KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Shorter shot clock and longer three-point range – but basketball is basketball. Frank Mason III’s 28-point performance served as the perfect reminder that the long wait between seasons is over. Kansas began its dual role as the USA National Team in a 91-83 exhibition victory against Team Canada Tuesday night inside Sprint Center.

In April 2014, Kansas was selected to represent the United States in the 2015 World University Games (WUG). More than a year of planning later, the Jayhawks and a collection of Canada’s best university players met in Kansas City to finally get things underway. Both teams fielded a 12-man roster per WUG regulations, which paired 10 American-born Jayhawks with SMU’s Nic Moore and Florida Gulf Coast’s Julian DeBose to complete the USA roster. Both teams used the exhibition matchup to prepare for the official international competition in Gwangju, Korea, July 3-14.

While Canada brought along a full complement of veterans, the Jayhawks had their own. Mason led the charge. The Jayhawk point guard chalked up 17 points in the final frame alone to finish with 28 on the night, a career-high number had the game been official. His nine field goals (9-for-14) also would have marked a personal best, accompanying his 8-for-8 mark at the free throw line, six rebounds and five assists.

All-Big 12 senior-to-be Perry Ellis led all players at the half with 10 points and trailed Mason with 17 for the game. Fellow senior Jamari Traylor put up a double-double, unofficially the second of his career, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. His four blocks would have also marked a career-best. Wayne Selden, Jr. chimed in with 13 points, all of which were crucially timed in helping Kansas erase a 10-point deficit.

Canada saw four different players reach double digits, led by Chris McLaughlin’s 15. The visitors were dangerously efficient throughout the entire first half, heading to the lockerroom with the lead and a 47 percent shooting efficiency. Where the Jayhawks shot a rocky 1-for-9 from three-point range in the first half, Canada rolled off 5-of-11 from long range.

Armed with a live-game tutorial of the rule changes, head coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks shot 45.5 percent (15-for-33) in the second half and held Canada to 31.4 percent (11-for-35). From behind the arc, Kansas upped its makes to 44 percent and shut Canada down to a meager 2-for-10. On the glass, Kansas outdid the scrappy visitors (49-42) and did the same in the assists column (19-14).

Moore, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, runs the point at SMU, making his partnership with Mason a dynamic one. Both collected five assists apiece, while Selden led the floor with six dimes.

KU newcomers Lagerald Vick and Carlton Bragg, checked in for the first time just a minute apart in the first quarter. With the USA trailing, the rookie duo teamed up for a fastbreak layup to showcase Bragg’s ball handling and Vick’s finish around the rim. The Kansas crowd approved despite Canada’s 25-21 lead at the end of the quarter.

Canada’s advantage quickly picked up steam. Four-straight baskets, including a pair of three’s, stretched the visitors’ lead to double digits, 35-25. The Jayhawks labored to score. They missed eight of nine shots, fighting against blocks from Canada center Mikael Andrews.

Making up for lost time, the Jayhawks put together a 6-0 run in the final 45 seconds of the half. Landen Lucas started it with his first points of the game, joined by two free throws from Mason and a buzzer-beating layup from Vick. In the last minute before halftime, Kansas hacked an eight-point deficit to two. Canada took a 43-41 lead to halftime.

The USA squad used it to start the second half. Selden knocked down his first three-pointer of the game, then benefitted from a goal-tending call to give the Jayhawks its first lead since the 3:40 mark in the first quarter, 51-50. Kansas turned up the defensive pressure, cooling the Canadian shooters. They made just three of their first 10 shots to start the third quarter, breathing additional life into a KU team ready to reclaim control. Riding the momentum, Selden drilled another three to kick KU’s lead to its largest of the evening, 60-54.

Canada clawed back multiple times, but in the waning seconds of the third quarter Mason made a statement. Staring at his defender, Mason held his dribble, planned his attack and took off. He drew in the defense with a drive down the lane and kicked the ball out to Traylor. Traylor didn’t waste it, hitting the baseline jumper right before the horn.

