College – Page 220 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Missouri Western softball goes 1-1 on day two of Hy-Vee Classic

Posted on March 18, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – No. 18 Griffon Softball’s (21-5) bats played hot and cold on Saturday as the team split a pair of games in the Hy-Vee Classic Saturday at the Griffon Spring Sports Complex.

Missouri Western was held to just one run for the first time in 18 games with a 6-1 loss to Minnesota Duluth, before the Griffons bounced back with a 14-4 win in six innings over St. Cloud State.

NOTABLES
– Morgan Rathmann hit her 26th career double in the Minnesota Duluth game. Already Missouri Western’s career leader, Rathmann needs six more to break the MIAA record.

– Missouri Western had seven extra base hits against St. Cloud State including three home runs and three doubles

– The Griffons scored their 14 runs in the St. Cloud State win on 13 hits

– Missouri Western was limited to five hits in the loss to
– Minnesota Duluth, the team’s lowest total since just five hits in a win over Minnesota Duluth on Feb. 19 in Bentonville, Arkansas

– MWSU hit .340 on the day with a .660 slugging percentage and committed just one error in the field

TOP PERFORMERS
– Katie Klosterman went 4-for-5 (.800) on the day with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored

– Paige Shifflett went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. She’s raised her average 137 points in the last month and is now batting .280

– Morgan Rathmann went 3-for-6 with three runs scored and an RBI

– Shelbie Atwell was 2-for-5 with four RBIs, a home run and a double

UP NEXT
The Griffons get two more at home Sunday in the Hy-Vee Classic, closing out its portion with Wayne State (5-17) at 11 a.m. and Minnesota State (21-3) at 1 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

K-State women defeat Drake to advance to 2nd round of NCAA Tournament

Posted on March 18, 2017

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State was on the defensive end late in its NCAA Tournament opener, and Breanna Lewis was standing near the lane with Drake guard Paige Greiner waving a hand right in her face.

Lewis looked at the nearby official and ruefully smiled.

The size mismatch between the seventh-seeded Wildcats and No. 10 seed Bulldogs was never more evident than that moment. Lewis used it to her advantage, too, pouring in 23 points and pulling down 11 rebounds while leading Kansas State to a 67-54 victory on Saturday.

“I thought this was going to be a game of style, who could get it in their style,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “The challenge of playing Drake for us, with a true center, is they’re going to try to make her run all over the floor.

“When Bre has the post-presence she had today, we’re a pretty good basketball team.”

The Wildcats (23-10) took the lead in the game’s opening minutes and never relinquished it, even though the Bulldogs (28-5) never made things easy. That allowed Kansas State to ease into a matchup with No. 2 seed Stanford on Monday night for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Like they had against Drake, the Wildcats will again have the benefit of playing at home.

The NCAA selection committee awarded them the right to host the opening rounds when Stanford had a conflict at Maples Pavilion, a testament to the crowd support Kansas State has enjoyed over the years.

“They were so loud. They brought the energy,” said Kindred Wesemann, who added 16 points for the Wildcats. “If they bring the same energy Monday night, it’ll be a lot of fun to play.”

Lizzy Wendell scored 17 for Drake, which carried the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 22 games into the tournament. Becca Hittner added 13 points and Sammie Bachrodt had 10.

“We’ll get into reflective mode at some point because every time I start to go there, tears start to come,” Drake coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “But I’m really proud of our team, I’m really proud of our senior class for taking us on this amazing journey this season.”

The Wildcats raced to a 20-13 lead after the first quarter Saturday, but the game quickly devolved into a sloppy, muddled affair where turnovers seemed to be more popular than shots.

Kansas State had 12 in the first half. Drake had 10.

The turnovers were a big reason why the Bulldogs were able to chip away at their deficit, which grew to 27-20 early in the second quarter. It certainly wasn’t their shooting: When Wendell knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:20 left, it was Drake’s first field goal in nearly seven minutes.

The Bulldogs’ cold shooting continued in the second half. They missed all seven of their 3s and were 4 for 16 from the field in the third quarter as Kansas State pressed its lead to 43-35.

It took a buzzer-beating basket by Wendell just to stay that close.

“We kind of let the defense get to us and we stopped moving the ball,” Wndells aid. “We could have moved the ball a little better, found those open shots.”

