Louisville, Ky. – Three hours and 22 minutes of weather delays didn’t faze the Jayhawks as the Kansas baseball team beat Kentucky at its own game, 10-6, using its big-time offense to silence the Wildcats Friday evening at Jim Patterson Stadium in game one of the NCAA Louisville Regional.

Kansas (35-24) faced a 20 minute lightning delay prior to first pitch, an hour suspension of play with two outs in the first inning and then a two hour and two minute postponement in the bottom of the fifth to tack on an extra three hours and 22 minutes against Kentucky (35-24) in an already three hour and 14 minute contest.

“That was one of the most unusual games I’ve ever been involved in,” Kansas head coach Ritch Price said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen two delays as long as those two were, and I was really proud of the toughness our team showed and the competitiveness they showed to be able to fight through those delays and execute offensively.”

Offensive execution was the name of the game. Kansas pounded out 13 hits against a team that relies more on its offense than pitching to win games, but ended up being beat at their own game. Senior centerfielder Tucker Tharp boasted a 3-for-5 performance at the dish with three RBIs and a run scored, while junior shortstop Justin Protacio finished the day with two walks, an RBI and three runs scored.

“You look at that line score; he (Tharp) had three hits and three RBIs today,” Price said. “He was a big-time player. You can make the statement at the end of the game, ‘he was the best player on the field today.'”

Tharp may have been the best player on the field, but the KU squad was matched up against a team who boasts the National Player of the Year in that of pitcher/designated hitter A.J. Reed, who was no match for the Kansas pitching staff Friday night.

The Jayhawk pitchers held Reed hitless (0-for-2) in both RBI situations, however, they managed to walk the southpaw two times. Kansas senior righty Jordan Piche’ sat Reed down swinging with a runner on in the third, before junior right-hander Drew Morovick (10-4) induced the fly-ball out in the seventh with a runner on to tame the Wildcat.

“I wasn’t going to throw anything he had a chance of elevating,” Morovick said. “I trusted Gravey (Kansas pitching coach Ryan Graves) and his pitch calling. I knew I could just go out there and attack the guy.”

Attack is just what Morovick did when he entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning after a two-hour rain delay halted KU starter Piche’. The hurler tossed three and one-third innings of relief for the win, allowing just two walks and a hit in the 50-pitch effort.

“Morovick came out of the bullpen and put up the three zeroes to give us a chance to get the lead back,” Price said. “It’s a great win for the University of Kansas.”

The win started right from the beginning when Kansas put up back-to-back three-spots in the first and second innings, with a little help from two Kentucky errors.

The Wildcats got the momentum back with a three-spot of their own, before adding a run in the third and two runs in the fourth. However, the Jayhawks stole back the thunder in the sixth inning after a huge double play that ended with an absolute hose from junior left fielder Michael Suiter to senior catcher Ka’iana Eldredge to get the runner out at the dish.

“I wasn’t expecting him to go, I was expecting a bluff,” Morovick said. “When he took off I started heading back to the mound and I saw he wasn’t breaking so I stood there and I had a perfect view of it. It was a beautiful throw by Suiter and a great block of the plate by Ka’iana. That sprung us in the game and that was a huge momentum swing right there.”

That double play lit a fire under Kansas and the squad rallied to score two runs in the seventh and two more runs in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. Price called to his closer, freshman Stephen Villines, to come in and close out the last five outs for the Jayhawks, which he did, giving up one hit while recording a strikeout.

KU is back in action Saturday, May 31, and will play the winner of No. 1 Louisville and No. 4 Kent State at 4 p.m.

— KU Sports Information —

For the first time since 2009, the Kansas baseball team heads to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Louisville Regional and faces No. 2 Kentucky, Friday, May 30, at 1 p.m., inside Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Jayhawks (34-24, 15-9 Big 12) built a strong resume down the home stretch in the regular season, winning 11 of their last 13 games that included nine-straight in conference play after sweeping three-straight league opponents (at Baylor, then-No. 19 Texas Tech and West Virginia). The third-place finish in the Big 12 is the highest finish for KU in the 18-year history of the conference and the best league performance since 1994 when Kansas finished third in the Big Eight.

