Kansas

🏀 Kansas Well Represented on All-Big 12 Team

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

IRVING, Texas – Led by Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Hunter Dickinson, all five Kansas men’s basketball starters are included on the 2024 All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Awards, the league office announced Sunday. The awards were voted on by the conference coaches and they were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Dickinson and graduate Kevin McCullar Jr. were named members of the All-Big 12 First Team, while junior KJ Adams Jr., redshirt-senior Dajuan Harris Jr. and freshman Johnny Furphy were on the all-conference honorable mention list. Harris was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team for the third-consecutive year, while Dickinson was selected to the 2024 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and Furphy to the 2024 Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

Historically, this marks the fourth time in Big 12 history that a Jayhawk has been named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Dickinson joins Malik Newman (2018), Dedric Lawson (2019) and David McCormack (2021). Dickinson is the 17th KU player named to the Big 12-All Newcomer squad. Dating back to the Big Eight Conference era, Dickinson is the 12th KU player to be named his league’s newcomer of the year.

Furphy is the fifth KU player to be named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team that started in 2019. He joins Devon Dotson (2019), Christian Braun (2020), Adams (2022) and Gradey Dick (2023). The Big 12 All-Defensive Team started in 2006 and Harris marks the 23rd time a Jayhawk has made that five-member squad.

A six-time Big 12 weekly award winner and on most every national player of the year list, Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is eighth nationally in rebounds per game at 10.8. The Alexandria, Virginia, center’s 16 double-doubles lead the Big 12 and are 11th nationally. With an 18.0 ppg, which is second in the Big 12 behind McCullar, Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. He also leads the Big 12 with 14 games of 20-plus points. Dickinson also leads KU with 43 blocked shots and has 29 steals. Dickinson is on his all-conference team for the fourth-consecutive season. He was the Big Ten Freshman and Newcomer of the Year in 2021.

Named to most every national player of the year late watch list, McCullar Jr. leads the Big 12 in scoring at 18.3 points per game. His two triple-doubles are the third most in the NCAA. The San Antonio, Texas, guard is second on the team with 39 three-point field goals made. His 6.0 rebounds per game are also second on the team and McCullar ranks in 11 Big 12 statistical categories. McCullar is an All-Big 12 selection for the fourth straight season, with two at Texas Tech in 2021 and 2022 and two at Kansas in 2023 and 2024.

Adams has led the Big 12 in field goal percentage most of the season at 59.9% yet is two field goals shy of qualifying for the league and national stats. The Austin, Texas, forward is averaging 12.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He has 96 assists in 2023-24, including 34 in his last 11 contests. The 2023 Big 12 Most Improved Player, Adams is on the All-Big 12 team for the second-straight year.

Harris Jr. is second in the Big 12 with 6.4 assists per game, which is 10th nationally, and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0), which is 27th nationally. The Columbia, Missouri, guard averages 8.3 points per contest and has a team-high 48 steals. Besides being a three-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection, Harris is also a three-time All-Big 12 honoree.

Furphy (9.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg) averaged 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in Big 12 play. The Melbourne, Australia, guard has started in 16 games for KU and leads the team with 40 threes made this season.

In the 28-year history of the Big 12, Kansas has 37 All-Big 12 First Team selections which is more than twice as many as any other school. KU has had a first-team honoree in 25 of the 28 seasons of the league and two on the first team 12 times. Kansas leads the Big 12 with an all-time high 159 student-athletes named to All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Awards. Texas is second with 120, while Baylor is third with 116 selections.

No. 14 Kansas (22-9, 10-8) will enter the 2024 Big 12 Championship as the No. 6 seed and will play its first game on Wednesday, March 13, at 8:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2) against the winner of the No. 14 West Virginia and No. 11 Cincinnati contest. The WVU-UC game will be played on Tuesday, March 12 at 2 p.m. The Big 12 Championship runs March 12-16 and will be played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

2024 All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Awards
Player of the Year – Jamal Shead, Houston
Defensive Player of the Year – Jamal Shead, Houston
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS
Freshman of the Year – Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
Sixth Man Award – Jaxson Robinson, BYU
Most Improved Player – Dylan Disu, Texas
Coach of the Year – Kelvin Sampson, Houston

All-Big 12 First Team
Jamal Shead, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS
KEVIN MCCULLAR JR., KANSAS
Dylan Disu, Texas

All-Big 12 Second Team
RayJ Dennis, Baylor
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
Emanuel Miller, TCU
Max Abmas, Texas

All-Big 12 Third Team
Jalen Bridges, Baylor
Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
J’Wan Roberts, Houston
Pop Isaacs, Texas Tech
Darrion Williams, Texas Tech

