Jayhawks likely to be without three starters against Sooners

[OUHoops]

http://cjonline.com/sports/hawkzone/2015-03-06/ku-team-limbo-still-focused-taking-down-oklahoma

KU team 'in limbo' still focused on taking down Oklahoma
Jayhawks likely to be without three starters against Sooners

By Jesse Newell
jesse.newell@cjonline.com

NORMAN, Okla. — Landen Lucas understands that this is an opportunity for him.

With only three Kansas big men available for Saturday’s 3 p.m. game at Oklahoma, the 6-foot-10 forward realizes he could get extended minutes to show coach Bill Self what he can do.

Lucas, though, says that’s not his main focus heading into the top-15 matchup.

“We want to win,” Lucas said. “We’re not going there looking at the game any different. We want to win the game, and it’s just a ‘next man up’ mentality.”

KU’s bench will be thin. Perry Ellis will be out with a right knee sprain, while freshman Cliff Alexander also is likely to sit during a continued NCAA investigation into whether one of his family members received impermissible benefits.

Sophomore Wayne Selden also is questionable with a sprained ankle, meaning the Jayhawks are likely to be without three starters.

“We are kind of in limbo right now,” Self said.

That doesn’t mean the coach is treating this game like it’s unimportant.

Self was asked if he was going to give guard Frank Mason, who just topped the 1,000-minute mark for the season, some additional rest Saturday. Self answered with an emphatic no, saying Mason could take time off Sunday and Monday if he needed it.

And even though KU is likely out of the running for an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed with six losses, Self doesn’t want to see his team drop any further than it has to.

“I do believe that if we play well from this point forward, we postured ourself to be a 2 without question,” Self said. “And then depending if things don't go well, then could we fall a line or two? Absolutely.”

The ultra-competitive Self isn't one that likes to lose in any circumstances.

Before a European exhibition trip two years ago, Self said all the right things, talking about how he was going to balance his players’ minutes while trying to get young guys experience.

A few minutes into the first game, though, Self was screaming at officials, then playing some of his starters 25-plus minutes to try to secure an exhibition win.

“We're going to go down there trying to win the game without question,” Self said of his team's OU trip.

This also could be a good time to experiment.

Because KU will be playing without a true low-post scorer, Self might have the opportunity to try out different lineups, which could include playing smaller players at the 4.

“Maybe we'll try to tweak some things,” Self said, “and have some fun with it.”

Though KU’s clinching of an outright Big 12 title might have taken some luster away from Saturday's game, forward Hunter Mickelson believed KU needed to continue to get better before the stretch run.

“We’ve accomplished one of our goals, but we’ve got a couple more on the table,” Mickelson said. “We’ll just work toward getting there.”

 

[WTSooner]

Kind of puts a damper on this game.

 

[Salt City Sooner]

It doesn't one bit for me. Let me promise you, they were just as loud & arrogant up here when they beat OU w/o Blake back in '09 as they'd have been had he played. If it's good for the goose.....

 

[AdaSooner]

Kind of puts a damper on this game.

I get what you're saying, but an OU win would still be rewarding for me if the Jayhawks have to play the game with walk ons and the team manager. Nothing pleases me more than seeing KU lose, especially when it's to the Sooners.

 

[Sooner04]

Kind of puts a damper on this game.

Damn sure doesn't if we win.

 

[jackson_supersooner]

I get what you're saying, but an OU win would still be rewarding for me if the Jayhawks have to play the game with walk ons and the team manager. Nothing pleases me more than seeing KU lose, especially when it's to the Sooners.

Lol yeah! F That! We had to play them without BG back in 08-09 and it cost us a big 12 title so I don't feel ONE BIT different. They don't put an asterisk beside that year so let's pound them!

 

[SoonerTraveler]

It doesn't one bit for me. Let me promise you, they were just as loud & arrogant up here when they beat OU w/o Blake back in '09 as they'd have been had he played. If it's good for the goose.....

Exactly. Did KU ever have to play against Blake? It seems he was injured before the games against KU, or got injured early in the game.

