#3 15-0 Vs 11-2 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>After cruising through its non-conference schedule, unbeaten Kansas again opens conference play as the team to beat in the Big 12. The third-ranked Jayhawks begin their quest for their fourth straight Big 12 title when they open league play Saturday at Nebraska. Kansas (15-0) had little trouble in winning its first 15 games for the fifth time in school history -- the first since starting the 1996-97 season a school-best 22-0. The Jayhawks had only three games decided by single digits, and have won their last four by an average of 28.0 points. Kansas wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 90-60 win over Loyola of Maryland on Tuesday, and remains one of five undefeated Division I schools. The Jayhawks were picked to finish first in the Big 12, and coach Bill Self is ready for league play to begin. "I always thought the first season is your non-conference and it's the least significant," Self said. "Your second season is your conference and it is very significant and the most important season is your conference tournament and your postseason. "The great thing about starting conference play is that everybody has their batteries charged. The intensity is going to be up several notches. Everybody is 0-0 and has hopes and aspirations. I think it is an exciting time." The Jayhawks, who went 14-2 in the Big 12 last season, have won 16 straight conference openers since losing to Oklahoma in 1991, when they were in the Big Eight. Kansas has won eight straight and 17 of the last 18 games against the Cornhuskers, and had no trouble against them last season. On Jan. 29 in Lincoln, the Jayhawks built a 39-6 first-half lead en route to beating Nebraska 76-56. On Feb. 17 in front of its home crowd, Kansas beat the Huskers 92-39, Nebraska's second-worst loss in the program's 110-year history. Self, though, isn't getting caught up with last season's success against the Huskers. "Last year's games were games in which we played very, very well and games where they didn't make any shots at all," he said. "I'm not going to read into it any more than that. This will be totally different than last year's games and they will have no bearing on this year's (games). "They definitely upgraded their talent from last year." Jayhawks sophomore forward Darrel Arthur, a preseason all-Big 12 selection, scored 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the two games against the Huskers last season. Arthur, who is averaging a team-high 13.7 points, had 14 against the Greyhounds after scoring a season-high 22 on 10-of-12 shooting in Kansas' 85-60 win over Boston College last Saturday. Guard Brandon Rush, another preseason all-Big 12 selection, totaled 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting against Nebraska last season. Junior guard Mario Chalmers, who is averaging 12.0 points and a team-high 4.8 assists, missed Tuesday's game with a groin injury but is expected to be back Saturday. The Huskers (11-2) enter conference play with their best mark since 1994-95. They haven't started a season 12-2 since 1993-94. "I'm happy we're 11-2. I do think we've got some quality wins, but we're by far not even close to being where we need to be to be competitive in the Big 12," second-year Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. The Huskers have been winning with their solid defense, as they rank second nationally in scoring defense (53.5 points per game) and field goal defense (35.1 percent). They held Maryland-Eastern Shore to just 29.8 percent shooting in their last game, an 86-50 victory on Jan. 4. Senior center Aleks Maric had 22 points and eight rebounds against the Shore Hawks. Maric, averaging team highs of 16.2 points and 8.4 boards, scored 23 points in the two games against Kansas last season. The Huskers finished tied for seventh in conference play last season with a 6-10 record, and were picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 this season. In their only game against a Top 25 team this season, the Huskers beat then-No. 16 Oregon 88-79 in overtime at the Qwest Center in Omaha. "I'm not for sure Oregon has got a player that can start for Kansas," Sadler said. "I'm not for sure that they've got a player that can be in (Kansas') top seven. That's just my opinion." Nebraska has lost 33 of its last 39 games against ranked conference opponents.</div> http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncb/preview?gameId=280120158
79 58 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Brandon Rush scored 16 of his season-high 19 points in the first half and third-ranked Kansas continued its domination over Nebraska with a 79-58 victory Saturday night. The three-time defending Big 12 champion Jayhawks (16-0, 1-0) won their 17th straight conference opener and are among three remaining unbeaten teams in the nation, along with North Carolina and Memphis. The victory was the Jayhawks' ninth straight against Nebraska and 18th in the last 19 meetings. Nebraska (11-3, 0-1), which was off to its best start since 1994-95, saw its six-game win streak end and found out it has a ways to go before it's ready to play with the best of the Big 12. Mario Chalmers had 14 points and Russell Robinson and Sasha Kaun 10 apiece for the Jayhawks, who shot 53 percent against an opponent that led the Big 12 in field-goal defense. Aleks Maric led Nebraska with 19 points. Last season, the Jayhawks blew out Nebraska twice by a combined 73 points. Saturday, they picked up where they left off, with Rush hitting two quick 3-pointers and the Jayhawks making their first five shots to go up 12-5. Nebraska got to 29-24 late in the first half, but the Huskers were no match for the Jayhawks' superior athleticism. Kansas went on a 10-0 run while Maric and Ade Dagunduro were on the bench with two fouls apiece. Paul Velander's 3-pointer ended a stretch of seven scoreless Nebraska possessions, but Chalmers hit a 3 of his own to give Kansas a 42-30 halftime lead. The Huskers got a scare in the second half when Maric, their season scoring leader, lay face down on his stomach under the Nebraska basket after diving for a loose ball. Play continued at the other end while Maric lay motionless. He walked to the bench on his own after athletic trainers applied towels to his face. Maric returned after the next stoppage and appeared no worse for the wear, making his final two shots. Rush had been challenged at the start of the week by Kansas coach Bill Self, who said Rush needed to be more aggressive offensively. Rush obliged, scoring eight of the Jayhawks' first 14 points. He was a season-high 5-for-7 from behind the arc before sitting out the last 10 minutes. The Devaney Sports Center crowd of 13,829, the largest since 2002, had at least one thing to cheer. Chants of "Bo, Bo, Bo" erupted as new football coach Bo Pelini was introduced at halftime. Pelini, who replaces the fired Bill Callahan, is fresh off his national championship as LSU's defensive coordinator. "We can't get on the field quick enough," Pelini told fans, punctuating his remarks with "Go Big Red."</div>
I wonder when this squad will suffer their first loss. Their only real non-conference tests were Arizona and Southern Cal, and they were able to get by both. Now they enter conference play in arguably the second worst BCS conference, playing their only challenging away game on Jan. 30 against Kansas State, and only playing Texas once and Texas A&M once. They have just as legitimate of a shot at an undefeated season as Memphis does. I'd say games against Texas and Texas A&M aren't any more imposing than Memphis' remaining challenges - Gonzaga and Tennessee.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Voodoo Child @ Jan 12 2008, 11:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I wonder when this squad will suffer their first loss. Their only real non-conference tests were Arizona and Southern Cal, and they were able to get by both. Now they enter conference play in arguably the second worst BCS conference, playing their only challenging away game on Jan. 30 against Kansas State, and only playing Texas once and Texas A&M once. They have just as legitimate of a shot at an undefeated season as Memphis does. I'd say games against Texas and Texas A&M aren't any more imposing than Memphis' remaining challenges - Gonzaga and Tennessee.</div> Texas A&M has the best chance imo, but i think we may slip up against a decent big 10 team ala Mizzou or Kansas State, if not, we could be undefeated