U-S-A chants from the crowd added extra flair to the final period. Canada’s offense wouldn’t stall for long as a 5-0 run put the visitors back in front, 70-66. Mason loved it. He muscled his way to a three-point play and cashed in on another layup when Traylor rejected a shot at the other end. Until Ellis’ free throws with less than five minutes to play, all of KU’s fourth-quarter points came via Mason.

So when Canada reclaimed the lead in the final minutes – who else? Mason pulled up from way beyond the arc. Swish. Kansas up, 82-80.

KU never trailed again. Mason met and exceeded what would have been career-high scoring numbers. The crowd traded the U-S-A chant for the more familiar, less patriotic Rock Chalk variety to put the finishing touch on the 91-83 win.

— KU Sports Information —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Shooting guard Lagerald Vick has signed a Grant-in-Aid agreement to play men’s basketball at Kansas for the 2015-16 season, KU head coach Bill Self announced Tuesday. Originally part of the 2016 recruiting class, Vick has reclassified to the 2015 class.

A 6-5, 175-pound Memphis native, Vick averaged 27.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals for Douglass High School in 2014-15. A three-point sharpshooter, Vick led his division in scoring and made threes as a senior and ranked second in both categories the year prior. As a junior, Vick averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.0 steals at Douglass for head coach Ted Anderson.

“The whole thought with Lagerald was that he would reclassify and become a 2015,” Self said. “We knew he’s talented enough that if he stayed a 2016, we’d wait on him. He completed all of his academic requirements. We were cautious not to say too much, too soon. He’s officially signed and a member of the 2015 recruiting class.

Vick was one of three finalists for the Class AA Mr. Basketball Award for the state of Tennessee his junior and senior seasons and was named Class AA all-state, by The Tennessean, in 2013-14 and 2014-15. A three-year starter for Red Devils, Vick earned all-district recognition three times and all-metro honors twice while in high school. Vick plays AAU basketball for Team Thad and coach Norton Hurd.

“Lagerald is a terrific athlete that is going to become a terrific basketball player,” Self said. “He’s got great size for a guard and has tremendous quickness and explosiveness for his size. We think he can be a guy that can get his own shot but also force a lot of help by driving the ball and could be an elite defender in time.”

Since reclassifying, Vick is ranked No. 33 by Rivals.com. He was No. 137 prior to reclassifying and chose Kansas over Kentucky and Kansas State. He joins KU power forward signees Carlton Bragg, from Cleveland, and Cheick Diallo, from Centereach, New York in KU’s 2015 signing class.

“Lagerald’s mother, La La, has done a tremendous job of raising her family,” Self added. “Although we’ve only known Lagerald and his mother for a couple of months, we really connected on their visit to Lawrence. I not only think we’ll have a great time coaching Lagerald, but I think we’ll also have a lot of fun with mom being part of our family.”

— KU Sports Information —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Center Dwight Coleby will be transferring to Kansas after two seasons at Ole Miss. The 6-9, 240-pound Nassau, Bahamas, native has signed a grant-in-aid agreement to attend KU, will sit out the 2015-16 season and have two years eligibility, Kansas head coach Bill Self announced Monday.

Coleby will report to KU in July, after he competes for the Bahamas in the FIBA Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships, June 15-21, in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

“We’ve been keeping an eye on transfers the entire spring due to the fact we lose so many big guys next year,” Self said of 2015-16 KU senior forwards Perry Ellis, Jamari Traylor and Hunter Mickelson. “It would be nice to have a big guy in your program that knew the system, and we can rely on to be a foundation. When Dwight became available, we researched it and watched tape. He’s a exactly what I think we need. He’s a big guy that can play either bigs position. He’s active. He reminds me of a lot of a bigger Jamari or Thomas Robinson-type body. He’s got a great motor. I feel like he can play on the block. He can play facing. He can do a lot of different things. He’s raw offensively, but he’s a premiere athlete and should be a solid rebounder and defender right off the bat.”

Coleby played in all 34 games for Ole Miss in 2014-15, including three starts, where he averaged 5.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 16.5 minutes for the Rebels who finished 21-13 overall, tied for third in the SEC with an 11-7 record and lost to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Coleby was second on the Ole Miss team with 29 blocked shots and his 4.8 rebounds per game were third-best on the squad. He shot 53.2 percent from the field, which was second-best on the team. His 79.7 percent accuracy from the free throw line was a 27.1 percent improvement from his freshman year. Coleby posted six games in double-figure scoring and had his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at then-No. 19 Arkansas on Jan. 17.

