By Henry Rawn
1 11 2025
GAME NOTES
https://kuathletics.com/documents/2025/1/10/15_KUMBB_Cincinnati-final.pdf
LAWRENCE, Kan. — No. 11/12 Kansas (11-3, 2-1 Big 12) begins a two-game road trip at Cincinnati (10-4, 0-3 Big 12) on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. CT. The game from Fifth Third Arena will be televised on ESPN+ with Roxy Bernstein and Kevin Lehman calling the action.
Kansas is coming off a 74-55 win against Arizona State on Jan. 8 after overcoming a six-point halftime deficit. The Jayhawks outscored ASU 38-13 in the second half. The 13 points allowed by Kansas in the second half were the fewest points allowed in a half by Kansas since allowing 9 points in the first half vs. TCU on Feb. 23, 2013.
Cincinnati is looking to end a three-game losing streak after its 68-48 loss at Baylor on Jan. 7. The Bearcats lead the overall series with Kansas, 5-4, but Kansas has won three of the last four meetings in a series that dates back to 1949.
KU is No. 9 in the NET report by the NCAA through games of Jan. 8. The No. 9 rank is third in the Big 12 behind No. 4 Houston and No. 7 Iowa State.
The Jayhawks average 78.9 points per game and have a +15.3 scoring margin. KU pulls down 39.6 rebounds per contest with a +7.2 rebound margin. Kansas is making 48.8% from the field, which is third in the Big 12 and 35th nationally, including 34.8% from three-point range. KU ranks second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally in field goal percentage defense at 37.3% and second in the league, eighth nationally in assists average at 18.7. KU also averages 7.2 steals and 5.1 blocked shots per game.
Coming off his fifth double-double in the last six games with 15 points and 12 rebounds against Arizona State (1/8), graduate C Hunter Dickinson leads Kansas in scoring at 15.9 ppg and rebounding at 10.4 rpg. A three-time Big 12 Player of the Week, Dickinson is first in the Big 12 in double-doubles (8), which is seventh nationally, and is second in rebounds per game (10.4), which is 13th nationally. Dickinson also leads KU with 23 blocked shots and he is second on the team with 21 steals. After his 23 points against Arizona State (1/8), senior G Zeke Mayo has scored 23-plus points in four of his last five games. A two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Mayo is averaging 14.6 points per game and has made a team-high 31 threes. He is second on the team with 46 assists and pulls down 4.1 rebounds per contest. Graduate G Dajuan Harris Jr. is a four-year starter who is averaging 10.3 points per game. After his seven assists and no turnovers against Arizona State (1/8), Harris is first in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.90, which is seventh nationally, and third in the conference in assists per game at 5.6, which is 39th nationally. Senior F KJ Adams is a starter who is scoring 8.5 points per game. Adams pulls down 4.4 rebounds per game and has 31 assists and 14 blocked shots.
Junior G Rylan Griffen is second on the team with 18 threes, which includes a 4-for-4 effort at UCF (1/5). Griffen is averaging 7.3 ppg and has started seven games this season. Junior G AJ Storr has started four games and he is scoring 7.0 points per contest. Storr has made 11 threes this season. Freshman F Flory Bidunga recorded a career-high six blocked shots at UCF (1/5). His 17 blocked shots are second on the team and he is also second on the team with a 5.2 rebound average. Bidunga averages 6.5 points per game and is shooting 82.4 percent (42-for-51) from the field. Senior G David Coit has three starts and he is third on the team with 17 threes made. Coit averages 5.0 points per game.
Other KU regulars include graduate G Shakeel Moore (3.3 ppg), redshirt-junior F Zach Clemence (1.4 ppg) and freshman G Rakease Passmore (1.2 ppg). Moore has started the last two games for Kansas and is averaging 7.0 ppg, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in that span.
UP NEXT
Kansas continues its two-game road trip at No. 3 Iowa State on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Tip from Hilton Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Kansas leads the overall series with Iowa State, 189-68, including a 72-42 mark in games played in Ames, Iowa (28-24 in Hilton Coliseum). Iowa State has won the last two meetings in Ames. Kansas is 8-2 against Iowa State in the last 10 meetings.
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