A / GAME DAY / FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
KU TIPOFF AT A GLANCE
Did you know the Jayhawks are the winningest team in NCAA Division I in the past two seasons with a 54-9 record?
Not to mention Kansas is 13-0 in the Big 12 so far and that is the best record since it went 16-0 in the 2002 season. The Cowboys handed coach Bill Self what he called one of his worst ever losses, beating the Jayhawks 80-60 in 2004. Also, during the 2008 championship run, the Cowboys handed the Jayhawks their only loss they failed to avenge, though they didn't get the opportunity.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Tyshawn Taylor
Let's ride him while he's hot. There are a lot of Jayhawks play
now, but the bench players are playing minimal minutes and the other starters are consistent for the most part. The only
wildcard is Taylor. But if he has another solid game against one of the top players in the country, James Anderson, then we might consider him to be at his peak for this season — mentally and physically.
QUESTION MARK
Can the Jayhawks seal the conference outright?
It's a question that has to be asked. It's hard to imagine the Jayhawks not winning another game, but all possibilities must be considered. They have a rough schedule with this Oklahoma State team, get second-place Kansas State at home then travel to Missouri. You can look at the Jayhawks and with the regular-season Big 12 trophy already in possession ask, "What do they have to play for?"They have history to play for but the other factor is the most important; Pride.
HEARYE, HEARYE
"It's not emotional anymore. It's a business trip. We will not mix personal on this business trip. There will be some people that I would love to see, but it will be when we're coming out of the locker room after the game."
— Coach Bill Self,
who played at Oklahoma State during college,
on his emotions going back.
NO.1 KANSAS AT OKLAHOMA STATE 3 p.m., GALLAGHER-IBA ARENA, Stillwater, Okla., CBS
REFUSING TO SHARE Jayhawks have opportunity to clinch the Big 12 title outright.
KANSAS
27-1 (13-0)
STARTERS
Taylor
Sherron Collins, guard
Now the winningest player in Kansas history with a championship under his belt, what is left for Collins to do? He is still nine victories from becoming the all-time winningest player in college basketball, but at the rate this team is going, that is definitely attainable. He leads the Jayhawks with 15.1 points per game and scored 17 Feb. 22 against Oklahoma, his most since scoring 28 against Baylor on Jan. 20.
Tyshawn Taylor,guard
Henry
Taylor is enjoying his best stretch of the season, scoring 11 points without a turnover in his last game. In the two games since being put in the starting lineup, he is averaging 14 points, helping the Jayhawks not only offensively but also defensively. His speed allows him to matchup with the fastest player on any team and Oklahoma State is full of those kind of guards.
Morris
Xavier Henry, guard
Aldrich
The freshman is in a groove, coming off a game where he started 8-for-8 from the field and finished with 23 points. He is averaging 18 points in his last five games, contributing to his third Big 12 Rookie of the Week nod. His inside-outside game is developing nicely because he no longer settles for jump shots.
Marcus Morris, forward
Morris hasn't done much in the past few games, averaging nine points in his past three games. The points he does score look good, but he isn't getting as many opportunities because Henry and Taylor stepped up as of late. Everyone on the team isn't going to score 20 every night, but it doesn't mean they are in a slump. Morris is a prime example.
Cole Aldrich, center
He has brains and brawn, coming off a week where he averaged 12 points, 11 rebounds and 3.5 blocks against Colorado and Oklahoma. He then won the Academic All-American title, making it a good week overall. Looking at Oklahoma State's roster, its leading rebounders are 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8. It could be a feast if the Jayhawks get Aldrich the ball.
SIXTH MAN
He still leads the Big 12 in assist to turnover ratio at 2.9, but he isn't as prominent during the games as he was in January and early February. In his last
four games, he has averaged one point per contest. He is a solid defender and he creates a lot of open opportunities for teammates, but scoring needs to be a bit higher when he is out there.
Brady Morningstar, guard
OKLAHOMA STATE 19-8 (7-6) STARTERS
Corey Thibodeaux
Page, generously listed at 5-foot-9, hasn't let his small size be a problem in running the show for the Cowboys. He's a dangerous marksman from outside who has a tendency to get hot in spurts. Page didn't play great against Texas in the last game, which the team lost 69-59 in Austin, but in the four games prior he was averaging more than 20 points per.
Keiton Page,guard
Obi Muonelo, guard
Page
Muonelo was recruited hard by Bill Self and Kansas coming out of high school, but ultimately wound up picking the Cowboys. It's been a major pickup for Oklahoma State, which has gotten a solid four years out of Muonelo. He's the team's second leading scorer and has the ability to take a game over. He posted 31 points in a 69-64 win at Iowa State.
Anderson is the frontrunner for conference player of the year, and it's easy to see why. The talented junior can score in every way fathomable and leads the conference with 22.5 points per game. In four of his last nine games, Anderson has posted 30 points or more.