“Obviously, I am really excited for our players,” head coach Ritch Price said. “You saw the celebration and euphoria that was in the room. When you grind six months, it is a great, great feeling to see your name come up.”

Kansas will battle No. 2 Kentucky to open up the Louisville Regional, which also features No. 1 Louisville and No. 4 Kent State. Friday’s contest marks the fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history (1993, 1994, 2006, 2009 and 2014), and the third NCAA appearance under Price (2006, 2009 and 2014), who is in his 12th season at the helm of the Jayhawks.

“This is why you coach,” Price said. “You coach for the relationship with your players and the kind of opportunities a few men get to experience in life and enjoy. This might be as close of a team that I have coached in my career. The team chemistry is off the charts. You can see how much those guys care for one another and I think each one of those guys here wanted it for their teammate, and that is the greatest feeling you can have as a head coach.”

KU has made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including a trip to the College World Series in 1993. The College World Series team also made history, as that was the first berth earned by the Jayhawks into the NCAA postseason. The team followed in 1994, making its second-straight appearance, but didn’t earn another trip until 2006, when Kansas, under the direction of Price, won the Big 12 Tournament for the automatic bid.

The Jayhawks will face Kentucky, Friday, May 30, at 1 p.m., in the double-elimination format regional, with Louisville and Kent State to follow at 5 p.m.

— KU Sports Information —

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, the youngest member of Kansas men’s basketball class of 2014, has signed a National Letter of Intent to become a Jayhawk, KU head coach Bill Self announced Wednesday.

A native of Cherkasy, Ukraine, Mykhailiuk is a dynamic 6-8, 195-pound shooting guard/small forward. The 16-year old will be eligible to play in the upcoming 2014-15 season. He will turn 17 in June, but already completed high school in the Ukraine, which would keep him in the college ranks for a minimum of two years due to the NBA Draft age requirement rules.

“Obviously, this is great news for us,” Self said. “He is 16 years old and will turn 17 in June, but his skill level, knowledge and aptitude for the game are way beyond his years. I think that he will be an immediate impact guy. He is a guy that can play all three positions on the perimeter. At 6-8, he can play point, play the No. 2 (guard) or the No. 3 (guard). He allows us to be more versatile next year and certainly, there would be few people that would shoot it better than him.”

Mykhailiuk shined while representing the Ukraine at the 2013 U16 European Championship, being named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 25.2 points per game and eight rebounds. According to NBADraft.net, the young sharpshooter shows a mix of athleticism, skills and feel for the game that is extremely rare to see in a European player.

Self, who became aware of the Ukrainian talent three months ago, credited his development through his club team – the Cherkasy Mavpy – to be one of the most appealing factors in KU’s recruitment, citing that Mykhailiuk will begin his college career very skilled, drilled and prepared.

“We got a lot better today,” Self continued. “He’s not here yet and he won’t come until the fall because he’s going to stay back and play with his national team this summer, which we strongly encourage. He’s a young man who will be so exciting to watch his growth because of his age, his intellect and his ‘want to.’ This guy really wants to be a player and really wants to do it here in the States.”

The son of mom, Inna, a high school biology teacher and dad, Iurri, a college history professor, Mykhailiuk has taken English classes for much of his life and will come to Kansas this fall with a fairly strong grasp of the language.

“I liked everything,” Mykhailiuk said. “From the history, the strength program and especially the coaches – everything. It’s Kansas. KU has players every year. Coach Self has had so many players go to the NBA. That’s an important thing.”

Various college basketball experts have noted that he would undoubtedly be ranked in the ESPN100 recruiting class had his high school playing career occurred in the United States. Mykhailiuk joins five-star signees, forward Cliff Alexander and guards Kelly Oubre and Devonte Graham, in KU’s class of 2014. Alexander was ranked No. 3 in the ESPN 100, while Oubre was No. 11 and Graham checked in a No. 36. In fact, Mykhailiuk played opposite Oubre and Alexander in the World Select Team’s loss to Team USA at the Nike Hoops Summit last month.