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school)
Langston Love (Baylor), Yves Missi (Baylor), Dallon Hall (BYU), Spencer Johnson (BYU), Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Fousseyni Traore (BYU), Ibrahima Diallo (UCF), Darrius Johnson (UCF), Jaylin Sellers (UCF), Dan Skillings Jr. Cincinnati), Ja’Vier Francis (Houston), Emanuel Sharp (Houston), KJ ADAMS JR. (KANSAS), JOHNNY FURPHY (KANSAS), DAJUAN HARRIS JR. (KANSAS), Arthur Kaluma (K-State), Tylor Perry (K-State), Javian McCollum (Oklahoma), Jalon Moore (Oklahoma), Javon Small (Oklahoma State), Jameer Nelson Jr. (TCU), Micah Peavy (TCU), Joe Toussaint (Texas Tech)

Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Yves Missi, Baylor
John Newmann III, Cincinnati
Jamal Shead, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
DAJUAN HARRIS JR., KANSAS

Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
RayJ Dennis, Baylor
Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
HUNTER DICKINSON, KANSAS
Max Abmas, Texas
Darrion Williams, Texas Tech

Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Yves Missi, Baylor
Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
JOHNNY FURPHY, KANSAS

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Kansas State Baseball 2026 at Utah

Published

4 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

After a rough homestand that saw the Cats go 1-3, your Kansas State Wildcats are back on the road for a Big 12 series against Utah — K-State’s first trip out to Salt Lake City for a baseball game.

The Cats sit at 17-8 on the season and 3-3 in Big 12 play, and after starting the season strong have really struggled since the Sunday game against Houston two weekends ago. Either the bats go wild and they win in a rule-ruled game, or they lose. Not exactly a recipe for confidence moving into the heart of the season.

And a lot of that struggle is on the bullpen and the K-State defense, with the former struggling to throw strikes and avoid giving up easy homeruns, and the latter struggling with staying focused and committing unforced errors at the worst times. But if ever there was a good weekend in conference play to get back on track, it would be this one for K-State. Utah enters today 13-9 and 3-3 in Big 12 play, but currently rank dead last in hitting in conference play despite putting up runs and picking up wins. If K-State can avoid errors and letting bad plays snowball, they will have a good opportunity to sweep this series.

But the Cats have to be more consistent than they’ve shown the past couple weeks.

All games here in Salt Lake City are at the America First Ballpark, a park that opened last spring and is also the home of Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, and will be available on online via KMAN and at KStateSports.com/watch with Matt Walters calling the action there. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+, with a Bill Riley on the broadcast.

James Guyette takes the mound Friday night at 7:000pm CT for his seventh start of the season. The junior righty went into the sixth inning last Friday against Arizona State before getting lifted after recording just one out. He gave up three runs on five hits, one of those over the fence, and five free bases while tossing five strikeouts. Through six games he’s got an ERA of 5.51, the highest of K-State’s weekend starters.

The Cat batters will face junior right-hander Colter McAnelly to open the game. McAnelly finished 2025 as an All-Big 12 First Team selection, and the Wyoming native earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors three times as a sophomore. He’s not been quite as productive so far in 2026, sitting at just 2-3 in six starts this season with an ERA of 3.94. But that number is way up after last week, when he gave up six runs on six hits in five innings in what ended up as a 4-13 loss to Cincinnati.

Saturday’s game is set for a 3:00pm CT first-pitch. Lincoln Sheffield moves up a day as Pete Hughes looks to shake things up in his maligned bullpen, also making his seventh start of the season. Last Sunday, the senior lefty pitched a run-ruled complete game, giving up just one run on five hits and two free bases, but tossing six strikeouts enroute to a 12-1 K-State victory, and Sheff’s fifth of the season. He leads K-State starters with a 3.97 ERA that dropped back under 4.00 after his 1.29 effort last Sunday.

Utah will send to the mound Payton Riske to face the Cat batters. The right-handed junior is also making his seventh start of the season, all as the Saturday starter — a role the Las Vegas-native earned last season and has yet to relinquish. Last week he went just three innings against Cincinnati, giving up five runs on six hits — but no walks — in what became a 10-20 loss to the Bearcats.

Sunday’s start time is set for 2:00pm CT, and Tanner Duke will take the bump for the Cats in the swap with Sheffield. Duke was solid in his first two Saturday starts, before struggling against Arizona State last Saturday. The junior righty lasted just three innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on six hits, including two over the fence, before leaving the game with the Sun Devils up 5-7. But ultimately it didn’t matter as the bullpen was just as giving, with the Cats eventually falling 12-18. After falling to 3.43, Duke’s ERA ballooned back up to 4.88 for the season.

Utah has not named a starter for Sunday’s game, but sophomore Cameron Nielson made the start last Sunday for the Utes in their 13-11 finale win over the Bearcats. Last week, the right-hander was solid through the first two innings before getting lifted after snagging just one out in the third. His final line was two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks (one of those was intentional), tossing just one strikeout. He’s got a season ERA of 3.86, but has only pitched more than three innings one time in his seven appearances so far this season.

