# 2015–16 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team

The 2015–16 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, which is the Jayhawks 118th basketball season. The Jayhawks played their home games at Allen Fieldhouse. They were led by 13th year head coach Bill Self and were members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 33–5, 15–3 in Big 12 play to win their 12th consecutive regular season Big 12 title. They defeated Kansas State, Baylor, and West Virginia to be champions of the Big 12 tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they were the tournament's overall #1 seed. They defeated Austin Peay, UConn, and Maryland to advance to the Elite Eight where they lost to Villanova.
The Jayhawks 12 consecutive regular season Big 12 titles was at the time the longest active consecutive conference title streak in the nation, as well as only being one shy of the NCAA record of 13, which is currently held by UCLA who won 13 in a row between 1967 and 1979.
In July 2015, the Jayhawks represented the United States at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea. The Jayhawks, along with Nic Moore from SMU and Julian DeBose from Florida Gulf Coast, went 8–0 to win the Gold Medal.

## Preseason
### Departures
#### Graduation

| Name | Position |
| Christian Garrett | G |

#### Early draft entrants

| Name | Position | Year |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | G | Freshman |
| Cliff Alexander | F | Freshman |

### Transfers

| Name | Position | Old school | New school |
| Josh Pollard | G | Kansas | Utah Valley |
| Dwight Coleby | C | Ole Miss | Kansas |

### Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| LaGerald Vick SG | Memphis, TN | Douglass High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | May 13, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85 ||||||
| Carlton Bragg Jr. PF | Cleveland, OH | Villa Angela – St. Joseph High School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jan 8, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Cheick Diallo PF | Kayes, Mali | Our Savior New American | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Apr 28, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 95 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #14 Rivals: #15 247Sports: #13 ESPN: #14 ||||||

