Two of the top defensive teams in the nation square of as No. 1 Kansas (12-0) begins the New Year at No. 18/19 Temple (11-2). Kansas is allowing 58.6 points per game, while Temple is holding opponents to 54.2 points per contest. Both teams posted 7-0 records in the month of December. KU and Temple each have rich traditions as Kansas ranks third all-time with 1,981 victories and Temple is sixth at 1,722 wins.

About Kansas

Top-rated Kansas extended the nation’s longest home-court winning streak to 50 games with an 81-51 win against Belmont on Dec. 29. The Jayhawks, 12-0, average 87.8 points per game, are giving up 58.6 points and rank in the top five nationally with a +29.2 scoring margin. KU is shooting 52 percent from the field, while its opponents are shooting 34.6 percent. Only one KU opponent, Radford (Dec. 9), has shot above 40 percent against the Jayhawks this season. Freshman guard Xavier Henry leads the team with a 16.4 point scoring average. He has shot 50 percent or better in nine of 12 games this season, is making 51.9 percent of his shots from the field and leads the Big 12 with his 45.9 three-point field goal percentage. Xavier leads KU with 28 threes and 21 steals. Senior guard Sherron Collins is averaging 13.8 points on the season and is second on the team with 24 three pointers and 51 assists. Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor (7.3 ppg) leads the Jayhawks with 52 assists and has 29 assists compared to just three turnovers in his last five games. Taylor’s 17 steals are second on the team and one ahead of Collins (16). Junior center Cole Aldrich has two double-doubles in his last two games and leads the team in rebounds with 10.1 per game following his 14 boards against Belmont (Dec. 29). He has 35 boards in his last three games. Aldrich has five double-doubles this season and averages 3.8 blocked shots per outing. He had a season-best six blocked shots against Belmont. Sophomore forward Marcus Morris has averaged 17 points in his last three games and is averaging 11.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg on the season. He has shot 50 percent or better in each of his last five games and 10 of 12 games in 2009-10. Marcus’ twin, sophomore forward Markieff Morris, is coming off the bench to score 7.4 points per game. He leads the team in field goal percentage at 63 percent. Markieff is tied with his brother in rebounds at 5.6 boards per game. Junior guard Brady Morningstar returned to the lineup three games ago and is averaging 19.7 minutes, 4.0 points and 4.0 assists per game. He has 12 assists and two turnovers this season. Junior guard Tyrel Reed scores 4.8 points per outing and he has 14 three-pointers and 20 field goals made this season. Freshman guard Elijah Johnson (4.2 ppg) has started two games this season. Thomas Robinson (4.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) is another KU regular.

Kansas is the five-time defending Big 12 champion, finished 27-8 last season and won the 2009 league title outright with a 14-2 conference record. The Jayhawks advanced to their third-straight NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 before falling to NCAA runner-up Michigan State in Indianapolis last year.

About Temple

Located in Philadelphia, Pa., with an enrollment of 34,000, No. 18/19 Temple is one of the hottest teams in the nation with its seven-game winning streak. The Owls returned to the national rankings on Dec. 21 for the first time since Nov. 2001. Included in the current win streak are victories over then-No. 3 Villanova, at Miami and at Seton Hall. The Owls are 5-0 at home (4-0 in the Liacouras Center), average 64.1 points on the season and have a +9.8 scoring margin. Strong defensively, Temple's opponents are shooting 36.4 percent from the field, including 24 percent from three-point range. Senior guard Ryan Brooks leads the team with 15.8 points per game. He is second on the squad with 35 assists, 11 steals and a 5.5 rebound average. Sophomore guard Juan Fernandez leads the Owls with 32 three pointers and 46 assists to complement his 14.3 scoring average. Junior forward Lavoy Allen is seeing doubles with his 10.6 scoring and 10.6 rebounding averages. Besides rebounding, Allen also leads Temple with 24 blocked shots. Sophomore guard Ramone Moore comes off the bench to score 5.3 points per game, as does junior forward Craig Williams at 5.2 ppg. Williams is second on the team with 18 threes made. Senior guard Luis Guzman is a starter who averages three assists per contest and is scoring 4.5 points per contest. Freshman forward Rahlir Jefferson comes off the bench to score 4.1 points per game, while sophomore forward Michael Eric is a starter who scores 4.1 points per game and has seven blocked shots.

The Series

Kansas leads the overall series with Temple 6-3 as the teams last met last season in Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 20, 2008, a KU 71-59 win. This series dates back to 1940 when the Owls defeated the Jayhawks 40-35 in Philadelphia. Five of the nine meetings have been played on neutral courts. This is the second Atlantic 10 team Kansas has faced this season. The Jayhawks defeated La Salle 90-65 on Dec. 12 in Allen Fieldhouse. KU is 46-14 all-time against current membership of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Last season, Sherron Collins led Kansas with 19 points, while Cole Aldrich posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in Kansas’ 71-59 win. Tyshawn Taylor led Kansas with eight assists and four steals. He and Brady Morningstar each scored 11 points in the game. Dionte Christmas led Temple with 21 points. Current Owl Lavoy Allen had 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.