Jayhawk report: Kansas 100, UC Davis 62

Friday’s box score

Self on Self

KU coach Bill Self got to see his son Tyler drain a three-pointer Friday near the end of KU’s blowout win. The shot was a crowd pleaser by the lightly used 6-foot-2 senior guard and got KU to the century mark to end the game.

“You know, to see him out there and have some success is always good, but whether the ball goes in or if it doesn’t go in, it really doesn’t change anything from my perspective,” Bill Self said. “It probably does from his. But that was nice to see, and the guys were all happy for him because they know he’s paid a pretty big price over the last five years.”

Tyler Self’s three-pointer was assisted by another seldom-used KU guard, Wichita native Tucker Vang. It was Vang’s first assist.

Les meant more

It might have been the technical against UC Davis coach Jim Les, or it might not have.

But this much is certain: following Les’ T for arguing with an official with 7:17 left in the first half, KU broke the game open with a 27-7 run. That took the score from 23-21 KU to 50-28 at the break.

Les said he wished he could take the technical back.

“You know, it’s an intense, emotional game,” he said. “And you know, the call was on the other end, just on a handoff. And we had quick dialogue with the official as there was a timeout being called, and he felt it warranted a technical. So it is what it is.”

KU coach Bill Self said he didn’t think the technical had much to do with it, just that his team got hot while the Aggies went cold.

“I think it was a coincidence,” Self said. “I think we were up two when the T was called and that put us up four. … I don’t know that that keyed anything. Certainly the timing was probably a coincidence that we played our best ball after that.”

Jackson excites

Embattled KU guard Josh Jackson said he was excited to be back on the floor after his one-game suspension where he sat out KU’s first and only game in the Big 12 tournament.

Jackson has been beset with off-court issues including damaging a KU women’s team player’s car in an argument outside a bar and for an unrelated traffic incident.

“Just coming out there today felt really good to get back out there with the guys,” he said. “When I step out there on that court, I’m really not thinking about anything else but basketball, something I’ve been doing for most of my life.”

Jackson scored 17 points and had seven boards in 23 minutes.

Is that Rob Lowe?

Yeah, that was Rob Lowe at Kansas’ tournament opener. But no, he wasn’t rooting for the Jayhawks.

Lowe was in Tulsa with his son for a “yet-to-be-named project,” according to the Tulsa World. He made a stop at a house where part of the 1983 movie “The Outsiders” was shot.

You may recognize the some of the other actors from “The Outsiders.” Lowe, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Diane Lane and Patrick Swayze were in the film, which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

KU fans were encouraging him to join Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis and Rob Riggle as celebrity Jayhawk fans.

Alas, it did not happen. Lowe, who turned 53 on Friday, literally took no time to find another team to root for in the NCAA Tournament.

“Congrats to UC Davis on a great year,” Lowe tweeted. “And … let’s do #Duke!”

As a No. 1 seed

KU is 7-0 in matchups between 1 and 16 teams in the 14-year Bill Self era.

KU pounded Austin Peay 105-79 in a 1-16 contest a year ago in Des Moines. The Jayhawks also beat Western Kentucky 64-57 in 2013 in Kansas City; Boston University 72-53 in 2011 (Tulsa); Lehigh 90-74 in 2010 (Oklahoma City); Portland State 85-61 in 2008 (Omaha) and Niagara 107-67 in 2007 (Chicago).

Dion Lefler, Kansas City Star

This story was originally published March 17, 2017 at 10:03 PM with the headline "Jayhawk report: Kansas 100, UC Davis 62."