Mitch Lightfoot insists motivation will not be a problem for Kansas' Big 12 champion basketball team Saturday at seventh-place Oklahoma State.
"I think we have a lot to play for," Lightfoot, KU's sophomore power forward from Gilbert, Ariz., said in advance of the game at Gallagher-Iba Arena between the No. 6-ranked Jayhawks (24-6, 13-4) and Cowboys (17-13, 7-10). It will be shown live on ESPN.
"We haven't lost a series with a different team so far since Coach (Bill) Self has been here. We don't plan on being the team to do it."
KU, which fell to OSU 84-79 on Feb. 3 at Allen Fieldhouse, has won 102 straight regular-season home-and-home conference series without being swept. The last Big 12 team to sweep KU in a home-and-home was Iowa State in 2000-01.
"We're going to keep preparing for the Big 12 Tournament and eventually the tournament-tournament," Lightfoot said of the NCAAs. "It means a lot to us."
It's been an emotional time for the Jayhawks, who have had reason to celebrate after their last two games. The Jayhawks were presented the 2017-18 Big 12 title trophy in the locker room after assuring a tie for the program's 14th straight regular-season crown by beating Texas Tech 74-72 last Saturday in Lubbock, Texas. On Monday, Devonte Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk and Clay Young each gave Senior Night speeches after an 80-70 victory over Texas _ the 14 league title trophies as a backdrop on James Naismith Court in Allen Fieldhouse.
"It does take a little pressure off to win it outright," Lightfoot said. "At the same time, we want to win games. That's what the fans want. It's what we want. We want to end the season right, get rolling, because it's all about hitting your stride when the (NCAA) tournament gets here. And if we're rolling at the right time, special things can happen."
KU on Saturday will try to defeat the team that spoiled KU's 120 years of basketball reunion. The Cowboys led 46-33 at halftime before a crowd that included more than 200 former KU players, coaches and staff members.
"We didn't play nearly as well as we should have. It's not revenge (Saturday). It's more of us fulfilling our potential," Lightfoot said, "doing what we could have done. We watched film of that game. There were a lot of instances where we didn't box out, didn't do things we normally do that we've done in some of the more recent games. We will try to go down there and do what we know what we can do."
OSU point guard Kendall Smith scored 24 points, while forward Cameron McGriff had 20 points, nine rebounds and three steals in that first meeting. Graham had 17 points and eight assists, Mykhailiuk 17 points and Malik Newman 16 for the Jayhawks.
"What should motivate our guys is they wore us out," KU coach Self said of the Cowboys. "They 'out-athletic-ed' us, were quicker to balls, physically punked us a little bit. That should motivate us to go down there and make sure it does not happen again."
KU's seniors are 1-2 at Gallagher-Iba Arena, where the Jayhawks have dropped three of their last four.
"Revenge may be part of it," Self said, "but I hope our mindset is to go down there and show them a team that they didn't see here in Lawrence, because they didn't see the best of us, in large part because they whipped us. I'd like for them to see a much better team in Stillwater."
First-year Cowboys coach Mike Boynton's team may be extra motivated while possibly playing for an NCAA Tournament bid on Saturday.
"I see them as having a chance to get in the tournament. If they go 8-10 in our league, how could they not be under serious consideration?" Self said of his alma mater. "They're talking about everybody else in our league getting in at 8-10, why shouldn't Oklahoma State be considered?
"If they beat us, they would have beaten Kansas twice, Texas Tech and West Virginia. So they would have had four wins against the best three teams in our league. And they would have had a huge non-conference win against Florida State. I think they deserve to be in the consideration. So they'll have a ton to play for."
No doubt the Cowboys would enjoy making history, becoming the first in Big 12 history to sweep a Bill Self Jayhawks team home-and-home in the same season.
"I have no idea," Self said, asked if his players are aware of the streak. "I don't know if Lagerald (Vick) and Malik are awake at night thinking, 'Gosh, I really want this for Coach.' I don't think that's under consideration. So if they know about it, they know about it, but that's not going to be anything that will be motivation for them."
In 15 years under Self, the Jayhawks have 70 sweeps and 32 splits in those regular-season home-and-homes.
"Certainly going to Texas Tech (which beat KU at Allen this year) and Stillwater isn't the remedy you would think to give you the best chance to keep that streak intact, but we have an opportunity if we play well," Self said.
