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks

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A summer of transition has long since passed for Kevin McCullar, Jr.

After testing his value in the NBA market, he elected to return to college basketball. In making that move, he transferred from one Big 12 power program to another. McCullar decided to move on from the Texas Tech Red Raiders to join the Kansas Jayhawks.

McCullar, a former San Antonio-area standout from Wagner High School, played three seasons in Lubbock for the Red Raiders. The 6-foot-6 guard is now ready to suit up for the defending national champions, with Kansas scheduled to open the season at home on Monday night against Omaha (Neb.)

Editor’s note

On the eve of Monday night’s season openers around the nation, here is a list of athletes from the San Antonio area on Division I men’s rosters. I’ve done my best to make this as comprehensive as possible, but, it’s likley that I’ve missed a few names. I’ll update accordingly when new information comes to light. Thanks, Jerry.

OK, here’s the list:

Adam Benhayoune, LSU, a 6-5 sophomore guard from O’Connor HS

Trey Blackmore, Cal State-Fullerton, a 6-2 freshman guard from Cole HS

Marques Gates, Houston Christian, a 6-0 redshirt freshman guard from Clemens HS

x-Vincent Iwuchukwu, Southern Cal, a 7-foot freshman center, formerly of Cole HS, La Lumiere, Ind., Montverde Academy, Fla.

Jalen Jackson, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a 5-11 senior guard from Wagner HS

Ja’Sean Jackson, Abilene Christian, a 6-0 sophomore guard from Wagner HS

Ellis Jefferson, Lamar, a 6-0 senior guard from Brandeis HS

Gerald Liddell, Alabama State, a 6-8 senior forward from Steele HS; transfer from Texas

Carlton Linguard Jr., UTSA, a 7-foot junior center from Stevens HS, transfer from Temple JC and Kansas State

Silas Livingston, University of the Incarnate Word, a 5-9 freshman guard from Cole

Langston Love, Baylor, a 6-5 redshirt freshman guard, formerly of Steele HS, Montverde Academy, Fla.

Jayden Martinez, North Texas, a 6-7 senior forward from Steele; transfer from New Hampshire

Jordan Mason, Texas State, a 6-2 freshman guard from Clark

Kevin McCullar, Jr., Kansas, a 6-6 senior guard, formerly of Wagner High School, a transfer from Texas Tech.

Austin Nunez, Arizona State, a 6-2 freshman guard from Wagner HS

Ze’Rik Onyema, UTEP, a 6-8 sophomore forward from Jay HS

Dre Ray, Incarnate Word, a 5-9 freshman guard from Cole HS

Brendan Wenzel, Wyoming, a 6-7 guard from O’Connor HS; a transfer from Utah

Dalen Whitlock, Texas State, a 6-4 sophomore guard from Clark HS

Players with San Antonio roots who attended high school out of the area

Zach Clemence, Kansas, a 6-10 forward from Findlay Prep (Nev.) and Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.)

Micah Peavy, TCU, a 6-7 junior forward from Duncanville, transfer from Texas Tech

Notable

x-Seven-foot center Vincent Iwuchukwu isn’t practicing and hasn’t been medically cleared to play at Southern Cal following a reported cardiac arrest during a workout in July.

“This past summer I had a sudden cardiac arrest during a workout,” Iwuchukwu told Matt Norlander of CBS sports in a story published on Sept. 29. “Since the event, I have received optimal care from the university, and my personal expert medical team. Currently, I am adhering to the standard protocol designed to ensure my health and safety. I’m feeling great and my recovery and rehabilitation remain positive.”

In both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, Iwuchukwu led the Noe Cantu-coached Cole Cougars to consecutive UIL state tournament appearances.

Freshmen pace No. 14 Kansas past TCU, 82-77, in OT

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Kansas coach Bill Self started four freshman in Fort Worth Monday night in hopes of lighting a spark for the 14th-ranked Jayhawks.

Two of them answered with standout performances in a 82-77 victory in overtime against the TCU Horned Frogs at Schollmaier Arena.

In a game Kansas needed to win to stay in the race for its 15th-straight Big 12 title, freshmen guards Devon Dotson and Ochai Agbaji combined for 45 points.

Dotson produced a career-high 25 and also pulled down 10 rebounds. Agbaji added 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Desmond Bane led the Horned Frogs with 18 points.

Trailing by 12 with nine minutes remaining, TCU rallied with a 20-8 run to tie it at the end of regulation.

TCU had a chance to win at the buzzer, but guard Kendrick Davis couldn’t get a shot off in time.

Kansas played without senior guard Lagerald Vick (leave of absence) and sophomore forward Marcus Garrett (injury).

Standout power forward Dedric Lawson and two other Kansas players fouled out, leaving the Jayhawks scrambling to win it in the extra period.

Down by five early in overtime, the Horned Frogs rallied to tie on a JD Miller hook shot with 1:29 remaining.

Dotson, a 6-2 guard from Charlotte, N.C., answered for Kansas by making six of six free throws down the stretch.