“Who knows what will end up happening with Andrew (Wiggins) and Joel (Embiid), but right now the consensus is that they will be two of the top-three players taken in the NBA Draft,” Self said. “How do you replace guys like that? The answer is you don’t. The way you try, though, is to go out and sign Cliff, Kelly, Devonte and now you add Sviatoslav to the mix. This could arguably be one of the very best recruiting classes that we’ve had. I think of last year’s class and I think of the class with Brandon (Rush), Mario (Chalmers) and Julian (Wright) – this class definitely rivals that.”

— KU Sports Information —

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senior hurler Jordan Piche’ and senior centerfielder Tucker Tharp highlighted career days, as the Kansas baseball team fell to West Virginia, 10-9, Wednesday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

A combined 19 runs and 26 hits capped off by a Big 12 Championship record of seven doubles in a game by the Jayhawks (34-23) led to a wild finish as West Virginia (28-24) erased a six-run deficit in the seventh inning with an eight-spot to steal the game away from KU.

“I congratulate West Virginia,” head coach Ritch Price said. “We felt really good about the score late in the game, but give credit to West Virginia for battling back.”

Piche’ was an absolute machine through the first six innings, striking out a career-high 11 batters. His only blemish, besides a two-run first after a KU error, were the three runners left on base in the seventh after a single and back-to-back walks.

“We put up the two four-spots back-to-back and I think Jordan sat in the dugout quite a while,” Price said. “He went back out there and got behind the first guy and then he hits a 2-0 fastball for a base hit. Then we walked two guys with one out and it ran his pitch count up over 100 pitches.”

“You sit there and let your body rest a little too much and you start to tighten up,” Piche’ added. “You still have to go out there and compete and throw strikes. It is unfortunate that it didn’t happen and you have to trust your bullpen in that situation. It’s unfortunate that the eight-spot happened as a result.”

Although on the wrong end of the stick, Kansas has a lot to hang its hat on as the Jayhawks pounded out 13 hits, including nine off WVU starter Harrison Musgrave. KU tied a championship record with seven doubles led by the perfect 4-for-4 performance at the dish by Tharp. The centerfielder added two walks and drove in three runs, scorching the ball over all-conference performer and WVU’s centerfielder Bobby Boyd’s head twice in the process.

“I think he (Boyd) might be the fastest centerfielder in the league – he was a first teamer,” Tharp said. “When you hit the ball there, you expect him to get there. In this ballpark, the wind blows South and if you get the ball up in the air, it will keep going. I was a little surprised that he didn’t get to those balls, but at the same time, very fortunate that they did get down. He is a really good player.”

Fellow outfielder and cleanup man Dakota Smith also boasted a multi-hit and multi-RBI performance at the plate, slugging three hits, including a double, with two RBIs and three runs scored.

“I think our guys did a really good job at taking the fastball away,” Price said. “We were able to be on time with the fastball and be physical. Tucker Tharp had some great at bats as did Dakota Smith and both those guys are fastball hitters.”

With all that offense and a six-run lead in the seventh inning, Price called to the bullpen to bring in junior righty Drew Morovick (9-4) with one out and the bases loaded. After inducing the fielder’s choice, Morovick gave up four-straight two-out hits, including back-to-back doubles, allowing the Mountaineers to score five runs before Kansas made another move to the pen to bring in freshman closer Stephen Villines.

On the first pitch of the first batter Villines faced with two runners on, WVU designated hitter Jackson Cramer dropped the hammer and launched a three-run bomb over the wall in right field to close out the eight-run inning and put the final dagger in the hopes of a Kansas win.

“It is tough to see us go down like that – it hurts,” Piche’ said. “We need to come out tomorrow and get after it.”

Kansas rallied for a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, but stranded the bases loaded. The Jayhawks rallied again in the ninth to get two runners on with two outs, but junior designated hitter Connor McKay flew out to end the game and strand both Jayhawks for a total of 15 runners left on base for KU.

Junior left fielder Michael Suiter was the only other player with a multiple-hit performance, as he finished the day 2-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Kansas continues play at the 2014 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship Thursday, May 22, and will play the loser of TCU vs. Baylor at 9 a.m.