Shaelyn Martin’s nifty reverse layup and Kaylee Page’s long 3-pointer early in the fourth pushed the Wildcats’ lead to double-digits for the first time in the game, but the Wildcats still couldn’t quite shake the first team ever to roll through the Missouri Valley unbeaten.

Drake was still within 54-47 when Wesemann hit the first of two 3-pointers down the stretch, and the Wildcats finally managed to put the game away to set up a date with Stanford.

NO JONAS
Drake’s size disadvantage was made even bigger when Becca Jonas was unable to play because of a lingering injury. “Becca is our best post defender, so missing that piece didn’t help us,” Baranczyk said. “She tried, and we all knew she would give everything she had to try.”

BIG PICTURE

Drake’s coach was hoping for a better return to Manhattan, where she got her start as an assistant under former coach Deb Patterson. Baranczyk spent much of the game feuding with the officials, especially down the stretch, when a couple of 50-50 calls went against her team.

Kansas State improved to 14-3 at Bramlage Coliseum this season, and its only losses were to No. 1 overall seed Connecticut and Big 12 powerhouses Texas and Baylor.

UP NEXT

Kansas State gets second-seeded Stanford for a spot in the Sweet 16.

— Associated Press —

Northwest softball splits two games Saturday in St. Joe

Posted on March 18, 2017

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team beat Northern State, 7-0, but fell to Minnesota State, 3-0, on Saturday at the HyVee Classic in St. Joseph, Mo.

– The Bearcats are now 11-9 on the year and will play two more NSIC opponents on Sunday.

– Taylor Blackford threw a complete game shutout against Northern State, allowing eight hits. She struck out three batters and did not allow a walk.

– Kaitlin Weis collected three hits on the day and drove in three runs with two doubles. She also pitched 4.2 innings in the second game, allowing just one earned run.
Game One Key Northwest Statistics (Northwest 7, Northern State 0)

– The Bearcats scored three runs in the third and four in the fourth.

– Northwest had seven runs on seven hits with no errors. The Wolves had eight total hits and two errors.

– Weis was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double.

– Karli Allen also recorded a double, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

– Torri Blythe was 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

– Kiana Baderdeen also crossed the plate twice. She was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

– Jaedra Moses went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

– Rebecca Maher drove in a run in the fourth inning.

– Jessica Rawie drew a walk and scored a run.

Game One Key Northwest Inning
– Allen led off the third with a double to right center. Baderdeen singled to left to put runners on the corners. Blythe came up with an RBI single to left of rhte game’s first run. After a pair of outs, Weis hit a two-RBI double to left, scoring Baderdeen and Blythe to make it 3-0 Bearcats.

– Northwest capitalize on a pair of miscues in the fourth inning. Rawie walked and two batters later went to second on an Allen single. Baderdeen reached on a fielder’s choice but an error on the second baseman allowed Allen to reach safely and Rawie to cross the plate. Blythe reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. Moses then drew a walk to force in the fifth run of the game. Maher reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Baderdeen to score. Weis then hit a two-out RBI single to center to score Blythe, making it 7-0 Northwest.
Game Two Key Northwest Statistics (Minnesota State 3, Northwest 0)

– The Mavericks scored all three runs in the fifth inning.

– The Bearcats had three hits and two errors. Minnesota State had three runs on five hits with no errors.

– Weis was 1-for-3 with a double. She got the start in the circle and went 4.2 innings. She allowed one earned run on five hits. She did not issue a walk and struck out one.

– Maher was 1-for-3 in the second game.

– Blythe was 1-for-3.

– Baderdeen had a sacrifice on the day and was also hit by a pitch.

– Holly Posegate pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. She did not allow a hit or a walk and struck out one.

Game Two Key Northwest Innings
– Weis retired nine-straight batters, putting the Mavericks down in order in the second, third and fourth innings.

– Posegate worked a flawless sixth inning after getting the final out in the fifth. She retired five straight after getting the first batter in the seventh to pop out.

Up Next
– Northwest will return to St. Joseph, Mo., for the third and final day of play on Sunday. The Bearcats will face Sioux Falls (S.D.) at 11 a.m. followed by a 3 p.m. game against St. Cloud State.

