KU vs. Fort Hays State - Tonight!

News and notes on KU’s first exhibition game against Fort Hays State tonight at Allen Fieldhouse while hoping the Phog is packed and rocking for the Jayhawks’ debut.

The Jayhawks enter the game as the preseason No. 1 team in the country by The Associated Press and ESPN/ USA Today Coaches’ polls. They also boast two members on The AP’s preseason All-America team in junior center Cole Aldrich and senior point guard Sherron Collins. Aldrich received the second-most votes (49) from the 65-member national media panel behind Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody (57 votes), while Collins was third behind Aldrich with 39 votes. The two players rounding out the All-America team are Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson (35 votes) and Duke’s Kyle Singler (30 votes).

Aldrich and Collins are the first teammates chosen to the preseason team since J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams of Duke in 2005-06.

“I do think we return the best guard in the country and the best big man in the country,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I think if you’re going to start a team, why not have an anchor and why not have a guard?”

KU has won 33 straight exhibition games and is 19-0 in preseason games under Self. Kansas is 51-7 all time in exhibition play, including 44-4 at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks last lost an exhibition game in Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 9, 1993 to Australia (93-82). KU’s last loss in any exhibition game came on Dec. 28, 1995 in Strausbourg, France, falling 101-93 to Lisbonne Benfica.

Kansas leads the series with Fort Hays State 6-0, including three exhibition games. The teams last met in the 2007 exhibition season, a 93-56 Jayhawk victory in Allen Fieldhouse. The series dates back to 1994 with KU scoring in the 90s in all but one game. Here’s predicting KU breaks the century mark on Tuesday night.

Fort Hays State returns three starters and five letterwinners from last year’s 20-9 team. FHSU tied for third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association with a 12-8 mark. The team’s go-to player is 6-6 senior forward Tim Peintner, FHSU’s top returning scorer at 12.3 points per game and leading rebounder (7.1 rpg). The other two returning starters are 6-4 junior guard Corbin Kuntzsch (10 ppg, 5.6 rpg last season) and 6-6 senior forward Ryan Herrman (7.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg).

Head coach Mark Johnson begins his ninth season at Fort Hays State with a 158-75 record. He ranks among the top 20 active NCAA Division II men’s basketball coaches in winning percentage (.678). Self, meanwhile, has recorded an impressive 169-40 (.809 percent) record in six seasons at Kansas and a 376-145 (.722 percent) mark in 16 seasons overall as head coach.

Twelve years ago today on Nov. 3, 1997, Kenny Gregory scored 20 points to lead KU to a 117-87 exhibition victory over the Outback All-Stars in Allen Fieldhouse. The 6-5 Gregory, one of the most electrifying dunkers in KU history, averaged 11.4 points on 53.3 percent field goal shooting during his four-year career.