Austin, Texas ? Kansas University’s volleyball team will try to avoid playing its fifth straight five-game match when it takes on Texas at 7 tonight.
The Jayhawks (15-7 overall, 7-6 Big 12 Conference) are 5-6 in five-game matches this year, including 3-4 in Big 12 play. They had dropped two in a row prior to an emotional come-from-behind victory Wednesday over No. 25 Missouri.
“We’re just relieved that we were able to make some plays there at the end,” KU coach Ray Bechard said. “We know how crucial a match it was, and it’ll magnify itself later when crucial choices are made come NCAA Tournament time.”
The match with Texas is equally important. The Longhorns (11-11, 6-7) currently are seventh in the Big 12, one spot behind Kansas. The Jayhawks won the previous meeting 3-2 in Lawrence, so sweeping the series would give them the tie-breaker.
In addition, a victory could help propel Kansas into the NCAA Tournament because a friendly schedule remains. KU still has the bottom four teams in the Big 12 left on its slate, along with No. 10 Nebraska and No. 21 Texas A&M.
It’s an unusual scenario when the University of Texas is favored to win on the road against Kansas University in men’s college basketball.
“You might be the only person to say that up there and be able to live,” UT coach Rick Barnes joked Sunday, responding to a Kansas reporter’s question about the national perception regarding tonight’s matchup between the Longhorns (13-2 overall, 4-0 Big 12) and Jayhawks (13-5, 3-1).
Tipoff is 8:05 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse, with a live telecast on ESPN (cable channel 48). The game will be showed tape-delayed at 10:30 tonight on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.
The Longhorns, No. 4 in last week’s Associated Press poll, likely will enter the Big Monday battle several slots ahead of the No. 6-but-sure-to-fall Jayhawks when the latest poll is released today.
While the voters might be favoring the Longhorns, the Vegas oddsmakers still are sticking with KU, listing the Jayhawks as 7-point favorites.
“This time of year it all gets back to how well you execute,” Barnes said. “I know Kansas is a great basketball team. I said a week and a half ago I think Kansas is a top-five team, and I still believe they are.
“The schedule Roy plays … he’s willing to put his team in tough environments, tough situations. Right now, there’s no doubt in my mind Kansas on a given night can beat any team in the country.”
The Jayhawks, however, enter the game as wounded birds after losing to Arizona (91-74 Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse) and Colorado (60-59 Wednesday in Boulder, Colo.) in successive games.
“That should motivate them to not lose three (in a row),” Texas point guard T.J. Ford said. “It will be a battle for 40 minutes.”
KU last lost three straight games in February of 1994, when the Jayhawks fell at Oklahoma State and Nebraska and at home against Missouri.
KU last lost two straight home games in the winter of 1989, when Williams’ first Kansas team fell to Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in an unheard-of four-game home skid.
When: 8:05 tonight.Where: Allen Fieldhouse.Television: ESPN (cable channel 48); tape delayed at 10:30 tonight on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.Records: No. 6 Jayhawks (13-5 overall, 3-1 Big 12) vs. No. 4 Longhorns (13-2, 4-0). |
“I think it will be good for us,” KU senior Nick Collison said of getting back on the court two days after the Arizona loss. “I just wish it wasn’t Texas, maybe the second-best team in the country.”
The Longhorns might be the deepest team in the country.
Nine players logged 14 or more minutes in Saturday’s 76-55 thrashing of Missouri in Austin, Texas.
“We’ve used a lot of players,” Barnes said. “I don’t look at it like we’ve got five starters. We’ve got eight or nine starters.”
Ford, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, averages a team-leading 13.9 points and 7.1 assists per game. He’s joined in the backcourt by Brandon Mouton (12.9 ppg) and Royal Ivey (7.2).
Beefy starting forwards James Thomas (6-8, 235 pounds) and Brad Buckman (6-8, 220) complete the starting lineup. Thomas averages 10.1 points and 11.1 rebounds a game, Buckman 6.9 points and 5.7 boards.
Power forward Brian Boddicker (8.4 ppg) supplies some punch off the bench, as do Deginald Erskin, Sydmill Harris, Jason Klotz and Terrell Ross.
“They can throw a lot of bodies at you,” KU sophomore guard Keith Langford said.
In contrast, the Jayhawks’ lack of depth has been a hot topic all season.
“I am really impressed with the conditioning level of Collison, (Kirk) Hinrich, (Aaron) Miles, guys like that,” Barnes said. “Running is a big part of Kansas’ game. Transition basketball … nobody does it better than Kansas.”
Three Longhorns average double-digit scoring as the team checks in at 78.9 points a game compared to KU’s 86.0 mark.
“They are real big. Their front line is big,” Langford said. “I think as far as scoring-wise and offensively, they have struggled at times. I think it’s where we match up well. Offensively, we have more guys who can score. As far as being physical and having big bodies, they probably are at an advantage with Wayne out.”
Injured KU power forward Wayne Simien tonight will miss his seventh straight game.
“They will play Kansas basketball. We will play Texas basketball. It’ll be a battle for 40 minutes,” Ford said. “Our plan is just to go there, play hard and keep the crowd out of the game. That’s the biggest factor, so we are going to just play hard and try to get the job done.”