KU dominates Iowa State to run record to 19-0

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- No. 2 Kansas was almost perfectly average. It was more than enough to remain undefeated.

The Jayhawks went into Wednesday night shooting 51 percent for the season and leading the country with a scoring margin of 24.3 points, so they shot 50 percent and beat Iowa State by 24.

Darnell Jackson got his first double-double and the Kansas big men thwarted Iowa State's perimeter-oriented strategy in an 83-59 win that kept the Jayhawks unbeaten in 19 games, tying for the third-best start in school history.

"They have so many weapons," said Iowa State coach Greg McDermott. "There is not really one person in their lineup that you can leave to provide some help on somebody else."

The 6-foot-8 Jackson had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Kansas (19-0, 4-0 Big 12) and 6-9 Darrell Arthur had 16 points after starting the game with a turnover, a foul and an airball. Brandon Rush had 11 points and a career-best six assists.

Iowa State (12-7, 2-2), which had won nine of its last 11, concentrated its defense on the perimeter and did manage to hold Kansas' prolific guards to just five 3-pointers. But that left Iowa State exposed up front and the Jayhawks outscored the visitors in the paint 42-16.

"We made the decision to play some of their post players one-on-one to try to control some of their dribble penetration and to get to some of their 3-point shooters," McDermott said. "And to their credit, Arthur and Jackson really made us pay for it."

The strategy made sense to Kansas coach Bill Self.

"It didn't surprise me at all," he said. "Everybody tries to take something away in some form or fashion. We're at our best offensively when the post man [passes it back to the guards] and they took that away."

Jackson, with his first double-double of the season, scored six points during a 15-5 run in the second half that gave Kansas a comfortable 64-41 lead en route to its 33rd victory in its last 34 games.

The spree began with a play that made the sellout crowd in venerable Allen Fieldhouse catch its breath. On a fast break, Rush was fouled under the basket and came down very hard on his right knee, where he still wears a brace after undergoing ACL surgery last June.

But Rush bounced right back up and hit two free throws, and finished with 11 points to go with a career-high six assists. Mario Chalmers rebounded an Iowa State miss and then hit a 3-pointer for a 54-36 lead, and then Jackson made two consecutive baskets.

Jackson, who had three double-doubles last season, knew he was getting close to his first when the bench kept yelling "one more, one more" rebound.

"I wanted to make sure that if I had the chance to go get a rebound, I was going to get it," he said.

Iowa State, which hadn't faced a ranked team all year, shot only 31 percent, including 6-of-28 3-pointers. Chalmers had 10 points and Russell Robinson had 11. Wesley Johnson, the current player of the week in the Big 12, had 21 points for Iowa State, giving him 65 points in his last three games. Craig Brackins had 13.

With about three minutes left, Self emptied his bench onto the floor. With almost two minutes to play, McDermott did the same, leaving almost entirely reserves to end the game for both teams.

Brackins said he's not sure the Jayhawks will lose any time soon.

"They're so calm and poised on the court," he said. "You look at them and even when something is going wrong or something is going right, they have the same look on their face. They're just so comfortable out on the court. They'll make you pay for your mistakes, so basically you just have to be on your game and just go out and play as tough as you can."