Kansas Jayhawks Basketball

For the first time in 15 years, Kansas will not earn a share of the Big 12 regular-season title.

The Jayhawks suffered an 81-68 loss to Oklahoma on Tuesday, which will officially prevent them from earning a share of the conference's regular-season championship. The team had at least tied for first place in each of the last 14 seasons dating back to 2004-05.

https://twitter.com/mikekatzif/status/1103139731871854592

The loss dropped Kansas to 11-6 on the season in Big 12 play with one game against Baylor still to go.

Texas Tech and Kansas State are currently tied for first place with 13-4 conference records. Texas Tech will travel Iowa State for its regular-season finale on Saturday, while Kansas State will try to clinch a title at home against Oklahoma.

While Kansas couldn't keep its streak going, it was a remarkable accomplishment:

Let us stand back and behold how incredible it was that Kansas won or shared 14 straight conference titles. An incredible accomplishment in an era with such intense roster turnover. All good things must end!

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 6, 2019

https://twitter.com/JasonKingBR/status/1103141765308133376

Last time Kansas failed to win the Big 12, the AP All-American team was Josh Childress, Ryan Gomes, Jameer Nelson, Emeka Okafor and Lawrence Roberts. Luol Deng and Chris Paul won freshman of the year awards and Paul Millsap led the NCAA with 12.5 rebounds per game.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) March 6, 2019

February 3, 1959: The Day the Music Died

March 5, 2019: The Day the Streak Died

This is March.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 6, 2019

Head coach Bill Self took over the program in 2003-04, and he was able to tie Oklahoma for the Big 12 title in his second season. He kept it going for an incredible stretch, which also featured eight conference tournament titles, three Final Four appearances and one NCAA title.

Unfortunately, things haven't gone quite as smoothly this season.

The team lost a lot of production to the NBA last year and struggled with depth after the NCAA ruled Silvio De Sousa ineligible. The squad then suffered a major setback when senior center Udoka Azubuike suffered a season-ending hand injury in early January, while Lagerald Vick's recent leave of absence was seemingly the final straw.

Kansas can still be dangerous in the NCAA tournament thanks to Dedric Lawson and plenty of young talent, but this group couldn't quite live up to the level of past Jayhawks squads.  

The Kansas Jayhawks announced Thursday that senior guard Lagerald Vick will take a leave of absence from the team effective immediately.

"Lagerald has some personal matters that require his immediate attention and he will be taking a leave of absence from our team," head coach Bill Self said. "During this time, we will respect Lagerald's privacy. There is no timetable for his return."

"We need him here for a couple weeks," Vick's mother La La told Gary Bedore of the Kansas City Star. "I need him. There’s a lot going on. It’ll work out.”

Vick is the team's second-leading scorer with an average of 14.1 points per game and has appeared in all 23 contests to this point of the season.

As the only senior on the roster, Vick also provides the type of experience otherwise not available when he is gone.

This news also comes at a terrible time for Kansas, which has lost four of its last six games to drop to 17-6 on the season. The Jayhawks are now 6-4 in conference and their streak of 14 straight Big 12 regular-season titles is in jeopardy.

The team was already light on depth even with Vick in the lineup—only eight men played more than one minute in Tuesday's loss to Kansas State—and now the remaining rotation will have to handle an even bigger load.

Kansas' next game is set for Saturday at home against Oklahoma State.

The NCAA ruled Friday that Kansas sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa is ineligible for the remainder of the 2018-19 season and for the entire 2019-20 season.

In a statement released by the NCAA, it was found that De Sousa's guardian accepted a $2,500 payment from an agent and Kansas booster. De Sousa's guardian also agreed to accept a future payment of $20,000 from the agent and an Adidas employee for getting De Sousa to commit to Kansas.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Kansas head coach Bill Self ripped the NCAA's decision:

"In my 30-plus years of coaching college basketball, I have never witnessed such a mean-spirited and vindictive punishment against a young man who did nothing wrong. To take away his opportunity to play college basketball is shameful and a failure of the NCAA. Silvio is a tremendous young man who absolutely deserves to be on the court with his teammates in a Jayhawk uniform. This process took way too long to address these issues. We will support Silvio as he considers his options."

Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star provided a statement from Kansas athletic director Jeff Long saying the school plans to appeal:

KU releases statement. AD Jeff Long says school will appeal. Says he's "shocked and incensed" by NCAA decision. pic.twitter.com/0FgXnvPFKh

— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) February 1, 2019

De Sousa has not played this season while awaiting word on his eligibility.

Both Jeff Goodman of Stadium and Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic joined Self in questioning the NCAA's decision:

I would be SHOCKED if Silvio De Sousa had any clue that his guardian was taking money. NCAA needs to get a clue on some of these decisions. Just crushing kids instead of trying to help them.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 1, 2019

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1091476743695855618

As part of its statement, the NCAA noted student-athletes are considered responsible for the action of a third party if they involve them in their recruiting process regardless of whether they are aware of improper benefits being dispersed.

Last season as a freshman, De Sousa averaged 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game for the Jayhawks.

The Angola native performed well in key games down the stretch, including registering 16 points and 10 rebounds in Kansas' Big 12 Championship Game win over West Virginia.

De Sousa also had nine points and six rebounds against Clemson in the Sweet 16, four points and 10 rebounds against Duke in the Elite Eight and seven points and seven rebounds in a Final Four loss to Villanova.

He was expected to be a key part of the roster in 2018-19 after 247Sports ranked him as the No. 32 overall player and No. 10 power forward in the 2017 class.

De Sousa's ineligibility is a major blow to Kansas since center Udoka Azubuike is out for the remainder of the season due to injury.

The No. 11 Jayhawks have lost three of their past four games and are currently 16-5 on the season.

De Sousa can appeal the NCAA's decision to the Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee.

Two days into the New Year, Kansas welcomed Oklahoma to Allen Fieldhouse and embarked on its annual quest to capture the Big 12 title.

After 14 years, Kansas' streak has become something of a college basketball cliche. The last time a team other than the Jayhawks won the conference, Georgia Tech was in the Final Four, LeBron James was a rookie in Cleveland and Donald Trump was starring in the first season of The Apprentice. Now, the streak is older than some of the high school prospects Kansas is beginning to recruit.

But streaks, like rules, are meant to be broken. No team can dominate indefinitely. And with under three minutes left against Oklahoma, the Sooners appeared to have Kansas on the ropes. They were down by six points but on a 9-2 run during which Kansas' offense had stagnated. To generate some scoring, the Jayhawks ran an offensive set through freshman Quentin Grimes on the right wing. But as Grimes rounded the corner and drove into the lane, Oklahoma guard Aaron Calixte popped the ball loose. For a brief second, it seemed like the latest disappointment for Grimes.

The most highly touted prospect of Kansas coach Bill Self's spectacular 2018 class, the 6'5", 210-pound guard began his Kansas career with an incredible splash. He dropped 21 points on 14 shots against Michigan State in the Champions Classic, and then followed that up with 10 points and 10 assists against Vermont. But the rest of 2018 was something of a struggle. Grimes only scored in double figures two more times in 10 tries. His offensive rating coming into the Oklahoma game was a paltry 82.2, according to kenpom.com, making him the only Jayhawks starter with a mark south of 100. And this was his third turnover of the night.

Then, as quickly as he lost the ball, he forced it loose again. In the ensuing scramble, he dove to the floor, slid between the legs of an Oklahoma forward and somehow, with two Sooners crashing into him, slipped a pass to his point guard, Devon Dotson. Dotson drove in for an and-1, and the Jayhawks coasted to the win. After the game, Self called Grimes' effort "the best play he's made all year."

After losing a road game against unranked Iowa State on Jan. 5 and losing center Udoka Azubuike to a season-ending wrist injury, Kansas needs Grimes more than ever.