### World University Games

In April 2014, the Kansas basketball team was selected by the United States International University Sports Federation (US-IUSF) to represent the United States in the 2015 World University Games. Kansas was selected as the team to represent the U.S. from the schools that expressed interest. This was the second time a college team represented the United States in the World University Games; University of Northern Iowa had finished 9th in 2007.
Current university students or recent graduates, born between Jan. 1, 1990, and Dec. 31, 1997, were eligible for the 2015 Games. Only U.S. citizens were eligible for the U.S. team; therefore Cheick Diallo, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and Dwight Coleby (from Mali, Ukraine, and Bahamas respectively) were ineligible. The Kansas travel party, consisting of 12 competitors and 11 staff (23 total), left Lawrence on June 28 and lived in the athlete village throughout the Games. There were two non-Jayhawks on the U.S. roster: guards Nic Moore of SMU and Julian DeBose of Florida Gulf Coast, replacing injured Kansas guard Devonte' Graham.
Team USA won all their matches in the tournament, beating Germany 84–77 in double overtime on July 13, 2015, to win the gold medal.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| World University Games Exhibition |||||||||
| June 24, 2015* 7:00 pm | | at Team Canada | W 91–83 | | 28 – Mason III | 10 – Traylor | 6 – Selden Jr. | Sprint Center (8,235) Kansas City, MO |
| June 26, 2015* 7:00 pm | | vs. Team Canada | W 87–76 | | 22 – Selden Jr. | 10 – Selden Jr. | 11 – Mason III | Sprint Center (8,415) Kansas City, MO |
| July 2, 2015* 10:00 pm | | vs. Team China | W 93–56 | | 13 – Vick | – | – | Seolwol Girls School Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| World University Games |||||||||
| July 4, 2015* 12:00 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Team Turkey Preliminary Round – Group D | W 66–57 | 1–0 | 19 – Selden Jr. | 9 – Selden Jr. | 4 – Mason III | Dongkang College Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| July 5, 2015* 8:30 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Team Brazil Preliminary Round – Group D | W 81–72 | 2–0 | 23 – Selden Jr. | 8 – 3 Tied | 7 – Mason III | Dongkang College Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| July 7, 2015* 2:30 pm | | vs. Team Chile Preliminary Round – Group D | W 106–41 | 3–0 | 23 – Mason III | 14 – Lucas | 5 – Selden Jr. | Muan Indoor Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| July 8, 2015* 12:00 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Team Serbia Preliminary Round – Group D | W 66–65 | 4–0 | 21 – Selden Jr. | 9 – Ellis | 6 – Moore (SMU) | Dongkang College Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| July 9, 2015* 10:00 am, ESPNU | | vs. Team Switzerland Preliminary Round – Group D | W 96–57 | 5–0 | 18 – Debose (FGCU) | 7 – Vick | 6 – Moore (SMU) | Muan Indoor Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| July 11, 2015* 12:00 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Team Lithuania Medal round – Quarterfinals | W 70–48 | 6–0 | 18 – Mason III | 9 – Lucas | 4 – Mason III | Gwangju University Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| July 12, 2015* 6:30 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Team Russia Medal round – Semifinals | W 78–68 | 7–0 | 23 – Ellis | 6 – 2 Tied | 4 – Mason III | Dongkang College Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| July 13, 2015* 9:00 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Team Germany Medal round – Finals | W 84–77 $^{2OT}$ | 8–0 | 22 – Selden Jr. | 10 – Ellis | 6 – Mason III | Yeomju Gymnasium Gwangju, South Korea |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 4, 2015* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 4 | Pittsburg State | W 89–66 | | 22 – Ellis | 12 – Ellis | 8 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| November 10, 2015* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 4 | Fort Hays State | W 95–59 | | 16 – Ellis | 9 – Bragg Jr. | 6 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 13, 2015* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 4 | Northern Colorado Maui Invitational Opening Round | W 109–72 | 1–0 | 18 – Greene | 7 – 2 Tied | 9 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| November 17, 2015* 9:20 pm, ESPN | No. 4 | vs. No. 13 Michigan State Champions Classic | L 73–79 | 1–1 | 21 – Ellis | 6 – Lucas | 6 – Graham | United Center (21,461) Chicago, IL |
| November 23, 2015* 9:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 5 | vs. Chaminade Maui Invitational quarterfinals | W 123–72 | 2–1 | 18 – Tied | 11 – Lucas | 7 – Tied | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| November 24, 2015* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | vs. UCLA Maui Invitational semifinals | W 92–73 | 3–1 | 24 – Ellis | 6 – Ellis | 7 – Mason III | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| November 25, 2015* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | vs. No. 19 Vanderbilt Maui Invitational final | W 70–63 | 4–1 | 25 – Selden | 8 – Ellis | 3 – Mason | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| December 1, 2015* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 4 | Loyola (MD) | W 94–61 | 5–1 | 18 – Selden Jr. | 6 – 5 Tied | 5 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| December 5, 2015* 2:15 pm, ESPN2 | No. 4 | Harvard | W 75–69 | 6–1 | 21 – Mason III | 8 – Lucas | 5 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| December 9, 2015* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 2 | Holy Cross | W 92–59 | 7–1 | 15 – Selden Jr. | 5 – Bragg Jr. | 5 – 2 Tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| December 12, 2015* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | vs. Oregon State Kansas City Shootout | W 82–67 | 8–1 | 22 – Selden Jr. | 9 – Ellis | 6 – Mason III | Sprint Center (18,612) Kansas City, MO |