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Will Flory Bidunga Return to Kansas, Enter the NBA Draft, or Transfer?

Published

16 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Will Flory Bidunga Return to Kansas, Enter the NBA Draft, or Transfer?

The Kansas player with the biggest decision to make this offseason is sophomore big man Flory Bidunga. The Congo native just wrapped up his second year in Lawrence and will have to determine whether he wants to spend another year at the university.

In 35 games this season, he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game en route to an All-Big 12 First Team selection. A breakout star, Bidunga took one of the biggest jumps of any player in the entire country.

Most mock drafts project Bidunga to be selected in the early-to-mid second round or even as early as the late first round, though you’d be hard-pressed to find many predictions like that. Is he a strong enough draft prospect to go pro after two campaigns?

Evaluating Flory Bidunga as an NBA Draft Prospect

Bidunga’s biggest strength is as a rim protector and shot-blocker, evidenced by his conference-leading block number. His freakishly lengthy wingspan allows him to contest nearly any shot at the rim and forces opposing players to reconsider testing their luck against him.

Almost all of Bidunga’s points come within six feet of the basket or the free-throw line, where he has shot a lifetime 61.8% in the NCAA. Since he has such an impressive vertical for his size, he can rise up for several dunks a game and might have thrown down more alley oops than any other player in the country this season.

Mar 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Despite his long arms, Bidunga is still quite undersized as a true five. He stands at 6-foot-9, which is rather short for someone with the skill set he possesses.

Bidunga is a traditional big who specializes on the defensive end and on the defensive glass. Still, it is difficult to see why an NBA team would want to spend an early draft pick on a center who doesn’t have much of a post game or imposing size.

He feels like someone who can carve out a long career in the league as a backup big man, which is a perfectly fine role to have. For him to become anything more than that, he’ll have to expand his game outside the paint and build more muscle to avoid being bullied by stronger centers.

Could Flory Bidunga Play Collegiately at a Different School?

While Bidunga will certainly be looking to impress NBA Draft scouts with his ability, going pro is not the only option for him. He could return to Kansas for his junior year or even enter the transfer portal to explore other collegiate opportunities.

Last year, Bidunga briefly entered the transfer portal before returning to the university and staying with Kansas. His reasoning was that he had concerns after playing sparingly in his freshman year behind Hunter Dickinson and may have also been seeking a larger NIL payout.

Before the season even ended, there was speculation that Bidunga might be eyeing opportunities from other schools that could offer more in NIL compensation. This has led to widespread uncertainty about his future as a Jayhawk.

Head coach Bill Self has refused to comment on these rumors in the past, but the uncertainty surrounding his own future at the school adds another layer to Bidunga’s situation. He has played for Coach Self in both of his collegiate seasons and may not be willing to stick it out with KU if a new face takes over the program.

We should learn more about these circumstances in the coming weeks, but Bidunga’s decision is one to monitor more closely than anyone else’s on the team. What he decides this offseason could ultimately shape the trajectory of his basketball career.

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Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. killed in hit-and-run crash while riding his scooter

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. killed in hit-and-run crash while riding his scooter

KSHB 41 reporter La’Nita Brooks covers stories providing solutions and offering discussions on topics of crime and violence. She also covers stories in the Northland. Share your story idea with La’Nita.

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Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. was killed in an early morning hit-and-run crash while riding his scooter March 21.

Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. killed in hit-and-run crash

Lee was turning left from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard onto Eastwood Trafficway when a car ran a red light and hit him. A small memorial now grows at the intersection.

Chris Morrison

Arthur Lee Jr, son of Arthur Lee Sr.

“Devastated. Everybody’s hurt, it was really unexpected,” his son Arthur Lee Jr. said. “I loved him to death. My dad was like my best friend.”

Lee was well known in the barbecue community, working as a pitmaster at Gates Bar-B-Q for the past eight years after spending two decades at Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque.

“He loved working at Gates,” Rose Qualls, Lee’s sister-in-law, said. “He was always making us slabs and turkey sandwiches.”

The morning of the incident, Lee was preparing to move into a new home with his wife and children, getting ready for a fresh start before a tragic end.

“He was really special, you know. He was one of a kind and everybody that he was around just loved him,” Qualls said. “It’s just a sad situation.”

Lee was 60 years old. His family said while his life was cut short, his flame will burn forever.

“My sister, she is really going through it, we all are,” Qualls said. “And I’m here for her, whatever she needs, when she need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here.”

Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. killed in a hit-and-run crash while riding his scooter — Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. was killed in a hit-and-run crash while riding his scooter.

The family is pleading for answers and for the driver, who fled the scene, to come forward.

“I would pray that they would have some type of compassion, some type of heart, possibly turn themselves in,” Lee Jr. said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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