INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Quentin Grimes scored 21 points in his college debut and Dedric Lawson added 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead No. 1 Kansas past No. 10 Michigan State 92-87 in the season-opening Champions Classic on Tuesday.

The Jayhawks won their third straight in one of college basketball’s premier events.

Michigan State was led by Joshua Langford with 18 points and Kenny Goins with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Spartans are now 4-21 all-time against No. 1 teams.

The game pitted two power-conference preseason favorites against each other, and the finish was every bit as intriguing as expected.

After Kansas was in control for most of the game, the Spartans frantically trimmed a 10-point deficit to 90-87 with 34 seconds left. They had a chance to make it a two-point game when Devon Dotson missed the second of two free throws with 15 seconds left.

But Cassius Winston missed a layup for Michigan State, Kansas grabbed the rebound and Grimes sealed it by making 1 of 2 free throws.

It sure didn’t look like it would be so close after Kansas withstood Michigan State’s early 3-point flurry.

The Jayhawks went on a 13-3 run midway through the first half to turn an 18-16 lead into a 30-17 advantage, extended the lead to 44-27 and never let the Spartans get closer than seven until the final minutes.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas: The Jayhawks demonstrated why they earned the top ranking. They dominated the post, used 3-pointers to pull away and eventually found a way to close out the feisty Spartans.

Michigan State: The Spartans’ late surge showed they are capable of going toe to toe against the nation’s top teams. But this one got away from them because of poor free-throw shooting and sloppy overall play — things that need to be cleaned up quickly.

STAT PACK

Kansas: Lawson also had six assists. … Udoka Azubuike finished with 17 points. Dotson, another freshman, had 16. … Kansas improved to 15-1 under Bill Self in season openers. … The Jayhawks hadn’t played a ranked team on opening night since beating No. 8 Utah 79-68 in November 1995. … Kansas was 10 of 23 on 3-pointers.

Michigan State: Winston had 13 points and 11 assists. Matt McQuaid added 12 points. … The Spartans were outrebounded 42-40 and 11-5 on the offensive end. … Michigan State also committed 18 turnovers and was 23 of 35 from the free-throw line while going 12 of 23 on 3-pointers. … At 3-5 in the classic, Michigan State is the only team under .500.

UP NEXT

Kansas has a five-day break before opening its home schedule against Vermont on Monday.

Michigan State’s traditionally daunting non-conference continues Sunday when defending Atlantic Sun regular-season champion Florida Gulf Coast visits East Lansing on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas junior Dedric Lawson has been named to the 20-member 2019 NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced Monday.

Named to the six-member Associated Press Preseason All-America team, the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and Preseason All-Big 12 First Team last month, Lawson sat out last season after transferring from Memphis. The Memphis, Tennessee, forward averaged 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds, amassing 19 double-doubles his sophomore year for the Tigers in 2016-17, earning All-American Athletic Conference First Team honors. As a freshman, Lawson averaged 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds with 17 double-doubles for Memphis.

The 2019 NABC Division I Player of the Year award will be announced on Sunday, April 7, at the NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show in Minneapolis, Minnesota – site of the 2019 NCAA Final Four. Historically, Kansas’ Frank Mason III was named the NABC Player of the Year following the 2016-17 season.

No. 1 Kansas opens the 2018-19 season when it plays No. 10 Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic, Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. (Central) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

2019 NABC Division I Player of the Year Presented by ShotTracker
Preseason Watch List
RJ Barrett, Duke (Fr.-F)
Tyus Battle, Syracuse (Jr.-G)
Mike Daum, South Dakota State (Sr.-F)
Carsen Edwards, Purdue (Jr.-G)
Kyle Guy, Virginia (Jr.-G)
Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (Jr.-F)
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (Sr.-F)
De’Andre Hunter, Virginia (So.-G)
Romeo Langford, Indiana (Fr.-G)
DEDRIC LAWSON, KANSAS (Jr.-F)
Caleb Martin, Nevada (Sr.-F)
Luke Maye, North Carolina (Sr.-F)
Eric Paschall, Villanova (Sr.-F)
Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s (Jr.-G)
Reid Travis, Kentucky (Grad.-F)
Dean Wade, Kansas State (Sr.-F)
P.J. Washington, Kentucky (Fr.-F)
Tremont Waters, LSU (So.-G)
Grant Williams, Tennessee (Jr.-F)
Zion Williamson, Duke (Fr.-F)

— KU Athletics —

ATLANTA – Kansas junior Dedric Lawson and freshman Quentin Grimes have been named to the 50-member 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday.

