Game 10: Kansas City at No. 2 Kansas – Preview and Prediction

The No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks can most likely capture the No. 1 ranking on Saturday with a win over UMKC. Saturday marks KU’s annual regular season trip to the Sprint Center. Saturday is also the last of the “gimme” games as well, as the schedule ramps up next weekend with a trip to Villanova.

• Saturday, December 14, 2019, 4:00 pm CDT
• Sprint Center — Kansas City, Mo.
• ESPN+ or ESPN App
• No. 2/3 Kansas takes an eight-game winning streak into its Dec. 14 battle against Kansas City in the Jayhawk Shootout at Sprint Center. KU has tallied a win streak of eight games or more 21 times during the Bill Self.
• With its 95-68 win against Milwaukee on Dec. 10, KU became just the second NCAA DI team (Gonzaga, 305) to claim 300 wins during this decade. KU sits at 300-67 in the 2010’s, good for an .817 win percentage.
•  Kansas will be playing 52nd game in Sprint Center and 312th all-time in Kansas City. KU is 41-10 (80.4 percent) in Sprint Center, 27-6 (81.8 percent) since 2012-13, and 227-84 all-time in KC.
• Kansas is 7-0 all-time against Kansas City, including 2-0 in Kansas City meetings, 1-0 in Sprint Center.
• Through games of Dec. 11, according to the NCAA, Kansas has the fifth toughest schedule in the nation. The ranking is based on past opposition winning percentage, with KU at 76.7.
• KU is 5-0 in Allen Fieldhouse this season and has a 26-game home court winning streak, which includes last year’s win against New Mexico State at the Jayhawk Shootout at Sprint Center. KU’s home court winning streak is third-longest active nationally behind Tennessee (31) and Gonzaga (28).
• Kansas ranks third nationally in field goal percentage at 52.3 percent. KU is one of only 13 teams shooting above 50 percent in 2019-20.

Roos to Watch

Javan White  – Senior, Forward, 6’10″
White is the Roos’ leading scorer and rebounder at 12.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG. He also chips in at 1.3 APG. Kansas should have more than enough bodies to man up with him with the likes of Udoka Azubuike, David McCormack and Silvio DeSousa.

Brandon McKissic– Junior, Guard, 6’3”
McKissic is second on the team in scoring at 9.3 PPG, but he really makes his hay from the outside – shooting nearly 40 percent at a 39.3 percent. McKissic has been in double figures four times this season for the Roos.

Prediction

Even with a dominant record in the Sprint Center over the years, it feels as if Kansas has struggled there. Fans shouldn’t have to worry about that on Saturday, as Kansas should roll. Expect another Milwaukee type massacre. Over the last 2-3 weeks, Kansas has been playing like the best team in college basketball and expect more of that on Saturday night.

The Jayhawks are just too big, talented and all around better. Kansas wins big and covers.

Kansas 87, UMKC 59 (KU -22)

AUDIO PREVIEW: LINK (go to 60:00 mark of podcast)

Season Record: 8-1 (4-4 ATS)