Records

Kansas 19-6, 8-4
TCU 17-7, 5-6

Texas takes down 11th-ranked Kansas, 73-63

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The Texas Longhorns emerged from a funk that lasted for more than three weeks with a 73-63 home victory Tuesday night over the 11th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

The Longhorns entered the game on a two-game losing streak. They had lost five of their last six.

But they registered their best win in Big 12 play by holding Kansas star Dedric Lawson to 13 points on 4 of 14 shooting.

Combined, Lawson and Marcus Garrett went 5 for 18 as Kansas, a 14-time defending conference champion, lost its second straight game.

On the other end, Texas played patiently and forced Kansas into too many fouling situations.

Taking advantage, the Longhorns hit 21 of 23 from the free-throw line.

Dylan Osetkowski scored 16 points to lead four Texas players in double figures.

Kerwin Roach II had 15, Jase Febres 13 and freshman center Jaxson Hayes 12 for the Longhorns.

With the win, Texas snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series against Kansas.

Records

Kansas 16-5, 5-3
Texas 12-9, 4-4

Ninth-ranked Kansas rallies past No. 24 Iowa State, 80-76

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Forward Dedric Lawson contributed 29 points and 15 rebounds as the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks rallied past No. 24 Iowa State 80-76 on ESPN Big Monday.

Playing in front of a rowdy home crowd at Allen Fieldhouse, Lawson hit 13 of 17 shots from the floor to turn back the upstart Cyclones.

Lawson’s biggest moment came with 23 seconds remaining and with Kansas clinging to a two-point lead. He nailed a three-pointer from the top of the circle to make it 77-72.

Records

Kansas 16-3, 5-2
Iowa State 14-5, 4-3

Making a run

Iowa State controlled the action for much of the night, but Kansas responded in the second half with a defensive stand that held the Cyclones scoreless for more than five minutes. On the other end of the floor, the Jayhawks scored 14 consecutive points to take a 61-53 lead.

Avenging a loss

A little more than two weeks ago, Iowa State stunned Kansas, 77-60. Playing at home, the Cyclones hit 13 three-point baskets to rout the Jayhawks. Kansas turned the tables on its home court. While Iowa State made another 12 threes, Kansas responded with 51.6 percent shooting from the field overall to avoid a sweep in the regular-season series.

Avoiding a slump

Bidding for a 15th-straight Big 12 title this season, Kansas needed a victory in the worst way after going on the road Saturday and losing to last-place West Virginia, 65-64. They got it with supporting act performances from Marcus Garrett (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Lagerald Vick (14 points) and Devon Dotson (11 points, 8 assists).

Having an impact

Senior guard Marial Shayok entered the game leading the Big 12 in scoring at 19.4 points per game. He more than lived up to the billing with 26 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Shayok, a senior transfer from Virginia, also hurt Kansas in the first meeting with 24 points. Lawson, who entered second in the conference in scoring at 18.9, is a transfer from the University of Memphis.

Seventh-ranked Kansas holds on to beat Texas, 80-78

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Seventh-ranked Kansas held on for an 80-78 victory over the Texas Longhorns Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

The Longhorns had a chance to win on the last play, but Jase Febres missed a contested 3-point shot at the buzzer.

Late in the game, Kansas was up by 10 and was threatening to blow out Texas.

But the Longhorns retaliated, first with a Jaxson Hayes dunk on a lob and then a Kerwin Roach three.

After that, Febres started to hit from seemingly everywhere, raining three consecutive 3-pointers, with the last one tying the game, 73-73, with 2:15 left.

Trailing by two points at intermission, the Jayhawks came out firing in the second half, with Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes nailing threes back-to-back to fuel a 13-4 spree in the first four minutes.

Two more threes by Lagerald Vick boosted Kansas into a 51-44 lead with 15:54 left.

Texas never got closer than four in the next 10 minutes, with the Jayhawks moving in front by 10 twice, including 69-59 on a Dedric Lawson dunk at the 5:10 mark.

Records

Texas 10-7, 2-3
Kansas 15-2, 4-1

Individuals

Texas — Matt Coleman III, 16 points, 8 assists. Kerwin Roach II, 13 points. Dylan Osetkowski, 11 points, 9 rebouds. Off the bench, Jase Febres, 12 points. Courtney Ramey, 10.

Kansas — Lagerald Vick, 21 points, 5 threes. Marcus Garrett, career-hiigh 20 points, 3 assists, 3 steals. Dedric Lawson, 17 points, 8 rebounds.

Notable

The Longhorns have lost three straight in the Big 12 by a total of 11 points.

They lost by three at Oklahoma State, by six at home against eighth-ranked Texas Tech and now by two on the road at Kansas, one of the toughest places to play in the nation.

Texas freshman center Jaxson Hayes fouled out in 17 minutes. He finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds.