"I expect for him to impact every possession in some shape or form," Self says. "And that's a compliment to a guy. There are some guys who can only impact certain possessions in certain ways. And he can impact by passing, by vision, by IQ, by plugging himself in. Anything less than that is unacceptable and not pushing him to be who he is. He didn't come here to play half-assed. He came here to do something special."

Those who know him best insist that Grimes has a killer instinct that's ready to be revealed. Now the question is: Can it emerge in time for Kansas to keep its Big 12 streak alive? Could Quentin Grimes help Kansas return to the Final Four?

---

Marshall Grimes and Tonja Stelly, Quentin's father and mother, each played college basketball. Grimes played point guard at Santa Clara in California and later at Louisiana Lafayette, and Stelly played two seasons of forward at Fort Hayes State in Kansas before quitting basketball and transferring to KU. Together, they shared in the early joys of watching their toddler take to the sport they both loved. Despite their backgrounds, Grimes and Stelly agreed that Quentin shouldn't specialize in one sport too early. There was just one problem: Quentin had no interest in anything besides basketball.

#ROCKCHALK #KUCMB 😈🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/9Zq4oVOXe0

— Quentin Grimes (@qdotgrimes) November 16, 2017

Stelly asked him to try out for soccer every year of elementary school, but he wouldn't so much as step foot on the field. And his football career lasted less than a week. He tried out at the behest of one of his best friends, Mike Woods, who now plays wide receiver at Arkansas. Woods' dad was the assistant coach on a pee-wee team, and he encouraged Grimes to join.

"He made it three practices," Stelly says now. "He didn't even play a game before he was gone. Basketball has always been Quentin's love."

Marshall never coached Quentin, but he did help his son build his game in the backyard. Marshall began by showing Quentin the greats of his generation. They'd watch full games featuring Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, whose basketball primes ended years before Quentin was born in 2000. When either father or son saw a move that intrigued them, they'd walk outside into the Houston heat and practice until it was perfected.

But his favorite player was one he'd watched live: Kobe Bryant. Marshall and Quentin studied the Lakers star from head to toe, analyzing everything from his footwork to his shooting stroke.

"Everybody respects the older generation and how good they were," Quentin Grimes says, "but I don't know if they watch them like I do. I'm trying to work my way up to that Mamba Mentality. It'll take a while to get to that level, but I'll make it one day."

By middle school, Grimes had developed a local reputation, but his national status was still uncertain. A 2014-15 preseason blurb about College Park High School in the Houston Chronicle noted that as a freshman, he was "expected to play an important role, potentially developing into an impact player early in his career." He put up a respectable 8.8 points and 3.4 assists per game as a starter, but the pressures of that first season and a coaching change in his AAU program shook his faith in the game a bit. On the Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend that year, Grimes told his parents he didn't want to play basketball that summer.

"Quentin was miserable," Stelly says. "The light had gone out. I'd never seen him like that. Basketball is his whole life. It's what he loves and he's passionate about it. As a parent, it was, 'Oh my gosh, what has happened?' We weren't quitters, and he had to fight through the battle. It was so bad I was looking into sports psychologists. I was like, 'Something is wrong, and if I can't get it pulled out of him, then I need a professional.' We decided not to play that season."

Grimes rediscovered his passion for the sport by returning to the process with his dad. And he found the fun again by playing pickup games. He balled out with former college and NBA players in the Houston area in games organized by his dad, and together, he and Marshall ran the floor at the 24 Hour Fitness by his house.

"I'm a little past my prime," Marshall jokes, "but I can still play some. And when teams needed a player, they'd start asking Quentin to play with them. At first, I thought they were doing me a favor, being nice to my boy. It took me a little too long to realize they weren't helping me out. They were trying to win games."

