Kansas-Texas Tech men’s basketball preview
Texas Tech at No. 12 Kansas
P | No. | Kansas | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 31 | Jamari Traylor | 6-8 | Jr. | 5.7 |
F | 34 | Perry Ellis | 6-8 | Jr. | 12.4 |
G | 12 | Kelly Oubre | 6-7 | Fr. | 7.0 |
G | 1 | Wayne Selden | 6-5 | So. | 9.3 |
G | 0 | Frank Mason | 5-11 | So. | 12.3 |
P | No. | Texas Tech | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 32 | Norense Odiase | 6-9 | Fr. | 8.0 |
F | 11 | Zach Smith | 6-8 | Fr. | 5.2 |
G | 5 | Justin Gray | 6-6 | Fr. | 7.1 |
G | 0 | Devaugntah Williams | 6-3 | Sr. | 11.7 |
G | 14 | Robert Turner | 6-3 | Sr. | 8.9 |
▪ WHEN/WHERE: 2 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence
▪ TV/RADIO: ESPNU; KCSP (610 AM)
▪ ABOUT KANSAS (12-2, 1-0 Big 12): Just three days after procuring a 56-55 victory at Baylor in its Big 12 opener, Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse for its first conference home game. On Wednesday, the Jayhawks received a lift from junior forward Jamari Traylor, who had 13 points and two assists before fouling out in 25 minutes. Traylor, who shot 67.4 percent from the floor as a sophomore, is shooting just 46.7 percent this season. He’s starting because of his defense and energy, but some improved offensive production could help spur an inconsistent Kansas offense. While the Jayhawks have struggled inside for the most of the year, they lead the Big 12 in three-point field-goal percentage at .385. Sophomore guard Frank Mason, meanwhile, has 17 assists, four turnovers and five steals in his last three games. He has scored in double figures in each of KU’s last 11 contests. The Jayhawks, who are 1-0 in Big 12 play for the 24th straight year, have won 10 straight in the series with Texas Tech, dating back to 2010. Kansas is also 14-0 against Texas Tech in games played in Lawrence. The Jayhawks are positioned to start 3-0 in the conference with two home games coming up. After Saturday, Kansas will play host to Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
▪ ABOUT TEXAS TECH (10-5, 0-2 Big 12): The Red Raiders have started 0-2 in the Big 12 after suffering home losses to Texas and West Virginia. In his second season at Texas Tech, coach Tubby Smith is trying to guide a program that remains in transition mode. The Red Raiders start three freshmen, and they entered Big 12 play with losses to Loyola-Chicago and Houston in a three-game span. Texas Tech has been turnover prone all season — the Red Raiders’ turnover percentage ranks 265th in Division I — and they shoot just 31 percent from three-point range as a team. As a result, Texas Tech ranks 229th in the country in offensive efficiency. For a Kansas defense that has struggled at moments, it should be a good matchup to lock in and come up with some stops on the defensive end. The Red Raiders’ best offensive option is junior guard Devaugntah Williams, who is shooting 39.7 percent from three and averaging 11.7 points per game.
| Rustin Dodd, rdodd@kcstar.com
This story was originally published January 9, 2015 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Kansas-Texas Tech men’s basketball preview."