“Dwight was obviously a contributor and role player for an NCAA Tournament team,” Self said. “He didn’t play a ton last year, but Ole Miss had good players. He’s hasn’t been playing ball forever, but there is definitely a foundation there, physically. Also, foundation from an intellect standpoint that is going to allow him to become a much better player fast. Without question, we think his best ball is well down the road. I see him being a Darnell Jackson. I see him being a bigger Jamari, a guy that can have a big impact on our program and hopefully mature and develop into a starter for us.”

As a freshman in 2013-14, Coleby started four of 28 games for Ole Miss and averaged 2.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 10.4 minutes per game.

Coleby went to Ole Miss after attending Piney Woods High School in Piney Woods, Mississippi. While there he averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots in 2012-13. Prior to Piney Woods, Coleby attended St. George’s High School in Freeport, Bahamas.

— KU Sports Information —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas head women’s basketball coach Brandon Schneider put the finishing touches on his staff when announcing the additions of Andy Majors, Donease Smith and Natalie Knight Wednesday afternoon.

A long-time assistant under Schneider, Majors joins the Jayhawks as the Director of Player Development, while Smith, who has strong ties with the WNBA, will take over the role of Director of Basketball Operations. A recent graduate of the KU women’s basketball program, Knight remains with Kansas as the Graduate Student Manager.

Majors spent five seasons at Stephen F. Austin after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Pittsburg State. With the Ladyjacks, Majors helped SFA win back-to-back league titles in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and make three postseason appearances.

Majors worked with the post players and centers at SFA and saw Porsha Roberts earn Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14 and Southland Player of the Year honors in 2014-15 for her stellar play in the paint.

“Coach Majors will be an invaluable asset both to our coaching staff as well as our student-athletes,” Schneider said. “He will head up the scouting of our opponents, and he will do an outstanding job as we game plan and prepare for success on the court.”

At Pittsburg State, Majors helped lead the Gorillas to a 34-23 record in that time, including a 20-9 record in 2008-09. His duties included coordinating opponent scouting, monitoring academic progress and in-practice statistics.

A standout quarterback for the Gorilla football team from 2002-05, he was a crucial part of the Gorillas’ national runner-up finish in 2004. Majors earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pittsburg State in 2006, and completed his master’s degree in education from PSU in 2010.

Smith joins the Jayhawks after six seasons with Memphis women’s basketball. With the Tigers, Smith took care of both internal and external needs of the entire women’s basketball program, including team travel, practice set up and inventory control.

Before Memphis, Smith spent two seasons with the Detroit Shock in the WNBA, serving as the basketball operations manager and as the manager of the Year Round Hoops program.

“I’ve known Donease for a long time and I am excited that we could add someone with her experience in the world of operations,” said Schneider. “She’s done this job at the high-major level for a long time, as well as in the WNBA.”

Prior to her WNBA stint, Smith developed a long history of coaching and teaching basketball. Following her playing career (1995-98) at Central Missouri State (now called the University of Central Missouri), Smith taught introductory business classes and served as an assistant girls’ basketball coach for four years in Kansas City, Missouri. She also served as the Director of Operations for Kansas State women’s basketball during the 2006-07 season.

Smith, a native of Sedalia, Missouri, received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business education from CMSU, earning honorable mention all-conference honors three times on the court.

A four-year starter and most recent member to join KU women’s basketball 1,000-point scorers club, Knight will stay in Lawrence as a Graduate Student Manager. The Olathe, Kansas native graduated this May from Kansas with a degree in communications.

“Natalie had a tremendous career at Kansas as a student-athlete and we’re glad that she has decided to make the transition from player to coach with our program,” Schneider said. “She has been an outstanding member of the KU community and we’re thrilled she will continue to be part of it.”

A two-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, Knight concluded her career with 1,081 points, 340 assists and 436 rebounds. She was a member of KU’s roster during back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in 2012 and 2013.

