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100 Facts About the 2014-15 Kansas Jayhawks (Part 1)

The 2014-15 Kansas Jayhawks season was one that ultimately featured ups, downs, and everything in between. The Jayhawks won their 11th straight Big 12 title, but the season ended too soon when KU was bounced in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. As we turn the page on the 2015 squad, we look back on 100 facts about the team, from player stats to record-breaking performances, monumental comebacks and epic collapses, and all-time thrills and major heartbreak.

  1. The Jayhawks had three games this season where they shot 35% or worse from the floor (Kentucky, Temple, Wichita State). They lost three games by double-digits (Kentucky, Temple, Wichita State).
  2. Total rebounds:
    5’11” Frank Mason: 141
    6’10” Landen Lucas: 139
    6’8″ Jamari Traylor: 130
  3. Frank Mason had just one more assist (142) than he did rebound (141).
  4. Frank Mason’s 1,207 minutes are the most of any KU player under Bill Self since Travis Releford’s 1,252 in 2013, but Mason played in one fewer game.
  5. Mason’s average of 33.5 minutes per game is the fifth-most of any Kansas player in the Bill Self era. The top four: Sherron Collins ’09 (35.1), Wayne Simien ’05 (34.3), Travis Releford ’13 (33.8), and Aaron Miles ’04 (33.8).
  6. Frank Mason played at least 25 minutes in 35 of his 36 games this season.
    Cliff Alexander played at least 25 minutes in 3 of his 28 games this season.
  7. Naadir Tharpe, ’14: 8.5 pts, 5.0 assists, 2.1 TO, 43% FG, 38% 3-pt
    Frank Mason, ’15: 12.6 pts, 3.9 assists, 2.1 TO, 44% FG, 43% 3-pt
  8. Frank Mason, ’14: 16 mins, 5.5 pts, 2.1 assists, 1.1 TO, 42% FG,
    Devonte Graham, ’15: 18 mins, 5.7 pts, 2.1 assists, 1.1 TO, 39% FG
  9. Frank Mason and Naadir Tharpe each committed five turnovers in their respective season-ending losses to Wichita State and Stanford.
  10. Frank Mason’s five turnovers agianst Wichita State was a career-high.

  11. Frank Mason turned the ball over four or more times in just five games this season.
  12. Naadir Tharpe did it 7 times last year. Elijah Johnson committed four or more turnovers 15 times in 2012-13.
  13. Frank Mason was the only Jayhawk to score in all 36 games this season.
  14. From Game 3 (Rider) to Game 25 (Baylor), Frank Mason scored at least 10 points and scored at least two assists in 22 straight games. Nobody else has done that at KU under Bill Self.

  15. Devonte’ Graham’s five steals against Wichita State are the most by any KU player in a game since Tyshawn Taylor’s mark of five in the Elite Eight against UNC in 2012.
  16. Cliff Alexander had 18 more rebounds in 492 minutes than Jamari Traylor did in 714. He also had 32 more points and committed 25 fewer turnovers.
  17. Landen Lucas had 9 more rebounds in 485 minutes than Jamari Traylor did in 714.
  18. Jamari Traylor had 5 or more rebounds in 12 of 35 games.
  19. Cliff Alexander had 5 or more rebounds in 16 of 28 games.

  20. Frank Mason had 5 or more rebounds in 12 of 36 games.
  21. Once again: Frank Mason and Jamari Traylor had the same number of 5+ rebound games.
  22. Frank Mason is 5’11. Jamari Traylor is 6’8.
  23. In 222 less minutes than Jamari Traylor, Cliff Alexander made six more field goals (73-67).
  24. In 222 less minutes than Jamari Traylor, Cliff Alexander attempted 24 more free throws, and made 20 more.
  25. In 222 less minutes than Jamari Traylor, Cliff Alexander blocked the same number of shots (37).
  26. Landen Lucas committed 70 fouls in 485 minutes. (1 per 6.9 minutes)
    Cliff Alexander committed 57 fouls in 492 minutes. (1 per 8.6 minutes)
    Jamari Traylor committed 79 fouls in 714 minutes. (1 per 9.0 minutes)
  27. Jamari Traylor played the 5th most minutes of any KU player, but committed the 2nd-highest number of fouls.
  28. Rebounding numbers, per 40 minutes:
    Cliff Alexander: 12.0
    Landen Lucas: 11.5
    Hunter Mickelson: 10.2
    Jamari Traylor: 7.3
  29. Points per 40 minutes:
    Cliff Alexander: 16.2
    Hunter Mickelson: 13.5
    Jamari Traylor: 9.4
    Landen Lucas: 9.2
  30. Minutes per game:
    Jamari Traylor: 20.4
    Cliff Alexander: 17.6
    Landen Lucas: 15.2
    Hunter Mickelson: 7.0

