****Official Kansas @ West Virginia Game Thread****

[Lzen]

Let's get it on! Big Monday!

No. 3/2 Kansas Makes First Trip to West Virginia for ESPN's Big Monday
The Jayhawks have never played the Mountaineers in men's basketball

Jan. 27, 2013
Kansas Game Notes

Game Information

The uniforms Kansas will sport on Monday against West Virginia. #3/2 Kansas at West Virginia Date Jan. 28, 2013 Time 8 p.m. CT Location Morgantown, W. Va. Arena WVU Coliseum Video Feed AT&T Jayhawk All-Access Radio Jayhawk Radio Network Live Stats GameTracker Stats at a Glance KU WVU Record 18-1 9-10 Points Per Game 74.6 67.2 Scoring Margin +15.8 +0.5 FG Percentage 48.0 39.5 3-Point FG Percentage 36.5 29.2 FT Percentage 73.7 69.2 Total Rebounds/GM 38.9 38.1 Rebounding Margin +6.2 +2.8 Assists/GM 15.6 12.4 Turnovers/GM 13.1 12.4 Steals/GM 7.4 7.4 Blocks/GM 7.6 3.9 Statistical Leaders Kansas West Virginia PPG McLemore (16.2) Aaric (9.6) RPG Withey (8.4) Aaric (6.7) APG Johnson (4.9) Staten (3.1) SPG Releford (1.3) Staten (1.3) BPG Withey (4.3) Aaric (1.6)

LAWRENCE, Kan.-Kansas men's basketball will make its first trip to Morgantown, W.Va., as members of the Big 12 Conference to play the West Virginia Mountaineers on ESPN's Big Monday at 8 p.m. CT.


ESPN'S BIG MONDAY
No. 3/2 Kansas (18-1, 6-0 Big 12) takes the nation's longest winning streak of 17 games into ESPN's Big Monday battle at West Virginia (9-10, 2-4) Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. (Central). The Jayhawks are coming off a 67-54 win against Oklahoma Saturday (1/26), while West Virginia is looking to bounce back from an 80-66 loss at Oklahoma State (1/26). This will be the first meeting between the two schools in men's basketball and is believed to be Kansas' first conference game played in the Eastern time zone.
Kansas will wear new road uniforms for the West Virginia contest. Designed and developed by adidas, the new Kansas uniforms feature solid color blocking of team logos, word marks and numbers with minimal accent color and shimmer finish for a bold on-court look. The monochromatic uniforms are a nod to team unity and pride for Kansas team colors.

ABOUT KANSAS
Kansas, ranked No. 3 by the Associated Press and No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches' polls released Jan. 21, is 18-1 (6-0 Big 12) on the season after defeating Oklahoma 67-54 Saturday to extend its home-court winnning streak to 33 games in Allen Fieldhouse. One-third of the way through Big 12 play, KU has a one-game lead in its quest for its ninth-straight conference title over Baylor (5-1). Kansas' 17-game winning streak is the nation's longest and is the third longest during the Bill Selfera. In his 10th season at Kansas, Self holds a 287-54 record for an 84.2 winning percentage. Overall, Self is nearing his 500th career victory with a 494-159 record in his 20th season as a head coach. Kansas averages 74.6 points per game and is giving up 58.8 for a Big 12-leading +15.8 scoring margin. KU is outrebounding foes 38.9 to 32.7 and averages 7.4 steals while also leading the conference in field goal percentage at 48.0, three-point field goal percentage at 36.5, field goal percentage defense at 34.9 and blocked shots at 7.6.
Kansas starts four seniors, including three fifth-year seniors, and one freshman. Named to the Sporting News Mid-Season All-American team Jan. 15, redshirt freshman G Ben McLemore leads the team in scoring at 16.2 points per game, which leads all Big 12 freshmen and ranks second overall in the conference. The Jan. 14 Big 12 Player of the Week and two-time conference rookie of the week, McLemore leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage (51.0), three-point field goal percentage (45.6) and free throw percentage (88.0). McLemore has a team-high 36 three-pointers made and is second on the team with 23 steals. All-American candidate senior C Jeff Withey leads Kansas in rebounding (8.4 rpg) and has seven double-doubles this season. Withey leads the league in blocked shots at 4.3 bpg, which ranks second nationally. A Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 25 honoree along with McLemore, Withey is scoring 13.0 points per outing. Senior G Travis Releford is just behind McLemore and ranks second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 87.9 percent. The Nov. 26 Big 12 Player of the Week, Releford is shooting 65.6 percent from the field in his last 10 games and is scoring 12.7 points per game. He leads KU with a 60.7 field goal percentage. Senior G Elijah Johnson has a team-high 91 assists and is second on the team with 28 three-pointers made to complement his 9.5 scoring average. Senior F Kevin Young rounds out the KU starters; he is scoring 7.3 points per game and is second on the team with 6.7 rebounds per outing. Young has two double-doubles this season. Other KU regulars include freshman F Perry Ellis (5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), sophomore G Naadir Tharpe (5.3 ppg, 2.5 apg) and redshirt freshman F Jamari Traylor(2.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg).