| December 19, 2015* 1:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 2 | Montana | W 88–46 | 9–1 | 18 – Ellis | 9 – Ellis | 9 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| December 22, 2015* 10:00 pm, CBSSN | No. 2 | at San Diego State | W 70–57 | 10–1 | 20 – Ellis | 6 – Traylor | 3 – 3 Tied | Viejas Arena (12,414) San Diego, CA |
| December 29, 2015* 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 2 | UC Irvine | W 78–53 | 11–1 | 14 – Ellis | 9 – Ellis | 6 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 2, 2016 3:00 pm, CBS | No. 2 | No. 23 Baylor | W 102–74 | 12–1 (1–0) | 24 – Selden Jr. | 6 – 2 Tied | 4 – 3 Tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 4, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 1 | No. 2 Oklahoma | W 109–106 $^{3OT}$ | 13–1 (2–0) | 27 – Ellis | 13 – Ellis | 6 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 9, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 1 | at Texas Tech | W 69–59 | 14–1 (3–0) | 17 – Mason III | 10 – 2 Tied | 5 – Mason III | United Supermarkets Arena (14,231) Lubbock, TX |
| January 12, 2016 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | at No. 11 West Virginia | L 63–74 | 14–2 (3–1) | 21 – Ellis | 7 – Ellis | 3 – Tied | WVU Coliseum (12,097) Morgantown, WV |
| January 16, 2016 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 1 | TCU | W 70–63 | 15–2 (4–1) | 11 – Selden Jr. | 9 – 2 Tied | 6 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 19, 2016 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 3 | at Oklahoma State | L 67–86 | 15–3 (4–2) | 14 – Mason III | 5 – 2 Tied | 5 – Graham | Gallagher-Iba Arena (11,383) Stillwater, OK |
| January 23, 2016 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | Texas | W 76–67 | 16–3 (5–2) | 26 – Ellis | 10 – Lucas | 6 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 25, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 4 | at No. 14 Iowa State | L 72–85 | 16–4 (5–3) | 23 – Ellis | 9 – Lucas | 4 – Graham | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, IA |
| January 30, 2016* 6:00 pm, ESPN | No. 4 | No. 20 Kentucky Big 12/SEC Challenge | W 90–84 $^{OT}$ | 17–4 | 33 – Selden Jr. | 9 – Ellis | 5 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 3, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | Kansas State Sunflower Showdown | W 77–59 | 18–4 (6–3) | 19 – Ellis | 6 – Lucas | 4 – 3 Tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 6, 2016 11:00 am, ESPN | No. 7 | at TCU | W 75–56 | 19–4 (7–3) | 23 – Ellis | 10 – Ellis | 6 – Mason III | Schollmaier Arena (6,516) Fort Worth, TX |
| February 9, 2016 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | No. 10 West Virginia | W 75–65 | 20–4 (8–3) | 21 – Ellis | 16 – Lucas | 4 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 13, 2016 1:30 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | at No. 3 Oklahoma | W 76–72 | 21–4 (9–3) | 27 – Graham | 10 – Lucas | 3 – Mason III | Lloyd Noble Center (12,247) Norman, OK |
| February 15, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | Oklahoma State | W 94–67 | 22–4 (10–3) | 18 – Selden Jr. | 10 – Lucas | 6 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 20, 2016 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | at Kansas State Sunflower Showdown | W 72–63 | 23–4 (11–3) | 16 – Mason III | 8 – Lucas | 5 – Mason III | Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) Manhattan, KS |
| February 23, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | at No. 19 Baylor | W 66–60 | 24–4 (12–3) | 19 – Mason III | 10 – Lucas | 7 – Graham | Ferrell Center (8,259) Waco, TX |
| February 27, 2016 11:00 am, ESPN | No. 2 | Texas Tech | W 67–58 | 25–4 (13–3) | 17 – Mykhailiuk | 8 – Lucas | 4 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 29, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 1 | at No. 23 Texas | W 86–56 | 26–4 (14–3) | 20 – Ellis | 8 – Lucas | 6 – Mason III | Frank Erwin Center (16,540) Austin, TX |
| March 5, 2016 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 1 | No. 21 Iowa State | W 85–78 | 27–4 (15–3) | 22 – Ellis | 7 – 2 tied | 5 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| Big 12 Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2016 1:30 pm, ESPN2 | (1) No. 1 | vs. (8) Kansas State Quarterfinals | W 85–63 | 28–4 | 21 – Ellis | 6 – Ellis | 8 – Graham | Sprint Center (18,972) Kansas City, MO |
| March 11, 2016 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | (1) No. 1 | vs. (5) No. 22 Baylor Semifinals | W 70–66 | 29–4 | 20 – Ellis | 7 – 2 tied | 8 – Graham | Sprint Center (18,972) Kansas City, MO |
| March 12, 2016 5:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 1 | vs. (2) No. 9 West Virginia Championship | W 81–71 | 30–4 | 27 – Graham | 7 – Lucas | 7 – Mason III | Sprint Center (19,046) Kansas City, MO |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2016* 3:00 pm, TNT | (1 S) No. 1 | vs. (16 S) Austin Peay First Round | W 105–79 | 31–4 | 23 – Mykhailiuk | 9 – Traylor | 6 – Graham | Wells Fargo Arena (16,628) Des Moines, IA |
| March 19, 2016* 6:45 pm, CBS | (1 S) No. 1 | vs. (9 S) UConn Second Round | W 73–61 | 32–4 | 22 – Selden Jr. | 11 – Lucas | 4 – 2 Tied | Wells Fargo Arena (16,824) Des Moines, IA |
| March 24, 2016* 8:40 pm, CBS | (1 S) No. 1 | vs. (5 S) No. 18 Maryland Sweet Sixteen | W 79–63 | 33–4 | 27 – Ellis | 11 – Lucas | 6 – Selden, Jr. | KFC Yum! Center (19,399) Louisville, KY |
| March 26, 2016* 7:49 pm, CBS | (1 S) No. 1 | vs. (2 S) No. 6 Villanova Elite Eight | L 59–64 | 33–5 | 17 – Graham | 12 – Lucas | 4 – Mason III | KFC Yum! Center (19,422) Louisville, KY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | N/A* |
| Coaches | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
*AP does not release post-tournament rankings