— KU Sports Information —

Known for its schedule strength, Kansas men’s basketball will face traditional powers Kentucky, Florida, Georgetown, Utah, Temple and UNLV with the potential to meet up with the likes of Michigan State, Tennessee, Marquette, Georgia Tech and Rhode Island, making the 2014-15 non-conference schedule another difficult slate for the Jayhawks.

There is no doubt Kansas’ 2013-14 men’s basketball schedule was the toughest in the nation and KU’s 2014-15 non-conference schedule potentially includes six opponents who advanced to the 2014 postseason (four NCAA and two NIT). Add in the Big 12’s round-robin format and KU could play as many as 16 games versus 2014 NCAA Tournament teams and four against 2014 NIT squads.

“Obviously, next year’s non-conference will be very challenging,” head coach Bill Self said. “We always play a good schedule, but this past year was rated by many to be about as tough of a non-conference schedule that a team has played in years. Certainly, next year’s schedule will be one of the better non-conference schedules that anyone in America plays, as well. When you think about two teams that were in the Final Four last year with Kentucky and Florida, then you throw in the Orlando Classic, which is loaded, including Michigan State, then on the road at Georgetown and Temple along with other tough non-conference contests like Utah and UNLV, all of those will certainly prepare our guys to make another strong push at a conference championship.”

Along with the non-conference schedule unveiling, Kansas also announced the beloved tradition that kicks it all off. Late Night in the Phog will be held on Oct. 10.

The 2014-15 non-conference slate, paired with its home-and-home meetings against league foes, will help keep Kansas’ strength of schedule among the nation’s best. In KU head coach Bill Self’s 11 seasons in Lawrence, the Jayhawks’ strength of schedule has ranked 10th or higher six times, including four of the last five years dating back to 2009-10.

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 each of the last five seasons, including No. 1 in 2010 and 2011. The Jayhawks ended 2013-14 at No. 4 in the final RPI.

Kansas will play 2014 NCAA runner-up Kentucky Nov. 18 in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in the fourth Champions Classic. KU and UK last met in the Champions Classic in 2011 in Madison Square Garden in what was an early preview to the 2012 NCAA Championship game at the Final Four in New Orleans. This historic contest pits the two winningest teams in college basketball history with Kentucky at 2,140 wins and Kansas at 2,126 victories.

Kansas will open the regular season playing host to UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 14 as historic Allen Fieldhouse enters its 60th season. The Gauchos feature the 2013-14 NCAA rebound leader in senior Alan Williams who averaged 11.5 boards per game as a junior.

Kansas will make its first appearance in the Orlando Classic in Orlando, Florida, Nov. 27-30.  The brackets have yet to be set, but the eight confirmed teams participating in the event include: Kansas, Michigan State, Tennessee, Marquette, Georgia Tech, Rhodes Island, Santa Clara and Rider. Kansas will host Rider on Nov. 24 in an early Orlando Classic matchup.

Non-Conference Opponent Breakdown

–UC Santa Barbara (Nov. 14 in Lawrence) improved 10 wins from the 2012-13 season by going 21-9 and finishing second in the Big West with a 12-4 league record in 2013-14. In 16 seasons as head coach at UCSB, Bob Williams has guided the Gauchos to 20-plus victories 11 times. Senior forward Alan Williams lead the NCAA with an 11.5 rpg in 2013-14. Kansas won the only meeting with UCSB, 72-52, in the opening round of the Wolf Pack Holiday Classic, Dec. 20, in Reno, Nevada, in Bill Self’s first season at Kansas.

