ChiefsPlanet - KU *** KU vs ISU Game Thread 02/13/10 ***

http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/m-...021210aaa.html

No. 1 Kansas (23-1, 9-0) returns home to face Iowa State (13-11, 2-7) on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. The Jayhawks, who are ranked No. 1 for the 11th time this season, won their ninth-straight game at No. 14 Texas 80-68 on ESPN Big Monday. Jayhawk head coach Bill Self's next victory will be his 400th career win. Iowa State lost at Missouri 65-56 on Wednesday.

About Kansas

Kansas enters the Iowa State with the nation's longest home court winning streak at 55 games, which ties for the second longest in KU history. KU averages 83.6 points per game and gives up 62.9 ppg for a Big 12-leading +20.7 scoring margin. In Big 12 play, Kansas is scoring 81.1 points per game and holds a +13 scoring margin. Senior guard Sherron Collins leads the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game and has scored in double figures 19 times this season. Collins is second in the Big 12 lead in free throw percentage at 85.6 percent and he leads KU in assists with 103 and three-pointers with 47. Sophomore forward Marcus Morris has stepped up his game in Big 12 play. Morris leads KU in scoring in league games at 17.8 points per game following his 18 points and eight rebounds at Texas Monday. Morris is pulling down 8.4 rebounds in conference play. In all games, Morris averages 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. Freshman guard Xavier Henry is coming off his Big 12 high of 15 points at Texas. He is scoring 13.1 points per game overall and leads KU in steals with 42. His 45 three-pointers are two behind Collins. Junior center Cole Aldrich, an Academic All-America candidate, has four double-doubles in his last six games and 10 DDs for the season. He is one of three Big 12 players to average a double-double with 11.4 ppg and 10.0 rpg this season. Aldrich also leads the team in blocked shots at 3.8 per contest and has 25 blocked shots in his last four games. Junior guard Brady Morningstar had a season-high 14 points at Kansas State (Jan. 30) and has started each of the last six games. He is scoring 5.7 points per game, including 6.8 in Big 12 play. Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor is second on the team with 77 assists to complement his 7.0 scoring average. Sophomore forward Markieff Morris, twin of Marcus, is coming off the bench to average 6.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Junior guard Tyrel Reed averages 4.5 points per outing. He has 27 three-pointers. Freshman guard Elijah Johnson (3.1 ppg) has started two games this season. Thomas Robinson (3.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg) is another KU regular. Robinson started his first career game at Nebraska (Jan. 13).

About Iowa State

Iowa State is 13-11 on the season and 2-7 in Big 12 play after its 65-56 loss at Missouri on Wednesday. The Cyclones are 3-7 away from Hilton Coliseum this season, including a 2-5 record in true road games. Iowa State has lost six of its last seven games. Iowa State averages 73.6 points per game and holds a +4.0 scoring margin. The Cyclones are third in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 39.1 percent and they make 6.8 threes per game. Junior forward Craig Brackins leads the team and is seventh in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.8 points per game. Brackins has a team-high 29 blocked shots and is second on the squad with 55 assists and 8.4 rebounds per game. Senior forward Marquis Gilstrap is next in scoring at 14.8 points per game and leads the team with 9.2 rebounds per game, which is fifth in the conference. He also has a team-high 31 three-pointers. Junior guard Diante Garrett is a starter who scores 8.5 points per game and ranks third in the Big 12 in assists with 5.2 per game. He also leads the team with 30 steals. Junior forward LaRon Dendy comes off the bench to score 7.2 points per game. He has 25 blocked shots on the season. Sophomore guard Scott Christopherson scores 6.8 points per game and is second on the team with 29 three-pointers. Sophomore center Justin Hamilton is a starter who scores 5.9 ppg, while freshman guard Chris Colvin scores 3.4 points per contest.

