The Latest on the second round of the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):
12:05 a.m.
Auburn is going back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kansas, with all its ups and downs this season, was a popular pick to be one of the NCAA Tournament's first big upsets.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dedric Lawson transferred to Kansas in part to win championships.
He'll have that chance Saturday night.
The former Memphis standout scored 24 points and the...
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech sophomore guard Jarrett Culver is The Associated Press Big 12 player of the year after helping lead his hometown Red Raiders to a share of the regular season...
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Cutting through Baylor's long zone defense, Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji came down with the ball in the low post double-teamed by a pair of Baylor defenders. The freshman...
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas got exactly what it needed after a humiliating loss at Texas Tech when the schedule produced a high-profile showdown with Big 12-leading Kansas State inside raucous...
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Devon Dotson drove through a crowd of West Virginia players, stopped in his tracks and passed the ball across the key, finding K.J. Lawson alone in the corner. Without hesitation, Lawson sunk his third 3-pointer of the game before running down the court celebrating with his brother, Dedric.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas got the lift it needed against Oklahoma State on Saturday from a pair of guys that would have been just about the longest of long shots to provide it just a couple of months ago.
Ochai Agbaji was still redshirting back then. Mitch Lightfoot was buried deep on the bench.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self had been waiting most of this season for a moment to galvanize his team.
He may have gotten it during practice on Friday.
First, the Jayhawks lost starting guard Marcus Garrett to a sprained ankle, robbing them of their defensive stopper. Then, they learned that sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa would be ineligible for this season and next after the NCAA determined his guardian had accepted impermissible benefits.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Three days after he declared the Texas season at a crossroads, Longhorns senior forward Dylan Osetkowski let his wide body do the talking.
A 73-63 win over No. 11 Kansas, Texas' first against the Jayhawks since 2014, is certainly one step in the right direction.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas spent most of the first half Monday night chasing Iowa State all over the court, unable to keep up with the Cyclones' crisp ball movement and their resulting open shots.
Jayhawks coach Bill Self made a subtle tweak that changed everything.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Marcus Garrett has earned his spot in the Kansas starting lineup primarily with his defense.
His offense Monday night was merely a bonus.
The sophomore forward poured in a career-high 20 points, used his defensive instincts to produce a crucial tie-up in the closing seconds, and helped the seventh-ranked Jayhawks hold on for an 80-78 win over the Longhorns when Jase Febres' 3-pointer at the buzzer never came close.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Checking into a game for the first time for Kansas, freshman guard Ochai Agbaji prepared for a play that he'd only ever defended during practice.
Agbaji darted through TCU's defense, took a lob from Quentin Grimes and recorded his first collegiate basket.
"I told myself the best way to get rid of his nerves was give him an easy basket, and maybe something to energize the crowd a little bit," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Because we've been so boring playing above the rim."
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The mantra at Kansas is "faces change, expectations don't."
Something else that doesn't change? Oklahoma losing in Allen Fieldhouse.
Dedric Lawson had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Kansas' young backcourt made enough crucial plays when it mattered, and the fifth-ranked Jayhawks began pursuit of their 15th consecutive Big 12 title by holding off the No. 23 Sooners 70-63 on Wednesday night.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Zylan Cheatham bounded down the hallway inside Wells Fargo Arena, half skipping, half jumping as he high-fived family, friends, anyone he could reach.
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's gooooo!" the Arizona State forward shouted.
Let it be heard: the Sun Devils have arrived.
Poised down the stretch after trailing most of the night, No. 18 Arizona State pulled off one of the biggest victories in school history by knocking off No. 1 Kansas 80-76 on Saturday.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self hoped from the moment Charlie Moore arrived as a transfer from Cal that the talented shooting guard would provide the Jayhawks a lift off the bench.
He finally did Tuesday night.
Moore knocked down six 3-pointers and finished with 18 points, Dedric Lawson added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the top-ranked Jayhawks pulled away over the final 15 minutes for an 89-53 win over plucky but overmatched South Dakota on Tuesday night.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Dedric Lawson had 28 points and 12 rebounds, Lagerald Vick scored 29, and top-ranked Kansas made enough free throws down the stretch to beat No. 17 Villanova 74-71 Saturday in a rematch of last season's Final Four showdown won by the Wildcats.
Devon Dotson added 11 points for the Jayhawks (9-0), including four free throws in the final 1:10 to help Kansas end a three-game losing streak to Villanova — the last two in the NCAA Tournament.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lagerald Vick had never watched last season's Final Four loss to Villanova before this week, when top-ranked Kansas had to endure every minute of it while prepping for Saturday's game against the Wildcats.
"We watched it for like, a week straight," Vick said. "It was definitely hard."
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Dedric Lawson was turning his attention from a harder-than-expected win over New Mexico State to studying for finals when he looked at his cellphone and saw Devonte Graham's name pop up.
