LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas head women’s basketball coach Brandon Schneider and his staff added graduate transfer Sydney Umeri to the Jayhawks’ roster, the first signee of 2016 for KU. As a graduate transfer, Umeri will be eligible to join Kansas on the hardwood next season and be able to play immediately.

Schneider added height to the roster with his first signee in the late signing period. Umeri, a 6-1 forward, comes to Allen Fieldhouse after a three-year career at Virginia. The Acworth, Georgia product will graduate with her undergraduate degree from Virginia in May.

“We are excited to add a player of Sydney’s character, work ethic and versatility to our program,” Schneider said. “She is a strong, athletic forward who possess both a back-to-the-basket and face up game. Her skill level and ability to play both inside and out make her a tough match-up.”

Umeri prepped at the Lovett School in Atlanta and helped the Lions to the 2012 Georgia Region 6AA championship. During her senior season of high school, Umeri was ranked No. 29 overall and the No. 9 forward in the 2013 recruiting class by ESPN’s HoopGurlz.

Umeri was a four time all-region selection, a two-time Atlanta Tipoff Club Jackie Bradford All-Metro Girls Honorable Mention and a 2013 McDonald’s All-America nominee. Additionally, Umeri won a gold medal with the 2011 USA Basketball’s U16 team at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mérida, Mexico.

“Sydney is terrific in transition and has the toughness to thrive on the defensive end,” said Schneider. “She is extremely active on the boards, she has terrific instincts and she doesn’t take plays off. We expect Sydney to impact our program in many positive ways in her final year of collegiate eligibility.”

During her three-year career at Virginia, Umeri started 40 games and appeared in 96 while averaging 19.6 minutes contest.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas quarterbacks Montell Cozart and Deondre Ford have received hardship waivers from the Big 12 Conference for the 2015 season. Both Jayhawks will enter the 2016 campaign as redshirt juniors and have two years of eligibility remaining.

“It is great to see the Big 12 is giving Montell and Deondre a year back after both of these guys had their junior seasons end prematurely,” said Kansas head coach David Beaty. “They have worked tirelessly with our medical staff to get healthy and we are fortunate to have two more seasons with them in our program.”

Cozart started three of the first four games for Kansas in 2015 before suffering a season-ending injury at Iowa State. Prior to his injury, he completed 66-of-105 passes for 752 yards and two touchdowns. The Kansas City, Missouri, native also ran 45 times for 113 yards, adding a score on the ground. He enters 2016 with a streak of 101-straight passes without an interception.

Ford saw time in two games in 2015 before his season was cut short due to injury. A native of Waco, Texas, he started at Rutgers, completing six passes for 85 yards before exiting the game with an injury. Ford completed 11-of-23 passes for 132 yards on the season.

KU will begin the 2016 season on September 3 vs. Rhode Island. The Jayhawks will also host nonconference opponent Ohio (Sept. 10/Family Weekend, Band Day) before Big 12 rivals TCU (Oct. 8), Oklahoma State (Oct. 22/Homecoming, K-Club Weekend), Iowa State (Nov. 12) and Texas (Nov. 19) visit Lawrence.

— KU Athletics —

HOUSTON – One day after being named the national coach of the year by his peers, Kansas’ Bill Self earned the same honor by the national media as he was selected the 2015-16 Associated Press Coach of the Year, the AP announced Thursday.

Self received his AP Coach of the Year trophy in a ceremony at NRG Stadium, site of the Final Four in Houston. At the same time, the AP also announced its national player of the year, that being Denzel Valentine of Michigan State. Voted on by the panel of media who vote on the weekly Associated Press poll, this is the second time Self has earned the AP accolade, also earning the distinction following the 2008-09 season.

The AP honor is the fourth organization to name Self its 2015-16 national coach of the year as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named him Wednesday and the USA Today and Bleacher Report did the same earlier this month.

Under Self, No. 1 Kansas (33-5, 15-3) won its 12th-straight, 16th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 59th overall regular season title in 2015-16. Kansas also won the Big 12 Postseason Championship, the 2015 Maui Invitational in 2015-16 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight for the sixth time in his 13 seasons at KU.

Kansas’ 33 wins marked the ninth time in school history the Jayhawks have won 33 or more games, including five seasons under Self. Its 12-straight conference titles rank second all-time in NCAA history trailing only UCLA’s 13-straight from 1967-79 under multiple coaches.

Kansas finished No. 1 in the 2015-16 Associated Press poll and holds that spot in the latest USA Today Coaches’ poll released March 14. KU was ranked No. 1 five times by AP and four times by the coaches in 2015-16. Kansas has been ranked seventh or higher in every poll this season.