It does NOT detract from the game one bit for me. I do NOT want to watch those beaker fans smile when they depart the LNC after 5pm today. The Sooners need to give those good folks a long ride back to the sunflower state.

BEAT KANSAS!!

 

[WTSooner]

Not the same as the game without Blake. That game was for the title, no? This games doesn't mean jack. It's a game OU might have been favored to win even with a healthy KU. It doesn't have much impact on much of anything (other than slight Big 12 seeding impact). Just blah. We win, we won't get much credit. We lose, well that would be pretty laughable.

I get that some of you hate KU with a passion, but I'm not really in that boat. Not saying I like them, but I don't hate them like I do Texas football.

Just my opinion, you don't have to agree.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

You don't have to agree, but I (me; myself; in-the arena fan) will get a big charge out of beating those guys. It will be a blast! If we win.

 

[JBaker]

Not the same as the game without Blake. That game was for the title, no? This games doesn't mean jack. It's a game OU might have been favored to win even with a healthy KU. It doesn't have much impact on much of anything (other than slight Big 12 seeding impact). Just blah. We win, we won't get much credit. We lose, well that would be pretty laughable.

I get that some of you hate KU with a passion, but I'm not really in that boat. Not saying I like them, but I don't hate them like I do Texas football.

Just my opinion, you don't have to agree.

They've basically been our biggest rival in basketball for 100 years.
They're the only team in Big 8 or Big 12 history to have a winning record against us.

So yeah, I'll get pumped to play a top 10 team in the last game of the season 100 times out of a 100, no matter who they roll out there. Especially when it could have a big factor on our seeding in the dance.

 

[Crimson&Cream14]

Andy Katz just tweeted that Brannen Greene is out too. Hate Kansas with a passion, hope we win by 100, but this game just feels hollow since there's no chance at a title.

 

[BoulderSooner]

You don't have to agree, but I (me; myself; in-the arena fan) will get a big charge out of beating those guys. It will be a blast! If we win.

This 100%

 

[CoachTalk]

When folks look at a win over KU. There won't be an asterisk by it! Beat that @$$.

 

[Kswhitetail]

Im from kansas and i cant stand the ksu fans. Tgey are by far worse then the jayhawkers if u ask me. I was hopin to see ku at full strength so when we win it will look even better. The only thing i fear now is that if we lose, will it look even worse to the selection committee since ku was without 3 starters and will they knock as farther down in the seeding process

 

[152219]

Hope OU doesn't come out flat knowing KU will be down a couple of players. Step on their throats.

 

[inoref]

You never know which OU will show up.

 

[Sooner04]

I get that some of you hate KU with a passion, but I'm not really in that boat. Not saying I like them, but I don't hate them like I do Texas football.

One, maybe two, Big 12 tourneys in KC would cure you of this mindset real quick.

It's not explainable to a bunch of Sooner fans who have lots of Cotton Bowl exposure but limited time around the Chickenhawks. But it's awful.

 

[stormspencer]

One, maybe two, Big 12 tourneys in KC would cure you of this mindset real quick.

It's not explainable to a bunch of Sooner fans who have lots of Cotton Bowl exposure but limited time around the Chickenhawks. But it's awful.

Yep....they are the second worst group of fans I've encountered in KC during the tournament. They certainly act like an entitled bunch in my experience. Mizzou would be the worstnfan base....good riddance to them.

 

[TINY]

Yeah that was extra douchey of the announcers to harp on that forever...they replace their 4-stars with 4-stars off the bench. Lucas, traylor and that guard are not much drop off honestly. Perry ellis is really good but Lucas is almost as big of a problem to our bigs imo due to his size and physical presence.

The refs did their damndest to help them out as usual.

 

[MercedeSooner]

One, maybe two, Big 12 tourneys in KC would cure you of this mindset real quick.

It's not explainable to a bunch of Sooner fans who have lots of Cotton Bowl exposure but limited time around the Chickenhawks. But it's awful.

I find it really hard if you've been a diehard Sooner BBall fan for any length of time to not utterly despise the Jayhawks.

Any win against them seriously changes my outlook on our season.