Jayhawks to face stern test at Texas Tech with much at stake
Kansas, for the most part, has played well on the road this college basketball season, evidenced by the Jayhawks’ 6-2 record in enemy gyms.
“We’ve been really good,” KU coach Bill Self said. “K-State has as good an atmosphere as there is. We were able to keep them (fans) out of it. West Virginia … we were not able to keep the crowd out of it. We just played really well there, fed off the crowd late,” Self added, pinpointing two particular games.
His Jayhawks (22-6, 11-4 Big 12), who have defeated Nebraska of the Big Ten as well as Big 12 teams Texas, TCU, West Virginia, K-State and Iowa State on the road this season and lost at Oklahoma and Baylor, this weekend will embark on what Self says will be the roughest road trip of all.
No. 8-ranked KU, which has a one-game lead in the Big 12 standings over No 6 Texas Tech and two-game margin over West Virginia and K-State with three games to play, will meet the Red Raiders (22-6, 10-5) at 3:15 p.m. Saturday in United Supermarkets Arena.
Tech is 16-0 at home and has an overall home win streak of 17 games, which is second-longest to South Dakota State’s 20 games.
“This atmosphere Saturday will double or triple the best atmosphere we’ve played in so far this year away from home,” Self said. “There’s too much to play for. It should be a lot of fun.”
“You work all year long to play in games like this,” Self said. “The fact of the matter … prime-time game, it’s on (ESPN) 'GameDay,' which adds to the level of interest probably a little bit. In our mind, we’re still going down to play a team that handled us quite easily on our home court. We feel we didn’t give them our best shot.”
KU fell to the Red Raiders, 85-73, on Jan. 2 at Allen Fieldhouse. It was the worst home loss in Self’s 15 seasons at KU.
“After watching the tape, we’re probably fortunate the game was as close as it was,” said Self, who has led KU to a 233-13 overall record at Allen, including a 13-3 record this season. “They totally dominated the game from start to finish.”
KU, which was led by Devonté Graham (27 points), hit just 6 of 24 threes and missed all 12 tries from beyond the arc the second half. Tech point guard Keenan Evans had 15 points, one of five Red Raiders to score in double figures.
Slowed by a toe injury, the 6-foot-3 Evans, who averages 17.6 points a game, scored two points in 25 minutes in Wednesday’s 79-71 loss at Oklahoma State.
“Their had 18 offensive rebounds (to KU’s eight) the first time,” Self said. “They killed us on the glass (44-29). They beat us physically and from a quickness standpoint. Defensively they without question are the best team in the league. We’ve got to find a way to break down pressure and create some easy opportunities. It won’t be easy to do.
“We need to go have some fun, hook up and compete and see if we can get this done. It (a victory) doesn’t guarantee anything, but puts yourself in the drivers seat.”
If Texas Tech wins, it will be the first team to win a home-and-home series against KU during the regular season in the Self era. Iowa State was the last team to sweep a set versus the Jayhawks, during the 2000-01 season.
“We need to get this win. They beat us at home. I would say we are pretty aware of that and we’ll try to get it back,” KU senior guard Svi Mykhailiuk said. “This game is going to mean a lot,” he added. “The league race, they beat us here. We’re going to prepare for the game, just be ready for war.”
A KU victory would likely mean the presentation of the league title trophy at Allen Fieldhouse after Monday’s 8 p.m. Senior Night game against Texas.
Mykhailiuk’s parents, Inna and Iurri, are traveling from Ukraine to Lawrence and expected to arrive in time for Monday’s contest.
“Certainly Svi and Devonté (plus senior walk-on Clay Young) won’t want to talk about it now at all,” Self said of Senior Night. “We’ve got a big game Saturday. That Senior Night will go a lot better if we are able to win Saturday and Monday.”
Tech would love to tie KU in the standings Saturday prior to Monday’s trip to West Virginia and season-ending contest the following Saturday at home vs. TCU. KU plays Texas on Monday and heads to Oklahoma State the following Saturday. Kansas State and West Virginia are still mathematically in the running for the title at 9-6 in the conference.
“We have a lot of respect for Kansas’ program,” Tech coach Chris Beard said. “There’s a reason they’ve won this many straight championships. There’s a reason the coach is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. There’s a reason every year they have multiple players on the all conference team, multiple players in the National Basketball Association. I think our guys understand how tough and difficult every game is. We respect our opponent. Certainly with Kansas it’s no different.”
Beard said attempting to corral KU’s Graham will be difficult.
“He’s a special player,” Beard said. “I have a special appreciation and special respect for Graham in how he developed in his four years at Kansas. The decision to come back and try to take a bigger role and lead the team without (Frank) Mason there is something I respect as well. Even though he’s at Kansas wearing that jersey and getting all the attention for possible player of the year, he’s also a guy who always has a chip on his shoulder, constantly has to prove people wrong.
“The basketball player himself … he is one of the best shooters in college basketball, doesn’t turn the ball over, leads the team, plays with great poise. He’s a special player, somebody I do not enjoy coaching against but do enjoy watching as a basketball guy.”
This story was originally published February 23, 2018 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Jayhawks to face stern test at Texas Tech with much at stake."