The Jayhawks posted two winning streaks of 13 games or more in 2015-16: 13 from Nov. 23-Jan. 9, and 17 from Jan. 30-March 26. Additionally, Kansas went 12-4 against nationally-ranked teams in 2015-16, including 4-1 versus top-10 teams. The 12 wins against ranked foes are the most in a season in KU history.

Kansas holds the No. 1 RPI and No. 1 toughest schedule (through games of 3/27), while the Big 12 Conference has the No. 1 RPI among all leagues, in 2015-16.

In 13 seasons at Kansas, Self is 385-83 (82.3 percent) for an average of 29.6 wins per year. Overall, Self is 592-188 (76.0 percent) in 23 seasons as a head coach which has included stints at Oral Roberts (1994-97), Tulsa (1998-2000) and Illinois (2001-03) before coming to Kansas in 2004.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Following a three-year college career, Kansas men’s basketball guard Brannen Greene has declared for the 2016 NBA Draft and will be leaving KU, Greene and head coach Bill Self announced Wednesday.

“Brannen has elected to declare for the NBA draft with the intent of hiring an agent at some point,” Self said. “I certainly understand Brannen making this decision. We wish him nothing but the very best. He has an NBA skill that I think will translate very well to the next level. We appreciate his efforts during his time at Kansas.”

Greene added, “After talking with my family, weighing the options, and talking with the coaching staff, I feel like it is the best decision for me moving forward to take my talents to play professionally.

“I want to thank my teammates for all the great times we had and all the battles we went through together. I want to thank the coaches for taking the time to work with me throughout my three years. I definitely want to thank the fans. Running out to 16,000 every night, that won’t be replaced at all in any way. I want to thank the fans and everybody I met across the campus for their support.”

A 6-foot-7 Juliette, Georgia native, Greene shot 49.2 percent from 3-point range in 2015-16. He scored a season-high 18 points on 6-of-6 shooting, 5-of-5 from 3-point range, in the season opener against Northern Colorado. A 3-point specialist, Greene had eight games this season where he made multiple treys for the Jayhawks. Of his 44 field goals made, 31 were from 3-point range for 70.5 percent. Greene averaged 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game while pulling down four or more boards 10 times his junior season.

“Brannen is talented and very competitive,” Self said. “This combination should allow him to play professionally for many years to come.”

Greene played in 93 games while at Kansas with three starts. He scored a career-high 19 points in Kansas’ win at Georgetown on Dec. 10, 2014, which included a 5-for-5 effort from beyond the arc. For his career, Greene shot 42.2 percent from 3-point range (81-192) and 87.2 percent from the free throw line (102-117). Included were consecutive free throws made streaks of 21 his sophomore season and 20 in 2015-16.

“It was definitely a big-time high for me when I hit a three in Allen Fieldhouse,” Greene said. “Just to see how the crowd reacted and I had a signature three fingers to the head and everybody ran with that. It was fun being in the Fieldhouse. It gave me a ton of energy every time I played there as it did all of my teammates.”

While at Kansas, Greene won three Big 12 regular-season titles (2014, 2015, 2016), one Big 12 Championship (2016) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2015-16. Additionally, he was part of two undefeated seasons in games played in Allen Fieldhouse going 45-1 in the venue.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball guard Wayne Selden Jr. has declared for the 2016 NBA Draft and will be leaving KU, Selden and head coach Bill Self announced Tuesday.

“The last three years have been a true blessing to experience as a Jayhawk, an opportunity I am so thankful for,” Selden said. “That being said, I’d like to announce that I will be declaring for the 2016 NBA draft. It has always been our plan that my college experience would be three years. I plan to hire representation in the coming weeks.

“I want to thank the Kansas fans for their support as a Jayhawk over the years. The support is unmatched and has been the driving force in games,” Selden added. “I would like to thank each of my brothers. Together we battled through the tough and celebrated the good. Giving our all for one another. I’d also like to thank Coach Self and the entire Kansas basketball staff. I’ve received three years of meaningful experiences and guidance both on and off the court.”

A three-year starter for Kansas, Selden averaged 13.8 points per game and made a team-high 74 3-pointers in 2015-16. The 6-foot-5 Roxbury, Massachusetts native’s 13.8 points rank seventh in the Big 12 and he also ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (10th at 47.4), 3-point field goals made (sixth at 1.9) and 3-point field goal percentage (ninth at 39.2).

