Self ejected for 1st time at Kansas in rout by TTU

LUBBOCK, Texas — Darrion Williams had a perfect night for Texas Tech, and the Red Raiders never trailed in a lopsided 79-50 victory over sixth-ranked Kansas that saw Bill Self ejected for the first time in his 21 seasons as the Jayhawks‘ head coach.

The 29-point loss Monday matched Kansas’ largest against an unranked opponent in the AP poll era (since 1948-49), the other being against Kentucky in 1950.

It was the 33rd time this season that an AP top-10 team lost on the road to an unranked opponent, already the most through the month of February in a single season in AP poll history.

Williams, a sophomore transfer from Nevada, scored a career-high 30 points on 12-of-12 shooting, including four 3-pointers. He also made both of his free throws and had 11 rebounds.

“Give him credit because [of] his work habits and his belief in this team. … I do believe the game rewards those people that play it to win,” Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland said. “What an awesome combination he was tonight of scoring and facilitating and rebounding and just winning.”

Williams’ 12 field goals without a miss were the most against a ranked opponent in AP poll history. He was also the first player in the past 25 seasons with 30 points, 10 rebounds and a perfect shooting percentage against a ranked opponent.

Williams hit a 3 on the first shot of the game for the Red Raiders (18-6, 7-4 Big 12). They made 8-of-12 from long range over the first 13 minutes to jump ahead 27-14.

It was a frustrating night for Kansas (19-6, 7-5), which played its second game in a row without Big 12 leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr., and with guard Dajuan Harris Jr. not at full strength after rolling his left ankle late in a 64-61 home win over 12th-ranked Baylor two days earlier.

“We’re beat up and tired right now,” Self said.

Self was ejected with 5:49 remaining after getting two technical fouls in quick succession following an offensive foul call against Hunter Dickinson under the basket, though that wasn’t all that bothered the coach.

“I didn’t curse him, I didn’t yell. But I did say a magic word, I guess, multiple times that got me a couple of technicals,” Self said. “I really wasn’t trying to get thrown out. But, you know, the way things [were] with the game, I honestly feel the game’s not being called the way it needs to be called.

“Regardless of it’s our favor or their favor, it makes no difference to me.”

It was the 722nd game at Kansas for Self, whose only other ejection in 31 seasons overall as a college head coach came in 1999 while with Tulsa at Wyoming.

“That was frustration, but I felt that all year,” Self said. “So, good officials … good officials, I just don’t see it the same way that it’s being called.”

Self said there has been a lot of physicality, “more this year than there has been in years past.”

Self became the third Big 12 coach this month with a first-time ejection at his school. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson got two technical fouls and was ejected with 15:08 remaining in a home win Feb. 6, his first ejection in 10 years of coaching the Cougars. Sampson stormed to the other end of the court and started yelling at the officials for not calling fouls against Oklahoma State; he had to be restrained by his players and assistant coaches and ushered off the floor.

Baylor’s Scott Drew, who also in his 21st season is tied with Self as the Big 12’s longest-tenured coaches, got his first career ejection Feb. 2 after two technical fouls in a home win over Iowa State. Both fouls, one midway through the first half and the other with 11½ minutes left, apparently were because he was outside the coaching box.

The Big 12 fined Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades $25,000 and issued a public reprimand because of his criticism of officials after Drew’s ejection. Rhoades called the officiating in that game “an embarrassment” for the league.

After Self left the court Monday, Pop Isaacs made all four free throws for a 63-43 lead. Warren Washington had 11 points for Tech in only 20 minutes. He was limping when he came out of the game with just over 16 minutes left, but he returned about eight minutes later and had a dunk before departing for good.

Nicolas Timberlake and Johnny Furphy each had 13 points for Kansas. Harris finished with seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, while Dickinson was limited to five points while missing 10 of his 12 shots.

McCullar, who averages 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists, is in his second season with the Jayhawks. He was part of two NCAA tournament teams while playing 79 games in three seasons at Texas Tech from 2019 to 2022.

Without McCullar and with Harris not completely healthy, the Jayhawks shot a season-low 32.7% (17-of-52) from the field. Their 50 points were also their fewest this season and fewest in a road game under Self. Their big guys, Dickinson and KJ Adams, were a combined 3-of-23 from the field.

The 29-point margin matched Texas Tech’s largest over the Jayhawks. The other was 91-62 five years ago, also at home. None of the current Red Raiders players was on the roster then.

Unranked Big 12 teams are 9-3 at home against top-10 teams this season.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.