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KANSAS JAYHAWKS 27-4 (15-3)
vs. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS 17-15 (5-
EVAN RIGGS
@EvonRiggsUDK
AT A GLANCE
Nobody in college basketball is playing better than Kansas right now, who is currently riding an 11-game winning streak. With a win on Thursday, Kansas would be in very good position to be the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks haven't lost in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament since 2009, and with the way they have played as of late, that doesn't seem very likely to change this season.
Jamari Traylor senior, forward
The fifth-year senior is playing his best basketball of the season at the right time for Kansas. He's scored eight points in back-to-back games, and according to Self, he's been one of the biggest emotional leaders for the Jayhawks down the stretch. The Jayhawks will be expected to win on Thursday, and the only way they won't is if they don't play with energy. If Traylor brings the same energy he has been for a month that should trickle down to the rest of the team.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Will a first round bye actually come back to bite Kansas?
QUESTION MARK
Usually, there are a few top seeds in conference tournaments that lose after a firstround bye because their opponent already experienced the intensity of the postseason. As long as the Jayhawks aren't caught offguard by the intensity that Kansas State, the winner of Wednesday's matchup, is bound to bring, they should be just fine.
BY THE NUMBERS
2002 - The last time Kansas entered the postseason with at least a 10-game winning streak. That team won 14 consecutive games, compared to 11 this year for the Jayhawks.
o - No team has ever lost its first conference tournament game and gone on to win the national championship.
41 - Kansas is holding its opponents to 41 percent shooting in Big 12 play which is best in the conference.
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF.
The Jayhawks win. It's pretty much a done deal that they will be a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, and probably even the number one overall seed with a win on Thursday. Style points aren't important for Kansas like other teams who are trying to solidify their seed in the tournament. At this point in the season, the Jayhawks will take a win any way they can get it.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Frank Mason III,junior, guard
In the Jayhawks' last eight games, Mason was extremely efficient, shooting 57 percent from the field and 52 percent from three with 33 assists to nine turnovers. Mason wasn't great offensively on Saturday with just nine points, but his defense on Iowa State's Monte Morris stood out. One day later, he was selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
Devonte' Graham, sophomore, guard
After shooting poorly for a few games, Graham's stroke has returned in the Jayhawk's last two games. He hit another big shot in Kansas' win over Iowa State on Saturday, and he continues to prove he is the team's best clutch shooter. Like Mason, Graham was also named to the Big 12 All Defensive Team.
▶ SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
Wayne Selden Jr., junior, guard
On Saturday, Selden looked like the guy who torched every team he faced in the Jayhawks non-conference slate. He had 16 points, and shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He really struggled with his shot for five weeks, but it looks like he may be back on track just in time for the Big 12 Tournament, where he averaged 17.3 points last year.
Perry Ellis, senior, forward
Ellis will enter the game having scored 20 points in back-to-back games, and even though they were a lot different, both were equally impressive. Against Texas, he was extremely efficient, and against Iowa State, it was probably the most aggressive game he's played all season.
KANSAS STATE
Like the rest of the Kansas front line, Lucas struggled to handle Iowa State's Jameel McKay, especially in the first half on Saturday. But just like he's done all year, Lucas pulled down all of the key rebounds down the stretch. At this time last year, he was just a fill-in for Cliff Alexander, who was under NCAA investigation. This year, Lucas is playing his best basketball in a Kansas uniform, and he has clearly gained the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates.
Landen Lucas, junior, forward
PROJECTED STARTERS
Barry Brown, freshman, guard
Outside of games against Kansas, Brown hasn't been that effective unless he's playing the bottom-feeeders in the Big 12. He's scored more than five points just once in his last four games. Brown can knock down shots from the outside, leading the team with a three-point field goal percentage of 34.4.
Justin Edwards, senior, guard
Edwards leads the team in scoring and rebounds, and he's actually one of the better shooters on the team too, despite shooting exactly 30 percent from the three-point range. After a bit of a lull between December and January, Edwards has been playing better, scoring in double-figures in eight of his last nine games.
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Wesley Iwundu, junior, forward
Iwundu is an incredibly versatile player and defender. He came into the game against Oklahoma State having scored in double-figures in four straight games, although he failed to make much of an impact in the last game against Kansas. Iwundu was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team and Big 12 All-Defensive team by the league this week, and looks to capitalize on that moving forward.
Dean Wade, freshman, forward
Wade, along with Brown, was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team earlier this week, and has continued to be a bright spot for the Wildcats in a losing season. He's starting to expand his range, but needs to be much more efficient before he's taken seriously as a three-point threat.
D.J. Johnson,junior,forward
Johnson is the most efficient inside scorer on the team. He leads Kansas state in percentage of shots attempted at the rim and is second in field goal percentage on those shots, with a minimum 15 attempts. He leads the team in overall field goal percentage by nearly 15 percent, and he comes into this game playing well, with 20 points in two of his last three outings.
AT A GLANCE
PLAYER TO WATCH
Kansas State is not going to make the NCAA tournament, so this game is all about solidifying the team's standing going into the postseason. Right now, the team projects as a middle of the pack NIT school, and a win over Kansas could definitely solidify its standing in that tournament.
Stephen Hurt senior, forward
Hurt showed out in the last game against Kansas, posting 13 points in the near comeback win. Hurt has the ability to step out and hit a shot, but he's not quite the three-point shooter that some others on the team are, shooting just over 31 percent on this season. Really, his best impact comes as a physical body in the paint, where he's a solid defensive rebounder among other things.
QUESTION MARK
Can Kansas State hit shots?
The Wildcats are not a good shooting team. There's really no way to sugarcoat that. The team's best three-point shooter is making less than 35 percent of his shots. For reference, Kansas has nine different players shooting better than 35 percent from three on the year; three of them are shooting better than 45 percent from three. Kansas State is a good defensive team but will need offensive production to spring the upset.
BY THE NUMBERS
338 - Kansas State ranks 338 in the nation in three-points shooting. For reference, Kansas ranks third.
14 - Kansas State's leading scorer, Justin Edwards, ranks 14th in the Big 12 in points per game. Four different Big 12 schools have at least two players averaging more points per game than Edwards.
1 - Of all qualified players, D.J. Johnson ranks first in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (61.7 percent).
Beat writer predictions:
BIG JAY WILL CRY IF...
Kansas comes out flat knowing that a one seed is pretty much already guaranteed. The Wildcats will be hungry for a win and will be looking for another win over a top-tier team to build off of, having already defeated Oklahoma earlier this season.
Scott Chasen | @SChasenKU; Kansas, 73-64
Shane Jackson | jacksonshane3; Kansas, 75-60
Evan Riggs | @EvanRiggsUDK; Kansas, 77-65
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