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Fans throw confetti before tip off at the Nov. 14 game against University of California, Santa Barbara. Two schools rich in tradition. No. 5 Kansas and No. 1 Kentucky will face off tonight in Indianapolis at the Champions Classic.
BEN LIPOWITZ/KANSAN
BLEEDING BLUE
Kansas, Kentucky clash in a battle rooted in history
KYLE PAPPAS
@KylePap
Throughout the entire preseason, No. 5 Kansas versus No. 1 Kentucky has been highlighted in red on most college basketball fans' calendars.
One of the year's early marquee games, the matchup's appeal stems as much from the two's current status as top-5 programs as it does from the schools' unparalleled traditions.
When it comes to winning, no two schools have done it better since the turn of the 20th century. The Wildcats sit atop the list of all-time winningest universities with 2,140 victories. The Jayhawks are
second with 2,126.
["Kentucky's] program is so tradition-rich," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "It's the blueest of the blue-bloods and ours is right there with them."
The two have been no strangers to each other over the years. In addition to meeting in the NCAA tournament on three occasions since 1999, both are linked through some of the figures who have helped build their respective traditions.
former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, the nameake of the Wildcats' Rupp Arena, led the program from 1930 to 1972 and collected 876 wins in his career — enough for fifth all-time.
Prior to moving to Lexington, he served as a reserve player at Kansas under legendary coach Phog Allen from 1919 to 1923. Rupp also took classes with another influential character in Kansas basketball, according to his son.
"He actually took classes with Dr. [James] Naismith," Adolph Rupp, Jr. said. "He took what he learned from both of those men, and then added his own innovations to it, to come up with Kentucky-style basketball."
Moreover, current Wildcats coach John Calipari was an assistant at Kansas under former coach Larry Brown from 1982 to 1985. When he left to take the same position at the
University of Massachusetts, a 23-year-old recent graduate with no prior coaching experience filled the vacancy. His name was Bill Self.
While the universities share bits of their history with each other, their most common characteristic has been their success on the court.
it's definitely going to be a fun matchup," junior forward Jamari Traylor said. "I know everybody's going to be watching."
The two are battling each other at the top of nearly every all-time statistical category. Most NCAA tournament wins? Kentucky is first with 116, Kansas sits third at 96. Highest winning percentage? Kentucky's at the top with 763 clip and Kansas is third at 720. "I definitely [take pride in Kansas' tradition], it's a lot of history in these two programs,
Also, as two of the most prestigious basketball schools in the nation, it's not rare that the Jayhawks have wound up fighting Kentucky for some of the nation's most-prized recruits. Though Tuesday night will mark their first matchup on the court since 2012, the two have been competing against each other nonstop in the recruiting circuit.
"We've gone head-to-head with Kentucky numerous times, and we've won a couple and lost a few, but that's always going to be the nature of the
business," Self said. "There's a lot of people that we'll recruit against, but it seems like there's been more of the Kentucky-Kansas crossover than maybe there has any other school, at least with us."
No matter how Tuesday night's matchup at Bankers Life Fieldhouse comes out, fans should savor the opportunity to watch college basketball's winningest programs square off against each other.
"It doesn't happen that often."
Self said. "I guess it will happen if we ever play them again, usually when we play, we've got a chance to be No. 1 and No. 2 [in all-time wins]. 'I'll be fun'"
Edited by Rob Pyatt
Jayhawks again faced with tough early-season test
KYLE PAPPAS
@KylePap
Kansas coach Bill Self enjoys knowing exactly what he's working with early in the season.
Junior forward Perry Ellis attempts a layup in Friday night's game against UCSB. Kansas won 69-59, after pulling away in the second half.
It's why he's scheduled matchups against ranked opponents within the Jayhawks' first two regular season games in each of the past three years. Last year, it was No. 4 Duke. The season prior? No. 21 Michigan State. Back in 2011, it was No. 2 Kentucky.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
That trend continues with No. 5 Kansas' Champions Classic matchup against No. 1 Kentucky at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m., or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Duke-Michigan State game.
"They're good — they've got all the pieces to have a great team obviously." Self said. "We're going to have to be smart, we're going to have to attack pressure — we're going to have to do a lot of things. Hopefully, we'll be sound enough where we can create some problems for them, too."
Kentucky boasts what former Jayhawk coach Larry Brown called "the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation" last week. He was referring to the Wildcats' loaded bench that will feature at least four McDonald's All-Americans at any given time.
Notorious for producing several "one-and-dones" since coach John Calipari's arrival in Lexington, this year's Kentucky team actually returns three key starters in addition to its six man from last season. It's begun the season 2-0, though it looked shaky at times against a much less talented Buffalo team on Sunday.
Also, per usual, the Wildcats secured a handful of the most highly touted recruits in the class of 2014. Forward Karl-Anthony Towns has been the lone newcomer to crack the starting lineup thus far, but all four of Kentucky's first-year players have seen significant minutes early on.
He had a productive campaign last year, averaging 6.8 points and 2.9 blocks per game prior to suffering an ankle injury midway through the NCAA tournament. In two games this season, Cauley-Stein leads Kentucky in minutes and averages 9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest.
Forward Willem Cauley-Stein, a 7-foot junior from Oatlme, will lead the Wildcats as their most experienced starter.
Freshman forward Trey Lyles leads the team in points, averaging 13 off of the bench through two contests.
"John and his staff have done a great job getting a whole bunch of guys who are highly touted, that may not be in school for a long period of
time, to really share the ball and play unselfishly, too." Self said.
For Kansas, freshman production will be key, too.
Freshman guard Devonte' Graham had a stellar Jayhawk debut on Friday night against UC Santa Barbara. He notched
Guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and forward Cliff Alexander will also be counted on to provide valuable minutes off of the bench. While both have struggled with consistency early, it's clear that the two are special talents with ample room to grow before reaching their proverbial ceilings.
a team-high 14 points and appeared more than capable of running Self's offense.
"Hopefully, we'll be sound enough where we can create some problems for them (Kentucky), too."
BILL SELF Kansas coach
The Jayhawks will require contributions from both in order to hang with the nation's top-ranked squad.
"Last year, we took a bunch of young kids up there too," Self said. "A bunch of young kids on the big stage for the first time. It'll be curious to see how we respond to this, but certainly there will be a different feel in the building than what there's been so far."
They'll also expect a strong
showing from junior forward Perry Ellis, whom Self anticipates serving as the team's primary scorer. Ellis recorded a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) against UC. Santa Barbara last time out, collecting two steals in the process. He is Kansas' most consistent all-around performer and will provide stability for what may be an up-and-down team initially.
The in-game matchup to keep an eye on will be the Jayhawks' speed versus the Wildcats' size and length. The Wildcats have four players who are 6-foot-10 or taller. Kansas has only two.
Junior forward Jamari Traylor said he's watched Kentucky this season and has been impressed with how aggressive its big men are in the paint.
"They definitely go after the glass," Traylor said. "They get a lot of second-chance points and opportunities and we've got to limit that."
Currently, Kentucky leads the all-time series over Kansas, 21-6. The Jayhawks' last win against the Wildcats came in 2007, when they knocked them out of the NCAA tournament in the second round, 88-76.
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Edited by Rob Pyatt
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