KU-UAB lineups, TV, tipoff time, facts and figures

WHEN/WHERE: About 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Sprint Center. The game will start 30 minutes after the 6 p.m. game between Georgia and George Washington.

TV/RADIO: ESPN2; KCSP (610 AM)

Projected lineups

P No. UAB Ht. Yr. PPG

F 3 Chris Cokley 6-8 Jr. 14.3

F 34 William Lee 6-9 Jr. 9.3

G 0 Hakeem Baxter 6-2 Sr. 11.0

G 5 Deion Lavender 6-4 So. 4.7

G 11 Dirk Williams 6-5 Sr. 13.0

P No. Kansas Ht. Yr. PPG

F 15 Carlton Bragg 6-10 So. 12.0

F 33 Landen Lucas 6-10 Sr. 6.3

G 0 Frank Mason 5-11 Sr. 23.0

G 4 Devonté Graham 6-2 Jr. 14.0

G 11 Josh Jackson 6-8 Fr. 11.7　

ABOUT KANSAS (2-1): KU is 2-1 all-time against UAB. The Jayhawks beat the Blazers 100-74 in the 2004 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in St. Louis and 109-83 on Nov. 15, 1989, in a Preseason NIT game in Allen Fieldhouse. KU lost to UAB 50-46 in the 1984 Great Alaska Shootout. KU is 31-6 at the Sprint Center. The Jayhawks have hit 50 percent of their shots this season, but just 12 of 52 threes for 23.1 percent. Devonté Graham is 3 of 15 on threes, while Svi Mykhailiuk is 4 of 12, Frank Mason 2 of 10 and Lagerald Vick 1 of 8. KU has made 56 of 83 free throws (67.5 percent). Opponents have made 54 of 75 (72 percent). “I know we are better shooters than we’ve shot it,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Devonté, Frank, Svi … none have gotten on a roll yet. I know we can become a pretty good shooting team.” KU is outrebounding opponents by an average of 39.7 to 35.7. Mason averages a team-leading 23.0 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting. He’s made 76.7 percent of his free throws.

ABOUT UAB (2-1): Robert Ehsan is in his first year as head coach of the Blazers after serving as associate head coach under former UAB coach Jerod Haase for four seasons. Haase, a former KU guard, accepted the Stanford job after leading UAB to a school-record 26 wins and an NIT berth a year ago. Ehsan, 34, is the 10th youngest head coach in Division I basketball. The Blazers have defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff (86-66) and Troy (74-51) and lost to Furman (84-74) in games played in Birmingham. Junior point guard Nick Norton tore his ACL in the season-opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with the Blazers losing the ensuing game against Furman. Deion Lavender (6-4 sophomore, 4.7 points per game, 16 assists to 7 turnovers), Hakeem Baxter (6-2 senior, 11.0 ppg, 5 assists, 7 turnovers) and Denzell Watts (6-2 senior, 5.5 points per game) are ticketed to play the point. UAB averages 78.0 points on 45.3 percent shooting while allowing 67 points per game. Returning players off last year’s team that went 16-2 in Conference USA and lost to BYU in the first round of the NIT include Chris Cokley (6-8 junior, 14.3 ppg, 6.0 rebounds per game) and William Lee (6-9 junior, 9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg). Lee went the first two games of the season without picking up a foul and has 13 blocks. He had 14 points and 12 boards in a second-round 2015 NCAA Tournament win over Iowa State. Dirk Williams (6-5 senior 13.0 ppg), is the reigning Conference USA sixth man of the year. He has made 15 straight free throws and has only missed five in his career in 62 attempts.

This story was originally published November 20, 2016 at 5:26 PM with the headline "KU-UAB lineups, TV, tipoff time, facts and figures."