Oklahoma City — Today's Big 12 tournament title game presents everyone with a rare opportunity to kick back, relatively stress free, and watch a basketball game between teams featuring a ton of talented athletes playing the best basketball of their lives.

If you are a fan of Kansas University and it doesn't go your way, try this tonic: Kansas deserves a No. 1 seed even if it doesn't defeat Texas for what would be the second time in nine days. If KU wins, earning the national title would require finishing the season on a 17-game winning streak. With a loss today, the streak would need to be only six games.

The crowd won't be as wild as it would have been if Oklahoma State had continued its upset run and defeated Texas. But this Texas-Kansas matchup has a far greater chance to be a classic one, with elements of Wilt's 76ers vs. Russell's Celtics, Texas playing the part of the Sixers and Kansas representing Russell's Celtics.

Kevin Durant is the best player in the Big 12. Kansas is the best team. Durant is the best player in the country, and Kansas has a shot to head into the NCAA Tournament considered the best team in the nation.

It will be the third game in three days for both. When this was pointed out to Kansas freshman Sherron Collins, his response could be summed up in two words he didn't use: Your point?

"Regardless of how many nights you've played in a row, you've got to be juiced up for a game like this," Collins said. "Our enthusiasm, our energy level, should be great."

In Durant, the Longhorns have a better knockout punch. Thanks to the quality of its depth - Collins, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson bring different strengths off the bench - Kansas has the better chance to score a technical knockout, wearing down the opponent gradually.

George Foreman brought the better knockout punch to the Rumble in the Jungle. Muhammad Ali brought more ways to beat him and won the fight.

"When they go to their bench, I think they get more athletic," Texas coach Rick Barnes said of the Jayhawks.

Texas starts four freshmen and one sophomore. KU starts two juniors and three sophomores. KU's first two men off the bench are freshmen.

Freshman guard Collins came into the Big 12 tournament in a mini-slump. He has put it behind him and contributed 10 points and six assists in Saturday's 67-61 victory over Kansas State.

"It was kind of big for me," he said of regaining his three-point shooting touch. "I'm trying to get my swagger back a little bit, trying to get my confidence back. I feel like I got it back a little bit today. The (first) Oklahoma game, that's when it went. I'm glad it didn't take more than two games to get it back."

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Big 12 Tourney: KU vs K-State

Durant scored 25 of his 32 points in the first half of the matchup in Lawrence, won by Kansas, 90-86. He missed a short stretch of that game because of an ankle sprain, but fatigue played a bigger part in the slowdown than the injury.

Durant, who has scored 37 points in a game three times this season, has played 77 minutes in the past two days. He'll still be tough to stop, as will fellow sharpshooters D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams. And, as always, it will be tough scoring on KU's swarming defense.