After one game at the end of the summer, a stranger told Marshall that Quentin was good but really needed to get stronger. Marshall looked at his son—then a 6'2", 165-pound rising high school sophomore—and wondered, Could he really be behind? Then the man asked Marshall when Quentin was leaving for college that fall. And Marshall knew his son was ahead of schedule. In his second season at College Park, Quentin posted 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. That next summer, he jumped to a new AAU team, Basketball University, and broke out. 

"Most 16- to 18-year-olds like to play video games, chase girls or drive their cars," says Clifton McNeely, Quentin's high school coach. "Quentin wasn't that way. He went to work not only on his skills and playing but also on developing his body. What separates the elite kids is not only the natural athleticism but also the work it takes to develop that. There's no glory in the weight room, but Quentin had a different drive. He just gave everything to basketball."

---

McNeely likes to tell Quentin that the only repayment he needs when Grimes makes it to the NBA is a new microwave. And Tonja Stelly likes to tell her son that she misses him in her house but she's thankful to have her weekends back. When Quentin was in high school, Tonja would spend her Sundays chopping, searing and steaming healthy lunches and snacks for him to bring to school during the week. And so rather than eat in the cafeteria, Quentin would go into the coaches' office and heat up what his mother had cooked for him.

"It was funny," McNeely says, "because he was so polite. Every day, he'd knock before he came in. And every day, he'd say thank you when he left. Even though he knew he was welcome. The only things anyone ever got upset about was when the tennis coach, who is a Wichita State grad, found out he was going to Kansas—or when he [had] fish and stunk up the office for the rest of the day."

For Grimes, a methodical approach to meals mirrored his take on the game. When he realized he needed to improve his agility, he started working out at Dynamic Sports Training, a gym known primarily for improving the skills of baseball players. When he needed to narrow his recovery window as he played more and more minutes, he started going to a cryotherapy chamber twice a week with his mother. And when he was asked to play more often off the ball after a childhood of playing point guard, he went back to the film room with his father and picked up more moves from Bryant.

"I'm a natural scorer," Grimes says, "so I feel like if I'm a shooting guard, it makes it look better if I have a nice pass, because I'm supposed to be off ball. If I'm on ball, it's the same when I score. When I was younger, I could score, but I was kind of small, so they classified me as a point guard. But then I just kept growing and growing, so they labeled me something different. Whether I play on the ball or off the ball, it doesn't matter to me. I really feel like I'm just a guard."

It was that measured approach to building his basketball career that led him to stay at his high school all four years, despite prolific offers from prep programs. When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in August of 2017, Grimes was glad that he hadn't left, so that he could be part of the relief effort in his hometown. His parents' houses hadn't been affected, but he didn't have to go far to see the devastation the storm had caused. One afternoon, a few days after Harvey had passed, Grimes went to his room and stared at the stacks of sneakers, backpacks and clothes he'd been given on the AAU circuit. Much of it had never seen the outside of the box—much less the outside world. He and his parents packed up their SUV with thousands of dollars worth of premium basketball gear, and spent the day delivering it to relief distribution centers.

A few days later, he went to shootaround at Legends Sports Complex, a gym near his home in The Woodlands, and found it had been damaged by the hurricane, too. He asked the director there how he could help, and he told Quentin he could dig. So Quentin found a shovel and began clearing the debris. Only after an afternoon of manual labor did he head inside to do the work he'd originally intended to do on the court.

"I've had college coaches ask for years, and now I've got NBA scouts doing their background checks," McNeely says. "They always ask: 'Where's the flaw? What aren't you telling us?' The truth is, there's nothing. He's a great player and a great person."

The only thing coaches have ever wanted from Grimes is more. And his production progressed with each year at College Park. As a junior in 2016-17, he averaged 28.1 points and 8.0 rebounds a game. And as a senior, he averaged 29.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. In one game that season, McNeely pulled him late in a game without realizing that he was at 48 points. After a timeout, Grimes created a clandestine plan with teammates to check himself back in without his coach's permission. Grimes got in, got the ball, got the bucket and got right back to the bench.

