KU looks for big road win in Stillwater

JAYHAWKS HEAD TO STILLWATER

No. 5/6 Kansas (22-6, 13-2) will play at Oklahoma State (18-10, 6-9) on Saturday, March 1, at 8 p.m. on ESPN. With their 83-75 win against Oklahoma on ESPN Big Monday, the Jayhawks have secured at least a share of their 10th-straight, 14th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 57th regular-season title. A victory in Stillwater would guarantee the Big 12 title outright for KU. Oklahoma State has won two-straight games after its 76-54 win at TCU on Monday.

The co-preseason picks to win the Big 12, KU at OSU is this week's ESPN College Gameday matchup. This will be the ninth time Kansas has been a part of ESPN College Gameday in the 10-year history of the event. KU and Lawrence have hosted the event five times.

The Kansas at Oklahoma State game will mark the 700th career game coached for KU head coach Bill Self. Self's 529 career wins ranks eighth on the NCAA Division I all-time win list for coaches in their first 700 games coached. He is third among active coaches who have coached 700 games.

NCAA DIVISION I MOST WINS IN FIRST 700 GAMES COACHED

Wins Coach, School(s) (seasons)

593 Adolph Rupp, Kentucky (1931-52, 54-72)

575 Jerry Tarkanian, LBSU (1969-73), UNLV (74-92), Fresno St. (96-2002)

566 Roy Williams, Kansas (1989-2003), North Carolina (04-present)

558 John Kresse, College of Charleston (1980-2002)

545 John Wooden, Indiana State (1947-48), UCLA (49-75)

539 Dean Smith, North Carolina (1962-97)

538 John Calipari, UMass (1989-96), Memphis (2001-09), Kentucky (10-present)

529 Bill Self, ORU (1994-97), Tulsa (98-2000), Illinois (01-03), KU (04-present)

526 Ed Diddle, Western Kentucky (1923-64)

522 Jim Boeheim, Syracuse (1977-present)

ABOUT KANSAS

Kansas averages 79.8 points per game and has a +10.5 scoring margin. KU has outrebounded 24 of 28 opponents, including 13 of 15 Big 12 foes, and holds a +7.4 rebound margin. KU leads the Big 12, and is second in the NCAA, with a 50.1 field goal percentage. KU shot 50 percent or better in seven of its last 12 games. In all, KU has outshot 23 of its 28 opponents in 2013-14. KU also ranks in the top four in the Big 12 in scoring offense (fourth, 79.8), scoring margin (third, +10.6), rebound margin (third, +7.4), assists (second, 15.8) and blocked shots (second, 5.8).

Freshman G Andrew Wiggins recorded his eighth 20-point game of the season with 21 points in the win versus Texas (2/22). He leads Kansas with a 16.3 scoring average, the best among Big 12 freshmen and ninth overall in the conference. He has made 35 threes this season and is the team leader with 29 steals. Wiggins' 5.8 rebound average is third on the team and 18th in the conference. Sophomore F Perry Ellis was named the co-Big 12 Player of the Week (2/17) for the second time this season after his career-high 32 points against TCU (2/15).

Ellis is KU's second-leading scorer at 13.3 points per game, which is 15th in the Big 12. Ellis' 6.4 rebound average is second on the team (13th in the Big 12) as are his 26 steals. Freshman C Joel Embiid is coming off his seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds against Oklahoma (2/24). He has broken the KU freshman record for blocked shots, currently at 71, and his 2.6 blocked shots per game are second in the league.

Embiid leads KU with 7.9 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the Big 12. A two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week (1/21), Embiid is shooting 62.4 percent from the field (which would lead the league if he made 5.0 per game) and averages 11.1 points per game. Freshman

G Wayne Selden, Jr., is scoring 10.3 points per game and has three 20-point scoring games this season, all in league play. His 36 three-pointers are second on the team as are his 76 assists. Junior G Naadir Tharpe poured in 19 points versus OU (2/24) and is scoring 9.0 ppg this season. His 5.1 assists rank third in the Big 12 and his 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio is also third. Tharpe has made a team-best 37 three-pointers in 2013-14.

Freshman G Frank Mason averages 6.0 points per game and is third on the team with 59 assists. Sophomore F Jamari Traylor leads KU with a 74.1 field goal percentage and is averaging 4.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Other contributors off the bench include senior F Tarik Black (4.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg), freshman G Brannen Greene (2.3 ppg), freshman G Conner Frankamp (2.0 ppg) and redshirt freshman F Landen Lucas (1.7 ppg). Black had a nine-point, five-rebound game against Texas (2/22).

