KU shrugs off MU’s fate

By Gary Bedore Mar 13, 2004

Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photos

Kansas University's Aaron Miles, back, makes a fast-break bucket against Missouri's Rickey Paulding in the first half of the Jayhawks' 94-69 win. KU beat the Tigers on Friday in a quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Conference tournament in Dallas.

Keith Langford refused to gloat late Friday night after Kansas University’s men’s basketball team defeated Missouri for the second time in six days.

The resounding 94-69 KU win likely knocked the Tigers out of consideration for an NCAA Tournament bid.

“It’s none of my concern what happens to them. It’s got nothing to do with me,” Langford said after the Jayhawks advanced to today’s Big 12 Conference semifinal against Texas.

The loss dropped MU to 16-13 and likely sent the Tigers to the NIT.

“I don’t think it means anything to me to possibly knock them out of the tournament or beat them two times in six days. It does mean something to me to beat Missouri three times in one season,” KU coach Bill Self said after improving his career record to 6-0 against the Tigers.

Of knocking MU out of the NCAAs, freshman J.R. Giddens noted: “It doesn’t mean anything. It’s the first time Kansas has beaten Missouri three times in one season (actually first since 1977-78). They are most likely going to the NIT. I wish them luck.”

Today, KU meets a Texas team that beat the Jayhawks, 82-67, Feb. 23 in Austin, Texas. Some think the winner of today’s game will play first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games at Kansas City, Mo.’s Kemper Arena.

“Texas whipped us when we were down there,” Self said. “They’ve got so many bodies. Hopefully, we’re a different team than we were a couple of weeks before. We have a lot of respect for them. I think both teams have a lot to play for.

“I wouldn’t say it guaranteed us anything,” he added, “but moved us closer in that direction.”

“What happened in Austin, we’ll leave that as that,” Langford said. “This is a totally different situation. I think we’re playing better defense now, better basketball.”

Quin’s T: MU coach Quin Snyder, who is 3-9 against KU, was hit with a T in the second half.

“I was disappointed,” he said of a no-foul call on a shot by Rickey Paulding. “I objected to some things I saw out there. If we were going down, I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.”

Of smacking KU’s Jeff Graves in the head on a hard foul in the second half, Arthur Johnson said: “In the post, you get tangled up time to time. We just got tangled up.”

The two players hugged after the contest.

KU’s Aaron Miles said he tried to play peacemaker when Johnson barked at Graves after the hard Johnson hack.

“I told Arthur nobody was trying to fight out there,” Miles said. “I was trying to calm it up.”

Nash cut: KU senior Bryant Nash wore a bandage under his left eye Friday. He was hit in the face twice scrimmaging at the same practice last week and needed eight stitches to close a gash. One time he was nailed by Moulaye Niang’s head, the second time by J.R. Giddens’ elbow.
Dangerous Cyclones: Self spoke to his mentor, Eddie Sutton, before Friday’s Oklahoma State-Iowa State Big 12 quarterfinal game.

Self’s message: Beware of the Cyclones.

“Bill told me to not to underestimate how talented Iowa State is,” Sutton, Oklahoma State’s coach, said after the Cowboys’ narrow 83-75 victory.

“He’s right. They are very talented,” a relieved Sutton added of the Cyclones, who went 1-1 against KU this season.

Sutton, who celebrated his 68th birthday Friday, waved to the fans who sang “Happy Birthday” to him after the game.

“At my age, you don’t want to celebrate birthdays,” Sutton said with a grin. “But it’s the first time I’ve had a crowd sing Happy Birthday to me.”

Published reports indicate OSU assistant Sean Sutton has started negotiations to eventually replace his dad as Cowboy head coach. It’s believed some sort of succession plan will be announced after the season. Eddie Sutton has said many times he was in no hurry to retire.

Piper gets TV time: Ex-Jayhawk Chris Piper served as TV analyst for the KU-MU game with play-by-play man Dave Armstrong. Ex-Tiger Jon Sundvold was slated to work the game, but Piper subbed because Sundvold had lost his voice.
Up for bids: The Big 12 confirmed Friday the postseason tournament basically would go to the highest bidder after next year’s tourney in Kansas City.

The Big 12 presidents and chancellors voted to institute a “competitive proposal process” to begin in the weeks after the current tournament. The board set a target date of the June 2004 board of directors meeting to finalize the approval of future locations.

Norm mentioned: It’s time for the coaching carousel to heat up. KU assistant Norm Roberts has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the vacancy at SMU.