The Series

Kansas leads the all-time series with Iowa State 167-58 dating back to 1908, and has won the last nine meetings. KU holds an 85-15 record against ISU in games played in Lawrence, including a 44-9 edge in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks have defeated the Cyclones four-straight times in Allen Fieldhouse dating back to 2006. This series dates back to 1908. Since the inception of the Big 12, Kansas is 22-7 against Iowa State with a 20-7 record in regular-season play and 2-0 mark in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. Earlier this season, Cole Aldrich had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds as Kansas won at Iowa State 84-61. Marcus Morris had 16 points and seven rebounds, while Sherron Collins added 11 points in the victory. Marquis Gilstrap led ISU with 18 points.

Team Notables

--KU leads the Big 12 in scoring (83.6), scoring margin (+20.7), field goal percentage (48.9), three-point field goal percentage (41.1), field goal percentage defense (36.6), assists (17.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4). The Jayhawks rank in the top three in all but three Big 12 statistical categories.

--Ten of Kansas' 23 victories this season have been by 25 or more points with eight of those by 30 points or more.

--KU averages 6.6 blocked shots per game to its opponents' 3.8.

--Kansas has shot 50 percent or better in 12 of 23 games this season.

--Kansas has also held 18 of 24 opponents this season to under 40 percent from the field, including five of nine Big 12 foes.

--KU's bench has outscored its opponents' bench in 16 of 24 games this season.

--Through 24 games, nine different Jayhawks have led the team in steals, seven in points and six in assists.

--Kansas forces 15 turnovers per game and averages 17.8 points off turnovers per game. KU scored 27 points off turnovers at Texas (Feb. 8).

--At Kansas State (Jan. 30) and at Colorado (Feb. 3), the Jayhawks played their first back-to-back overtime games since the 2004-05 season. It was the fifth time in KU history the Jayhawks have played back-to-back OT contests - Dec, '76; Dec, '86; Feb, '97; Feb, '05; Jan-Feb, '10. KU has never had three consecutive OT games. It was the first time since Dec. 20 and Dec. 28, 1976, that KU has won back-to-back OT games.

Player Notables

--Senior Sherron Collins leads Kansas in scoring for all games at 15.6 ppg. At Texas he scored 15 points and was 8-for-8 from the free throw line. He averages 4.3 assists per game and has had five-plus assists in each of his last three games. Collins scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and overtime at Colorado (Feb. 3) and 12 of his 16 points after halftime at Kansas State (Jan. 30). He had a career-high 33 points in the come-from-behind win against Cornell (Jan. 6). Collins has shot 50 percent or better in 11 games this season. He is second in the Big 12 with his 85.6 free throw percentage and has made 11 straight FTs heading into the Iowa State contest. Collins' 15.6-point scoring average is 12th in the Big 12. Collins also ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (10th at 43.7), assists (fifth at 4.3), three-point field goal percentage (11th at 38.2), three-point field goals made (11th at 2.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (eighth at 2.0).

--Junior Cole Aldrich, an Academic All-America candidate, has four double-doubles in his last six games and 32 for his career. He is one of three Big 12 players averaging a double-double (11.4 ppg and 10.0 rpg). Aldrich has pulled down at least nine rebounds in 11 of his last 15 games and had a season-high 18 rebounds at Tennessee (Jan. 10). He has 25 blocked shots in his last five games, including six at Texas and a season-high seven blocked shots against Missouri (Jan. 25). He has at least three blocked shots in 22 of 24 games. Aldrich has been named Big 12 Player of the Week twice (Feb. 1 and Jan. 4). He is second in the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally with 3.8 blocked shots per game and his 3.8 blocks in conference play lead the league. Aldrich is third in the Big 12 in rebounding at 10.0 rpg.

--Sophomore Marcus Morris has 38 points in his last two games with 20 against Nebraska and 18 at Texas. He has four double-doubles this season, with two in Big 12 play. He has four 20-point efforts, with three of those in Big 12 play. Morris leads Kansas in conference play with a 17.8 scoring average, which is sixth in the Big 12. Also in league play, Morris leads the Big 12 with his 60 percent shooting from the field and his 8.4 rebounds are seventh. For the season, he is averaging 13.3 ppg (18th in the Big 12) and 6.3 rpg (12th in the Big 12). Morris has started 21 games in 2009-10.