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE

Located in Stillwater, Okla., with an enrollment of 36,097, Oklahoma State is 18-10 (6-9) on the season. OSU is coached by Travis Ford who is 122-74 in his sixth season at OSU and 312-220 in his 17th season overall. OSU averages 81.1 points and has a Big 12-leading +12.2 scoring margin. The Cowboys pull down 36.3 rebounds per contest and have a -0.1 rebound margin. OSU also leads the Big 12 in steals at 7.4 per game, is second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 40.4 percent and also second in turnover margin at +3.2.

OSU is led by sophomore G Marcus Smart's 17.4 points per game, which is fourth in the Big 12. Smart leads the league with 2.6 steals per game and has a team-high 116 assists. His 5.6 rebounds per contest are third best on the team. Senior G Markel Brown is next in scoring at 16.8 points per game, which is sixth in the Big 12, and he is second on the team with 81 assists. He averages 5.5 rebounds per outing and is second on the team with 28 blocked shots.

Junior G/F Le'Bryan Nash averages 14.4 points per game and his 5.8 rebound average is second best for OSU. Sophomore F Kamari Murphy leads OSU with a 6.4 rebound average, which is 14th in the league. He has a team-best 35 blocked shots and scores 6.1 points per game. Sophomore G Phil Forte has made a team-best 82 three-pointers. His 45.8 percent from beyond the arc and 2.9 treys made per game are second in the Big 12. Forte scores 13.3 points per game. Junior G/F Brian Williams (6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) has started 26 of 28 games.

Oklahoma State: A Look At The Numbers:

Scoring: 2,271 (81.1 PPG)

Scoring Margin: +12.2

Field Goal %: 47 (759-of-1,614)

3-Point FG %: 37 (199-of-540)

3-Pont FG Made Per Game: 7.1

Free-throw %: 72 (554-of-773)

Free-throws Made Per Game: 19.8

Rebounds: 1,017 (36.3 per game)

Rebounding Margin: -0.1

Assists: 387 (13.8 per game)

Turnovers: 300 (10.7 per game)

Turnover Margin: +3.3

Steals: 206 (7.4 per game)

Blocks: 136 (4.9 per game)

Opponent Averages:

Scoring: 1,930 (68.9 PPG)

Field Goal %: 40 (655-of-1,622)

3-Point FG %: 33 (181-of-547)

3-Pont FG Made Per Game: 6.5

Free-throw %: 69 (439-of-642)

Free-throws Made Per Game: 15.7

Rebounds: 1,021 (36.5 per game)

Assists: 299 (10.7 per game)

Turnovers: 391 (14.0 per game)

Steals: 179 (6.4 per game)

Blocks: 100 (3.6 per game)

Odds and Ends: Oklahoma State Cowboys:

A closer look at the starting five:

#33 Marcus Smart: Appeared in 25-of-28 games (25 starts)

#22 Markel Brown: Started all 28 games

#2 Le'Bryan Nash: Started all 28 games

#13 Phil Forte: Appeared in all 28 games (5 starts)

#21 Kamari Murphy: Appeared in 27-of-28 games (15 starts)

A closer look at the reserves:

#4 Brian Williams: Appeared in all 28 games (26 starts)

#23 Leyton Hammonds: Appeared in 25-of-28 games

#15 Christien Sager: Appeared in 23-of-28 games

#14 Marek Soucek: Appeared in 20-of-28 games

Kansas vs. Oklahoma: Numbers breakdown

Record: Kansas (22-6; 13-2); Oklahoma State (18-10; 6-9)

Rankings: Kansas (5/6); Oklahoma State (NR)

Points/GM: Kansas (79.8); Oklahoma State (81.1)

Points Allowed/GM: Kansas (693.); Oklahoma State (68.9)

FG%: Kansas (.501); Oklahoma State (.470)

Rebounds/GM: Kansas (38.2); Oklahoma State (36.3)

Assists/GM: Kansas (15.8); Oklahoma State (13.8)

Blocks/GM: Kansas (5.8); Oklahoma State (4.9)

Steals/GM: Kansas (5.8); Oklahoma State (7.4)

THE SERIES

The Kansas-Oklahoma State series dates back to 1926 with KU holding a 108-54 all-time advantage. KU has won six of the last seven meetings and the series is 8-3 in favor of KU in the last 11 matchups. Since the inception of the Big 12, Kansas is 19-7 versus OSU: 15-5 in regular-season play and 4-2 in the Big 12 Championship.

The Jayhawks are 35-31 against the Cowboys in games played in Stillwater, including a 33-31 record in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Kansas head coach Bill Self is 12-8 all-time against his alma mater, including an 11-5 record at Kansas, while Travis Ford is 2-7 versus KU. Kansas' current players career stats versus OSU are on last page of the game notes.

Earlier this season, then-No. 15 Kansas edged then-No. 9 Oklahoma State, 80-78, on Jan. 18 in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas built up a 19-point advantage in the first half and led 47-30 at intermission. Oklahoma State clawed its way back, making eight three-pointers in the second half.