Quotable

“I thought our overall effort was very good most of the time. I thought, obviously, the way Kansas started the second half was big for them. And I told the guys at one point in a timeout, ‘We’ve got to make them miss, they aren’t going to miss on their own.’ And to our guys’ credit, we got down 10 (points) a couple of times and they fought to cut that lead down and bring us back. We were just a play away from being able to win tonight’s game.” — Texas coach Shaka Smart, in comments posted on the Kansas website

Top-ranked Kansas holds off Villanova, 74-71

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Guard Lagerald Vick scored 29 points and forward Dedric Lawson had 28 and 12 rebounds on Saturday, as the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks held off defending NCAA champion Villanova, 74-71.

An announced crowd of 16,300 at Allen Fieldhouse watched as freshman guard Devon Dotson scored six points in the final 2:25 for the Jayhawks.

For 17th-ranked Villanova, Phil Booth scored 29 and Eric Paschall produced 17.

The game was a rematch of sorts of the 2018 NCAA semifinals, in which the Wildcats routed the Jayhakws 95-79 at the Alamodome on the way to their second national title in three years.

Records

Kansas 9-0
Villanova 8-4

Notable

Kansas has notched victories this season against four teams in this week’s AP Top 25, including No. 3 Tennessee, (9) Michigan State, (17) Villanova and (21) Marquette.

Dedric Lawson, a transfer from Memphis, is on fire. He has posted six straight games of 20 or more points. Also, he has produced six games this season of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Rock Chalk: Jayhawks move up to No. 1 in AP poll

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Kansas moved up to No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 Monday after escaping an upset bid a few days ago against the New Mexico State Aggies.

Trailing by seven points several times in the second half, the Jayhawks rallied behind Dedric Lawson to topple the Aggies, 63-60, Saturday in Kansas City.

Later Saturday night, Tennessee upset top-ranked Gonzaga, opening the door for Kansas to take the top spot in the poll for the first time since the preseason.

The Jayhawks are expected to be without injured center Udoka Azubuike as they prepare to play 17th-ranked and defending national champion Villanova at home on Saturday.

Azubuike injured his ankle on Nov. 22 against Wofford and did not play against New Mexico State.

Last March, Villanova knocked Kansas out of the NCAA Tournament at the Final Four in San Antonio, recording a 95-79 victory in the semifinals at the Alamodome.

AP Top 25

1. Kansas 8-0 Big 12
2. Duke 9-1 ACC
3. Tennessee 7-1 SEC
4. Gonzaga 9-1 West Coast
5. Michigan 10-0 Big Ten
6. Virginia 9-0 ACC
7. Nevada 10-0 Mountain West
8. Auburn 8-1 SEC
9. Michigan State 8-2 Big Ten
10. Florida State 8-1 ACC
11. Texas Tech 8-0 Big 12
12. North Carolina 7-2 ACC
13. Virginia Tech 8-1 ACC
14. Buffalo 9-0 Mid-American
15. Ohio State 8-1 Big Ten
16. Wisconsin 8-2 Big Ten
17. Villanova 8-2 Big East
18. Mississippi State 8-1 SEC
19. Kentucky 7-2 SEC
20. Arizona State 7-1 Pac-12
21. Marquette 8-2 Big East
22. Iowa 7-2 Big Ten
23. Furman 10-0 Southern
24. Houston 8-0 American
25. Indiana 8-2 Big Ten
25. Syracuse 7-2 ACC
25. Kansas State 6-2 Big 12

Kansas is No. 1 in AP preseason basketball poll

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AP Preseason All-American team

The Associated Press 2018-19 preseason All-America team, with school, height, year and votes from a 65-member national media panel (key 2017-18 statistics in parentheses):

Carsen Edwards, Purdue, 6-1, 200, sophomore, 63 votes (18.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 40.6 3pt fg pct, 1.1 steals)

Luke Maye, North Carolina, 6-8, 240, senior, 52 (16.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 43.1 3pt fg pct, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks)

R.J. Barrett, Duke, 6-7, 202, freshman, 50 (high school: 28.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.5 apg)

Dedric Lawson, Kansas, 6-9, 235, junior, 30 (Memphis 2016-17: 19.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.1 blocks, 1.3 steals)

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin, 6-10, 237, senior, 23 (17.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.7 apg, 52.8 fg pct, 1.5 steals)

Caleb Martin, Nevada, 6-7, 205, senior, 23 (18.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.6 apg, 40.3 3pt fg pct, 1.3 steals)

Other receiving votes: Grant Williams, Tennessee, 18; Tyus Battle, Syracuse, 11; Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga, 10; Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s, 10; Kyle Guy, Virginia, 8; Mike Daum, South Dakota State, 6; Markus Howard, Marquette, 5; Reid Travis, Kentucky, 5; Zion Williamson, Duke, 3; Tremont Waters, LSU, 2; Cassius Winston, Michigan State, 2; Sagaba Konate, West Virginia, 1; Romeo Langford, Indiana, 1; Eric Paschall, Villanova, 1; Jontay Porter, Missouri, 1.