Jayhawks will try to keep Baylor oh-for-forever at Allen Fieldhouse
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Bill Self is not a big fan of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. At least not when the leagues conduct the basketball showdown at a time usually reserved for conference play.
However, winning at Kentucky, which is something Kansas managed to do Saturday, provides a bonus the Jayhawks coach recognizes.
"If you're going to take a break, at least have it be one that really matters, and certainly that game did," Self said. "But I think if anything it'll be a momentum push for us. It doesn't guarantee success moving forward, but certainly, I think that it was definitely something that was very positive for our team."
Convincing the Jayhawks their next game is even more critical should not be a problem. No. 2 Baylor (20-1, 7-1 Big 12), which shares the league lead with No. 3 Kansas (19-2, 7-1), visits Allen Fieldhouse for a Wednesday clash that wraps up the first half of Big 12 play.
"They're obviously better than they have been, and I think they've been very good in the past," Self said. "They're longer up front with their bigs and their depth up front, and certainly, I think their zone is probably better than it has been, but they're playing more man, too."
While Self struggles to verify his team's identity, he was quick to cite Baylor's defense. The Bears rank ninth nationally and first in the Big 12 by holding opponents to 38.3 percent shooting.
Their diverse lineup also includes offensive variety, led by junior forward Johnathan Motley, who is averaging 22.0 points and 11.5 rebounds over the last four games. Motley ranks as the Big 12's top rebounder with a 9.6 average while leading the Bears with a 16.2 scoring average.
The issue regarding frontcourt depth is most acute for Kansas. It will again be without sophomore forward Carlton Bragg, who is serving an indefinite suspension after previously fulfilling a role as the one big man to come off the bench in the Jayhawks' slim rotation.
That places more pressure on senior forward Landen Lucas to not only control the backboards, but also stay out of foul trouble.
Backup frontliners the Jayhawks can tap are junior Dwight Coleby, a 6-foot-9 Mississippi transfer slow to recover from an ACL tear suffered in October 2015; and Mitch Lightfoot, a slender 6-8 freshman. Coleby provided an effective lift against Kentucky, logging 10 minutes after playing just three minutes combined in the Jayhawks' first eight Big 12 games.
Baylor's lone defeat was on the road against another Big 12 contender, No. 7 West Virginia. The 89-68 setback came one day after the Bears jumped to No. 1 for the first time in history after beginning the season unranked.
History will not be on their side at Kansas. Baylor has never won in Allen Fieldhouse. Bears coach Scott Drew stands 0-9 in games at Kansas, the same number of losses Self has suffered at home (216-9) in 13-plus seasons coaching the Jayhawks.
"Playing Kansas doesn't dictate who wins or loses the league," Drew said. "We could've lost to them the last five, six years, both games, and won the league if we'd have beaten everybody else. That being said, it's a great opportunity with a lot of national attention."
Indeed, the Bears' stingy defense will go up against a prolific Kansas offense shooting 49.8 percent overall and 41.2 percent from 3-point range, marks that lead the Big 12.
"It's almost like an environment where you've got to go in and you've got to take the fight to them," said sophomore guard Jake Lindsey, a reserve who factors into Baylor's deep rotation. "They're a great team and you know they're prepared. We think we're just as prepared. They've taken some hits in their depth, so hopefully, we can find ways to exploit that."