His old teammate, and now a member of the Charlotte Hornets, was calling with a pep talk.
"He saw we were struggling against New Mexico State," Lawson recalled, "and he said, 'Don't even worry about that. You just win on Saturday for me.'"
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dedric Lawson's second-half performance was invaluable for No. 2 Kansas.
Lawson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and scored Kansas' final 14 points as the undefeated Jayhawks got past New Mexico State 63-60 in the Jayhawk Shootout on Saturday night.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas endured yet another slow start — plus the loss of a player with NBA aspirations — before finally pulling away from a small-conference opponent.
Dedric Lawson had 20 points and eight rebounds, and the No. 2 Jayhawks ran off 27 consecutive points during the second half beat Wofford 72-47 on Tuesday night after center Udoka Azubuike left with a right ankle injury.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — After struggling to score in the first half, Lagerald Vick came through in a big way to rally No. 2 Kansas to a big win over Stanford.
Vick hit the tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation and had eight of his 27 points to start overtime and lead the Jayhawks to a 90-84 victory over Stanford on Saturday night.
"He was nonexistent for a while . but he was great down the stretch," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "We needed every one of (his points)."
NEW YORK (AP) — Bill Self wanted to see his young team play in and win a tough, grind it out game. They did just that against a team he thinks can compete for a National Championship in March.
Dedric Lawson had 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, and No. 2 Kansas rallied to beat No. 5 Tennessee 87-81 in overtime early Saturday morning in the NIT Season Tip-Off title game.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the NIT Season Tip-Off (all times local):
12:15 a.m.
Dedric Lawson had 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, and No. 2 Kansas rallied to beat No. 5 Tennessee 87-81 in overtime in the NIT Season Tip-Off title game early Saturday.
Lagerald Vick scored 15 points, with eight straight during a crucial stretch for the Jayhawks' comeback, and assisted on an alley-oop to Lawson that made it 78-73 with 2:39 left in overtime. Lawson was named the tournament MVP.
NEW YORK (AP) — Top five teams Kansas and Tennessee were tested in the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals. Both passed and will face off in the championship game Friday night.
Dedric Lawson had a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 2 Kansas to a 77-68 win over Marquette in the second semifinal of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday night. Earlier in the evening, No. 5 Tennessee topped Louisville 92-81.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on The NIT Season Tip-Off (all times local):
9:30 p.m.
Dedric Lawson had a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 2 Kansas to a 77-68 win over Marquette in the second semifinal of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday night.
Marquette (3-1) led by as many as 12 in the first half before taking a 47-38 lead into the break. Then came the Jayhawks 22-0 run.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lagerald Vick had declared for the NBA draft and Kansas had moved on without him, recruiting a trio of backcourt players to take his place and planning for the upcoming season.
Then Vick changed his mind and returned for his senior year.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kansas' Quentin Grimes and Dedric Lawson made quite an impression Tuesday night.
They produced basket after basket, big play after big play. If they keep playing this way, No. 1 Kansas might just stay on top of the college basketball world.
Grimes scored 21 points in his college debut and Lawson added 20 points in his first game with the Jayhawks, helping Kansas stymie No. 10 Michigan State's late charge for a 92-87 victory in the season-opening Champions Classic.
The 2017-18 college basketball season had everything a fan could want. Standout performances, a No. 1 seed finally falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and Villanova cutting down the nets for the second time in three seasons.
Oh, and Sister Jean and Chicago-Loyola giving hope to underdogs everywhere by reaching the Final Four.
A new season starts Tuesday, and it's been a long seven months to wait for a sport that seems to top itself every year.
Acquiring a high-profile transfer isn't necessarily a prerequisite for every Final Four contender, but a look at the rosters of AP Top 25 teams sure makes it seem that way.
Four of the top five teams in the preseason poll are counting on contributions from at least one transfer. Reigning national champion Villanova also should get a boost from a transfer.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas was so short of depth last season that when Silvio De Sousa joined the program for the second semester, having graduated from high school early, he quickly began playing important minutes.
Some of them came during the Jayhawks' run to the Final Four.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis has signed guard Kareem Brewton from Eastern Florida State College as the Tigers attempt to rebuild their roster after their top three scorers from this season decided to transfer.
Brewton, who is 6-foot-2, averaged 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season for Eastern Florida State.
Memphis coach Tubby Smith says Brewton "is an all-around athlete, is an outstanding team player, and a guy who can defend."
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis athletic director Tom Bowen says he and coach Tubby Smith are "extremely optimistic about the future of our program" even though the Tigers' top three scorers this season are all transferring.
Bowen issued a statement Tuesday saying he had met with Smith "at length." Bowen said the rash of transfers "has been difficult to watch, (but) it has not surprised us."