Notebook
- The Panthers and Jayhawks never have met in men’s basketball, though in recent years the two schools have competed in women’s soccer and baseball.
- KU coach Bill Self is 1-0 versus the Panthers. His Illinois team won, 85-44, on Dec. 6, 2000, in Champaign, Ill.
- Tonight marks the 100th game KU has played in Kemper Arena, where the Jayhawks are 76-23. KU has won 24 straight regular-season games in Kemper.
- UWM’s last matchup with a Big 12 Conference team came in 2001, when the Panthers dropped a 93-87 decision at Colorado. The Panthers are 0-7 all-time against current Big 12 members — 0-4 vs. Colorado and 0-3 vs. Iowa State.
- The Jayhawks beat Horizon League foe Illinois-Chicago, 78-53, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March.
- Today’s contest marks the fifth game of a six-game road stretch in which UWM will see nothing but teams that qualified for the postseason a year ago. UWM has already defeated Illinois-Chicago (NCAA) and Saint Louis (NIT) and lost to Valparaiso (NCAA) and Wisconsin (NCAA). After tonight’s game, the Panthers play at Manhattan (NCAA) and Purdue (NIT). UWM’s next home game is Jan. 3 against Detroit, a stretch of 32 days without a home contest.
- Ranked No. 2 in the country, KU will be the highest-ranked Division One opponent UWM ever has faced.
- Bruce Pearl is 66-34 in four seasons at UW-Milwaukee.
- UWM continues to be without two of its top 10 players. Senior Rob Sanders, who has battled shoulder trouble throughout his UWM career, is sidelined again after dislocating his shoulder during the first half of the Dec. 4 contest at UIC. He will not play today. Junior Mark Pancratz, who has missed the entire season to date because of a stress fracture in his foot, started light activity at practice Monday and is nearing a full return to action. He is listed as doubtful.
6Sports video: Jackson gets nod from Self
Bio: Darnell Jackson
Sign up for cell phone updates
Sign up for e-mail updates