— Northwest Athletics —

Western softball gets two wins on day one of Hy-Vee Classic

Posted on March 17, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – The 18th-ranked Missouri Western softball team two games to open the 2017 Hy-Vee Classic on Friday at the Griffon Spring Sports Complex.

The Griffons (20-4) dispatched of Northern State 6-5 and run-ruled Sioux Falls 12-4 in six innings.

NOTABLES
– Shelbie Atwell’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the game-winner against Northern State

– The Griffons were down 3-0 to Northern State in the first, but tied it in the bottom half thanks to a two-RBI single by Paige Shifflett and a double steal between Shifflett and Shelby Uhl with Uhl scoring the tying run

– MWSU was down 5-3 to Northern State in the third before

– Riley Wilson drove in Uhl on a fielder’s choice in the third and Katie Klosterman hit a solo home run to tie it in the fourth

– Missouri Western broke a team record with four triples in the Sioux Falls game

– On the day, the Griffons hit .368 with 10 extra base hits, slugging .719 and scoring 18 runs

TOP PERFORMERS
– Atwell went 4-for-7 at the plate (.571) on the day with a double, a home run and three RBIs

– Sydney Washington was 4-for-8 with a double, two triples, four RBIs and three runs scored

– Kailey Green went 3-for-6 with four RBIs, she hit a home run and her two-RBI double ended the game against Sioux Falls

– Shifflett was 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs

UP NEXT
Missouri Western continues play in the Hy-Vee Classic with Minnesota Duluth (13-7) at noon on Saturday and St. Cloud State (16-6) at approximately 2 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Michaelis’ game-winner sends Missouri to second round of NCAA Women’s Tournament

Posted on March 17, 2017March 17, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Sierra Michaelis ended up being in the right spot at the right time for Missouri.

The senior guard was all alone under the basket and made the game-winning shot on a putback off an Amber Smith miss with 0.6 seconds remaining to give No. 6 seed Missouri a 66-64 win over No. 11 South Florida Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Michaelis had 13 of her 16 points in the second half as Missouri (22-10) rallied from a 38-25 halftime deficit. It is the first time in program history they have won tournament games in consecutive seasons.

“I don’t really remember much about the play,” Michaelis said. “We executed the play just like it was drawn up. I was just there.”

Missouri had 11 of their 13 offensive rebounds in the second half and also had a 20-12 advantage in second-chance points. The Tigers’ defense also held USF to 7 of 24 shooting from the field in the second half.

“We switched on the lob pass and we were right there to contest the first shot,” USF coach Jose Fernandez said. “Unfortunately we weren’t there for the rebound and we could only watch.”

Lindsey Cunningham had 13 points, including four 3-pointers, and Sophie Cunningham 12 for the Tigers, who have won 11 of their last 14 games.

“I love the way we responded at halftime. We dug in on defense and kept them off the boards,” Missouri coach Robin Pingeton said.

Missouri scored the first seven points of the third quarter as part of a 12-3 run. It would trail 46-43 at the end of the quarter.

The Tigers would eventually tie it at 50 on a Michaelis layup with 7:59 remaining. Kitija Laksa’s three-point play gave the Bulls (24-9) the lead again before the Tigers took the lead on a 12-3 run.

“I told our team that the first five minutes of the third quarter were going to be crucial and we didn’t end up scoring,” Fernandez said.

Missouri led 64-61 before Laska tied it with a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds left. Michaelis then hit a layup with less than a second remaining to give Missouri the win.

Arianda Pujol scored 20 points for South Florida with 16 coming in the first half. Laksa added 19.

BIG PICTURE

South Florida: Considering that the Bulls came into the season with only one returning starter, getting to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season should be considered a successful year. Fernandez will have most of his team returning next season, which should make them a team to watch again. This was the third straight year the Bulls were in the 6 vs. 11 game, but they were the sixth seed the past two seasons.

Missouri: The Tigers are second in the nation in free throw accuracy at 80.3 percent. They made their first 10 in Friday’s game but were 2 of 4 in the fourth quarter. They remain on pace to break the program (76.3 percent) and SEC single-season records (78.1 percent by Georgia in 2006).

