Kansas vs. Washington State: Jayhawks look for 3rd win against Cougars

Eager to pick up their first win over a major conference opponent, the Kansas Jayhawks will hit the court on Monday evening to face Washington State in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic championship game.

The Jayhawks continue to struggle from the perimeter on the young season with a woeful 24.5% mark as a team, but will face a Washington State lineup that ranks in the bottom quarter of college basketball at defending the three-point shot in the early going. Freshman guard Ben McLemore looks to be growing into his role as the Jayhawks' leading scorer quite nicely with a 16.0-point per game average after three contests, and should once again have a chance to post big numbers against a below-average Cougar defense.

Washington State will bring its relatively slow tempo into play on Monday night, which may work into the hands of Kansas shot-blocker Jeff Withey, who has swatted 4.3 shots per game so far in 2012-13. Withey will face a Cougar front line that features a pair of 6'10 forwards in Brock Motum and D.J. Shelton. Motum is currently taking a staggering 34.1% of his team's shots when he's on the floor, but will need to be much more efficient against a dominant defensive presence like Withey on Monday night in Kansas City.

Where: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO

When: 9 p.m. CT

TV: ESPN2