The Jayhawks begin their 2015-16 campaign with Late Night in the Phog, which is hosted along with Kansas men’s basketball, on Friday, Oct. 9, inside Allen Fieldhouse.

— KU Sports Information —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The top-two winningest programs in men’s college basketball will continue their rivalry as Kentucky will play at Kansas inside historic Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, Jan. 30, in the Big 12/SEC Challenge presented by Sonic. ESPN, the Big 12 and the SEC announced the pairings Thursday.

As previously mentioned when Kansas released it non-conference schedule on May 7, the Jayhawks are one of five Big 12 schools which will play host for the 2015-16 challenge. Additionally, ESPN College GameDay will originate from a to-be-determined site of one of the day’s games.

“The addition of Kentucky to our home schedule makes it one of the more attractive home schedules that we’ve had,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “Even though the game is during conference play, I know with Kentucky coming here the interest level will be very high. Anytime you get the opportunity to have the number one and two winningest programs in college basketball face each other, the attention for that game will be great.”

With 2,153 all-time victories, Kansas ranks second behind Kentucky’s 2,178 wins in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history. The upcoming Big 12/SEC Challenge will mark the seventh meeting between the two schools in the Kansas head coach Bill Self era at KU. The series is tied at 3-3 in that span and includes two meetings during the 2011-12 season at the ESPN Champions Classic in New York and the NCAA title game in New Orleans, both UK victories. Kentucky leads the overall series with Kansas, 22-6, yet the Jayhawks have won three-straight KU-UK matchups in Allen Fieldhouse with the last being a 73-46 victory on Jan. 7, 2006. Kentucky has won the last three meetings in the series, most recently on Nov. 18, 2014 when then-No. 1 Kentucky defeated, then-No. 5-Kansas, 72-40, in the ESPN Champions Classic in Indianapolis.

This is the third year of the Big 12/SEC Challenge and the Big 12 is 13-7 (.650) in the series, having won the challenge in each of its first two seasons. The Big 12 has posted a 41-27 (.603) record in the last two conference challenge series it has played (vs. Pac-10, SEC) dating back to 2007.

The 2015-16 challenge has eight teams ranked in the early ESPN.com early top 25 rankings overall, including five Big 12 teams – No. 1 Kentucky, No. 3 Iowa State, No. 6 Kansas, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 17 Baylor, No. 19 LSU, No. 23 Texas and No. 24 Texas A&M. Three games will pit ranked squads against each other – Kentucky at Kansas, Iowa State at Texas A&M and Oklahoma at LSU.

2016 Big 12/SEC Challenge – Saturday, Jan. 30
Georgia at Baylor
Kentucky at KANSAS
Mississippi at Kansas State
Tennessee at TCU
Vanderbilt at Texas
Iowa State at Texas A&M
Oklahoma at LSU
Oklahoma State at Auburn
Texas Tech at Arkansas
West Virginia at Florida

— KU Sports Information —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – It is well documented that Kansas’ men’s basketball schedule has been the toughest in the nation each of the last two seasons. That trend will not change with the 2015-16 non-conference schedule the Jayhawks announced Thursday.

This season Kansas could potentially play 18 games against teams that competed in the 2014-15 NCAA Tournament. Six of those teams could appear on KU’s non-conference slate.

Three upcoming KU foes won their conference regular season in 2014-15. The 2015-16 non-conference slate, paired with its home-and-home meetings against Big 12 competition, will help keep Kansas’ schedule among the nation’s toughest. The Jayhawks’ strength of schedule has ranked 10th or higher in five of the last six seasons.

Strength of schedule is a factor in the RPI, one of the tools the NCAA Basketball Committee uses to select and seed teams in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas’ RPI has checked in at No. 5 or better in each of the last six seasons, including No. 1 in 2010 and 2011.

“It’s obviously another solid schedule,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “The last two years we played the toughest schedule in the country. This year we feel like, once again, this will be a schedule that will be one of the nation’s best. What jumps off the page is Michigan State, who went to the Final Four, all the possibilities of matchups at the Maui Invitational and the other teams who advanced to the postseason (last year) like Harvard, San Diego State, Montana and UC Irvine. San Diego State has always been a national power. The Big12/SEC Challenge game, which we will host, and all the others will certainly be great preparation for us going into what will, once again, be a terrific Big 12 Conference slate.”