–Kentucky (Nov. 18 in Indianapolis at the Champions Classic) finished runner-up to Connecticut in the 2014 NCAA title game in Dallas, posting a 29-11 overall record. The Wildcats tied Georgia for second in the Southeastern Conference with a 12-6 record and finished runner-up in the SEC Tournament to Florida, KU’s Dec. 5 foe in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. After a Kansas three-game win streak versus Kentucky, the Wildcats have won the last two meetings, both during the 2011-12 season: 75-65 in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden and 67-59 in the NCAA Championship game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

–Rider (Nov. 24 in Lawrence, Orlando Classic) went 14-17 in 2013-14 and tied for sixth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 9-11 record. The Broncs are coached by Kevin Baggett, who led Rider to a 19-15 record in 2012-13, his first season at Rider. Kansas is 2-0 versus Rider with both games in Allen Fieldhouse: 110-72 on Dec. 12, 1987, and 103-51 on Dec. 15, 1990.

–Pairings for the Orlando Classic (Nov. 27, 28 and 30) have not been announced. Joining Kansas in the eight-team field is Michigan State (MSU leads the series 6-4 and has won the last three meetings with the previous 67-64 in Atlanta in the 2012 Champions Classic); Tennessee (series is tied at 1-1 with UT winning the last meeting 76-68 on Jan. 10, 2010, in Knoxville); Marquette (KU leads 6-1 and has won the last three meetings. The previous matchup  was in the 2003 Final Four, a KU 94-61 victory in New Orleans); Georgia Tech (KU leads 5-1 with the last meeting a 71-66 Jayhawk win in Atlanta on Dec. 18, 2007, during KU’s 2008 NCAA National Championship season); Rhode Island (KU leads 2-1, including an 80-69 win on Dec. 30, 2006, in Allen Fieldhouse in the last matchup); Santa Clara (KU leads 5-0 with the last meeting a 99-73 KU victory on Nov. 14, 1997, in Allen Fieldhouse) and Rider, who Kansas will play Nov. 24 in Lawrence.

–Florida (Dec. 5 in Lawrence) will face Kansas in the second SEC/Big 12 Challenge with this year’s meeting in Allen Fieldhouse. The Gators went 36-3 in 2013-14, posted a perfect 18-0 in winning the SEC regular-season title, won the SEC Tournament and entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. Kansas leads the overall series with Florida 3-2 with three of the five meetings being top-10 nationally-ranked contests. Last year Florida defeated Kansas, 67-61, in Gainesville.

–Georgetown (Dec. 10 in Washington, D.C.) finished the 2013-14 season with an 18-15 record advancing to the second round of the NIT. The Hoyas were 8-10 in the BIG EAST, placing seventh. Kansas has a 2-1 series edge against Georgetown after last year’s 86-64 win on Dec. 21 in Allen Fieldhouse. A traditional power, Georgetown won the first meeting, 70-57, in the 1987 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in Louisville, Ky., and Kansas edged GU, 67-63, in the opening round of the 2011 Maui Invitational.

–Utah (Dec. 13 at Sprint Center in Kansas City) went 21-12 and finished tied for eighth in the Pac-12. The Utes fell to St. Mary’s in the first round of the 2014 NIT. It was Utah’s first postseason appearance under third-year head coach Larry Krystkowiak. Kansas won the only meeting with Utah, 79-68, on Nov. 25, 1995, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, in The Classic.

–Lafayette (Dec. 20 in Lawrence) is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and the Leopards went 11-20 overall and tied for seventh in the Patriot League with a 6-12 record. Lafayette head coach Fran O’Hanlon will be entering his 20th season on the Leopards’ sidelines. O’Hanlon has guided Lafayette to three conference titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances. The Jayhawks and the Leopards have yet to face each other in men’s basketball.

–Temple (Dec. 22 in Philadelphia) is looking to rebound from a 9-22 season in 2013-14 where the Owls tied for eighth in the American Athletic Conference with a 4-14 league record. In his eight seasons at Temple, head coach Fran Dunphy has guided the Owls to three Atlantic 10 titles and six NCAA Tournament appearances. Kansas has won the last three meetings with Temple and leads the overall series 8-3. The Jayhawks defeated the Owls, 69-62, on Jan. 6, 2013, in Allen Fieldhouse in their last meeting.

–Kent State (Dec. 30 in Lawrence) went 16-16 last season, including a 7-11 record which ended the Golden Flashes fifth in the Mid-American Conference East standings. Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff has guided the Golden Flashes to two 20-win seasons and postseason appearances in his three years at Kent State.