TIP-INS
The Bulls fell to 20-2 on the season when leading at halftime while the Tigers improved to 6-4 when trailing at the half. … Maria Jespersen had 17 rebounds, which is the most by a USF player in an NCAA Tournament game. Alisia Jenkins had the old mark of 13, which was set in a first-round game last season against Colorado State. … Missouri’s Cierra Porter also had 11 points and 12 rebounds for her 12th double-double this season.

HE SAID IT

“Everybody is going to remember the last possession but there were 75 other ones that we could have done differently. All in all, with everything this group has been through, this one is definitely going to hurt,” Fernandez.

UP NEXT

Missouri faces Florida State on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

Griffons let late lead slip away in 12-inning loss at Missouri Southern

Posted on March 17, 2017March 17, 2017

JOPLIN, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team lost the opening gaeme of their three-game series at Missouri Southern Friday 6-5 in 12 innings.

The Griffons fall to 11-9 this season and 8-2 in the MIAA.

NOTABLES
Missouri Southern scored the game winner in the bottom of the 12th inning on an error after tying the game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning

– Falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Griffons scored the game’s next three runs to take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning

– Missouri Western slugged two home runs, the third consecutive game of multiple home runs

– MWSU forced MSSU to strand two runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings

– The Lions hit into four double plays on the afternoon

TOP PERFORMERS
– Ryan Smith went 3-for-6 at the plate with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored

– Richard Peoples threw 7 1/3 innings as he gave up three runs on just five hits, it was his fifth start of the season with seven or more innings pitched.

– Alex Heuring was 2-for-4 from the plate, with two RBIs and a home run

UP NEXT
Missouri Western looks to even the series Saturday at 1 p.m. in Joplin.

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 1 seed Kansas routs UC Davis in NCAA opener 100-62

Posted on March 17, 2017March 17, 2017

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Josh Jackson insisted a season’s worth of distractions wouldn’t take away from his focus in his first, and likely last, NCAA Tournament.

The standout Kansas freshman proved true to his word in an opening-round 100-62 victory over UC Davis on Friday night, scoring 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting in his return from a one-game suspension for an accumulation of embarrassing incidents.

Jackson scored the first field goal for the Jayhawks (29-5) and 11 of their first 31 points after missing last week’s Big 12 Conference Tournament. His hot start helped Kansas recover from missing its first four shots, and it helped the Jayhawks win their opening game of the tournament for an 11th straight year.

“I’ve been really excited to play for a while now, been itching to play for about a week and a half, so just coming out there today felt really good to get back out there with the guys,” Jackson said. “When I step out there on that court, I’m really not thinking about anything else but basketball, something I’ve been doing for most of my life.”

The win ensures top seeds will remain perfect since the tournament expanded, with the schools now 132-0 against No. 16 seeds.

It also puts an end to a dream run for the Aggies (23-13), who were in their first NCAA Tournament and had advanced to face Kansas after winning a First Four game against North Carolina Central.

Chima Moneke scored 20 points to lead UC Davis, while Brynton Lemar added 17 and Siler Schneider 10 in the loss. However, only two days removed from their victory in Dayton, the Aggies were unable to slow a Kansas team making its 28th straight NCAA Tournament appearance — the longest active streak in the nation.

“We just had as emotional a locker room as I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ve been a part of a lot of teams,” UC Davis coach Jim Les said. “They accomplished a lot of wonderful feats, and I don’t want this game to take away from (that). There’s a lot to be grateful for.”

While Jackson’s return boosted the Jayhawks, senior Frank Mason III proved as reliable as ever while scoring 22 points and adding eight assists on Friday.

All five starters finished in double figures for Kansas, with Svi Mykhailiuk and Devonte’ Graham adding 16 points each and Landen Lucas 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Jayhawks outrebounded UC Davis 45-27 and shot 56.3 percent (36 of 64) in the win.

The last time Kansas lost an opening-round game of the NCAA Tournament was as a No. 4 seed in 2006 to a Bradley team led by Les.

Despite Les’ experience and past success as a lower seed against the Jayhawks, the weary Aggies began to fade midway through the first half against a rested Kansas team.

The Jayhawks hadn’t played in eight days since losing to TCU in the Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinals, and they closed the half on a 29-7 run to lead 50-28.

