Kansas gets Big 12 on the board with thrashing of New Mexico State
The Big 12 went 0-3 on Thursday.
It didn't take long for Kansas to get its conference on the board Friday, as the Jayhawks quickly disposed of New Mexico State 75-56 in the day's opener.
The Jayhawks raced out to a 36-23 halftime lead and never gave the Aggies a chance to get back into the game in the second half.
Kansas guard Frank Mason III led all scorers with 17 points, adding nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. He was one of six Kansas players to score at least eight points. Forward Perry Ellis had nine points on 4-of-10 shooting, knocking down his only 3-point attempt and filling out his stat line with two rebounds, one assist, one steal and a block.
The Jayhawks were lethal from 3-point range, going 9-of-13 from outside. The 69.2 percent on triples was the best Kansas has recorded since Nov. 27 1996.
New Mexico guard DK Eldridge paced the Aggies in scoring with 11 points off the bench, hitting on 3-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc.
With the win, Kansas advances to the third round of the Midwest Regional where it will face seventh-seeded Wichita State.
Prospect Watch
Kelly Oubre Jr., F, Kansas: After opening postseason play with a 25-point performance against TCU, Oubre has been limited to a total of 20 over his last three, including eight points against New Mexico State. He continues to struggle creating shots for others, with just two assists in his last 10 games.
Cliff Alexander, F, Kansas: Alexander continues to sit because of a possible NCAA violation involving monies received by family members. He is not traveling with the team.
Brannen Greene, G, Kansas: The sophomore continued to be effective shooting the ball from long range, knocking down 2-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc. He's shooting 40 percent from 3-point range in his last three postseason games.
Wayne Selden Jr., G, Kansas: After putting up 20 and 25 points to close out the Big 12 tournament, Selden was limited to six points against New Mexico State, though he did hit on half of his shots. He's shooting 74.1 percent from inside the arc during postseason play.