K-State has KU basketball’s attention ahead of ‘more than spoken words’ rivalry game
Kansas forward David McCormack — after playing two games against Kansas State last year — believes he has a sense of this particular rivalry’s significance.
“It’s more than spoken words,” McCormack said Monday. “Sunflower Showdown — we’ve just got to respect every opponent and play as hard as we can, like we do every game.”
What has added some intrigue to this matchup between No. 3 KU and K-State — set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse — is the Wildcats’ most recent result. After opening Big 12 play with four straight losses, the Wildcats routed 12th-ranked West Virginia, 84-68, on Saturday in Manhattan.
“They’re coming off arguably their best performance of the season and dominated a team that we struggled to eke out a win (against),” KU coach Bill Self said. “That got our attention for sure.”
K-State, which has had some offensive struggles this season, made 20 of 31 twos and 9 of 18 threes against West Virginia’s elite defense.
“Maybe West Virginia didn’t respect them, and that’s why they played the way they did, and just kind of outcompeted them, and that’s why the game turned out the way it did,” McCormack said. “That’s not going to be the case for us. We just have to make sure we do what we need to do, stay collected as a team.”
Self has especially taken note of K-State’s young players. KU’s 17th-year coach spoke Monday about the importance for any program, when going through a rebuilding year, to time up a high-quality recruiting class for the season after many top contributors leave.
Self said, for example, it was vital for KU — following its national championship in 2008 — to have the next recruiting class include guys like Marcus and Markieff Morris and Tyshawn Taylor.
With K-State this season, freshmen DaJuan Gordon, Antonio Gordon and Montavious Murphy have stepped right into significant roles.
“Those guys are going to be starters for them for years, eventually when they all get into everything. I’m impressed. I think they play beyond their years,” Self said. “But this is a thing that I would look at and say, without knowing them personally or anything like that, the way they handled West Virginia and their pressure and all that stuff is impressive for an 18-year-old to do that’s never gone against that before. So that was very impressive to see.”
Self’s teams have historically been successful in this matchup. The coach is 33-6 against K-State with the Jayhawks, which includes a 15-1 record at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I’m excited. I love playing rivalry games,” Self said. “I think our players will too.”
McCormack was expecting a physical battle Tuesday.
“You have to be a tough team to beat West Virginia, just because of their reputation. So we know how (K-State is) going to play,” McCormack said. “It being a rivalry game, we know it’s going to be fierce and tough anyway, so we just have to make sure we’re the tougher, grittier team.”
Jalen Wilson injury update
Kansas freshman forward Jalen Wilson, who has sat out games since breaking his left ankle in early November, has been a limited participant in practices, with Self envisioning the team would make a final decision on whether he’ll play this year or redshirt by the end of the month.
“He wants to come back. He would like to come back. His parents are good with him coming back, and I see value that he could potentially help our team,” Self said. “But I’m not going to put him out there and lose his year unless I’m confident and he’s confident that he can be part of our rotation moving forward. So we’re probably still a couple weeks away from determining that.”
Wilson had surgery on Nov. 11, with Self originally estimating a 10- to 12-week rehab timeline.
Self said Wilson was not at the point yet in drills where coaches have stressed him physically. There also could be a few-week adjustment period, Self said, for Wilson to regain both rhythm and timing after sitting out.
It’s why KU will likely push Wilson in the short term to see how he responds.
“We’re trying to rush it to determine that, because if he is going to play, you want him playing as soon as possible,” Self said. “But on the flipside, if I’m not positive he’s going to impact us, then I can’t see a reason why to do it. We’re not going to know for a couple weeks.”
