Jayhawks carry No. 2 ranking into their game at Oklahoma

It’s Baylor No. 1, and Kansas No. 2 in both the Associated Press and USA Today college basketball polls, which is perfectly fine with the Jayhawks at this point of the season.

“It’s good because we’re going to play a really good team. We want to see how tough we are. They are No. 1. It’s always fun to play ranked teams,” KU junior guard Svi Mykhailiuk said Monday after the Bears ascended to the top spot in the polls for the first time in school history.

Baylor is one slot ahead of KU, which has been ranked No. 1 for 63 weeks throughout history in the AP poll — 24 weeks in the 14-year Bill Self era.

“I mean, yes they are No.1, so that gives motivation,” Mykhailiuk added of games with the Bears, the first of two to come on Feb. 1 at Allen Fieldhouse.

There are six games to play before then, including Tuesday’s battle at Oklahoma — a team tied with Oklahoma State for last place in the 10-team Big 12 Conference. Tipoff for the contest between the Jayhawks (14-1, 3-0) and Sooners (6-8, 0-3 Big 12) is 8 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center.

“Some teams are struggling. Some have played well. Everybody can’t win,” Mykhailiuk said. “It’s a tough league. We’ve got to win every game, every possible game.”

KU and Baylor top the conference standings with 3-0 records, yet Baylor is 15-0 overall. KU has one blemish against Indiana in the season opener.

“It doesn’t surprise me nor disappoint me, nor should it,” Self said of Baylor moving up from No. 2 to No. 1 in the AP poll and actually jumping over former No. 2 KU from the 3 spot in the USA Today poll.

“We didn’t have a very good last week (wins over Kansas State and Texas Tech) or the week before. We were just average. I think voters, based on what they’ve seen, probably got it right,” Self added.

He noted that the Bears, “deserve it more than anybody else. They played and won the hardest games of anybody that had a nonconference schedule in America.”

As far as the next game on the schedule, against Oklahoma, the Sooners have dropped six straight games, including four in a row without injured leading scorer Jordan Woodard (17.6 points per game), who practiced on Monday, but will not play Tuesday according to Sooner coach Lon Kruger.

“They are playing without their best player, or have been,” Self said. “I think they are really young (they start a freshman, two sophomores and two juniors) and talented. They’ve got multiple guys who can shoot it.

“Lon does a good job of playing to what he feels is a mismatch. They’ll try to pick on certain guys with their best offensive players. I think it will be important we are able to guard the ball.”

Oklahoma freshman guard Kameron McGusty came off the bench and scored a career-high 20 points in Saturday’s 75-64 loss at Kansas State. Sophomore guard Christian James is the squad’s leading scorer of the players available for Tuesday’s game, with 10.9 points per game.

“We need to go with the same mind-set as last year,” Self said of a 76-72 win at Oklahoma on Feb. 13. “To win league, you’ve got to win at home and win games you have a chance to win on the road.

“We went to TCU and got it done (86-80 on Dec. 30). This would be a great win as far as the league race goes, to go to Norman and get it done. They have players that are dangerous. You can’t let them get in rhythm of playing well, which I know they are capable of.”

One Jayhawk who enters the game on an uptick is senior Landen Lucas, who is tied for the league lead in rebounding with Baylor’s Johnathan Motley with 11.7 in three conference games. In all games, Lucas ranks eighth in the league at 6.9 per contest.

“Landen has been incredible. He’s rebounded the ball well. He’s really helping us on the defensive end. We need him to play that way,” Mykhailiuk said.

Lucas has recorded double digit rebounds in three of KU’s last four contests — 12 boards against Kansas State, 17 versus TCU and 12 against UNLV. He’s scored in double figures in two of three games, netting 18 points versus K-State and 15 against TCU.

“Landen will be the first to tell you if you go on the road and your mind-set is not to be tough and get stops, you will be fortunate to get a ‘W,’ ” Self said.

Lucas had 8 points and 6 boards while playing 31 minutes in Saturday’s 85-68 win over Texas Tech at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I thought he had 6 points and 8 rebounds. Now I’m (upset) going into practice,” Self said jokingly on Monday “It was 8 and 6, so we’ve got to do a better job on the glass. Thanks for reminding me,” Self added to reporters.

In all seriousness … “I think he’s obviously played very well,” Self said. “That (rebounding) is something he has to do for us.”

The 6-foot-10 Lucas said it was “tough” to grab boards against Texas Tech.

“They were a great rebounding team as far as blocking out,” he said of a Red Raider squad that entered Saturday’s contest with a plus-10.6 rebound margin yet was outrebounded by KU 38-29. “They pretty much turned and used their arms, did whatever they could to keep me from getting to the offensive glass.

“Defensive rebounds … I had a couple fall to me. A ton weren’t coming my way,” added Lucas, who had four defensive rebounds, and two offensive. “You have those nights. I was not happy with my numbers, but as long as my team wins and we do what we need to do on the court I’m pleased.”

KU will return home to face Oklahoma State in a 1 p.m., tipoff Saturday. Oklahoma will meet Texas Tech at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Norman.

Self shooting for No. 400 at KU

Self on Tuesday has a chance to win his 400th game as KU coach in his home state.

Self, an Edmond, Okla., native, takes a 399-84 mark (.826) into Tuesday’s game.

He won his 600th game in 24 seasons as a head coach on Dec. 6 against UMKC. Overall, he is 606-189 (.762). Roy Williams went 418-101 (.805) in 15 seasons at KU. Phog Allen was 590-219 (.729) in 39 seasons at KU.

Jackson honored

KU freshman guard Josh Jackson on Monday was chosen Big 12 newcomer of the week for the third time this season. He averaged 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in victories over Kansas State and Texas Tech.

This story was originally published January 9, 2017 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Jayhawks carry No. 2 ranking into their game at Oklahoma."