Last year, he became a McDonald's All-American, a Jordan Brand Classic participant and the Gatorade Texas Player of the Year. And that was all before playing for his future coach, Bill Self, in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship, where he won a gold medal and was named the tournament's MVP.

"Quentin fools people on the court sometimes still," Marshall Grimes says. "He seems like a nice kid, but when he smells blood in the water, he'll put you away."

At that competition in Canada, Grimes felt more confident than ever in his college decision. No matter how well he played in any game, Self would pull him aside to watch footage afterward and show him scoring opportunities he'd missed. And when Grimes didn't perform a fundamental—like a lob pass to the post—perfectly, Self would make him stay in position until he got it right.

"I told him later on," Self says sarcastically, "'Wouldn't you hate to play for a coach who wants you to score every time you touch it, or wants you to make a play every time you touch it? That'd be awful to play for a coach like that, wouldn't it?' And then he understood where I was coming from."

Late in the summer, Stelly worried that her son might have taken on too much. After all, his schedule was so slammed that he only had a five-day window when he would be able to get his wisdom teeth removed. But what she saw next reassured her. Everyone had always wanted more from her son, but she could see he was still glad to give it. On the day after his operation, in the one week off he had during the summer, Quentin  grabbed his car keys and headed to his old high school gym to shoot hoops.

---

Quentin Grimes couldn't have asked for a better college debut than his performance at the Champions Classic, but much of the rest of the season has been a struggle. His numbers have improved in conference play after a quiet December—his effective field goal percentage is in the top 20 in the Big 12, and his two-point percentage is in the top five—but he knows that's not enough.

"People have always told me to be more aggressive," Grimes says, "but I like to go out there and figure out the game and figure out the flow. People want me to go out there and be in attack mode. My coaches have always said the same thing: 'We want you to shoot, and we want you to score.' I'm real unselfish on the court, so I had to figure that out. It took me a while to learn that. I'm going through that here with Coach Self. They brought me here to be a scorer, and they tell me every day to be more aggressive. I'm progressing."

Self still has full confidence in Grimes, too.

"Quentin is probably the most well-rounded young guard we've ever had here," he says. "When you think about guards, his handle, explosiveness, strength, range, vision, toughness—he checks a lot of boxes. But still, that doesn't mean it's going to happen for him. That doesn't guarantee anything for him, but I'd still rather have those things than not have those things. I hope he can play to the talent level I think he has."

To break through the slump, Grimes is doing what he's always done: returning to the process that made him great in the first place. A few years ago, Kansas built McCarthy Hall, an $11.2 million dorm for its basketball players. The building has a full court. And every other night, after he's gone to workouts, practices, classes and study halls, Grimes grabs the rebounding gun and begins shooting. He doesn't play music because he likes to listen to the ball rip through the net. He shoots until he's made 300 three-pointers. There in the quiet, he makes sure he's ready for the next big moment. He knows how far this process has brought him, and he knows it'll take him to the next level, too. He feels like it won't be long now.

Kansas is reportedly set to acknowledge an Adidas consultant paid Silvio​ De Sousa's guardian $2,500 and ask the NCAA for his immediate reinstatement.

Seth Davis of The Athletic reported Kansas came to the conclusion following a three-month investigation into the matter. The school plans to acknowledge De Sousa's compromised amateurism, declare him ineligible and appeal to the NCAA’s Academic and Membership Affairs Group to have him reinstated.

Kansas coach Bill Self announced in October that De Sousa would not play for the Jayhawks until the school completed an investigation into his eligibility. T.J. Gassnola testified he gave De Sousa's guardian $2,500 in order for him to commit to Kansas during a federal fraud trial on college basketball corruption.

"Information was presented during the current trial in New York—some of which we knew, some which we didn't," Self said in a statement at the time. "We have decided to withhold Silvio from competition until we can evaluate and understand the new information."

Gassnola and Adidas executive James Gatto were also involved in a $90,000 payment to former Kansas player Billy Preston.

