Tennessee St. Tigers vs Kansas Jayhawks Match Player Stats On Nov 10, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 10, 2017

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas made the first nine shots it attempted Friday and was led by junior guard Lagerald Vick with 23 points as the No. 4 Jayhawks overwhelmed Tennessee State 92-56 in the season opener at Lawrence, Kan.

Senior guard Devonte' Graham led the early charge by netting a 3-pointer and then swiping steals on consecutive defensive possessions, one of which led to his own dunk in transition.

The Jayhawks led by as many as 32 in the first half, extended that margin to 40 after the break and looked ready for a matchup Tuesday against No. 5 Kentucky in the Champions Classic at Chicago.

The barrage of nine straight makes gave Kansas a 25-7 advantage. The Jayhawks went on to shoot 70 percent in the first half on 21-for-30 shooting despite missing freshman forward Billy Preston, who was suspended for the opener after missing curfew and skipping a Friday class.

For good measure, the Jayhawks opened the second half with a 10-1 run and did not allow Tennessee State a field goal until the 14:35 mark on a stickback by junior forward Stokley Chaffee.

Freshman guard Marcus Garrett drew a surprise start for Kansas and added 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Graham added a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists, five more assists than Tennessee State managed as a team. Graham also snagged seven rebounds.

Six Jayhawks scored in double figures, including senior guard Svi Mykhailiuk with 15 points.

Senior guard Darreon Reddick led Tennessee State with 20 points. Senior guard Delano Spencer added 14 points for the Tigers, who lost a season opener for the first time under fourth-year coach Dana Ford.

The victory was the 417th at Kansas for Bill Self, who began his 15th season as the Jayhawks coach.

With a win Tuesday against Kentucky, Self can tie Roy Williams for second on the all-time Kansas wins list. Williams coached 15 seasons before moving to North Carolina. Phog Allen is the all-time Kansas leader with 590 wins over 39 seasons.

Kentucky comes into the Chicago doubleheader after trailing Utah Valley by nine at halftime Friday before winning, 73-63.

NOTES: Five-star prospect Silvio De Sousa, a 6-9 forward in the Class of 2018, is attempting to reclassify into this year's class to be eligible for the second semester at Kansas. That process with the NCAA has begun, though De Sousa remains enrolled at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The Jayhawks lack frontcourt depth and could greatly benefit if De Sousa is declared eligible and enrolls in time. ... The victory was the 44th in a row for the Jayhawks in home openers. ... Tennessee State fell to 1-35 against opponents ranked in the Top 25 since moving to Division I prior to the 1977-78 season. The Tigers are 0-12 against current Big 12 members. ... John McLendon, the first African-American to graduate (1936) from Kansas with a physical education degree, coached at Tennessee State from 1954-59. McLendon was the first person enshrined as both a coach and contributor to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.