Historic Allen Fieldhouse celebrated its 60th anniversary last season and will play host to seven non-conference home games in 2015-16, the final being the highly-anticipated Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 30. Kansas will find out its SEC opponent later when ESPN and the conferences announce the matchups.

Holding down tradition, the 31st Annual Late Night in the Phog is set for Friday, Oct. 9, in Allen Fieldhouse. After a pair of exhibition matchups against local programs Pittsburg State (Nov. 4) and Fort Hays State (Nov. 10), KU opens up the regular season playing host to Northern Colorado on Nov. 13 in a non-bracketed game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

In the fifth year of the Champions Classic, the Jayhawks will face its second-straight Final Four participant from the year before. KU and Michigan State square off on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the United Center in Chicago. In their last meeting, the Jayhawks defeated the Spartans for the Orlando Classic title a year ago.

Following the Champions Classic, KU will head to Maui, Hawaii, for bracket play in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, Nov. 23-25, at the Lahaina Center. Included in the eight-team field is 2015 NCAA Sweet 16 team UCLA along with Indiana and St. John’s, which also participated in last March’s NCAA tourney. KU legend Danny Manning will be in his second season as Wake Forest’s head coach and could face his alma mater in Maui. Other teams in the Maui field include host Chaminade, UNLV and Vanderbilt, who reached the 2015 NIT quarterfinals.

Last time in Maui, Kansas finished runner-up to Duke in the 2011 Maui Invitational and the Jayhawks would later advance to the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans. Last season, KU won the Orlando Classic at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in its preseason tournament.

Kansas returns to the friendly confines of Allen Fieldhouse to host Loyola (Maryland) on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Four days later, KU welcomes five-time defending Ivy League champion Harvard to Lawrence. KU will then face Holy Cross on Wednesday, Dec. 9, also in Allen Fieldhouse.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, Kansas will make its annual trip to Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, where the Jayhawks will host Oregon State in the Kansas City Shootout. KU will then host 2015 NIT participant Montana on Saturday, Dec. 19, before playing a return home-and-home contest at San Diego State on Tuesday, Dec. 22. SDSU ended a Kansas 68-game home court win streak against non-conference foes with a 61-57 victory on Jan. 5, 2014. Kansas will return home to host 2015 NCAA Tournament participant UC Irvine on Tuesday, Dec. 29, prior to starting Big 12 play.

Inserted during the conference season, Kansas will be one of five Big 12 hosts for the third annual Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise every game of the challenge that matches 10 Big 12 schools against 10 SEC teams. KU is 1-1 in the challenge after avenging a loss at Florida in 2013 with a thrilling comeback victory at home last December.

Kansas returns four starters and 12 letterwinners from last season’s 27-9 team that won KU’s 11th-straight, 15th Big 12 and NCAA-leading 58th overall conference regular-season title with a 13-5 league record. In 2014-15, the Jayhawks posted their 18th undefeated season inside historic Allen Fieldhouse by going 15-0 in the venue’s 60th year of existence. Additionally, KU led its conference in home attendance for the 29th-straight season, beginning in 1986-87, with an average of 16,383 last season.

Season ticket sales for KU’s 18 home games, the 17 in Allen Fieldhouse and the Dec. 12 game against Oregon State in Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, will go on sale May 11. To order season tickets fans must be active members of the Williams Education Fund, which can be done by making a minimum gift pledge of just $100.

Non-Conference Opponent Breakdown

NORTHERN COLORADO (Nov. 13 in Lawrence) – In an early-opening round of the Maui Invitational, Kansas will face Northern Colorado, which finished .500 for the second-straight season by going 15-15 and placing fifth (10-8) in the Big Sky Conference in 2014-15. Entering his sixth season as the Bears’ head coach, B.J. Hill has led Northern Colorado to a 76-77 overall record, including a Big Sky Championship in 2010-11. Returning for the Bears is guard Cameron Michael, who was the team’s second-leading scorer at 12.9 points per game in 2014-15. Kansas won the only meeting between the two schools 85-62 on Dec. 22, 2005, in Lawrence.