--Junior Brady Morningstar has 14 assists and three turnovers in his last four games. At Texas he was 2-for-2 from three-point range to record only his third game with multiple threes made this season. At K-State (Jan. 30), Morningstar was 4-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the line in scoring 14 points. He is scoring 5.7 ppg in all games and 6.8 in Big 12 play. Also in league play, Morningstar ranks among the conference leaders in assists (tied for seventh at 3.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 2.8). A defensive stopper who started all but one game last season, Morningstar missed the first nine games of the season due to breaking team rules. Morningstar is a redshirt junior who is the oldest player in the Big 12 at 24.

--Freshman Xavier Henry scored 15 points at Texas, the most since he had 15 at Temple on Jan. 2. His five rebounds at Texas were the most since his seven boards against Missouri (Jan. 25). Henry has been named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week twice this season (Dec. 7 and Dec. 14) and is third on the team in scoring with 13.1 ppg. He has led KU in scoring in six games this season, including a career-high 31 points against La Salle (Dec. 12). Henry leads Kansas with 42 steals and had a Kansas freshman-record-tying seven steals against Baylor (Jan. 20). His 42 steals are sixth on the KU freshman record list. Henry is second on the team with 45 three-point field goals made. He has made multiple three-pointers in 13 contests. He is 10th in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 38.5 percent. He ranks 19th in the Big 12 in scoring at 13.1 ppg, fourth in steals at 1.8 and 13th in three-pointers made at 1.9.

--Sophomore Tyshawn Taylor scored 12 points at Kansas State (Jan. 30), his highest output in Big 12 play this season. He is averaging 7.0 points on the season and 6.4 in conference action. He has scored in double figures in six games this season. Taylor has shot 50 percent or better in 11 games, including five times in Big 12 play. He has nine games with five-plus assists and ranks 13th in the Big 12 in assists at 3.2 per game and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.7.

--Junior Tyrel Reed tied his career high with 14 points against Missouri (Jan. 25) on 5-of-6 shooting, including 4-for-4 from three-point range. Reed has made 27 three-pointers this season and 69.2 percent of his field goals made have been from beyond the arc. He is 10-for-18 (55.6 percent) from three-point range in Big 12 play and 43.5 percent from beyond the arc for the season. Reed has made at least one three in 17 games this season and multiple threes in five contests. Reed is averaging 4.5 points per game for the season.

--Sophomore Markieff Morris had one of his strongest performances of the season at Texas with eight points on 2-of-3 shooting, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. His nine boards were his third highest for a game this season. He has six blocked shots in his last two games and averages 0.9 blocks per game for the year. Morris has pulled down six or more rebounds in 11 games this season and is third on the team with a 5.1 rebound average. Morris is scoring 6.3 points per game. Morris had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against La Salle (Dec. 12). He is second on the team with 22 blocked shots and is shooting 58.5 percent from the field on the season.

--Freshman Thomas Robinson scored six points at Iowa State (Jan. 23), the most since he scored 10 points against Radford (Dec. 9). He made his first career start at Nebraska (Jan. 13). Robinson averages 8.7 minutes per game with 3.1 ppg and 3.2 rpg. He is third on the team with 13 blocked shots. Robinson has had two games of double-figure scoring and had his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Alcorn State (Dec. 2). He has pulled down four or more rebounds in eight games.

--Freshman Jeff Withey had four points with career-highs for rebounds with six and blocked shots with two in nine minutes against Nebraska (Feb. 6). Withey has appeared in seven games this season and averages 2.4 ppg.

Up Next

Kansas travels to Texas A&M for an ESPN Big Monday match-up at 8 p.m. on Feb. 15. The Jayhawks will then return home to face Colorado on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. KU will then make its fourth ESPN Big Monday appearance of 2010 when it hosts Oklahoma on Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.