Kansas basketball: Jayhawks need to settle the score in Stillwater
By Stan Unruh
Kansas basketball wraps up the Big 12 regular season Saturday. What mindset will the Jayhawks bring to the battle in Stillwater?
The Big 12 champion Kansas basketball team needs to settle a score in Stillwater this weekend. Many Jayhawk fans don’t like Oklahoma State. There are many reasons for this dislike. Their attempts to entice Hall of Fame coach Bill Self to return and coach is bad enough. On the other hand, what the Cowboys did in Allen Fieldhouse a month ago really made Jayhawk fans mad. Many believed that 84-79 upset win might kill the run for another conference title.
The Jayhawks have not had a great record at Gallagher-Iba Arena. As a matter of fact, they have just a .500 record in that old wrestling arena. Since taking over the Jayhawks, coach Self has won 16 of 25 games against the Pokes, according to a media release from the University of Kansas Athletics. You know Self wants to even the score against OSU head coach Mike Boynton. That alone should be enough motivation for Devonte Graham and the Jayhawks.
Since this season’s first meeting, the Cowboys have gone 3-4 including an upset win over West Virginia in Morgantown and over Texas Tech in Stillwater. With a 7-10 Big 12 record, the Cowboys are desperate for another signature victory to get into the NCAA tournament. Saturday is a huge opportunity for them.
Next: Jayhawks thankful March is finally here
Despite those upset victories over ranked teams, March Madness guru Joe Lunardi does not include the ‘Pokes in his current bracket. Cowboy seniors Jeffrey Carroll and Mitchell Solomon know a sweep of the Jayhawks could help them get into the Big Dance. Devonte Graham and the Kansas basketball team have a chance to make those two and sophomore Cameron McGriff pay for how they ruined the first weekend in February