–UNLV (Jan. 4 in Lawrence) went 20-13 in 2013-14 and finished tied for third in the Mountain West Conference with a 10-8 record. In head coach David Rice’s first two seasons at UNLV, the Running Rebels advanced to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances going 26-9 in 2011-12 and 25-10 in 2012-13. Kansas has won all four meetings with UNLV with the last being in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, a KU 75-56 win in Omaha on March 22, 2008, en route to its NCAA National Championship.

Kansas will open the 2014-15 season with home exhibition games against Washburn (Nov. 4) and Emporia State (Nov. 11).

For the third-straight year, KU will have home-and-home meetings against all nine Big 12 Conference foes. Besides Kansas, other conference teams that participated in the 2014 NCAA Tournament included Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas. West Virginia played in the 2014 NIT. The Big 12 traditionally releases that schedule in July.

Season ticket sales for KU’s 18 home games, the 17 in Allen Fieldhouse and the Dec. 13 game against Utah in the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., are on sale now. To order tickets fans must be active members of the Williams Education Fund, which can be done by making a minimum gift pledge of just $100.

KU has led its conference in home attendance each of the last 28 seasons, dating back to the 1986-87 season. The Jayhawks will look to capture a 11th consecutive Big 12 regular-season championship in 2014-15.

2014-15 Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Nov. 4 vs. Washburn (Exh.)
Nov. 11 vs. Emporia State (Exh.)
Nov. 14 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Nov. 18 vs. Kentucky (at Indianapolis)
Nov. 24 vs. Rider (Orlando Classic)
Nov. 27 vs. TBA (Orlando Classic)
Nov. 28 Semifinals (orlando Classic)
Nov. 30 Championship (Orlando Classic)
Dec. 5 vs. Florida
Dec. 10 @ Georgetown
Dec. 13 vs. Utah (Sprint Center)
Dec. 20 vs. Lafayette
Dec. 22 @ Temple
Dec. 30 vs. Kent State
Jan. 4 vs. UNLV

— KU Sports Information —

National powers and defending regular-season men’s basketball champions in each of their respective conferences, Kansas and Florida will square off in the second SEC/Big 12 Challenge, Dec. 5 in historic Allen Fieldhouse, the two leagues and ESPN announced Wednesday.

The Kansas-Florida contest is one of two in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge that will pit preseason-ranked teams in the early ESPN.com “Fab 50” ratings. Kansas is at No. 4, while Florida is No. 7 in the early poll. No. 6 Texas will play at No. 1 Kentucky on Dec. 5 in the Challenge. Last season, the Big 12 won the Challenge by capturing wins in seven of the 10 meetings.

In last season’s inaugural Challenge, then-No. 19 Florida defeated then-No. 13 Kansas, 67-61, on Dec. 10 in Gainesville. The two teams would climb the national rankings for the remainder of the season with Florida at No. 1 the final four weeks of 2013-14 and Kansas as high as No. 5 on Feb. 24. Both teams won their regular-season conference championships and Florida won the SEC Tournament, as well. KU finished 25-10 and 14-4 in the 2013-14 season and entered the NCAA Tournament a No. 2 seed, while Florida went 36-3 overall, 18-0 in the SEC and was the overall No. 1 seed of the 2014 NCAA tourney.

Though there have only been five games in this series, the Kansas-Florida matchups have been highly touted. Kansas leads 3-2, with three of the five meetings being top-10 nationally-ranked contests. Four of the five meetings has seen at least one team ranked in the top 10.

In the first meeting, No. 5 Kansas defeated No. 6 Florida 69-63 in Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 7, 1994. KU was ranked No. 3 when the Jayhawks defeated the Gators 69-64 on Jan. 11, 1996, in Gainesville. No. 7 Florida bested No. 2 Kansas in the third meeting 83-73 on Nov. 29, 2003, in the consolation finals of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden. Prior to last season’s meeting in Gainesville, No. 10 Kansas defeated top-ranked Florida 82-80 in overtime on Nov. 25, 2006, in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational. Florida went on to win its second-straight NCAA National Championship that season, while Kansas claimed the national title the following year in 2008.