MICHIGAN STATE (Nov. 17 in Chicago) – Coming off another Final Four run, legendary head coach Tom Izzo will take his team back to the Champions Classic to face Kansas. It will be the second time the teams have met in the event with the Spartans edging the Jayhawks 67-64 in Atlanta in 2012. The Spartans return guard Denzel Valentine, who finished second on the team in scoring (14.5), rebounds (6.3), and assists (4.3) this past season. In the rich history between the two programs, Michigan State holds a 6-5 all-time series advantage. KU won the last meeting, 61-56, in the championship game of the 2014 Orlando Classic Nov. 30 last season.

CHAMINADE (Nov. 23-25 in Maui) –  Entering his fourth season leading the Silverswords, head coach Eric Bovaird is 61-52 at Chaminade. The team returns its top-two scorers in Kuany Kuany and Kevin Hu, who averaged 15.3 and 14.1 ppg, respectively, in 2014-15. Kuany also pulled down a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game. The last time Kansas faced Chaminade was in the 2005 Maui Invitational. The Jayhawks won that game, 102-54.

INDIANA (Nov. 23-25 in Maui) – After exiting the NCAA tournament in the second round, Indiana will return its top-eight players in terms of minutes played. Highlighting this group is senior guard Yogi Ferrell, who averaged 16.3 points and 4.9 assists per game in 2014-15. Coach Tom Crean is entering his eighth season at Indiana with a 121-111 record at the program. Indiana leads the all-time series with Kansas, 7-6, though KU won the last matchup, 91-83, on Dec. 16, 1995, in Kansas City.

ST. JOHN’S (Nov. 23-25 in Maui) – New coach Chris Mullin will lead a St. John’s squad that loses three of its four top scorers from a 21-12 season that ended in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Rysheed Jordan, who was second on the team with 14.1 points per game in 2014-15, will look to be St. John’s go-to scorer. KU won the last meeting with St. John’s, 82-74, on Nov. 10, 2000, in New York and leads the series, 8-5.

UCLA (Nov. 23-25 in Maui) – UCLA will try to rebuild after losing two of its top-three scorers from last season that included a Sweet 16 appearance and a 22-14 record. Third-year coach Steve Alford will turn to his son Bryce Alford, who was second on the team with 15.4 points per game, to lead the offense. UCLA leads the all-time series against KU, 10-7, though Kansas won the last meeting in the 2011 Maui Invitational semifinals, 72-56.

UNLV (Nov. 23-25 in Maui) – Fourth-year head coach Dave Rice loses his top two scorers from the 2014-15 team that went 18-15. The Runnin’ Rebels return no players that averaged over 10 points a game, but will include transfer Ike Nwamu, who averaged 15.1 points per game for Mercer in 2014-15. Kansas has swept the all-time series with UNLV, 5-0, and would be playing UNLV for the second year in a row after beating Runnin’ Rebels, 76-51, last season in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 4, 2015.

VANDERBILT (Nov. 23-25 in Maui) – With eight of the top-nine players returning from a team that made it to the NIT Quarterfinals, coach Kevin Stallings, a former KU assistant coach, can count on improving upon the 21-14 record the incredibly young Commodores earned. Standout rising center Damien Jones led Vandy in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) in 2014-15. KU and Vanderbilt have split the all-time series, 2-2, with the last match a KU win, 89-82, on Dec. 29, 1997, in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu.

WAKE FOREST (Nov. 23-25 in Maui) – Coached by KU legend Danny Manning, the Demon Deacons return their top-five scorers from a 13-19 season in 2014-15, Manning’s first in Winston-Salem. Key to the team’s success will be rising forward Devin Thomas, who averaged 12.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in 2014-15. This matchup could be Manning’s first against his alma mater as a coach and Wake Forest’s sixth all-time against KU. The series is led 3-2 by KU, with the last game an 87-78 Jayhawk win in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 28, 2013.