  31. Of the four big men, the one that averaged the fewest points per 40 and the second-fewest rebounds per 40 played the most minutes.
  32. Eight Jayhawks got more total minutes than Cliff Alexander this year. Only two had more rebounds, and only one had more offensive rebounds.
  33. Double-doubles, this season:
    Cliff Alexander: 2
    Landen Lucas: 1
    Frank Mason: 1
    Jamari Traylor: 0
  34. Defensive rebounding percentage, Kansas career: Thomas Robinson 30.6%, Cliff Alexander 19.9%, Perry Ellis 17.2%, Jamari Traylor 11.2%

  35. Cliff Alexander’s player efficiency rating of 21.5 was the highest of the 11 players that averaged more than 5 minutes per game for Kansas.
  36. Hunter Mickelson’s mark of 20.8 placed second, and Perry Ellis’ rating of 20.5 was third.
  37. Jamari Traylor’s player efficiency rating of 12.0 was 9th out of the 11 players that averaged more than 5 minutes per game.
  38. Evan Manning’s player efficiency rating was 12.0.
    Wayne Selden’s was 11.2.
  39. Evan Manning’s offensive player efficiency rating was 104.3
    Wayne Selden’s was 100.0
    Jamari Traylor’s was 94.7

  40. Offensive efficiency ratings:
    1. Cliff Alexander, 118.6
    2. Brannen Greene, 118.3
    3. Frank Mason, 114.0
  41. Offensive efficiency ratings for big men:
    1. Cliff Alexander, 118.6
    5. Perry Ellis, 110.9
    6. Hunter Mickelson, 110.1
    8. Landen Lucas, 105.7
    11. Jamari Traylor, 94.7
  42. Jamari Traylor’s turnover rate was 24.6%.
    Landen Lucas’ was 24.3%.
    Cliff Alexander’s was 14.6%.
  43. Perry Ellis averaged 25 points and 9 rebounds in the three games before injuring his knee. He shot 60% in those contests.
  44. After returning from the injury, he averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds in four games, and shot just 35% from the floor.
  45. Wayne Selden’s 2014 and 2015 per-game stat lines are nearly identical:
    2014: 29.2 minutes, 9.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 TO
    2015: 29.4 minutes, 9.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.1 TO
  46. Wayne Selden scored exactly one fewer point this year than he did last season (340-339). He played 38 more minutes and took 16 more shots.
  47. Wayne Selden Two-pointers:
    2014: 79/149 (53%) – 70 misses.
    2015: 66/167 (39%) – 101 misses.
  48. Wayne Selden Three-pointers:
    2014: 42/128 (33%)
    2015: 46/126 (37%)
  49. Wayne Selden shot 18/27 (66%) in the Big 12 tournament, and is shooting 25/47 (53%) in five career Big 12 tournament games.
  50. Wayne Selden shot 3/11 (27%) in the NCAA tournament, and is shooting 4/21 (19%) in four career NCAA tournament games. He has 7 assists and 6 turnovers in those contests.

    Continue to part two, facts #51-100.

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Ryan Landreth

I’m a recent graduate of MidAmerica Nazarene University. In addition to writing for Rock Chalk Blog, I host the Inside the Paint podcast that covers KU basketball, and I write for Royals Review in the summer. My grandma has had season tickets to Jayhawk basketball for 30 years, and I have the privilege of going to most games with her.

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