# 2014–15 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team

The 2014–15 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas in the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, which was the Jayhawks' 117th basketball season. The Jayhawks played their home games at Allen Fieldhouse. They were led by 12th year head coach Bill Self and were members of the Big 12 Conference. Despite losing 8 players, 5 who received substantial playing time, from the previous season, the Jayhawks still entered the season ranked 5th in the AP and Coaches poll, due in large part to a recruiting class ranked in the top 10 by Scout (4th), Rivals (3rd), and ESPN (9th). They finished the season 27–9, 13–5 in Big 12 play to finish win their 11th consecutive Big 12 regular season championship. They advanced to the championship game of the Big 12 tournament where they lost to Iowa State. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated New Mexico State in the second round before losing in the third round to cross state opponent, Wichita State. The Jayhawks 40–72 loss to Kentucky is the fewest points scored by Kansas in a game since the introduction of the shot clock in the 1985–86 season.

## Preseason
### Departures

| Name | Position | Reason |
| Justin Wesley | F | Graduation |
| Niko Roberts | G | Graduation |
| Tarik Black | F | Graduation |
| Andrew Wiggins | G | Entered NBA draft |
| Joel Embiid | C | Entered NBA Draft |
| Naadir Tharpe | G | Entered NBA D-League draft |

### Transfers

| Name | Position | Old school | New school |
| Andrew White III | G | Kansas | Nebraska |
| Conner Frankamp | G | Kansas | Wichita State |

### Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Cliff Alexander PF | Chicago, IL | Curie High School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Nov 15, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 ||||||
| Devonte' Graham PG | Raleigh, NC | Brewster Academy | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | May 2, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 ||||||
| Kelly Oubre SF | Richmond, TX | Findlay College Prep | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Oct 8, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 ||||||
| Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk SG | Cherkasy, Ukraine | Cherkaski Mavpy (Ukrainian Super League) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | May 21, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 4 Rivals: 3 247 Sports: 9 ESPN: 9 ||||||