The $2,500 payment to De Sousa was allegedly made to get him out of a similar pay-to-play agreement with Maryland.

De Sousa was the nation's No. 32 prospect in the 2017 class, per 247Sports. He did not sign his letter of intent with the university until November 2017 and did not enroll at Kansas until January 2018—well into the 2017-18 campaign.

De Sousa appeared in 20 games for the Jayhawks, averaging 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in a minor role off the bench. The Jayhawks expected him to help lead their frontcourt this season.

Davis noted De Sousa has already been suspended for more than 30 percent of the Jayhawks' season, which is the typical punishment for a player who receives an improper benefit similar to De Sousa's. The 6'9" forward has remained enrolled with the university and has practiced with the team despite the suspension. 

It's possible Kansas could wind up having to forfeit any games De Sousa previously played in, which would include the team's 2018 Final Four run. 

Kansas Jayhawks junior center Udoka Azubuike will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season in order to undergo surgery on his right hand, Kansas head coach Bill Self announced Sunday.

"Udoka had an MRI done this morning and the MRI revealed he tore the same ligament in his right hand that he tore in his left hand his freshman season (Dec. 2016)," Self said in the Jayhawks' official press release. "This occurred in practice on Friday and although the initial X-rays did not reveal the extent of the injury, the MRI did and it will require season-ending surgery."

Azubuike appeared in nine games, averaging 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. The Athletic's Seth Davis wondered whether his absence will exacerbate Kansas' struggles from the perimeter:

Just seeing the Azubuike news. Lost for the season for Kansas. Huge bummer. I know they played smallball without him before, but this is a lousy three-point shooting team. Will the streak finally end?

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) January 7, 2019

The Jayhawks are tied for 271st in made three-pointers (89) and 176th in three-point percentage (34.4). Having the 7'0" Azubuike inside allowed them to survive without consistent long-range shooting.

Now, the 6'9" Dedric Lawson is the tallest among Kansas' regular rotation players. Self may have to rely more on David McCormack, a 6'10" true freshman who's averaging 7.2 minutes per game. McCormack was the No. 5 center in the 2018 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

Either way, losing Azubuike further depletes a frontcourt that was also counting on the services of Silvio De Sousa. Self has held De Sousa out since the sophomore forward was connected to the FBI's trial into corruption in the NCAA.

This week was already bad enough for Kansas after it lost 77-60 to Iowa State on Saturday, bringing the team's record 12-2. Now, the Jayhawks' streak of 14 straight regular-season Big 12 titles could be in serious jeopardy.

Kansas junior center Udoka Azubuike will not play against Iowa State on Saturday, per head coach Bill Self:

A statement from @CoachBillSelf on Udoka Azubuike for today's game vs. Iowa State #KUbball pic.twitter.com/LCg9QajiY5

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) January 5, 2019

Azubuike suffered torn wrist ligaments during a practice in December 2016 and missed the rest of the season. He also suffered a sprained ankle in December of this season and missed four games.

The 7'0", 270-pound center is averaging 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He's an invaluable starter on a 12-1 team that is ranked fifth in the country.

Azubuike also came up big at various times during KU's Final Four run last season. Of note, he had 10 points, six rebounds and a block in the first half of Kansas' 80-76 win over Clemson in the Sweet Sixteen. Azubuike also stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals off the bench in a second-round win over Seton Hall.

As for the ISU game, KU may do well without Azubuike. CJ Moore of The Athletic provided reasons why:

If there was a game for Udoka Azubuike to miss, this might be it. Iowa State has type of smallish frontline tailor made for Dedric Lawson to have a big game working around the bucket.

— CJ Moore (@CJMooreHoops) January 5, 2019

On the flip side, the 11-2 Cyclones are at home and rank 16th in Ken Pomeroy's most recent men's college basketball ratings. The Jayhawks are also a two-point underdog, per OddsShark.

KU is making the right move by taking precautions with Azubuike's wrist given the injury he suffered two seasons ago. March Madness is two-and-a-half months away, and the key is for him to be 100 percent for a championship run.

