Bill Self doesn’t remember Nov. 29, 1984, like it was yesterday.
But Self, Kansas University’s second-year basketball coach, definitely can place himself at the scene of NCAA Division Two Washburn University’s stunning 67-66 victory over Division One Oklahoma State at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.
“I think we got beat. Was it one point?” Self said of the game contested his senior year at OSU. “We weren’t great that year, and Bob (Chipman) had a really good team.
“We went on to finish sixth in the Big Eight. I don’t want the Ichabods to do that to us again.”
Self’s Cowboys struggled to a 12-16 record that year, while the ‘Bods finished 26-9.
Self gets another shot at Washburn tonight when his Jayhawks, the No. 1-ranked team in NCAA Division One, meet the Ichabods, the No. 5-ranked team in Division Two, at 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.
As an exhibition, this game won’t count in the standings.
The game in ’84 counted and, in fact, marked Washburn’s last victory against a Division One school. The ‘Bods, who are 3-31 all-time against KU, last beat the Jayhawks in the 1944-45 season.
“I don’t remember the wins. I remember every loss,” said Chipman, 586-197 in 26 years at Washburn.
Of course, a Washburn victory tonight would classify as a monumental upset. The Jayhawks opened the exhibition season last Sunday by blasting Division Two Emporia State, 115-70.
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“I thought we played pretty well for a first game,” Self said. “We shared the ball, played unselfishly. Our post defense has to play better. We have to guard (Travis) Robbins, who had 25,” in Monday’s narrow 81-72 loss at Purdue.
“That was a four-point game with three minutes left. I’ve been to Purdue and lost by double figures,” added the former Illinois coach. “It’s not an easy place to go. Also, Purdue shot 42 free throws and Washburn 15. Purdue got a pretty good whistle and still struggled.”
Self is looking for several things from his own team tonight in exhibition No. 2.
“We will see if we can build off what we did. We still won’t do a ton of stuff,” said Self, who plans to open with a lineup of Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles, Christian Moody and J.R. Giddens. “We’ll save a ton of stuff once we start playing regular-season games. Bob may do some things like change defenses. We’ll see how we react to that.”
The Jayhawks open for real Friday against Vermont.
“We just have to continue to get better as a team,” senior guard Aaron Miles said. “Hopefully Alex (Galindo) and Moulaye (Niang) will get back in the flow. They’ve been hurt a little bit. If we keep sharing the ball the same way we did last game, everything will be all right.”
Miles was encouraged by KU’s 30 assists on 46 baskets against the Hornets.
“It’s starting to come as players talk about making the extra pass,” Miles said. “Last game especially we looked good passing the ball. If nobody cares who gets the credit and who scores, we’ll be a great team. It’s when teams are selfish things go bad.”
Miles isn’t stressing over the fact Washburn scared the heck out of Purdue the other night.
“It doesn’t matter to me, You can’t compare yourself to how well a team does against another and how you do versus that team,” Miles said. “Obviously, it’s a different night, different matchups, different things going on. You can’t compare yourself to that.”
Moody said the Jayhawks relish playing against somebody besides themselves. They’ve practiced hard daily since Oct. 15.
“I’m expecting to have fun and look forward to getting to play again in front of our fans,” Moody said. “I know Washburn gave Purdue a great game. We’re pretty excited to play against them.”
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Tonight’s rules: An experimental free throw lane 1 1/2-feet wider on each side will be used tonight as well as a three-point line extended to 20 feet, 6 inches and an arc drawn two feet from the center of the basket to assist with charge/block calls.