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| 11/03/2014* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 5 | Washburn | W 85–53 | 1–0 | 14 – Alexander | 9 – Alexander | 7 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 11/11/2014* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 5 | Emporia State | W 109–56 | 2–0 | 13 – 2 tied | 6 – 2 tied | 6 – Selden | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| 11/14/2014* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 5 | UC Santa Barbara | W 69–59 | 1–0 | 14 – Graham | 10 – 2 tied | 3 – Mykhailiuk | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 11/18/2014* 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | vs. No. 1 Kentucky Champions Classic | L 40–72 | 1–1 | 9 – Selden, Jr | 7 – Alexander | 1 – 4 tied | Bankers Life Fieldhouse (19,306) Indianapolis, IN |
| 11/24/2014* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 11 | Rider | W 87–60 | 2–1 | 17 – 2 tied | 5 – 2 tied | 9 – Selden Jr. | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 11/27/2014* 1:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 11 | vs. Rhode Island Orlando Classic | W 76–60 | 3–1 | 17 – Ellis | 8 – Alexander | 5 – Mason III | HP Field House (3,915) Lake Buena Vista, FL |
| 11/28/2014* 11:00 am, ESPN | No. 11 | vs. Tennessee Orlando Classic semi-finals | W 82–67 | 4–1 | 24 – Ellis | 13 – Ellis | 7 – Mason III | HP Fieldhouse (N/A) Lake Buena Vista, FL |
| 11/30/2014* 12:00 pm, ESPN | No. 11 | vs. No. 20 Michigan State Orlando Classic championship | W 61–56 | 5–1 | 17 – Ellis | 10 – Mason III | 5 – Mason III | HP Fieldhouse (4,842) Lake Buena Vista, FL |
| 12/05/2014* 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 11 | Florida | W 71–65 | 6–1 | 21 – Selden Jr. | 10 – Alexander | 3 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 12/10/2014* 6:00 pm, Fox Sports 1 | No. 10 | at Georgetown | W 75–70 | 7–1 | 19 – Greene | 10 – Ellis | 3 – 2 tied | Verizon Center (14,164) Washington, D.C. |
| 12/13/2014* 2:15 pm, ESPN | No. 10 | vs. No. 13 Utah | W 63–60 | 8–1 | 14 – Ellis | 6 – 2 tied | 5 – Mason III | Sprint Center (17,627) Kansas City, MO |
| 12/20/2014* 2:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 10 | Lafayette | W 96–69 | 9–1 | 23 – Oubre Jr. | 10 – Oubre Jr. | 9 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 12/22/2014* 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 10 | at Temple | L 52–77 | 9–2 | 20 – Mason III | 7 – Oubre Jr. | 3 – Selden Jr. | Wells Fargo Center (11,188) Philadelphia, PA |
| 12/30/2014* 7:00 pm, Jayhawk TV/ESPN3 | No. 13 | Kent State | W 78–62 | 10–2 | 20 – Oubre Jr. | 8 – Ellis | 4 – 2 tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 01/04/2015* 3:30 pm, CBS | No. 13 | UNLV | W 76–61 | 11–2 | 18 – Mason III | 12 – Oubre Jr | 7 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| Big 12 regular season |||||||||
| 01/07/2015 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 12 | at No. 21 Baylor | W 56–55 | 12–2 (1–0) | 13 – Traylor | 5 – 2 tied | 5 – Mason III | Ferrell Center (7,088) Waco, TX |
| 01/10/2015 2:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 12 | Texas Tech | W 86–54 | 13–2 (2–0) | 15 – Ellis | 6 – Graham | 6 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 01/13/2015 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | No. 24 Oklahoma State | W 67–57 | 14–2 (3–0) | 16 – Mason III | 9 – Mason III | 3 – 3 tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 01/17/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 9 | at No. 11 Iowa State | L 81–86 | 14–3 (3–1) | 21 – Mason III | 11 – Ellis | 4 – Graham | Hilton Coliseum (14,384) Ames, IA |
| 01/19/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 11 | No. 19 Oklahoma | W 85–78 | 15–3 (4–1) | 19 – Oubre Jr. | 13 – Alexander | 4 – 3 tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 01/24/2015 1:00 pm, CBS | No. 11 | at No. 17 Texas | W 75–62 | 16–3 (5–1) | 15 – Alexander | 9 – Alexander | 4 – Mason III | Frank Erwin Center (16,540) Austin, TX |
| 01/28/2015 8:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 9 | at TCU | W 64–61 | 17–3 (6–1) | 16 – Mason III | 7 – Lucas | 4 – Selden Jr. | Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center (5,439) Fort Worth, TX |
| 01/31/2015 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 9 | Kansas State Sunflower Showdown | W 68–57 | 18–3 (7–1) | 16 – Ellis | 12 – Ellis | 4 – Graham | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 02/02/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | No. 11 Iowa State | W 89–76 | 19–3 (8–1) | 20 – Selden Jr. | 6 – 2 tied | 8 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 02/07/2015 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | at Oklahoma State | L 62–67 | 19–4 (8–2) | 15 – Selden Jr. | 10 – Ellis | 4 – Mason III | Gallagher-Iba Arena (10,399) Stillwater, OK |
| 02/10/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 8 | at Texas Tech | W 73–51 | 20–4 (9–2) | 16 – Selden Jr. | 9 – Ellis | 8 – Mason III | United Supermarkets Arena (8,397) Lubbock, TX |
| 02/14/2015 12:00 pm, CBS | No. 8 | No. 16 Baylor | W 74–64 | 21–4 (10–2) | 18 – 2 tied | 6 – 2 tied | 8 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 02/16/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | at No. 23 West Virginia | L 61–62 | 21–5 (10–3) | 19 – Ellis | 7 – Oubre Jr. | 3 – 2 tied | WVU Coliseum (7,033) Morgantown, WV |
| 02/21/2015 3:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 8 | TCU | W 81–72 | 22–5 (11–3) | 23 – Ellis | 7 – Ellis | 5 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 02/23/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | at Kansas State | L 63–70 | 22–6 (11–4) | 24 – Ellis | 9 – Ellis | 4 – Selden Jr | Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) Manhattan, KS |
| 02/28/2015 4:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | Texas | W 69–64 | 23–6 (12–4) | 28 – Ellis | 13 – Ellis | 3 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 03/03/2015 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | No. 20 West Virginia | W 76–69 $^{OT}$ | 24–6 (13–4) | 19 – Mason III | 9 – Traylor | 3 – Mason III | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| 03/07/2015 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 9 | at No. 15 Oklahoma | L 73–75 | 24–7 (13–5) | 21 – Mason III | 12 – Lucas | 3 – Graham | Lloyd Noble Center (12,104) Norman, OK |
| Big 12 Tournament |||||||||
| 03/12/2015 1:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | vs. TCU Quarterfinals | W 64–59 | 25–7 | 25 – Oubre Jr. | 7 – Lucas | 4 – Graham | Sprint Center (18,972) Kansas City, MO |
| 03/13/2015 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | vs. No. 16 Baylor Semifinals | W 62–52 | 26–7 | 20 – Selden Jr. | 8 – Selden Jr. | 4 – Mason III | Sprint Center (18,972) Kansas City, MO |
| 03/14/2015 5:00 pm, ESPN | No. 9 | vs. No. 13 Iowa State Championship game | L 66–70 | 26–8 | 25 – Selden Jr. | 9 – Ellis | 4 – 2 tied | Sprint Center (19,075) Kansas City, MO |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| 03/20/2015* 11:15 am, CBS | No. 10 (2 MW) | vs. No. (15 MW) New Mexico State Second Round | W 75–56 | 27–8 | 17 – Mason III | 9 – 2 tied | 4 – 2 tied | CenturyLink Center (16,907) Omaha, NE |
| 03/22/2015* 4:15 pm, CBS | No. 10 (2 MW) | vs. No. 14 (7 MW) Wichita State Third Round | L 65–78 | 27–9 | 17 – Ellis, Graham | 10 – Lucas | 3 – Graham | CenturyLink Center (17,563) Omaha, NE |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. MW=Midwest Region. |||||||||

## 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 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | N/A* |
| Coaches | 5 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 17 |
*AP does not release post-tournament rankings