Named to the six-member Associated Press Preseason All-America team, the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and Preseason All-Big 12 First Team last month, Lawson sat out last season after transferring from Memphis. The Memphis, Tennessee, forward averaged 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds, amassing 19 double-doubles his sophomore year for the Tigers in 2016-17, earning All-American Athletic Conference First Team honors. As a freshman, Lawson averaged 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds with 17 double-doubles for Memphis.

Named the Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year and preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, Grimes is a five-star combo guard who made his rounds on the all-star game circuit following his senior year at College Park High School in The Woodlands, Texas. Ranked No. 8 in the national recruiting services, he averaged 29.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists his senior season, earning the 2017-18 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, Texas Mr. Basketball and the 6A Player of the Year honors. This past summer, Grimes was the Most Valuable Player and an All-Tournament selection at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championships in leading USA to the gold medal, where he averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists. The USA squad was coached by KU head coach Bill Self.

A list of the midseason 30 team will be released on Feb. 13, 2019, followed by the 10 national semifinalists and four finalists on March 4, 2019 and March 19, 2019 respectively. The 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded on at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 7, 2019, during the Final Four in Minneapolis.

Historically, Kansas’ Frank Mason III won the Naismith Trophy following the 2016-17 season. Jayhawk Devonte’ Graham was a finalist last season.

To see the complete list of candidates for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Player of the Year, go here.

No. 1 Kansas opens the 2018-19 season when it plays No. 10 Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic, Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. (Central) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – David Beaty will not be retained as Head Football Coach at the University of Kansas at the conclusion of the season, KU Athletics Director Jeff Long announced Sunday.

“After a thorough evaluation of the program, I believe that new leadership is necessary for our football team to move forward and compete at the highest level of the Big 12 Conference,” Long said. “I know that Coach Beaty cares deeply about his players, and I respect that. The student-athletes on this team have continued to play hard – and I am confident they will do that for the rest of the season.”

Beaty has coached the Jayhawks for three-plus seasons, amassing a 6-39 record, 2-31 in Big 12 Conference play. He will continue to coach the team until the regular season concludes against Texas on Friday, November 23. He signed a five-year contract in December 2014, which was extended two years (through 2021) in December 2016.

Long informed Beaty of his decision Sunday and met with the football team directly afterwards. “The search for a new head coach will begin immediately,” he said.

Beaty’s contract calls for him to be paid $3 million (payable in six equal payments) in the event of termination without cause; Long said Kansas will fulfill the terms of that contract.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Iowa State coach Matt Campbell is a firm believer that great teams win in the red zone.

They make sure to put points on the board when they venture inside the 20-yard line, and they have the ability to turn teams back when their defense has its back against the wall.

That proved to be the case Saturday.

Brock Purdy threw a short touchdown pass to cap a three-TD performance, and the Cyclones kept stopping Kansas on fourth down on the doorstep of the end zone, allowing them to cruise to a 27-3 win — their fourth straight since installing their freshman quarterback under center.

“There’s a lot of confidence down there,” Campbell said of the red zone. “We don’t have a ton of five-star players so our margin for error is very small.”

The margin of victory Saturday was plenty big.

Purdy finished with 263 yards passing in another stellar performance, and his other two TD tosses were big-play strikes to Hakeem Butler. David Montgomery ran for 67 yards and Purdy added 53 more on the ground as the Cyclones (5-3, 4-2) kept alive their hopes of playing in the Big 12 title game.

“Without a doubt,” Iowa State defensive end Matt Leo said. “Just trust the process.”

The Jayhawks’ Peyton Bender was just 19 of 40 for 185 yards, though he had several passes dropped, including one for a certain TD by Stephon Robinson early in the game. Khalil Herbert added 91 yards on the ground in what amounted to the only bright spot for coach David Beaty’s team.

Now, the calls for his job are sure to grow louder.

The Jayhawks (3-6, 1-5) upset TCU last week to give Beaty a week’s reprieve, but his team looked woefully unprepared Saturday. Substitution mistakes, four failed fourth downs and a myriad other issues made for an ugly showing in front of a sparse crowd made up of about 50 percent Iowa State fans.