LOYOLA [MD.] (Dec. 1 in Lawrence) – Loyola went 11-19 in 2014-15, including a 7-11 mark in the Patriot League. The Greyhounds are coached by G.G. Smith who has two seasons under his belt at Loyola. Forward Cam Gregory (6.8 ppg, team-best 7.0 rpg) and guard Andre Walker (10.2 ppg, team-best 52 steals) were each named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team in 2014-15. During Kansas’ 2008 NCAA National Championship season, the Jayhawks defeated the Greyhounds, 90-60, on Jan. 8, 2008, in Allen Fieldhouse in the lone series matchup between the two schools.

HARVARD (Dec. 1 in Lawrence) – Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker has made the Crimson an Ivy League power in the form of four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, five-consecutive Ivy League championships and six-straight 20-win seasons. Last year, Harvard posted a 22-8 record and defeated Yale in a playoff game to advance to the NCAA tourney. Guard Siyani Chambers is Harvard’s leading returning in scoring at 9.9 points per game and assists at 4.3 per contest in 2014-15. Kansas and Harvard will be meeting for the first time in men’s basketball.

HOLY CROSS (Dec. 5 in Lawrence) – Holy Cross is coming off a 14-16 season, which included an 8-10 record in the Patriot League. Bill Carmody was named Holy Cross head coach on March 19, 2015, after serving four seasons at Northwestern where he guided the Wildcats to four-consecutive winning seasons, including 20-win campaigns in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Forward Malachi Alexander led Holy Cross in rebounding last season at 5.0 rpg as he averaged 8.4 points per game. Kansas leads the series with Holy Cross, 2-1, with the last meeting a KU 81-57 victory on Nov. 19, 2002, in Allen Fieldhouse.

OREGON STATE (Dec. 12 in Kansas City) – Losing its top-five scorers from the previous season, OSU posted a 17-14 record under first-year head coach Wayne Tinkle in 2014-15. Oregon State returns all five starters and is led by guard Gary Payton II, the 2015 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and all-conference first-team honoree, who averaged 13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals last season as a junior. Oregon State makes a return trip to Sprint Center for the Kansas City Shootout in Kansas City, Missouri. Trailing at halftime, the Jayhawks defeated the Beavers, 84-78, in the only other series meeting on Nov. 30, 2012, also in the Kansas City Shootout.

MONTANA (Dec. 19 in Lawrence) – The Grizzlies, regular-season co-champions of the Big Sky Conference in 2015, are coming off a 20-13 season where they lost in the first round of the NIT to Texas A&M. Head coach Travis Decure will enter his second season at his alma mater with his 20 victories last year being the second-most for a first year head coach at Montana. Forward Martin Breunig, the 2015 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, led Montana in rebounding at 7.3 boards per game and averaged 16.7 points which was second on the team. Kansas won the only meeting with Montana back in 1962, 68-56 on Dec. 1, 1962, in Allen Fieldhouse.

SAN DIEGO STATE (Dec. 22 in San Diego) – San Diego State has grooved its way into the national spotlight under legendary head coach Steve Fisher. The Aztecs have won 20-plus games in each of the last 10 seasons under Fisher, including two 30-win campaigns. Last year they were 27-9 and won the Mountain West regular-season title with a 14-4 record. Senior forward Winston Shepard is returning for his senior season with the Aztecs. A Mountain West All-Conference honoree, Shepard led SDSU in scoring (11.1 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg) last season. SDSU returns three of its top five scorers from 2014-15. San Diego State leads the three-game series with Kansas, 2-1, including the last meeting, 61-57, on Jan. 5, 2014, in Allen Fieldhouse.

UC IRVINE (Dec. 29 in Lawrence) – UC Irvine is coming off a 21-13 season where the Anteaters advanced to their first NCAA Tournament by winning the Big West Conference Tournament title. UCI lost to Louisville in the NCAA Tournament, 57-55, second round. UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner got great news when 7-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye announced he was returning for his junior season in 2015-16. Ndiaye averaged 10.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 63.4 percent last season. Turner, the 2014 Big West Coach of the Year, has guided the Anteaters to 65 wins over the last three seasons. KU and UCI will be meeting for the first time in men’s basketball.