“We are all so happy and proud of Wayne for not only how he’s played but for how he’s represented our school over the last three years,” Self said. “After his freshman year and seeing Andrew (Wiggins) and Joel (Embiid) declare after one year, Wayne, his family and our staff spoke that it would probably be after his junior year that the time would be right for him to declare and it has played out to be that way.”

In 2015-16, Selden was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection and one of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Selden was also named co-MVP of the 2015 Maui Jim Maui Invitational along with teammate Frank Mason III. In leading KU to the Maui title, Selden averaged 19.3 points and made 12 3-pointers in three contests. He would later be named co-Big 12 Player of the Week for his efforts in Hawaii.

Selden posted seven games of 20 or more points this past season, including a career-high 33 points in KU’s win against then-No. 20 Kentucky in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 30 in Allen Fieldhouse.

Selden was a key player in Team USA’s gold medal run at the World University Games in Gwanju, Korea, in July 2015. The team, consisting of 10 Kansas players and coached by the KU staff, posted an 8-0 record in winning gold. Selden ranked second in the 24-team field in scoring at 19.3 points per game and was named to the five-member World University Games (WUG) First Team. He led the USA team in scoring four times, including a team-high 22 points, along with nine rebounds, in the gold medal double-overtime win against Germany.

“Wayne had a great year for us starting in South Korea by being the best player in the World University Games,” Self said. “And then, of course, being our second-leading scorer and helping lead us throughout a wonderful season here at Kansas. He has shown that he can play at the highest and most elite level as evidenced by some of the performances throughout the year. We wish him nothing but the best and are excited for whatever the future has for him.”

Selden was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention his freshman and sophomore years averaging 9.7 points in 2013-14 and 9.4 in 2014-15. He was also selected to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team his sophomore season in leading KU to the title game.

While at Kansas, Selden won three Big 12 regular-season titles, one Big 12 Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2015-16. Additionally, Selden was part of two undefeated seasons in games played in Allen Fieldhouse going 45-1 in the venue. Selden ranks 37th on the KU career scoring list with 1,202 points. His 162 3-pointers made are 10th all-time in the KU books and his 443 3-pointers attempted are eighth.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball senior Perry Ellis has been selected to the Associated Press (AP) All-America Second Team, the organization announced Tuesday.

Selected by the AP Top 25 panel of media voters, Ellis is appearing on the AP All-America Team for the second-straight season having earned honorable mention honors in 2014-15.

A two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection, Ellis scored 20 or more points in three of his final four games and seven of his last nine contests. The Wichita forward led Kansas in scoring at 16.9 ppg and was second in rebounding at 5.9 rpg. Ellis posted 16 games or 20 or more points this season and averaged 17.7 points and 5.8 rebounds during Big 12 play. His 16.9 points per game rank third in the Big 12 and Ellis also is among the league leaders in field goal percentage (fourth at 53.1), free throw percentage (eighth at 73.5) and rebounds (11th).

Ellis ended his career No. 8 on the Kansas career scoring list with 1,798 points and No. 12 on the KU career rebounding list at 834. His 16 career double-doubles tied for 13th all-time in Kansas history. Ellis is only the fifth player in KU history to rank in the top 12 in both scoring and rebounding, joining Danny Manning (2,951 points/1,187 rebounds), Nick Collison (2,097 / 1,143), Raef LaFrentz (2,066 / 1,186) and Clyde Lovellette (1,979 / 839).

Kansas ended its season with a 33-5 record. The victories marked the ninth time in school history the Jayhawks have won 33 or more games, including five seasons under head coach Bill Self. KU won the Big 12 regular-season title posting a 15-3 league record. Included in Kansas’ successes this season were the Maui Invitational title, its 12th-straight, 16th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 59th overall conference regular-season championship, the Big 12 Postseason Championship title and its 21st NCAA Championship Elite Eight appearance. Additionally, last summer KU represented the United States and won the gold medal at the 2015 World University Games in Korea posting an 8-0 record.