“Obviously I didn’t do a very good job because things that we’ve executed well all week, we weren’t able to connect on now,” Beaty said. “That’s unfortunate because they were there. We just weren’t able to connect on them. That comes down to the person coaching them. That’s me.”

At least Purdy and Butler gave those wearing red a chance to cheer.

After forcing an early three-and-out, the Cyclones needed three plays for their young quarterback to hit his tall, lanky wide receiver deep downfield. Butler was so far behind the coverage on their 83-yard TD strike that the Jayhawks gave up and jogged behind him to the end zone.

Then, after another three-and-out, the Cyclones needed only two plays for Purdy to hit his big-play target downfield. Butler leaped over Hasan Defense to snare the jump ball, then turned and coasted 51 yards for another touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

The Cyclones tacked on a pair of field goals as they built a 20-3 halftime lead.

“Coach had a great gameplan, he had us in position to make many plays, and we ain’t do it,” Defense said. “So we shouldn’t have been down to where we felt we had to bounce back.”

Purdy added his third touchdown toss when he found Matthew Eaton open early in the third quarter to make it 27-3, and Iowa State merely coasted the rest of the way.

“We had plenty of opportunities. We weren’t able to make those opportunities count when we needed them,” Beaty said. “They just kind of have progressed a little bit faster than we have offensively. We got to be better than what we were.”

HONORS ALL AROUND

For its “Salute to Service” weekend, the Jayhawks honored Kansas alumni and Marine Corps veterans Rob Riggle and Billy Mills during the game. Riggle has gone on to a successful acting career while Mills won gold at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the 10,000 meters before becoming a humanitarian.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: Purdy has gained confidence with each start, and it showed in the way he toyed with the Jayhawks’ defense. He deftly picked apart a bunch that played well a week ago against the Horned Frogs, and his ability to extend plays with his legs make the Cyclones a challenge to stop.

Kansas: New athletic director Jeff Long will no doubt take a close look at Beaty’s future with the program. The fact that the Jayhawks appeared uninspired and unprepared was bad enough, but the ocean of empty seats at Memorial Stadium each Saturday has become too difficult to ignore.

UP NEXT

Iowa State tries to become bowl-eligible against Baylor next Saturday.

Kansas heads down Interstate 70 to face Kansas State next Saturday.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas juniors Dedric Lawson and Udoka Azubuike combined for 35 points, while senior Lagerald Vick added 16 of his own to help No. 1 Kansas sprint past the Washburn Ichabods, 79-52, Thursday night in exhibition play. The Jayhawks outscored the visitors 44-24 over the final 18 minutes of the contest to complete close out their 29th-consecutive exhibition victory.

The Jayhawks opened the game scoring six field goals on six assists. Kansas’ unselfishness continued as it ended the first half with 12 assists on its 13 field goals, helping the squad build a 35-21 advantage as the two squads head to the locker room. VIck had the hot hand early, knocking down a pair of first-half threes as he tallied 10 points to lead the team at the break.

It was a less than stellar start to the second frame for the Jayhawks as the Ichabods stormed out of the intermission on a fast 7-0 spurt to cut the KU lead to seven points, 35-28, less than two minutes into the half. From there, Kansas locked down defensively and kicked off a huge run to gain back the momentum. An Azubuike dunk sparked a 33-5 Kansas run over the next eight minutes to help the Jayhawks gain a 23-point edge just over midway through the half.

A key to the KU run was precision passing, which led to open looks for Azubuike, who showed why he led the NCAA in field goal percentage a season ago, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field. His dunks weren’t the only method of scoring for the junior center as he managed to knock down five of his six attempts from the free throw line.

The second-half surge was also fueled by some torrid Kansas outside shooting. In a five minute stretch early in the second frame, KU connected on six 3-pointers from three different Jayhawks as Lawson, Vick and freshman Quentin Grimes each knocked down shots from beyond the arc.

For the second-straight outing, Lawson led all scorers with 18 points, going 4-4 from three-point range. Azuibuke and Vick showed the Kansas depth as they totaled 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Grimes led all Jayhawks with eight rebounds and was joined by four of his teammates to pull down five or more boards on the night.

KU ended the game with 23 assists on its 30 field goals. Sophomore Marcus Garrett led all players with five assists., with redshirt-sophomore Charlie Moore and Grimes tallying four dimes apiece.

