No. 10 Jayhawks, coming off a big win, hope to carry momentum into Baylor matchup
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Toughness was an issue for Kansas early in the basketball season. So much so that during nonconference play, Bill Self labeled the team the softest he had coached in 15 seasons with the Jayhawks.
Leading the Big 12 with a 5-1 mark, however, provides some fresh perspective, especially after the No. 10 Jayhawks climbed to 15-3 overall with a win at one of the toughest places to play in the league, West Virginia.
"The most physical team we've played to date. I mean on block-outs and posting and things like that," Self said. "So hopefully it will benefit us. The thing about it is, from a toughness standpoint, a lot of it's physical, but I would say the majority of it's not.
"We were more mentally tough against West Virginia, not getting down, not panicking, shot selection was better, making sure we executed what we were at least trying to do, and they're hard to execute against."
The five conference victories for Kansas have come by a collective spread of 21 points. At West Virginia, the Jayhawks overcame a 16-point deficit and now return home Saturday to face Baylor (12-6, 2-4).
Among those who helped the Jayhawks snap a four-game losing streak in games at West Virginia was senior Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. Typically, that means the senior guard caught fire from 3-point range. He did, scoring 12 points in the final seven minutes while maintaining a torrid clip (52.2 percent) from 3-point range in conference play.
Yet, Self noticed even more from the 6-foot-8 Ukrainian.
"He competed for balls; he was much more physical," said Self, before noting, "Of course, he was totally exhausted, but he made timely shots late. I thought he played very, very well."
To maintain the toughness they exerted at West Virginia, which resulted in a seventh straight victory on the road against top-10 opponents, the Jayhawks must attempt to look more comfortable at home. They have lost two games already in Allen Fieldhouse. The last time Kansas lost three home games in a season was 1998-99.
Still, the Jayhawks are back to tracking a 14th consecutive Big 12 title and stand 15-0 all-time against Baylor at home.
Senior forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. almost averages a double-double in points (15.4) and rebounds (9.5). Another senior, point guard Manu Lecomte, leads the Bears with a 16.9-point average.
Lecomte went 6 of 7 from 3-point range and netted a career-high 30 points to pace Baylor in its last game, a 76-60 victory against Oklahoma State. Of his points, 25 came in the second half.
"I still believe in myself, I'm still a good shooter," said Lecomte, who shot just 20.5 percent from 3-point range in the first five Big 12 games. "I know things are going to change and my teammates, obviously, did a great job finding me."
Despite previous struggles finding his range, Lecomte still had the confidence of those teammates.
"It was great to see Manu catch on fire and it was great to see the team be real excited for him," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "Players made sure he knew the only time they're upset with him is if he turns down shots."
