Friday, February 25, 2005
Kansas men’s basketball fans, it’s time to forget the past week and a half. Forget Texas Tech’s Darryl Dora from the top of the key and Iowa State’s Curtis Stinson spinning in the lane. Forget senior guard Aaron Miles’ black eye and sophomore guard J.R. Giddens’ 1-of-11 three-point shooting debacle. Forget three overtimes and three losses and Saturday’s Allen Fieldhouse crowd streaming out after the game gray and silent as a funeral procession. Forget the 19-point Monday-night deficit trimmed twice to one but never erased, and forget three consecutive losses for the first time in more than a decade.
Because Sunday, when co-Big 12 Conference leader Oklahoma State rolls into town, Kansas will have its shot at redemption. No, the Jayhawks can’t get back their undefeated conference record and probably not their chance at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, either, but with a victory Sunday, they can reclaim sole possession of the Big 12 lead as well as some of the respect they’ve lost in the last 11 days.
Oklahoma State’s upset loss at Nebraska on Tuesday night dropped the Cowboys back down to 10-3 in the conference, the same record as the Jayhawks. And if Kansas can beat Oklahoma State on Sunday and take back the Big 12 lead for itself, it’s looking at games against bottom-tier conference teams Kansas State and Missouri to finish out the season.
Those match-ups aren’t going to be easy. The Wildcats played the Jayhawks tough a couple weeks ago, and the Tigers on the road are always difficult, but still, it’s doubtful anyone would call those last two games the worst of Kansas’ schedule. With a little momentum and vigilance, the Jayhawks should be able to stay in the driver’s seat heading into the conference tournament.
Oklahoma State was arguably the biggest game of the season for Kansas from the very beginning. The Cowboys and Jayhawks were both coming off deep tournament runs; the former made it to the Final Four, the latter to the Elite Eight. Both were picked preseason to finish No. 1 or No. 2 in the conference, and Kansas senior forward Wayne Simien was supposed to battle it out with Oklahoma State senior guard John Lucas for Big 12 Player of the Year.
Now, any argument about the importance of Sunday’s game is gone. Oklahoma State is definitely the biggest game of the season. Win, and the Jayhawks can call their doldrums lifted, they can stop answering questions about their slump and they can get momentum back on their side as the season draws to a close and March Madness approaches. Lose, and well, it’s four straight losses for the first time since the probation year of 1989, two at Allen Fieldhouse in the same season for only the second time in more than a decade, and more importantly, the funk continues as do the questions.
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