“We were a little nervous early, anxious early, and they certainly made it very difficult to score early on,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “And then, I thought from about the 12-minute mark of the first half, the lid came off the basket and I thought we executed very well.”

BIG PICTURE

UC Davis: The Aggies had won seven of eight games, including the Big West Conference Tournament to reach Friday’s game. Les and senior Darius Graham provided one of the more emotional moments of the game, however, when the two embraced for nearly a minute after Graham exited the game with 1:45 remaining.
Kansas: Whether Jackson’s suspension played a role or not in the Jayhawks’ early exit from the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas appeared back in top form with its star freshman’s return. The 6-foot-8 guard started and played 23 minutes, putting together a highlight-reel performance that included several impressive finishes at the rim while adding seven rebounds.

TIP-INS

Mason has scored 20 or more points in a game 20 times this season, including in each of his last four games and nine of his last 11. He was 8 of 14 from the field on Friday and hit three 3-pointers while also grabbing five rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks advance to face Michigan State on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

K-State gets knocked out of NCAA Tournament by hot shooting Cincinnati

Posted on March 17, 2017March 17, 2017

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Troy Caupain scored 23 points, Kyle Washington added 16 and defensive-minded Cincinnati shot it way past Kansas State 75-61 Friday night in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament.

Cincinnati (30-5) was knocked out the first round a year ago and No. 6 seeds were 0-3 before the Bearcats took the floor, with Maryland, Creighton and SMU all losing to No. 11 seeds.

The Bearcats took care of their business and the No. 6 jinx with an impressive shooting display, shooting 62 percent. Cincinnati is known for its defense and did that, too, preventing Kansas State (21-14) from making much of a run after building a 17-point lead.

The Bearcats now move on to play the winner between No. 3 seed UCLA and No. 14 Kent State on Sunday.

Wesley Iwundu led Kansas State with 19 points.

Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin was not pleased with his team’s seeding nor the travel all the way to California to play its opening game.

Kansas State had an even tougher trip, having two days between games after traveling from Dayton to Sacramento following a 95-88 win over Wake Forest in the First Four.

The Wildcats has to switch gears quickly in style of play, too. While Wake Forest likes to play at a fast pace, the Bearcats have the nation’s fourth-stingiest scoring defense at 60.4 points allowed per game.

Cincinnati was solid defensively, as expected but the offense stole the show early. The Bearcats hit their first eight shots to go up 9 midway through the first half and only slowed slightly.

Caupain made all five of his shots to score 14 points and Cincinnati hit 15 of 23 to lead 39-28.

Kansas State made a run at the Bearcats early in the second half, cutting the lead to 6.

The Bearcats pushed the lead back to 13 behind their offense and with a tightened-up defense after those early baskets by Kansas State. Cincinnati made 12 of 20 shots in the second half.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, but will have to replace three key seniors to get back: D.J. Johnson, Iwundu and Carlbe Ervin II.

Cincinnati was fourth nationally in scoring defense during the season and will be a tough out the rest of the tournament if it keeps shooting like this.

UP NEXT

Cincinnati plays the winner between No. 3 seed UCLA and No. 14 seed Kent State on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest baseball gets walk-off win over William Jewell

Posted on March 16, 2017

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team captured a 4-3 walk-off victory over William Jewell on Thursday afternoon at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest improves to 12-8 on the year while William Jewell falls to 5-7.

– Landon Figg delivered the game winning hit in the ninth inning, scoring two. He was 1-for-5 on the day with a pair of runs driven in.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored one run in the first and three in the ninth. The Cardinals had two runs in the first and one in the fifth.

– The Bearcats had four runs on seven hits with no errors. William Jewell scored three runs on 10 hits with three errors.

– Ozzie Adams was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

– Garrett Fort was 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.

– Luke Hassman was 1-for-4 with a stolen base.

– Logan Rycraft was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning.

– Kevin Handzlik went 1-for-4 on the day.

– Jay Hrdlicka drew a pair of walks and Luke Wilkinson had one walk.

– Kolby Greenslade drew a walk in his only plate appearance and came around to score in the ninth.

– Eddy Kraeber got the start on the mound, going 6.0 innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits. He walked just two batters and struck out four.

– Between the first and the third innings, Kraeber retired seven straight Cardinal hitters.