Kansas junior G Naadir Tharpe led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while freshman C Joel Embiid had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds to go along with a KU freshman record eight blocked shots, which also tied a Big 12 freshman record. OSU's Marcus Smart also just missed a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

WHAT'S TRENDING

-- Kansas has scored 80 or more points in five of its last six games. The Jayhawks have six games of 90 or more points this season, including four in Big 12 play. In 17 of KU's 22 victories, the Jayhawks have scored at least 80 points, including 10 Big 12 games. The Jayhawks are 17-1 when scoring 80 points or more in 2013-14.

-- Kansas is 16-1 when shooting 50 percent or better in the game and has eclipsed the 50 percent field goal percentage in seven of its last 12 games and nine of 15 Big 12 games. KU's 61.5 percent versus TCU (2/15) was a season best.

-- KU has outrebounded 24 of its 28 opponents this season, including 13 of 15 Big 12 contests. After its 40-29 rebound advantage against Oklahoma (2/24), KU has 13 games with a +10 rebound advantage.

-- Kansas is 20-0 when leading at half this season, including 12-0 in Big 12 play.

-- KU has held all but one opponent (Duke, 51.7) under 50 percent shooting in 2013-14.

-- Freshman G Andrew Wiggins has led Kansas in scoring in two of the last three games. He has led KU in scoring six times in Big 12 play and 12 times this season.

-- Wiggins is 25-for-48 (52.1 percent) from the field in his last four games with six blocked shots and four steals.

-- Wiggins has averaged 18.4 points in his last 10 contests. His 16.3 scoring average for the season would break the KU freshman record. Wiggins has eight games of 20-plus points, including four in Big 12 play.

-- Freshman C Joel Embiid has 71 blocked shots this year, which is the KU freshman record. He has blocked at least one shot in each of his last 21 games played.

-- Since sitting out against TCU (2/15) due to nagging injuries, Embiid is averaging 14.3 points, 9.3 boards and 3.3 blocks per game in his last three outings.

-- Embiid is 18-for-27 (66.7 percent) from the field in his last five games.

-- Embiid recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds against Oklahoma (2/24). He has led KU on the boards in eight league games and 13 times this season. Embiid has eight games of 10-plus rebounds this season, including five in Big 12 play.

-- Freshman G Wayne Selden, Jr., had 15 points, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, against Oklahoma (2/24). Selden has shot 50 percent or better in three of his last six games and six of his last 10. He has three 20-point efforts this season, all against Big 12 competition.

-- Sophomore F Perry Ellis has shot 60 percent or better in 12 games this season, including four conference contests. The Jayhawks are 12-0 when Ellis shoots 60 percent or better this season.

-- Junior G Naadir Tharpe has scored in double figures in seven league games and 10 times this season. His 19 points against Oklahoma (2/24) were the most since his 22 points at Baylor (2/4). Tharpe entered the OU game 2-for-19 in his previous four contests and was 6-for-7 against the Sooners.

-- Tharpe has two career double-doubles, both in league competition this season. He has three games with 10 or more assists this season and three of his four 20-point scoring games in 2013-14 came against Big 12 opponents.

-- Senior F Tarik Black is averaging 4.4 points for the season but has averaged 7.0 ppg in his last six games. Black is 25-for-33 (75.8 percent) from the field in his last 10 games played. He is averaging 3.0 rebounds for the season yet has pulled down 4.9 boards in his last seven contests.

-- Sophomore F Jamari Traylor has missed only eight shots in 14 conference games. He scored a career-high 10 points versus TCU (2/15) and is 28-of-36 (77.8 percent) in Big 12 games this season.

-- Freshman G Frank Mason scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting against Texas (2/22). His 14 points were a conference-play best and one shy of his career-high 15 against Duke (11/12/13).

-- Freshman G Conner Frankamp scored five points on 2-of-4 shooting with two assists against Texas (2/22). Ten of his 14 field goals this season have come from behind the arc and he has made at least one three-pointer in four of his last six games played.

CONFERENCE SUCCESS

Including 2013-14, Kansas has won 14 of the 18 Big 12 regular-season titles (includes ties), including the last 10, which ranks tied for third on the NCAA all-time consecutive list. Kansas' 57 conference titles are the most in NCAA Division I. Kentucky is second with 51 and Penn third at 37. KU's 10-straight league titles is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I and the longest streak in school history. Including 2013, Belmont (Atlantic Sun/Ohio Valley East) and Murray State (Ohio Valley West) are next at four on the active league title list.

CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE REGULAR-SEASON WINNERS

(source: NCAA Record Book; *active streak)

No. Team Conference Seasons

13 UCLA PAC-10 1967-79

11 Gonzaga West Coast 2001-11

10* KANSAS Big 12 2005-14

10 Connecticut Yankee 1951-60

10 UNLV Big West 1983-92

9 Idaho St. Rocky Mountain 1953-61

9 Kentucky Southeastern 1944-52

MORE ON 10 STRAIGHT BIG 12 TITLES

-- Bill Self passed coaching legends John Wooden (UCLA) and Adolph Rupp (Kentucky) who won nine-straight conference titles during their schools' respective runs. Only Mark Few's 11 consecutive Big West titles are more than Self's 10.

