Dallas ? The men’s basketball co-champions in the Big 12 Conference will break the tie today.
Texas, the pride of the South, and Kansas University, the darling of the North, will tangle at 2 p.m. in American Airlines Center with league supremacy in mind. Each went 13-3 in the conference season to tie for the league crown.
“It’s real big,” KU freshman Brandon Rush said of the title game of the postseason tournament. “There’s a debate out there who the best team in the conference is. This team is trying to prove it’s us.”
The Jayhawks (24-7) thumped Nebraska, 79-65, in one semifinal Saturday, after UT (27-5) stopped Texas A&M, 74-70, in the other.
KU will be trying to atone for an 80-55 loss to the Longhorns on Feb. 25 in Austin, the worst loss in Bill Self’s three years at KU.
Kansas also will try to claim the Jayhawks’ first postseason tournament crown since 1999.
“For us, holding that trophy would mean a lot to us,” KU guard Russell Robinson said after scoring 13 points, all in the second half, against NU. “Everybody in the locker room wants to hold it. We’ve got to do what it takes to get it.”
The Jayhawks had a fairly easy time against NU.
Mario Chalmers led the way with 18 points and seven assists, and sophomore Darnell Jackson bagged his first double-double with 13 points and 10 boards.
“It’s a big game,” KU coach Self said. “I don’t think it’s as big as next Thursday’s or Friday’s games (in NCAA Tournament). It certainly would be nice to have another piece of hardware for these young kids (that) some really good players weren’t able to bring home. Hopefully, we’ll play at a level to give us a chance to do that.”
KU didn’t have a chance to hold the hardware after wrapping up a share of the Big 12 crown against Kansas State; league officials weren’t on hand to deliver the prize.
Texas, through a league mixup, did hoist a trophy after clinching its tie in its league finale against Oklahoma.
“I’m sure the winner will certainly will get one of those,” Self said with a laugh.
To claim the crown, the Jayhawks must be better equipped mentally to face Texas today than they were for the blowout in Austin, Self said.
“It was the first experience for our guys, the first time they played a game of that magnitude,” Self said. “We didn’t respond as well as we’d liked. I look for us to play better. We did a good job on P.J. (Tucker, 19 points off 6-of-13 shooting) the first time. We did a good job on him, and they beat us by 25. That doesn’t say much for us. We can’t let them get comfortable.”
16
Assists by Russell Robinson in past two games combined
51.7
KU’s field-goal shooting percentage against NU
13, 10
Points, rebounds by KU’s Darnell Jackson
89-90
Record by Barry Collier, who might have coached his last game at NU
5
Time (p.m.) of today’s Selection Show on CBS
3-1
KU’s record in Big 12 tournament title games
1999
Year of KU’s last league tournament title
25
Texas’ scoring edge in its last meeting with Kansas (80-55, in Austin)
It would help KU’s cause today if freshman Rush snaps out of a recent funk. Rush, who had three points off 1-of-8 shooting in the first Texas game, scored nine versus Nebraska on Saturday off 3-of-8 shooting. He scored six points on 2-of-6 shooting in KU’s first-round victory over Oklahoma State.
“I am playing a little hesitant. I am not playing relaxed. I don’t know what it is,” said Rush, who admitted his head was hanging in the second half Saturday, his shot not falling until he hit a three with six minutes left, giving KU a 67-49 lead. “I felt pretty bad. Coach told me, ‘You can’t control whether the ball goes in or not.’ I’ve just got to be more aggressive.”
Self said, “Brandon is a unique guy. When he doesn’t feel things are going well, he defers. Certainly if he defers tomorrow, that won’t bode well at all. He’s our best player. Best players have to play their best in big games. He’ll have another opportunity tomorrow. I think he’ll do well.”
After all, as Self reminded, Rush had 24 points in KU’s season-finale against KSU. It’s a safe bet he’ll attempt more than eight shots today.
“This is all new to him,” Self said of Rush, who struggled against NU’s box-and-one defense designed to stop him. “He has to go through this stuff like everybody else. Mario is right now probably more advanced in that area, wanting the ball with the game on the line. Brandon can get a lot better. He did a great job against K-State, and I think he will be aggressive tomorrow.”
It’s a big matchup, but Self doesn’t need to tell the Jayhawks that.
“We won’t talk about any of it,” Self said. “Players already know it’s for the conference championship, they already know seedings are important, they already know they whipped us the first time. The thing I like about it is, we get a chance to play with so much built up, it’ll be great preparation for next week.”
