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basketball gameday
Saturday, Jan.21, 1 p.m., CBS
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
AT A GLANCE
Kansas missed out on the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll to Villanova on Monday. It was to be one of the closest picks for voters in a long time, as Villanova had 1,580 points, while Kansas had 1,562 points in the poll. Kansas is still a solid choice as the best team in the nation, as that's what the coaches decided this week, putting Kansas as No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches poll. The Kansas lineup is stacked, although it doesn't have a ton of depth. In a competitive conference, Kansas looks to continue dominating.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Landen Lucas, senior, center
If Lucas has a bad game in any game this season, it's not going to bode well for Kansas. However, Texas has an even more formidable frontcourt than most with Allen at forward. Lucas will need to be on top of his game Saturday afternoon for Kansas to command the boards and score down low.
QUESTION MARK
Can Carlton Bragg Jr.
have another stand-
out game?
Kansas will likely depend on Bragg a little bit more than normal against Texas. The sophomore scored 10 points and recorded six rebounds in a tough battle against Iowa State. Kansas might want to build on that by allowing Lucas some rest and Bragg some time to prove himself even more.
BY THE NUMBERS
20.3
20. 3 - Mason averages 20.3 points for Kansas That puts him at No. 33 in the country. Only 42 players are currently averaging more than 20 points per game.
26 - Kansas ranks No. 26 in the nation in assisst-to-turnover ratio with 1.39.
43 - The guard trio of Mason, Jackson and Mykhailiuk combined for 43 points in the win over Iowa State.
26
43
2 KANSAS (17-1)
STARTING FIVE
Frank Mason III, senior, guard
Mason's 16 points against Iowa State on Monday was, strangely enough, abnormally low. Mason has consistently been Kansas' top scorer in every game this season, and the recognition is starting to show. Mason is the favorite for many to win National Player of the Year this season.
Devonte' Graham, junior, guard
Graham's performance in the win over Iowa State was one of the most well-rounded from any Jayhawk yet this season. He scored nine points, hauled in two rebounds and tallied eight assists. Coming back to Allen Fieldhouse, Graham should be more of a factor from behind the three-point line, where he leads the team in attempts with 110, but has the fourth-worst percentage among Jayhawk guards who play significant minutes.
Svi Mykhailiuk, junior, guard
At around the halfway point in the season, Mykhailiuk seems to have met the potential Kansas fans anticipated when he came to Kansas at 17 years old. Mykhailiuk is improving his NBA draft stock with every start, although there's no word yet on whether he will leave Kansas early. He's second on the team in three-point attempts, and shoots an outstanding 43 percent from outside.
Jackson looked less-than-outstanding for the first time since scoring only four points against TCU to open conference play. Against Iowa State, Jackson only scored six points and fouled out late in the second half. A return to Allen Fieldhouse should be enough to reinvigorate Jackson, who averages 15.1 points per game.
Josh Jackson, freshman, guard
★★★★
Landen Lucas, senior, center
Aside from Mason, Lucas has to be considered the most consistent player for the Jayhawks. He averages 7.5 rebounds and scores 65 percent of his field goals. Lucas produces out of necessity. With freshman center Udoka Azubike out for the season, sophomore forward Carlton Bragg Jr. is the only option after Lucas. Bragg, however, has been an excellent option off the bench for Self in recent games.
STARTING FIVE
Kerwin Roach Jr., sophomore, guard Roach is the more dangerous of the two Texas point guards in the starting rotation. His athleticism allows him to live at the free throw line, despite only shooting 67 percent. Although Roach is drawing fouls at a high rate, he is still having issues not committing them. The sophomore has picked up four fouls in three of his last five games.
Eric Davis Jr., sophomore, guard
The secondary point guard in the Longhorns' starting five is struggling a bit in his sophomore season. Despite an increase in minutes, the former ESPN four-star recruit has seen his points per game average drop. His three-point percentage has fallen off as well. Davis is averaging just 7.4 points per game, but he's also scored a season-high 16 points three times this season.
Andrew Jones, freshman, guard
Jones has outplayed fellow freshman guard Jacob Young, which has lead to an increase in Jones' playing time. He's the best rebounding guard on the team, aside from the indefinitely suspended guard Tevin Mack, with 3.8 rebounds per game and his 33 percent three point shooting makes him Texas' biggest threat from the outside. He can be turnover prone at times, which seems to be a glaring issue for the freshman.
Shaquille Cleare, senior, forward
Cleare is an intimidating forward, and despite only averaging 7.7 points per game, he will be someone the Jayhawks will need to keep an eye on. Cleare isn't an elite rebounder even though he's 6-foot-8 and 275 pounds. Given Kansas' shortened bench, however, Cleare could cause some trouble. He's shooting more than 50 percent from the floor, but if Kansas' Lucas and sophomore forward Carlton Bragg Jr. can replicate their last game against Iowa State, the Longhorn senior shouldn't be too big of a factor.
Jarrett Allen, freshman, forward
Allen Texas' best player is the closest thing it has to a bona fide star. He's averaging just under 12 points per game, but his biggest contributions come with his 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He's going to be a big problem for the Jayhawk forwards, but he's a much bigger threat defensively than he is on offense. With Kansas' trouble stopping opposing big men, Allen may surpass his best mark of 19 points that he posted against West Virginia.
▶ BRIAN MINI @brianminimum
AT A GLANCE
After being picked by coaches in the preseason to finish third in the Big 12, Texas has put together a pretty disappointing season. Sitting at 7-11, home losses to teams like UT-Arlington and Kent State have derailed the season despite landing Allen, one of the nation's top recruits. With the suspension of its leading scorer in Mack, Texas' season doesn't look to be improving in the near future.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Kerwin Roach Jr., sophomore, guard
Allen is going to give any team he plays trouble, which is why Roach needs to step up if Texas wants to keep this game close. Roach plays a high-energy game which Mason and Graham will have to shut down throughout the game. If Roach can keep his turnovers down and stay out of foul trouble, he might be able to exploit Kansas' interior defense.
QUESTION MARK
Can Texas' guards match up against Kansas?
Height isn't an issue for Texas' backcourt, but the talent gap certainly is. Texas doesn't have a player under 6-foot1, but players like Kansas' Mason have shown that the size of the opposing defense doesn't impact his ability to take over a game. Texas has had concerning issues stopping Big 12 guards like Oklahoma State's duo in Jeffrey Carroll and Jawun Evans, so stopping Kansas' backcourt duo should be a tough test.
BY THE NUMBERS
Texas has played four road games, but has yet to win one.
13. 7 Texas is one of the more turnover prone teams in the country, averaging 13.7 a game.
30 As a team, the Longhorns are shooting under 30 percent from three-point range.
Beat Writer Prediction:
Skylar Rolstad: Kansas 81, Texas 75 // Jordan Wolf: Kansas 80, Texas 65 // Brian Mini: Kansas 82, Texas 70
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