Kansas and Oklahoma State’s basketball players have to stop meeting like this.
Less than a week after KU’s 75-57 drubbing of the Cowboys…the Jayhawks and Pokes renew acquaintances again.
The two will meet at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday – specifically, a half-hour after the conclusion of the 6:10 p.m. game – in a first-round Big Eight tournament game at Kemper Arena. A live telecast will be available on Channel 27.
“It’ll be a challenge. Any time you play a team three times you’re used to each other’s offense and defense,” said KU forward Danny Manning, who scored 31 points in last week’s home finale.
A challenge, but not one without a precedent.
“We had the same situation a couple of years ago,” said forward Chris Piper, referring to 1983-84. “We played Oklahoma State our last game then met them at the tournament. I don’t see a big disadvantage. We prepare the same way for all games.”
The revenge factor might be on the Cowboys’ side. KU also beat Okie State, 78-68, in Stillwater. Then again, maybe 20-10 KU is just too tough for the 14-15 Pokes.
“I don’t know what will happen. I’ll tell you at 10 o’clock Friday,” said Jayhawk coach Larry Brown. I never worry about who we play, just how we play. I’m thrilled by the way the kids are playing. I don’t think it’ll be easy, but we’re playing as well as we can expect right now.”
KU and OSU conclude Friday’s first-round schedule. Other games pit Missouri versus Iowa State at 12:10 p.m., Oklahoma against Colorado at 2:30 and Kansas State against Nebraska at 6:10.
“I think if somebody beats Oklahoma, they’ll have to play great,” Brown said of the 27-3 Sooners. “They’ve played extremely well all year. I just don’t see why they wouldn’t continue to play well.
“This is a new season for everybody. I’d be shocked if Oklahoma lost its first game, but not after that. All the games are gonna be competitive the first night.”
Brown believes Oklahoma should have been given a break by the tourney schedule makers. If OU wins, it comes back and meets the winner of the ISU-MU game at 1:10 p.m. Saturday. The KU-OSU winner faces the K-State-Nebraska winner at 3:30 Saturday.
“I think Oklahoma should play the first game in the morning,” said Brown. “Oklahoma earned the right. I think the team that wins the conference should play the first game, have the most rest.”
Many believe Kansas has an advantage in that Kemper Arena has served the Jayhawks as a “home away from home” in the past.
“I don’t know. We haven’t played there this year. I don’t think we have,” Brown said, laughing. “I’m sure we’ll have our fans. Missouri wont it last year. I don’t think it’ll be a big factor.”
Crowd response might help the Jayhawks guard against a possible letdown Friday. After all, Okie State went down rather easily last weekend at Allen.
“If the kids can’t recognize the importance of the tournament, I think we’ve failed ’em,” Brown said. “We can’t go out and assume because we won by 18, we’ll win again. I don’t care who we play. Our team has to play harder and more unselfish than the opposition. Previous scores mean absolutely nothing.”
Notes
No team has ever won back to back Big Eight tourney titles…The last three championship games have been decided by two points and the two before that by one point. In 11 previous tournaments, the first round games have been decided by an average of 12 points a game…KU’s loss to Missouri in last year’s finals snapped a 10-game KU winning streak in Kemper…Kevin Pritchard has averaged 11.6 points since he took over as point guard 11 games ago…
KU guard has run-in with Brown
Kansas basketball guard Otis Livingston was in limbo today after a confrontation with coach Larry Brown during Tuesday’s practice session.
Livingston, an early season starter who has seen minimal playing time during the last eight games, was ordered by Brown to leave practice and clean out his locker. Then Livingston did not practice with the Jayhawks on Wednesday.
“His status is uncertain,” KU sports information director Doug Vance said this morning. “No decision has been made.”
Vance said he didn’t know if the 6-0 transfer from El Camino Junior College in California would accompany the team to Kansas City today for a pre-Big Eight Tournament practice in Kemper Arena.
The Jayhawks will meet Oklahoma State in a first-round game at about 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
Tuesday’s Brown-Livingston encounter was the second of the season. In December, when Kansas played Appalachian State in Allen Fieldhouse, Brown banished Livingston to the locker room about four minutes before halftime.
That time, Livingston changed into street clothes and left the arena, but Brown reinstated him for the next game.
Livingston has played in 27 of the Jayhawks’ 30 games, starting eight, and averaging 2.6 points a game. He ranks second on the team in assists behind Kevin Pritchard.