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA
Located in Morgantown, W.Va., with an enrollment of 29,306, West Virginia is 9-10 on the season and 2-4 in Big 12 play after its 80-66 loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday (1/26). The Moutaineers are coached by Bob Huggins who is 129-66 in his sixth season at WVU, his alma mater, and 719-277 in his 31st season overall. West Virginia is 6-2 at home (WVU Coliseum) this season, averages 67.2 points per game and gives up 66.7. The Mountaineers are outrebounding foes 38.1 to 35.2 and average 7.4 steals per contest. WVU forces 14.3 turnovers per game.
West Viriginia has a balanced team as 10 different Mountaineers average 12-plus minutes per game and all 10 have started at least two games in 2012-13. WVU's top three scorers did not start at Oklahoma State Saturday. Junior C Aaric Murray leads West Virginia in scoring at 9.6 points per game and has one more point (173-172) than sophomore G Juwan Staten, who also averages 9.6 ppg. Murray leads WVU with a 49.2 field goal percentage, a 6.7 rebound average and 29 blocked shots this season. Staten has a team-high 55 assists and 23 steals. Freshman G Terry Henderson (8.0 ppg) is second on the team with 20 three-pointers made. Sophomore G Jabarie Hinds is the only Mountaineer to have started every game this season. and scores 7.9 points per game. Freshman G Eron Harris leads WVU with 23 three-pointers this season and is making 80 percent from the free throw line. Senior F Deniz Kilicli (7.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg), sophomore G Gary Browne (7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and sophomore F Kevin Noreen (2.6 ppg) joined Hinds and Harris in the WVU starting lineup last game. Browne's 18 steals are second best on the team, while Noreen's 4.5 rebounds per game only trail Murray for the Mountaineers. Other WVU regulars include sophomore F Keaton Miles (3.4 ppg) and senior F Dominique Rutledge (3.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg).

THE SERIES
Kansas and West Virginia are meeting for the first time in men's basketball. The last time Kansas faced a team for the first time and it was also a conference game was when the Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma 38-18 on March 5, 1920, the first year OU joined the then-Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Kansas head coach Bill Selfhas yet to face West Virginia, while WVU coach Bob Huggins is 0-4 all-time against KU.

KANSAS TEAM NOTABLES
--Kansas is second in NCAA Division I and first in the Big 12 in blocked shots at 7.6 per game and also leads the conference in scoring margin (+15.8), field goal percentage (48.0), three-point field goal percentage (36.5) and field goal percentage defense (34.9). The Jayhawks also rank in the top four of the Big 12 in scoring (third, 74.6), free throw percentage (third, 73.7), rebounding (fourth, 38.9), rebound defense (second, 32.7), rebound margin (second, +6.2), assists (third, 15.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth, 1.2).
--The Jayhawks have held a double-digit lead in all but two contests this season, with the exceptions coming in their 67-64 loss to Michigan State on Nov. 13 when they held a seven-point lead and at Texas (1/19) when they led by five.
--Out of its 19 games, Kansas has held 14 of its opponents to 60 points or less, including each of its last five conference foes: 46 at Texas Tech, 44 vs. Baylor, 59 at Texas, 55 at Kansas State and 54 vs. Oklahoma.
--KU has outrebounded 16 of 19 opponents this season including 12 of its last 13 foes. KU has had four games with 10-plus rebounds over its opponent, including a 41-31 advantage versus Oklahoma Saturday (1/26).
--Kansas has outshot all but two opponents in 2012-13. Michigan State outshot KU (52.1 to 50.0 percent) and Texas outshot KU 44.6 to 39.2 percent. Additionally, KU has shot 50 percent or better in eight games this season, including seven of the last 12 contests.
--Kansas has held a 40-plus point lead in four different games this season.
--Kansas had four players score in double figures in nine times this season, including five against Iowa State (1/9).