– Jacob Wagner, Austin Battaglia and Nikko Pablo each worked scoreless innings in relief. Battaglia had one strikeout and Pablo recorded two.

Key Northwest Innings
– The Bearcats took advantage of a couple of Cardinal errors in the first. Fort reached on an error by the shortstop and went to second on an Adams single. After a fielder’s choice by Figg, Fort ended up on third. With Holler at the plate, Figg tried to steal second but a poor throw by the catcher skipped into left, allowing Fort to score from third.

– Greenslade, who was called upon to pinch hit, and Hrdlicka drew back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the ninth. After a pitching change, Aaron Barratt pinch ran for Hrdlicka. Rycraft moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt to third. Fort and Adams worked back-to-back walks to force in Greenslade for the Bearcats’ second run of the game. Figg delivered the winning hit on a single up the middle, scoring Barratt and Fort to give Northwest the victory, 4-3.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will play Rockhurst twice this weekend. Saturday’s game in Kansas City will start at 3 p.m. and Sunday’s game in Maryville, Mo., will begin at 1 p.m. William Jewell and Northwest will play again on Tuesday, May 2, in Liberty Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

KU’s Bill Self named one of four finalists for Naismith Coach of the Year

Posted on March 16, 2017

ATLANTA – Kansas basketball coach Bill Self has been named one of four national finalists for the 2017 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday. Self won the honor in 2012 and has been a finalist seven times.

Joining Self as finalists are Chris Collins (Northwestern), Mark Few (Gonzaga) and Jay Wright (Villanova).

The final round of voting runs from March 20-30. Fans have a say in the overall voting process. From 9 a.m. CDT on March 20through 10:59 p.m. CDT on March 31 fans can cast their ballot at naismithtrophy.com/vote. One vote per person per category per day. Fan vote will account for 5% of the total vote. The awarding of the 2017 Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year award will be at the Naismith Awards annual Final Four Awards Brunch on Sunday, April 2 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Here are some highlights for Self in 2016-17 as No. 3/3 Kansas is 28-4 overall won the Big 12 regular season with a 16-2 record:

Currently No. 3/3 in both national polls, Kansas has been ranked in the top five in all but one week by Associated Press and two weeks in the USA TodayCoaches’ polls. The Jayhawks have been No. 3 or higher in every poll since Dec. 5.
Kansas is 5-0 against teams ranked in the top-10 this season, including a 4-0 record against top-five opponents.
In his first home contest of the season, a KU 86-65 win against Siena (Nov. 18), Self became the winningest coach in Allen Fieldhouse history. At 220-10, Self has more conference titles (13) than home losses in Allen Fieldhouse.
From Nov. 15-Jan. 21, Kansas won 18 consecutive games, which was the second longest winning streak in Self’s 14 seasons and marked the 15th time in the Self era the Jayhawks have won 10 consecutive games.
Kansas won the CBE Hall of Fame Classic (Nov. 21-22), which was the sixth in-season tournament title in Self’s 14 seasons at KU, including each of the last three years.
Self became the ninth-fastest coach in NCAA history to record 600 career wins with a 105-62 win against UMKC (Dec. 6). Self is currently 620-192 (76.4 percent).
Self won his 400th game while at Kansas with an 81-70 win at Oklahoma (Jan. 10). He became the fastest KU coach to accomplish the 400-win plateau. Self’s 82.6 (413-87) winning percentage at Kansas is the highest among KU’s eight coaches.
Self was named a finalist for induction to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
Self guided Kansas to its NCAA-record-tying 13th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season title in 2016-17. The Jayhawks tied UCLA’s 13-straight from 1967-79. UCLA accomplished the feat under three coaches, while Kansas’ current run has been under Self.
At 28-4, Kansas has won at least 27 games 10 times in the Bill Self
Four Jayhawks were named to the 2017 Academic All-Big 12 team giving Self a conference-high 35 honorees during his time a Kansas.

Historically, in 2012 Self became the third Kansas coach to be named the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, which started in 1987. Larry Brown won the honor in 1988 and Roy Williams in 1997. Besides 2017, Self was a finalist in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2012.

2017 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year National Finalists
Chris Collins, Northwestern
Mark Few, Gonzaga
BILL SELF, KANSAS
Jay Wright, Villanova