2016 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA TEAM
First Team
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia

Second Team
Jakob Poeltl, Utah
Ben Simmons, LSU
PERRY ELLIS, KANSAS
Kris Dunn, Providence
Georges Niang, Iowa State

Third Team
Grayson Allen, Duke
Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, Indiana
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
Kay Felder, Oakland
Jamal Murray, Kentucky

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order)
Ryan Anderson, Arizona; Anthony “Cat” Barber, N.C. State; DeAndre’ Bembry, Saint Joseph’s; Ben Bentil, Providence; Trevon Bluiett, Xavier; Joel Bolomboy, Weber State; Evan Bradds, Belmont; Dillon Brooks, Oregon; Cane Broome, Sacred Heart; John Brown, High Point; Antonio Campbell, Ohio; Kyle Collinsworth, BYU; Stephen Croone, Furman; James Daniel III, Howard; Juan’ya Green, Hofstra; Derrick Griffin, Texas Southern; Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech; A.J. Hammons, Purdue; Marvelle Harris, Fresno State; Josh Hart, Villanova; Danuel House, Texas A&M; Brandon Ingram, Duke; Stefan Jankovic, Hawaii; Tim Kempton, Lehigh; Max Landis, IPFW; Shawn Long, Louisiana-Lafayette; Dallas Moore, North Florida; Nic Moore, SMU; Gary Payton II, Oregon State; Alec Peters, Valparaiso; Justin Robinson, Monmouth (N.J.); Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga; Justin Sears, Yale; Pascal Siakam, New Mexico State; Melo Trimble, Maryland; Fred VanVleet, Wichita State; Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin; Jameel Warney, Stony Brook; Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall; Greg Wiltjer, Gonzaga.

— KU Athletics —

LOS ANGELES – Kansas men’s basketball senior Perry Ellis was named to the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s® All-America Team for 2015-16, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on ESPNU Monday evening.

Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, Ellis is one of 10 student-athletes named Wooden Award All-America, which took into consideration a player’s entire season of play, as well as opening rounds of the NCAA Championship. Those student-athletes have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. A three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection, Ellis will graduate from Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in sport management and business minor this spring.

Ellis scored 20 or more points in three of his final four games and seven of his last nine contests. The Wichita forward led Kansas in scoring at 16.9 ppg and was second in rebounding at 5.9 rpg. Ellis posted 16 games or 20 or more points this season and averaged 17.7 points and 5.8 rebounds during Big 12 play. His 16.9 points per game rank third in the Big 12 and Ellis also is among the league leaders in field goal percentage (fourth at 53.1), free throw percentage (eighth at 73.5) and rebounds (11th).

Ellis ended his career No. 8 on the Kansas career scoring list with 1,798 points and No. 12 on the KU career rebounding list at 834. His 16 career double-doubles tied for 13th all-time in Kansas history. Ellis is only the fifth player in KU history to rank in the top 12 in both scoring and rebounding, joining Danny Manning (2,951 points/1,187 rebounds), Nick Collison (2,097 / 1,143), Raef LaFrentz (2,066 / 1,186) and Clyde Lovellette (1,979 / 839).

Earlier Monday, Ellis was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America Second Team as he has been named to six All-America teams this season.

Kansas ended its season with a 33-5 record. The victories marked the ninth time in school history the Jayhawks have won 33 or more games, including five seasons under head coach Bill Self. KU won the Big 12 regular-season title posting a 15-3 league record. Included in Kansas’ successes this season were the Maui Invitational title, its 12th-straight, 16th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 59th overall conference regular-season championship, the Big 12 Postseason Championship title and its 21st NCAA Championship Elite Eight appearance. Additionally, last summer KU represented the United States and won the gold medal at the 2015 World University Games in Korea posting an 8-0 record.

2016 WOODEN AWARD ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Name, School (Conference; Ht.; Yr.; Pos.)
Grayson Allen, Duke (ACC; 6-5; Soph.; G)
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia (ACC; 6-5; Sr.; G)
Kris Dunn, Providence (Big East; 6-4; Jr.; G)
PERRY ELLIS, Kansas (Big 12; 6-8; Sr.; F)
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana (Big Ten; 6-0; Sr.; G)
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (Big 12; 6-4; Sr.; G)
Brice Johnson, North Carolina (ACC; 6-10; Sr.; F)
Georges Niang, Iowa State (Big 12; 6-8; Sr.; F)
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky (SEC; 5-9; Soph.; G)
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (Big Ten; 6-5; Sr.; G)

— KU Athletics —

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Villanova players danced and celebrated after pulling off what many thought would be the NCAA Tournament’s most difficult task.

Beating Kansas, the No. 1 overall seed, required taking the Jayhawks out of their comfort zone while seizing the opportunities that resulted. The Wildcats did both effectively even though it wasn’t always pretty, and their reward is a berth in the Final Four.

Kris Jenkins made two free throws with 13.3 seconds remaining, Jalen Brunson added two more with 3.5 seconds left and second-seeded Villanova upset the top-seeded Jayhawks 64-59 on Saturday night in the South Region final. The Wildcats will play Oklahoma next weekend in Houston.

Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart each made big steals in the final minute to help the Wildcats (33-5) pull off the upset and end the Jayhawks’ 17-game winning streak. The Wildcats are back in the Final Four for the first time since 2009, and they can credit balanced scoring and ferocious defense.

Jenkins, Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono each scored 13 points for the Wildcats. They used a 10-0 run to take a 50-45 lead and get key baskets and plays down the stretch in beating the Jayhawks (33-5).

“Every guy on this team is willing to do whatever it takes to win, man,” said Jenkins, who made all six free throws to offset 3-for-10 shooting. “Everybody on this team sacrifices. But we’re not satisfied. We’re looking forward to our next game in Houston. This definitely is a special feeling but like I said before, we’re not satisfied.”

Devonte’ Graham had 17 points, and Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden Jr. added 16 each for Kansas, which got just four points from leading scorer Perry Ellis. The Jayhawks shot 46 percent from the field and even won the rebounding battle 32-28, but played from behind most of the night.

Even when it was ahead, Kansas never seemed in control and ended up making desperation plays that didn’t work.

Graham made 5 of 9 from long range but fouled out late, and everyone else was a combined 1 for 13 from behind the arc. Kansas also committed 16 turnovers, including several in the final minutes when it was within a possession of tying or leading.

“I think the basket shrunk a little bit for us, and certainly, they probably got some confidence the way they were defending us,” Kansas coach Bill Self said about Villanova. “But it came down them making free throws and it came down to a couple of loose balls, and that was the difference in the outcome.”

Villanova got 10 points from Daniel Ochefu, including a big jumper with 6:14 left, just one of many big plays the Wildcats made to preserve the lead after finally wresting it from Kansas.

It wasn’t easy. Mason scored five points and the Jayhawks cut it to 60-59 with 15 seconds left. But Arcidiacono, who turned 22, preceded that with four free throws before Jenkins and Brunson followed with two more. The Wildcats made 18 of 19 at the line and all eight in the final 33 seconds.

The Wildcats were also given the ball with 34 seconds left when officials determined that Graham undercut Hart on a scramble after Graham’s turnover. Graham fouled out at that point, and Mason’s foul led to the first of Arcidiacono’s foul shots.

Darryl Reynolds had two free throws and Bridges had a key tip-in for the Wildcats as well in a game in which they shot 40 percent from the field.

Villanova gets to pursue its second national title in its fifth Final Four berth, though the NCAA vacated its 1971 appearance because star Howard Porter had signed a pro contract while still in college. The Wildcats will face Oklahoma next Saturday in Houston.

More importantly, the Wildcats did what no team had been able to over two months and really wasn’t expected to in knocking out the tournament favorite. But both teams had been ranked No. 1 this season and have been winning even bigger in the tournament.

This Elite Eight matchup seemed inevitable as a result, with Villanova coach Jay Wright comparing it to a heavyweight bout in Friday. The Wildcats ended up cutting off the court with a zone defense and mixing in timely offense.

Villanova’s 40-percent shooting including 4-of-18 from long range didn’t matter as the Wildcats had the victory that moves them into April.

“We wanted to make it a street fight, make it an ugly game,” said Arcidiacono, who made 6 of 7 from the line to seal the win on his 22nd birthday. “I think we did that.”

ALL-REGION TEAM

Jenkins was named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player. Joining him on the team were teammates Hart, Ochefu and Arcidiacono and Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham.

TOURNAMENT TIDBITS

Villanova: The Wildcats scored 13 points off 16 turnovers. … The win tied a school record for season victories set last season.

Kansas: The Jayhawks’ 16 turnovers were four above their season average. … Landen Lucas had 12 rebounds and six points.

UP NEXT

Villanova: Faces Oklahoma in Final Four in Houston next Saturday.

— Associated Press —

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Perry Ellis scored 27 points, Wayne Selden Jr. added 19 and and top-seeded Kansas topped No. 5 Maryland for a 79-63 NCAA Tournament South Region semifinal victory Thursday night. The win put the Jayhawks back into the Elite 8 for the first time since 2012.

It took time for the Jayhawks (33-4) to get going, but once they finally seized the lead late in the first half everything else fell into place for their 17th straight victory. They emerged from the break to make their first six shots and steadily take control behind senior forward Ellis, who made 10 of 17 from the field.

Selden was right there with 7-of-16 shooting to help Kansas earn a berth in Saturday’s regional final against Villanova.

The Terrapins (27-9) dictated the early tempo and briefly engaged in a back-and-forth game with the Jayhawks before eventually falling behind the tournament favorite. Rasheed Sulaimon led Maryland with 18 points.

— Associated Press —