KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josh Jackson has been huddling with the Kansas coaching staff since the start of the season, and the message has been the same: If you quit fouling so much, you would say on the floor more.

The sensational freshman must have finally listened.

Jackson poured in 22 points, many of them on highlight-worthy dunks, while backcourt mates Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham helped carry the load as fifth-ranked Kansas routed Alabama-Birmingham 83-63 on Monday night in the semifinals of the CBE Classic.

“Me committing silly fouls take me out of the game, and don’t allow me to play as much as I’d like,” said Jackson, who also had seven rebounds and three assists. “It worked out today.”

Mason finished with 20 points and Graham had 16 for the Jayhawks (3-1), who advanced to play Georgia for the title on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs beat George Washington 81-73 in the other semifinal.

Kansas raced to a big early lead, weathered several runs by UAB, then relied on their backcourt of Jackson, Mason and Graham to pull away from the Blazers down the stretch.

“They’re very good. They’re obviously one of the best teams in the country,” UAB coach Robert Ehsan said. “When they shoot it like that, they’re very hard to beat.”

Dirk Williams led the Blazers (2-2) with 13 points. Tyler Madison had 12.

The Blazers got off to what looked like it would be a catastrophic start, turning the ball over seven times and missing their first 11 field-goal attempts. Their only points over the first 10 minutes came on foul shots, and by the time they finally hit the Jayhawks led 23-3.

“They started off really shooting it bad, and we defended pretty well,” Kansas coach Bill Self said, “but I didn’t think our defense was very good the last 30 minutes. I thought it was average at best.”

The Blazers took advantage with a run of their own.

They ripped off a 17-2 run over the next 6 minutes as the Jayhawks missed seven straight shots of their own, and they quieted a partisan crowd by getting within 27-20 late in the half.

If that didn’t make Self irate, the way Kansas ended it did. Graham hit a 3-pointer with 5 seconds to go, but UAB went coast-to-coast for a buzzer-beating basket to deflate the Jayhawks.

“We were exciting going into halftime,” Ehsan said. “I thought if we could make a run in the second half, we would have a shot. But they’re Kansas for a reason.”

The teams resumed trading runs early in the second half before the Jayhawks began pulling, and four 3-pointers by Svi Mykhailiuk — who finished with 15 points — helped put the game out of reach.

“We played really well. I think everybody’s mind was right,” Graham said. “We came in focused, just trying to do the little things we’ve been watching on film that we hadn’t been doing well.”

Jackson added an exclamation mark with just over four minutes left, taking a pass in the open floor and throwing down a windmill dunk while getting fouled for a three-point play.

“He’s an extremely talented player. His versatility is what I’ve been surprised with, how many things he can do on the floor,” Ehsan said. “He’s a tremendous player.”

CHARITY STRIPE

Self was plenty unhappy with the foul line at both ends of the floor. Kansas sent UAB there 26 times while going just 9 of 19 at its own end. “We have to figure out a way to get to the free-throw line,” he said, “and when we do, it’d be nice when we made some every now and then. We’re putting people on the line too much and giving people too many free points.”

BIG PICTURE

UAB showed some moxie in rallying from its big early hole, even the Jayhawks never led by fewer than five the rest of the way. It had to be encouraging for first-year coach Robert Ehsan, who is trying to get the Blazers back into the NCAA Tournament this year.

Kansas looked tired at times from a brutal start to the season. The Jayhawks played Indiana in Hawaii, Duke in New York and Siena at home on Friday night. The grind continues with the CBE Classic title game before another home game against UNC-Asheville on Friday night.

UP NEXT

UAB plays in the consolation game Tuesday night.

Kansas plays the Bulldogs for the tournament.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas had a pair of players recognized for their efforts in leading the Jayhawks to a 24-21 overtime win over Texas as sophomore defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr., and senior kicker Matthew Wyman both snagged weekly honors the Big 12 Conference office announced Monday morning. Armstrong was tabbed Co-Defensive Player of the Week, while Wyman was named Special Teams Player of the Week.

Armstrong, who was honored by the conference office for the first time in his KU career, led the Jayhawks’ first win over the Longhorns since 1938 as he tallied a career-best 11 total tackles, including nine solo stops. Additionally, he collected 2.0 sacks and 3.0 TFLs in the win. Armstrong’s strip-sack of UT quarterback Tyrone Swoopes marked his second forced fumble of the season, a fumble he recovered returned seven yards. The Houston, Texas native now leads the Big 12 in both sacks (10.0) and TFLs (17.0) on the season.

32742Wyman, who was also honored for the first time in his KU career, propelled Kansas to its overtime victory over Texas by drilling a 25-yard field goal in overtime to forge the Jayhawks’ win. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native connected on three field goals during the game. In addition to the game-winner, Wyman tied the game for KU with a 36-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation. He also drilled a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter. Wyman’s game-winning field goal marked the second of his career. He led KU to victory with a 52-yard winner against Louisiana Tech in 2013.