-- Including the 2014 campaign, three of Kansas' 10-consecutive Big 12 titles were accomplished with no returning starters from the previous season (2005-06, 2008-09, 2013-14).

-- In the 10-year run, Kansas has never been swept in a conference two-game round-robin series, while the Jayhawks have swept Big 12 foes 43 times with three pending in 2014 - Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and West Virginia.

-- Kansas' worst record in the streak was 12-4, which happened twice (2005 and 2006), and was still eight games above .500. Every other Big 12 team in that stretch has had at least one losing league record.

-- Every player in the Bill Self era has won at least one Big 12 regular-season championship with the exception of David Padgett and Omar Wilkes who was a freshman in 2003-04. Note: Jeff Graves and Brett Olson who played for Self in 2003-04, won a Big 12 title in 2002-03.

-- In the previous nine titles, KU tied for the title four times with Oklahoma in 2005, Texas in 2006, Texas in 2008 and Kansas State in 2013.

-- Including being the top-rated conference in the nation in RPI in 2013-14, the Big 12 has ranked among the top five leagues in the final RPI (post-NCAA Championship) for seven-straight seasons and 12 times in the last 13 years. In six of the last seven campaigns, the conference will be in the top three, including the No. 1 finish in 2009-10 and most likely 2013-14.

-- The following have been on the men's basketball staff during all 10 Big 12 regular-season titles: Kurtis Townsend (assistant coach), Bill Cowgill (associate director of sports medicine), Andrea Hudy (assistant AD sports performance), Dr. Scott Ward (associate AD academic & career counseling), Joanie Stephens (administrative assistant to the head coach), Tami Hoffman (administrative assistant) and Sean Lester (deputy athletics director). Others who have been there every conference game of the 10 seasons include Bob Davis (Jayhawk IMG Radio) and Bob Newton (Jayhawk IMG Radio).

IN THE POLLS

Kansas is ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press in the poll released Feb. 24. The Jayhawks were in the AP top 10 the first five polls of 2013-14 and 11 total in 2013-14. KU is No. 6 in the Feb. 24 USA Today Coaches' poll. In the Bill Self era, this is the 167th week Kansas has been ranked in the AP top 25, which includes 118 times in the top 10. KU has been ranked in each of the last 101 polls dating back to the 2008-09 season. In the coaches' poll, Kansas has been ranked 194 times, including 142 in the top 10 in the Self era. KU has been listed in each of the last 105 coaches' polls.

AFTER ONLY ONE SEASON

Last season, Ben McLemore broke the Kansas freshman scoring record, which was held for 28 years by KU legend Danny Manning, set in 1985. Manning scored 496 points, while McLemore became the first freshman in school history to surpass the 500-point barrier with 596 in 2012-13. This season, KU freshman G Andrew Wiggins' 16.3 points per game is ahead of McLemore's KU frosh-record average of 15.9 ppg and Wiggins' 457 points rank fourth on the KU freshman list. Wiggins already owns the KU freshman record for free throw attempts (174) and free throws made (132).

EMBIID KU FROSH RECORD HOLDER

Freshman C Joel Embiid is the Kansas freshman blocked shots record holder, currently at 71, as he passed former KU center Eric Chenowith's 62 in 1997-98 on Feb. 22. Embiid has blocked at least one shot in 21-consecutive games played. Chenowith's longest streak stopped at five-straight. Embiid's eight blocked shots against Oklahoma State (1/18) set the KU freshman game record and tied the Big 12 freshman game record. Embiid is second in the Big 12 with 2.6 blocked shots per game and he has six outings with four or more blocks.

Embiid's 7.9 rebound average in 2013-14 is ahead of Danny Manning's KU freshman record of 7.6 set in 1985, while his 214 boards rank fifth on the KU freshman list. Also if maintained, Embiid's 62.4 field goal percentage would set the KU freshman record (59.5 by Jeff Gueldner in 1987) and rank fifth on KU's overall single-season list.

UP NEXT

Kansas will return home for Senior Night when the Jayhawks play host to Texas Tech on Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. on the Big 12 Network. KU will honor senior players Tarik Black, Niko Roberts and Justin Wesley and managers Corey Wacknov and Neal Stineman. Kansas will close out the Big 12 regular season at West Virginia on Saturday, March 8, at 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN.

Kansas will enter the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship (March 12-15) at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., as either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed and play its first game in the event's quarterfinals on Thursday, March 13. KU has had a first-round bye in 17 of the 18 Big 12 Championships.