More than just bragging rights

Here’s the setup: the Jayhawks are up 12 points in the second half. After a few costly turnovers, the opponent chips away at the lead, ultimately winning the game 59-55 in the final minutes.

Afterward, coach Bill Self tells reporters that the team “had a lot of bad possessions in the last 10 minutes.”

That was the scene in Lawrence on Jan. 14, 2006, as the Jayhawks lost to the Wildcats in a game that could have been ripped straight from this year’s playbook.

“That wasn’t a great feeling,” sophomore guard Brandon Rush said of that game. “It was pretty bad at the end, when they were stomping on the Jayhawk.”

The Jayhawks will look to build on their one-game winning streak against the Wildcats tonight. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.

For the first time in a long time, the rivalry has implications beyond just bragging rights. The winner will move into second place in the Big 12 Conference.

I think the fans will be a little more crazy than what they’re used to being

It is also the first Sunflower Showdown that K-State coach Bob Huggins has participated in. Huggins has promised to bring excitement back to what has been a lopsided rivalry, something Self thinks he will be able to do.

“This is quickly going to become a very talked-about rivalry again,” he said. “I think anytime somebody beats you, you want to get them back.”

To do that the Jayhawks will have to come up with an answer for Wildcat guard David Hoskins. Hoskins is a near-identical match with Jayhawk guard Brandon Rush, except that he will occasionally play at the forward position.

“He’s a real good slasher,” sophomore forward Julian Wright said. “He can get to the free-throw line.”

Hoskins will be joined by another guard/forward, Cartier Martin. He’s not a starter, but he leads the team in scoring with 15.5 points per game. Martin and Hoskins are responsible for 42 percent of the Wildcats’ scoring. On Saturday, Martin made seven three-pointers in a victory against Texas.

“I’ve never hit seven threes in a game in my life,” Brandon Rush said. “He’s good.”

The Wildcats won that game against the Longhorns with a big second-half comeback. That should be enough to give the team confidence even if the Jayhawks take an early lead.

Regardless of who comes out strong, the Allen Fieldhouse crowd will be out in full force. Losing to Kansas State would be bad enough, but a loss tonight would be worse because the Wildcats would be rated higher than the Jayhawks in the conference standings.

“I think the fans will be a little more crazy than what they’re used to being,” Rush said. “But they’re going to go crazy anyway, just because it’s K-State.”

Self said he watched the video of last year’s loss, but won’t be dwelling on it, because this year’s K-State team plays with a different style.

That style is reminiscent of the one that Kansas and Texas A&M play. Expect a lot of defense, plenty of hustle, and a crazier-than-normal crowd when the game begins tonight.