That crisp passing led to a field goal percentage of 49 percent (30-61), and a three-point percentage of 42 percent (11-26), as the Jayhawks closed out exhibition play with a 79-52 victory.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — One of the few bright spots all season for Kansas has been its ability to force turnovers, doing so at such a high rate that the Jayhawks have the Big 12’s best turnover differential.

They produced another one at a crucial juncture against TCU on Saturday.

It gave them their biggest bright spot, too.

Peyton Bender threw two touchdown passes to Pooka Williams Jr., the Kansas defense hopped on a fumble at its own 6-yard line with 58 seconds left and the Jayhawks held on to beat the Horned Frogs 27-26 to end a four-game losing streak and give their embattled coach just his second Big 12 win.

The Jayhawks (3-5, 1-4) got their first win in October since 2009, snapping a 38-game losing streak in the month, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

“They certainly were there and could have easily won that game,” Jayhawks coach David Beaty said, “but our guys persevered and I’m extremely proud of them. Guys deserve to have some success.”

The Jayhawks took the lead on Williams’ touchdown grab with 6:13 to go, but TCU (3-5, 1-4) and first-time starter Michael Collins breezed downfield in an attempt to answer it.

Collins converted a third-down pass to give the Horned Frogs first-and-goal at the 9-yard line, and Darius Anderson got the ensuing carry. But the ball popped out when he hit his own lineman and the Jayhawks clearly recovered, even though the officials initially called Anderson down.

The replay gave Kansas the ball. And after Bender took a safety to drain all but one second from the clock, the Jayhawks covered the ensuing squib kick to seal the win.

“Listen, gentlemen, we’ve been here before. I said before the season, we were young,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “But the bottom line is, we’re going to keep fighting. We’re going to keep getting better so we can move forward. … If we do that, then we’ll have a chance.”

Bender finished with 249 yards passing and Williams had 102 yards receiving in giving the Jayhawks just their second Big 12 victory under embattled coach David Beaty. It also was the first against the Horned Frogs since 1997, long before the schools became Big 12 rivals.

“It’s awesome for everybody, all the stuff we’ve gone through, all the stuff that’s been said, all the naysayers,” Jayhawks linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. said. “It’s nice to get a win.”

Collins had 351 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception, and Jalen Reagor had eight catches for 177 yards, as TCU lost its third straight and fifth in six games.

Perhaps it shouldn’t have been surprising that the Horned Frogs and Jayhawks played a back-and-forth game that went down to the wire. Even though TCU had won all six conference meetings, five had been decided by 14 points or fewer.

Kansas struck first by marching 75 yards for a touchdown, but the Horned Frogs’ defense stiffened the rest of the half, giving up only 14 yards the rest of the way.

The TCU offense struggled to capitalize, though, and it took a long touchdown pass to Reagor just before halftime to give the Horned Frogs a 10-7 lead at the break.

Both offenses finally found a rhythm in the second half.

Williams caught his first touchdown pass to give Kansas the lead, then Collins scored his first TD to give the Horned Frogs the lead back. Gabriel Rui added a pair of field goals for the Jayhawks, and TCU answered with a 75-yard drive that Collins capped with another short scoring run.

Kansas pulled ahead once more on its ensuing drive, when Bender converted a pair of third downs and then found Williams in the flat. He made a devastating cutback and went 28 yards for a score, which was upheld after it appeared that the freshman running back fumbled right at the goal line.

Another replay went the Jayhawks’ way at the other end of the field a few minutes later.

“Just a mistake I made,” Anderson said of his fumble. “Can’t get it back now.”

LAST PLAY

The Jayhawks had seven seconds to burn on fourth down at the end of the game, so Bender ran into his own end zone and chucked the ball out of bounds. But it hit a tarp before hitting the ground for a safety, and that left a single second on the clock — and forced a tense squib kick. “It was definitely a long second,” Bender said. “I wish I would have taken another one.”

THE TAKEAWAYS

TCU capped a miserable week in which top playmaker KaVontae Turpin was kicked off the team and quarterback Shawn Robinson was forced to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery with an on-field dud. Collins had a few positive moments, but the Horned Frogs’ defense struggled throughout.

Kansas might have a new coach next season — it already has a new athletic director — but its guys are still playing hard for Beaty, who is immensely popular in the locker room. Beaty called the plays for the second game after firing offensive coordinator Doug Meacham and the Jayhawks responded.