— KU Sports Information —

Point guard Devonte’ Graham has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play men’s basketball at Kansas, KU head coach Bill Self announced Friday.

A 6-2, 175-pound guard from Raleigh, North Carolina, Graham originally signed a NLI at Appalachian State in November 2012. He did not enroll at Appalachian State and spent the 2013-14 season at Brewster Academy prep school in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Following a coaching change at Appalachian State, Graham was granted his NLI release in April 2014.

“We’ve had our fair share of guys from Brewster over the years, primarily Naadir (Tharpe) and Thomas (Robinson),” Self said. “We’re very familiar with that program. We certainly solidified our situation in the backcourt by bringing in a quality guy and I think Devonte’ is one of the premier point guards in the country. Jason Smith is not a good coach, he’s a great coach. He’s been at Brewster for a number of years and has coached many, many great ones. He definitely made me feel Devonte’ is as good as any he has had in the backcourt.”

Graham averaged 17.2 points and 5.0 assists per game and led Brewster to the national prep championship and New England championship in 2013-14. Following being released from Appalachian State, Graham’s stock immediately rose as he went from being unranked to No. 36 in the final 2014 rankings by Rivals.com.

“I think Devonte’ will be an immediate impact guy for us,” Self said. “That’s not to take away from the other guards we have but this is a situation that we just got a lot better. He comes from very good high school and prep school programs and an exceptional AAU program in Gardner Rose. After he and his mother (Dewanna King) came here on their recruiting visit, it was a situation we felt like he and she connected with everybody here and I think he will be a great leader for our program.”

Prior to Brewster Academy, Graham led Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C., to the state championship game where he averaged 15.7 points and 5.4 assists and a 26-6 record in 2012-13. Graham, who was coached by Jeff Ferrell while at Broughton, averaged 14.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game as a junior.

— KU Sports Information —

Junior point guard Naadir Tharpe will not return to the Kansas men’s basketball program for his senior season, he and head coach Bill Self announced on Thursday.

“Naadir and I have talked numerous times since he’s been here about his role and about his situation back home with his daughter,” Self said. “He’s told me many times how much he misses his little girl and she’s had some health issues that has certainly made it difficult for him to be away from her for this extended period of time. She’s doing very well now, but Naadir approached me after the season was over about him wanting to be closer to her. This is his decision to try and accomplish that.”

Tharpe made his first career start in the second game of the 2013-14 season, leading the Jayhawks to a win against 4th-ranked Duke in Chicago’s United Center. A rough stretch of play in non-conference action kept him from the starting lineup for two games before the 5-11 Worcester, Mass., guard took over as floor general for the remainder of the season. With Tharpe at point guard, Kansas went 25-10 overall and 14-4 in Big 12 play to capture its 10th-consecutive regular-season conference title in 2013-14.

In January of his freshman season, Tharpe’s daughter, Amara, was born. Since then, Tharpe has held down the role of student, athlete and father.

“Due to extenuating circumstances within my personal life, I will no longer be attending the University of Kansas,” Tharpe said. “My daughter has current medical issues that require weekly visits to her physician, as well as with a specialist. At this juncture, I feel it is best to be closer to home where I can assist and support in any way necessary.”

In 2013-14, Tharpe went on to earn his first All-Big 12 accolades, being named to honorable mention team after averaging 5.0 assists per game to rank third in the league. His 2.43 assist-to-turnover ratio also checked in third in the conference for the second-straight season. He tallied six different games without a turnover and a pair of double-doubles against Iowa State at home and Kansas State on the road. Tharpe led Kansas in assists (170), free throw percentage (82.1) and tied for the team-lead in most three-pointers made (43).

“I enjoyed my time here,” Tharpe said. “I appreciate the players that were here before me that I got a chance to play with and that are still friends with me right now. It’s going to be tough leaving a situation like this because of the teammates I’m leaving behind. Everything happens for a reason and I have to continue my journey a different way.”

Self concurred, acknowledging the difficult decision Tharpe was faced with before arriving at his decision.