BIG 12/SEC CHALLENGE (Jan. 30 in Lawrence) – Kansas is 1-1 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, falling at then-No. 19 Florida, 67-61, on Dec. 10, 2013, in Gainesville, and coming from 15 points down to defeat the then-No. 24 Gators, 71-65, on Dec. 5, 2014, in Allen Fieldhouse.

2015-16 Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Date (day) – Opponent – Location

Oct. 9 (Friday) – Late Night in the Phog – Lawrence, Kan.

Nov. 4 (Wednesday) – Pittsburg State (exhibition) – Lawrence, Kan.

Nov. 10 (Tuesday) – Emporia State (exhibition) – Lawrence, Kan.

Nov. 13 (Friday) – Northern Colorado (Maui Invitational) – Lawrence, Kan.

Nov. 17 (Tuesday) – vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic) – Chicago, Ill.

Nov. 23 (Monday) – vs. TBD (Maui Jim Maui Invitational) – Lahaina, Hawaii

Nov. 24 (Tuesday) – vs. TBD (Maui Jim Maui Invitational) – Lahaina, Hawaii

Nov. 25 (Wednesday) – vs. TBD (Maui Jim Maui Invitational) – Lahaina, Hawaii

Dec. 1 (Tuesday) – Loyola (Md.) – Lawrence, Kan.

Dec. 5 (Saturday) – Harvard – Lawrence, Kan.

Dec. 9 (Wednesday) – Holy Cross – Lawrence, Kan.

Dec. 12 (Saturday) – Oregon State (Kansas City Shootout, Sprint Center) – Kansas City, Mo.

Dec. 19 (Saturday) – Montana – Lawrence, Kan.

Dec. 22 (Tuesday) – at San Diego State – San Diego, Calif.

Dec. 29 (Tuesday) – UC Irvine – Lawrence, Kan.

Jan. 30 (Saturday) – Big 12/SEC Challenge – Lawrence, Kan.

— KU Sports Information —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball head coach Brandon Schneider announced two members of his coaching staff on Tuesday afternoon, as Damitria Buchanan has been hired and Katie O’Connor has been retained as assistant coaches.

Buchanan joins the Jayhawks after spending the past two seasons at Texas Tech. While in Lubbock, Buchanan mentored the front court and assisted with scouting, recruiting and academics. Prior to her three-year stint with the Lady Raiders, Buchanan was a part of the coaching staff at Stephen F. Austin under Schneider. She helped guide the Ladyjacks to the Southland Conference Tournament Championship and a 23-win season in 2011-12.

“I believe Coach D is one of the top up-and-coming assistants in the country,” said Schneider. “She is a relentless recruiter and has a unique ability to build and cultivate relationships with players. She will be a terrific role model for our student-athletes.”

A two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection and team captain at Texas A&M, Buchanan helped the Aggies to three Big 12 titles and four top-25 finishes, including three top-10 finishes in each of her final three seasons. She received her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M in 2010 and remained in the College Station area to pursue a master’s degree while serving as a teacher and coach at A&M Consolidated Middle School.

Along with the hiring of Buchanan, Schneider also announced that O’Connor, who has spent nine seasons on the sidelines at Allen Fieldhouse, will return for her 10th year with Kansas women’s basketball.

“From afar, I’ve always admired the job Coach Katie does both in recruiting and coaching on the floor,” said Schneider. “I greatly respect the role she played in the development of front line players like Crystal Kemp, Carolyn Davis, and most recently, Chelsea Gardner. Her work ethic is second to none and I’m elated we could convince her to remain a Jayhawk.”

Over the last two seasons, O’Connor aided in the development of Gardner, who finished her career 12th all-time in Kansas women’s basketball history with 1,516 points. Under O’Connor’s guidance, Gardner was a two-time All-America Honorable Mention and All-Big 12 First Team selection and was selected in the Second Round of the 2015 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. In all, O’Connor has coached two WNBA draft picks, three All-Americans and 17 all-conference selections.

“Coach D and Coach Katie will be outstanding assets in all phases of our program,” Schneider said.

Schneider still has one assistant coach vacancy to fill before the KU women’s basketball staff is complete.

— KU Sports Information —