James Anderson,guard
Muonelo
Marshall Moses, forward
Moses seems to overachieve or underachieve every time he's on the floor. He pulls down almost nine rebounds a games, but nine times he's gone double figures or more, and eight times he's grabbed five or fewer rebounds. Same thing goes for scoring. He had 10 points against a talented Texas frontcourt last time out, but had a combined three in the three games before that.
Anderson
Matt Pilgrim, forward
Pilgrim isn't overwhelming on the offensive side of the ball, but he's a massive body and pulls down his fair share of rebounds. He's averaging 9.8 boards per contest over the last five games. Pilgrim, who sat out last year because he transferred from Hampton, has dominated
weaker frontcourts, but won't find the
Moses
going so easy against Kansas' big men.
SIXTH MAN
Fred Gulley, guard
Gulley wasn't a huge minute-getter for the Cowboys before talented freshman Ray Penn went down with an injury. Since then, Gulley, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Arkansas, has played 30 minutes or more in four of the eight games
Pilgrim
Penn has missed. In those eight games, Gulley is averaging 2.5 points per game and pulling down three rebounds per. To win, Oklahoma State needs more bench production, starting with Gulley.
Gulley
Tim Dwyer
OSU TIPOFF AT A GLANCE
Tyshawn Taylor
Oklahoma State doesn't have the wealth of talent at every position that the Jayhawks boast, but James Anderson is the type of guy that would get five out of six stars. He's maybe the best player in the conference, and he's without a doubt the best pure scorer in the league, maybe the country. Bill Self has always had trouble in Stillwater, dating back to his days coaching at Oral Roberts. At Oral Roberts, Self lost to the Cowboys by 40 points one year and jokingly vowed after the game that they wouldn't lose by 41 the next time. He was right. They only lost by 39.
PLAYER TO WATCH
James Anderson
chance to con-
One of the most entertaining things about the Big 12 is the
chance to consistently watch future NBA players. James Anderson is one of those types. He's a lethal scorer from anywhere on
the floor. While his counterpart, Xavier Henry, demonstrated a totally complete offensive repertoire for the first time on Monday, Anderson does it on a game-by-game basis. He'll provide matchup nightmares for the Jayhawks, and is the one player in the conference that can basically single-handedly win a game for his team. He's already done it against one Sunflower State team, posting 30 and controlling the game against the Wildcats.
QUESTION MARK
Can Bill Self conquer his demons in Stillwater?
Self has always had problems knocking off his alma mater Oklahoma State. Two years ago, the Jayhawks traveled to Stillwater in a similar situation to this year. An ultra-talented team looking at a probable No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament visiting a dangerous team looking to play its way into the tournament. This year's Cowboys have a better shot at the tourney than they did two years ago, but picking up a win Saturday would all but clinch a spot in the field of 65. That year, the Jayhawks couldn't quite come away with a victory, losing 61-60.
HEARYE. HEARYE
"I would say Oklahoma State's got a lot to play for, because I think they're in right now, but this would make for a definite. From a sleepless nights standpoint, they're not going to have those anymore. Everyone would be able to rest comfortably knowing they had knocked us off and solidified their bid."
- Bill Self on if beating Kansas would make Oklahoma a State a lock for the NCAA tournament
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
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Game
Iowa State at Colorado
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Baylor at Oklahoma
Texas Tech at Nebraska
Texas at Texas A&M
Time (CT) 11:30 a.m.
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12:30 p.m
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TV Channel Big 12 Network
1 p.m.
ESPN
3 p.m.
Big 12 Network
Big 12 Network
Big 12 Network
SCHEDULE
... The Cowboys hit their threes. Oklahoma State averages around 23 three-point attempts per game, but the teams are near the bottom of the Big 12 in making 35 percent of them. The Jayhawks have taken around 100 fewer threes but made about the same amount as the Cowboys. Teams tend to get hot from beyond the arc against the Jayhawks, especially at home. Plus, the only team to beat Kansas this season, Tennessee, also wears orange. Just a thought.
THE JAYHAWKS WILL REMAIN UNDEFEATED IF...
GALLAGHER-IBA ARENA WILL ROCK IF...
Prediction:
Kansas 65, Oklahoma State 56
...they absorb the atmosphere. Coach Bill Self said this week he was surprised with his team's eagerness to play on the road. In all the league road games this season, Self said there were only 300 total vacant seats (when they played Nebraska) and the rest were sellouts. The players on this year's roster, Self said, embrace the road hostility more than the 2008 championship team did. Being the No.1 team may do that to you, but this should be one of the better atmospheres the Jayhawks will face this season.
Date Opponent TV Channel Time
March 3 KANSAS STATE Big 12 Network 7 p.m.
March 6 at Missouri CBS 1 p.m.
March 11 Big 12 Championship
March 18-19 NCAA tournament first round
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