“Personally, it’s something that we 100 percent support and wish him nothing but the best,” Self said. “I certainly appreciate all of his efforts since he’s been here. Naadir has been a good player for us in his three years here. But we also respect the fact that he wants to be closer to his daughter and we want to do everything we can to support that.”

For his career, Tharpe played in 103 games for KU with 31 starts. He averaged 5.5 minutes during KU’s 2011-12 Final Four season and 19.4 minutes with a 5.5 scoring average his sophomore season in 2012-13. He averaged 5.1 points for his career and his 304 assists were 18 shy of KU’s top-20 list.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas football head coach Charlie Weis announced Thursday morning that sophomore Montell Cozart has been named the Jayhawks’ starting quarterback.

“After the completion of post spring ball evaluations and individual player meetings, I met with the offensive staff and we have decided to name Montell Cozart our starting quarterback,” said Weis.

Cozart earned Offensive MVP honors following KU’s annual Spring Game after leading his Blue team to a 20-10 win over the White team. He finished the game completing 6-of-10 passes for 58 yards, while also rushing for 70 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.

Kansas will open its 2014 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 6, when it plays host to Southeast Missouri State at Memorial Stadium.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self was presented with the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards in Oklahoma City Monday.

A native of Edmond, Okla., Self was informed in November of 2013 that he would be honored in the ceremony at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The College Basketball Awards are produced annually by Access Sports in conjunction with the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Self shared the stage with college basketball’s 2014 Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year (Jabari Parker of Duke), the 2014 National Player of the Year (Doug McDermott of Creighton), who received the Oscar Robertson Trophy, and the 2014 Henry Iba National Coach of the Year (Gregg Marshall of Wichita State).

The Tisdale Humanitarian Award recognizes an individual involved in college basketball that has had a significant and positive impact on and away from the court. Previous honorees include legendary ESPN and hall of fame announcer Dick Vitale, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. The award’s namesake, Wayman Tisdale, died in May 2009 after a two-year battle with cancer.

“I was very aware of this award but I had absolutely no idea that I was in consideration for anything like this,” Self said in a media session prior to the banquet. “They could have picked a lot of guys more deserving than of a humanitarian award than me. It means a lot because it’s happening in Oklahoma City and then having Wayman’s name on it. I was by no means in competition with him but I did play during the same era and I saw how he revolutionized basketball in our state. You could say Billy Tubbs and Nolan Richardson had a strong hand in doing that but Wayman changed the whole climate of everything going on here. And to have a guy do it that was such a personality, and maybe as good of an ambassador as anybody as our state has known, is very cool.”

In 11 seasons at Kansas Self has a 325-69 record, averaging 29.5 wins per season. Overall, Self has coached 21 seasons with a 532-174 record. Including the 2013-14 title, Self has guided KU to an unprecedented 10-straight Big 12 regular-season championships. He has also guided the Jayhawks to two Final Fours, including the 2008 NCAA title. He was named just the eighth head coach in Kansas basketball history on April 21, 2003. While at KU, Self has been named national coach of the year twice and Big 12 Coach of the Year four times.

Bill and Cindy Self established the Assists Foundation in 2006 to help provide young people access to better lives. The mission of Assists is accomplished by identifying areas of need and working with other community-based institutions to provide creative and lasting solutions. The Assists Foundation supports scholarships and helps community organizations improve their facilities and programs so as to teach young people how to live healthy, productive lives. The foundation works to help young people have access to healthy lifestyle programs, facilitated by components of education, assessments, prevention, leadership, and competition. Self is also actively involved in a variety of other charitable efforts, including Coaches vs. Cancer and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The Devon Energy College Basketball Awards are presented by Devon Energy, a leading independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company based in Oklahoma City. The event is produced by Access Sports, an Oklahoma City-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to supporting various charitable causes, including funding prosthetic devices for needy individuals through the Wayman L. Tisdale Foundation, funding of youth basketball programs throughout the state of Oklahoma through the Wayman’s Lightning Basketball League, and other worthy charitable causes.

— KU Sports Information —