KANSAS SHOOTING
Kansas has out shot all but two opponents in 2012-13 and has shot 50 percent or better from the field in eight games. KU leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 48.0 percent and three-point field goal percentage at 36.5 percent. Individually, senior G Travis Releford is 79-for-117 (67.5 percent) from the field in his last 16 games. Redshirt freshman G Ben McLemore has shot 50 percent or better from three-point range in nine of his last 11 games, including a 6-for-6 effort vs. Iowa State (1/9), a 2-for-3 game at Texas (1/19), a 1-for-2 night at Kansas State (1/22) and 3-for-5 outing vs. Oklahoma (1/26). Senior C Jeff Withey has shot 50 percent or better in 15 of 19 games this season, including nine games at 60 percent or higher. Withey was 4-for-6 (66.7 percent) at Texas, 3-for-6 at Kansas State and 6-for-11 vs. Oklahoma. Senior F Kevin Younghas six games of shooting 66.7 percent or better, including two in conference play: 7-of-9 at Texas Tech and 2-of-3 at Texas.

IN THE POLLS
Kansas moved up to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll and No. 2 the USA Today Coaches' poll released Jan. 21. Dating back to the final three polls of the 2008-09 season, this marks the 69th-straight poll in which the Jayhawks have been ranked in the AP poll, including 59 times in the Top 10. In the coaches' poll, Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 74 polls, including 61 times in the Top 10.
If it occurs, Kansas was last No. 1 in the Associated Press poll Feb. 14, 2011, during the 2010-11 season. Kansas has held No. 1 in the Associated Press poll 59 weeks, including 19 times in the Bill Self era. In the USA Today Coaches' Poll, Kansas was last No. 1 on also on Feb. 14, 2011, and have been the nation's top team 37 times, including 19 in the Bill Self era.

[chiefsfan987]

I wish I had a nickel for every outlet pass we've thrown down the court before it's cleared out and got it picked off. They do it a couple times every game it seems. Talk about wasted possessions.

[ArrowheadHawk]

WTF?

[O.city]

The offense just isn't consistent. Mclemore needs to attack the basket more.

[Imon Yourside]

Too many stupid turnovers, it isn't really that hard. The last one I don't put on Withey someone needs to come back and help the big guy out.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Perry Ellis should have gone straight up when he got the ball under the basket, not done a ****ing bounce pass to a Withey who wasn't prepared. If he's going to be assertive, that might have been the time to do so. KU's complacency has let WVU right back into the game.

We need to ATTACK

[chiefsfan987]

KU has already missed 6 free throws... good lord.

[Mr. Laz]

Good thing KU is such a good shooting team or this game wouldn't be a blowout.

[O.city]

There are way too many charge calls in college basketball. It's ridiculous.

[KC_Connection]

Back to back BS calls have Self angry.

[O.city]

That was an awful charge call.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by O.city

That was an awful charge call.

I think the refs were told to focus on charges this year.

[RealSNR]

Does this crowd think every time KU touches the ball is a travel?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

I think the refs were told to focus on charges this year.

Yes, focus on not calling that a charge when a guy slides either way.

[chiefsfan987]

Swallow the damn whistle refs... we don't want to watch a free throw shooting contest.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by O.city

Yes, focus on not calling that a charge when a guy slides either way.

agreed ... they have gone from not calling it at all to calling it even when they shouldn't.