Notebook: Buddy Hield hype motivated Jayhawks

By Gary Bedore     Feb 13, 2016

Nick Krug
Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (24) roars after hitting a three against the Jayhawks during the second half, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.

? Kansas basketball coach Bill Self spoke to his team about pre-game hype on Saturday, before his Jayhawks finished a regular-season sweep of Oklahoma, with a 76-72 victory at Lloyd Noble Center.

“I told our guys before the game, it’s not really fair because everything’s Buddy, Buddy, Buddy, Buddy, Buddy, Buddy. That provides natural motivation for other people,” Self said.

“He (Hield) deserves every accolade he’s received and will continue to get. (But) good players get tired of nobody talking about them and always talking about somebody (else). I didn’t say, ‘Use it as motivation,’ but I think our guys did,” Self added.

Gifts: OU coach Lon Kruger and OU assistant Steve Henson, who both played at Kansas State, both made it a point to chat with KU radio announcer Bob Davis before the game.

Davis, who has been play-by-play voice of KU football and men’s basketball for 32 seasons, will retire following the 2015-16 hoops campaign.

OU athletic director Joe Castiglione and former OU coach Billy Tubbs presented Davis with a combined OU/KU hat with Davis’ picture on it, as well as another KU hat.

Predictions: ESPN.com has updated its predictions for Final Four and national champion.

Analysts who pick KU to make the Final Four: Corey Alexander, Paul Biancardi, Dan Dakich, LaPhonso Ellis, Adam Finkelstein, Fran Fraschilla, John Gasaway, Dino Gaudio, Jeff Goodman, Andy Katz, Bryndon Manzer, Myron Medcalf, Reggie Rankin.

Analysts Alexander, Dakich, Ellis and Gasaway pick KU to win the national championship. Dick Vitale has a Final Four of North Carolina, Xavier, Oklahoma and Michigan State, with UNC winning it all.

The series: KU leads the all-time series with Oklahoma, 144-66. The Jayhawks since 2006 have won 15 of the last 17 meetings. Since the inception of the Big 12, KU is 23-6 versus OU, 21-4 in the regular season and 2-2 in the Big 12 Tournament. Self is 16-5 versus OU, including 16-3 while at KU. Lon Kruger is 7-18 vs. KU, 2-8 while at OU.

— See what people were saying about the KU-OU rematch during KUsports.com’s live coverage


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