UP NEXT

TCU returns home to play Kansas State next Saturday.

Kansas gets a visit from Iowa State next Saturday.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Redshirt junior transfer Dedric Lawson made his Kansas debut one to remember as the Jayhawks opened exhibition play against Emporia State Thursday night, defeating the Hornets, 93-55, inside Allen Fieldhouse. Lawson led all scorers with a 31-point, 15-rebound effort as KU opened up its exhibition campaign.

It was an impressive effort from the opening jump as Lawson scored the first 10 points for the Jayhawks, hitting on his first 3-point shot three minutes into the game. The Memphis native was just getting started as he also recorded a double-double before the first half ended with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the opening stanza.

The Jayhawk defense was stifling, as KU held the Hornets to an 8-for-38 shooting mark in the first half. KU also used a 13-0 run to build the halftime lead, thanks in part to the quick hands of Quentin Grimes, who blocked a shot which led to a layup on the other end for the true freshman. The Jayhawks ended the half on a good note as redshirt sophomore Charlie Moore hit three 3-pointers of his own, hitting on one with a minute remaining.

Kansas stretched its lead in the second half with a pair of 3-pointers from Lagerald Vick and K.J. Lawson to increase the lead to 56-31 with 12 minutes left.

Junior Udoka Azubuike brought the crowd to their feet with the only dunk of the game: a two-handed, rim-rattling dunk over an Emporia State for his first point which charged up the Jayhawk offense. Dedric Lawson and David McCormack added layups before Emporia State kicked into gear.

With five minutes remaining, Dedric Lawson hit his second 3-pointer of the night with Grimes adding one himself. Freshman Ochai Agbaji hit two consecutive 3-pointers to close out the game, extending the lead to 38 and locking down the victory.

Dedric Lawson led all scorers with 31 points and 15 rebounds, shooting an explosive 68 percent from the field. Grimes added 10 points with Dotson pouring in eight. Vick and K.J. Lawson both scored seven apiece, with Vick dishing out five assists on the night.

— KU Athletics —

Dear Jayhawk Community,

During the past three weeks in a federal courtroom in New York City, the University of Kansas and our men’s basketball program have been the subjects of testimony and speculation during the trial of three defendants accused of defrauding three universities, including KU. The trial concluded today with jury verdicts of guilty on all counts of conspiracy and wire fraud.

First, we want to remind you of developments that predate this trial. In fall 2017, amid concerns about student-athlete recruitment, the NCAA instructed each Division I institution to conduct a review of its men’s basketball program to ensure compliance with NCAA rules. KU took the issue seriously and engaged outside counsel to assist our review. At the same time, KU has been working with prosecutors, including fulfilling all obligations of subpoenas issued to us.

During the trial, information was presented regarding a former KU student-athlete, a current KU student-athlete, and KU men’s basketball coaches. Some of the information we were aware of, and some is new to us. The new information needs to be evaluated and understood. We have already been in contact with the NCAA regarding trial developments and will continue to work with NCAA staff moving forward.

Two additional federal trials are set for February and April 2019. Thus, we remain unable to fully comment on the issues before us. By limiting our comments, we are able to protect the integrity of the federal matters and the work of the NCAA.
While that work continues, we remain fully supportive of our student-athletes, our coaches and our men’s basketball program. Coach Self and Kansas Athletics are committed to maintaining a culture of compliance, and we will continue these efforts. Kansas Athletics has been, and will continue to be, committed to excellence and integrity.

So, what now? First, we will await guidance from prosecutors as to next steps regarding the criminal matter. Second, once the Justice Department clears us to move forward, we will work with the NCAA to vigorously review new information presented during the trial. Third, we will continue to review the eligibility of all our student-athletes to ensure that they meet the eligibility standards of the NCAA and KU.

Finally, while we have made no decision regarding a long-term contract extension with our apparel partner, adidas, we continue to evaluate our options. There is no timetable for a decision. A strong apparel partnership is important and beneficial to all our student-athletes and our institution, and we will take great care in making the right decision for KU.

We look forward to updating you on these matters when it is appropriate to do so. In the meantime, as our men’s and women’s basketball seasons approach, we encourage you to continue to support the incredible young men and women in our programs.

Respectfully,

Douglas A. Girod
Chancellor

Jeffrey P. Long
Director of Athletics

— KU Athletics —