Kansas City, Missouri — The University of Arizona men’s basketball team (20-11, 14-6 in Big 12) is set to face the University of Kansas Jayhawks (21-11, 11-9 in Big 12) for a rematch of the Wildcats’ final regular season game in the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday, March 13 at 6:30 MST in the T-Mobile Center. The game will be televised on ESPN. Arizona saw No. 6 seed Kansas advance to the quarterfinals after earning a 98-94 overtime victory over No. 14 University of Central Florida on Wednesday, March 12.
Arizona secured the No. 3 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, making this the fourth consecutive year the Wildcats have finished in the top 3 of its conference guided by head coach Tommy Lloyd. Notably, when the All-Big 12 awards were revealed, Caleb Love was named to the First Team.
History vs. Kansas
Thursday marks the 14th meeting between the Jayhawks and Wildcats. Kansas has built a 9-4 all-time series lead throughout the two programs’ history. The most recent matchup occurred less than a week ago on March 8, when the Wildcats fell 83-76 in Allen Fieldhouse despite a second-half rally.
Kansas players to watch
22nd year head coach Bill Self has led Kansas to a 588-143 record (80.4%) and is three wins shy of becoming the winningest coach in KU history. In the second-round victory over UCF, the Jayhawks were able to hold off the Knights as Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo led the team with a combined 47 points. The team’s top-two leading scorers typically average 31.9 points per game.
Hunter Dickinson, a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection last season and this year, secured his sixth double-double in his last seven games after putting up 23 points and 13 rebounds over UCF in Wednesday’s matchup. The 7-foot-2 graduate center shot 9-for-18 from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Dickinson leads the Jayhawks in points and rebounding, averaging 17.6 points and 10 rebounds per game. Additionally, Dickinson is second on the team, collecting 42 total blocks and 32 steals.
Zeke Mayo, has put up impressive stats over his last two games. Mayo, a 6-foot-4 guard, collected back-to-back 20 point games against Arizona and UCF. In the victory over the Knights, Mayo led the Jayhawks with a 24-point effort along with eight rebounds, putting Kansas in position to win. Mayo’s performance included him going 5-for-7 from 3-point range. He was named to the All-Big 12 Third team and leads the team with 80 made 3-pointers, including 10 in his last two. Mayo is the team’s second leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Despite AJ Storr fouling out in the final seconds of overtime, the 6-foot-7 guard put up a season-high 19 points for the Jayhawks. Storr has only started in four games, averaging 6 points per game. KJ Adams, Kansas’ third-leading rebounder, secured a strong statline against UCF, putting up 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. The Jayhawks average 76.2, shooting 47.3% from the field and 34.7% from 3-point range. Defensively, Kansas brings down 38.7 rebounds per game.
Wildcats to watch
Head coach Tommy Lloyd is in his fourth season leading Arizona, having collected a 48-25 away game record since the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. Under Lloyd, Arizona is 19-11 against AP Top 25 teams, ranking third in the country with a .633 winning percentage. The Wildcats put up an average of 82 points per game. In Arizona’s 20 wins, the Wildcats put up 86.6 ppg, while in their 11 losses, they are averaging 70 points. Going into this matchup against Kansas, Arizona depth will have to show up as the Wildcats have secured 20 or more points off the bench in 18 out of 20 conference games.
Caleb Love, the 2023-2024 Pac-12 Player of the Year, has to be able to set the tone for Arizona in this matchup against Kansas. As a St. Louis, Mo., native, Love is brought back to his home state to experience his first time playing on the Big 12 Championship stage. The 6-foot-4 guard is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points, ranking seventh in the Big 12, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Love is one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award, a recognition given to the top shooting guard in the country.
Henri Veesaar, a 7-foot center, is a vital part of the Wildcats’ defense. The Estonian leads Arizona in 37 blocked shots this season and is shooting 12-for-31 from 3-point range in conference play. In a recent matchup against ASU on March 4, Veesaar recorded a career-high 22 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the 113-100 victory over the Sun Devils. Veesaar serves as Arizona’s second leading rebounder behind Awaka, averaging a stat line of 9.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Along with Veesaar, Awaka also earned an honorable mention for the Big 12 awards.
Trey Townsend, a 6-foot-6 forward, secured 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss against Kansas. During the game, Townsend hit a shot from beyond the arc which gave Arizona a lead for the first time since the opening minutes. Notably, the Oakland University transfer is 7-for-12 from the 3-point line in his last seven games as Arizona looks for ways to combat Kansas’ offensive efficiency.
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