If Azubuike is good to go after a one-game absence, his next matchup will be at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday against visiting TCU.

Kansas Jayhawks junior center Udoka Azubuike suffered a "legitimate, very serious ankle sprain" and will be out a "while," according to head coach Bill Self.

Per Gary Bedore of the Kansas City Star, Self also said X-rays were negative and that he is looking at a return date prior to Christmas as a possibility but doesn't truly know at the moment.

Azubuike suffered the injury early on a block attempt in the first half of his team's 72-47 win over Wofford on Tuesday. He averaged 15.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game leading into the contest.

Losing Azubuike is tough for the Jayhawks, but the key is for him to get 100 percent and shake off any rust before the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks are clear national championship contenders, but they'll need all hands to take down the likes of Gonzaga, Duke and other top programs they may see.

In the near future, KU could stay afloat. Looking ahead, the No. 2 Jayhawks have five nonconference games from December 8 through 29 before starting the Big 12 slate with a January 2 home matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners. 

Kansas' toughest matchups before the OU game figure to be a December 15 contest at home versus No. 21 Villanova and a road battle at No. 20 Arizona State. After the ASU game, the Jayhawks don't play another ranked team until they visit No. 9 Kentucky on January 26.

Until Azubuike gets back, we could also see KU play a lot of small ball. Of note, sophomore guard K.J. Lawson saw 17 minutes of action against Wofford despite playing more than 10 minutes in a game just once before Tuesday. Otherwise, KU still has Lagerald Vick and Dedric Lawson to carry the scoring load, with the latter player the Jayhawks' current rebounding leader.

Bill Self offered his firmest denial of any impropriety by himself or his coaching staff after a former Adidas executive and others were found guilty in court Wednesday as part of an FBI investigation into college basketball corruption.

"My staff and I have not and do not offer improper inducements nor are we aware of any third-party's attempt to do so," Self told reporters.

Self said the team plans to hold out forward Silvio De Sousa for the time being. The Kansas coach is alleged to have requested an Adidas executive pay De Sousa's guardian $20,000 as part of a pay-for-play agreement.

De Sousa will undergo an eligibility investigation.

Former Adidas employees James Gatto and Merl Code, as well as agent Christian Dawkins, were convicted on federal fraud charges Wednesday. Testimony also alleged that Adidas had ties to a $90,000 payment to the mother of former Kansas guard Billy Preston.

"Any time someone punches you, I think your initial reaction is to punch back," Self told reporters. "But sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing."

Kansas has to this point stuck by Self. The Jayhawks were ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 coming into the season.

Kansas sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa will be withheld from games, pending an eligibility review.

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self announced the news in a statement and noted that De Sousa will not play in Thursday's exhibition game against Emporia State:

A statement from Coach Bill Self on Silvio de Sousa: pic.twitter.com/KVExNfX15N

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) October 24, 2018

Last season, the Angola native appeared in 20 games for the Jayhawks and averaged 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 68.1 percent from the field.

Earlier this month, the attorney representing former Adidas executive Jim Gatto said during a trial regarding corruption in college basketball that he paid De Sousa $20,000 to ensure he would attend Kansas.

Gatto, Adidas consultant Merl Code and agent Christian Dawkins were all charged with conspiracy and fraud amid allegations that they paid players to attend certain schools and to sign with Adidas after college.

Dylan Lysen of KUSports.com reported Oct. 3 that experts believed De Sousa could be ruled ineligible to play at Kansas.

Those same experts were uncertain if Kansas would be forced to vacate wins and last season's Final Four appearance, however.

After attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, 247Sports rated De Sousa as a 4-star prospect and the No. 32 overall player in the Class of 2017.

De Sousa was expected to play a bigger role at Kansas in 2018-19 after primarily being utilized as a reserve during his freshman campaign.

No. 1 Kansas will open regular-season play against the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans on Nov. 6 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.