With Armstrong and Wyman picking up the awards during the same week, Kansas had two players honored by the Big 12 in the same week for the first time since Todd Reesing and Darrell Stuckey picked up weekly awards on Dec. 1, 2008 following a win over Missouri. Armstrong, Wyman and punter Cole Moos (Oct. 17) give Kansas three weekly award winners in a single season for the first time since 2007 when Reesing, Marcus Herford and Scott Webb were each honored by the Big 12 office.

UP NEXT: Kansas closes out the regular season when the Jayhawks travel to in-state rival Kansas State, Saturday, November 26. Kickoff against the Wildcats in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown is slated for 11 a.m., with the broadcast designated to FOX Sports 1.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Matthew Wyman may have booted Charlie Strong right out of Texas.

The senior kicker for Kansas knocked through a field goal to force overtime, then drilled a 25-yarder in the extra session Saturday to send the Jayhawks to a 24-21 victory over the Longhorns — one that just might end Strong’s disappointing tenure on the 40 acres.

The moment Wyman’s field goal went through the uprights, the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7) poured off the sideline and into a jubilant pile with thousands of students. The win snapped a nine-game skid, a 19-game losing streak in Big 12 play and was their first over Texas since 1938.

It made Strong’s future bleak, but it made Kansas coach David Beaty’s appear just a little bit brighter.

“What resilient dudes those guys are,” he said after his first Big 12 win. “They’ve continued to work through some really, really difficult situations, and I’ve said it before, I feel like we have the right kind of kids in our program. They’ve stuck it out.”

The Longhorns (5-6, 3-5) squandered chances down the stretch, including a fumble and failed fourth-down try in the final minutes of regulation that could have put the game away.

They got the ball first in overtime, but Shane Buechele badly overthrew his intended receiver on their second play and Mike Lee was there to pick it off. After the Jayhawks marched inside the 5-yard line, their senior kicker playing in his final home game knocked through the winner.

“It’s great to send the seniors out like this,” he said. “They’ve been through some struggles, some adversity, so it means a lot.”

Their stirring win made D’Onta Foreman’s performance merely a footnote.

The Texas running back carried a school-record 51 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns, though his two fumbles proved costly — not only to the Longhorns’ season but quite possibly to Strong’s future.

The third-year coach has been on the hot seat all season, and the temperature is only going to rise after a loss to the lowly Jayhawks. Strong dropped to 16-20 since arriving at Texas, and not even the $10 million buyout he would be due could be enough to keep him from getting fired.

“We just had our opportunities there,” Strong said. “Not much needed to be said.”

Asked what it means for his future, Strong replied: “No idea.”

The Jayhawks took advantage of four first-half turnovers, including a pick-six by Brandon Stewart, to take a 10-7 lead into the locker room. But they committed two turnovers of their own in an ugly third quarter, which the Longhorns turned into back-to-back touchdowns for a 21-10 lead.

Kansas marched downfield for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and Steven Sims won the race to the pylon to convert the 2-point conversion and get within a field goal.

That proved to be pivotal in the final minute of the game.

The Jayhawks stuffed Texas on fourth down and regained possession with 58 seconds left. Three passes to Ke’aun Kinner and a targeting penalty got them within field goal range, and Wyman’s kick from 36 yards out with 7 seconds remaining sent the game to overtime.

Set up one of the most memorable wins in recent history, too.

“The seniors have been through a whole lot, and we haven’t had too much success,” Kansas safety Fish Smithson said. “Just proud, proud of how hard we worked. How resilient we’ve been.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Texas: Texas was shaky throughout the game, especially when Buechele left for a short period in the first half with an injury, in what might go down as the biggest indictment of Strong’s tenure.

Kansas: Kansas has been close to breaking through several times this season, including a 24-23 loss to TCU in early October and a 31-24 loss to Iowa State earlier this month.

STRONG’S FUTURE

Texas athletic director Mike Perrin declined to speak with reporters after the game, looking away when he approached them. Strong’s wife, Victoria, was crying outside the Longhorns’ locker room and even Strong looked visibly shaken as he fielded questions.

“I love coach Strong. That’s my dog,” Texas safety DeShon Elliott said. “No matter what, I love him, but I said that’s not our decision. We can’t make that decision. It’s the AD and all the men up there.”

SEE YA

After police encircled the goal posts at the south end zone, students raced to the opposite end of the field and hopped on that set. It took them a while before they got them to the turf, then they carried them right out of Memorial Stadium.

UP NEXT

Texas heads to TCU on Saturday for what could be Strong’s final game as coach.

Kansas tries to make it two straight on Saturday at Kansas State.

— Associated Press —