Kansas coach Bill Self is worried about how his team will match up with Oscar Tshiebwe. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kansas is a far different team from the one that won the 2022 national championship — or was rolling again this season until losing its last three games in conference play.
However, Kansas coach Bill Self understands that the Jayhawks will be facing a different Kentucky team Saturday night in Rupp Arena. The Cats have won four straight games and salvaged a season that was going off the rails way too quick.
“This is a different Kentucky team than the one that was playing a month ago,” Self said Thursday. “They can all shoot. They’re going to have three guys in there that can make 3’s at all times, and sometimes four.
“Then you’re playing around a big guy (Oscar Tshiebwe) that’s probably the best big man in the country. I believe he’s that. He’s certainly the best rebounder in the country. Our standing height and girth aren’t great, but how do we offset some of those things?”
After starting 16-1, Kansas lost at No. 5 Kansas State 83-82, lost to visiting No. 14 TCU 83-60 and then lost at No. 17 Baylor 75-69.
Kansas has gone from No. 2 in the polls to No. 9 and will drop even more dramatically if it loses again at Kentucky in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. However, Self — sounding much like Calipari did earlier in UK’s season — insists now is not the time to panic.
“There is time to be reactive in a negative way if your team’s not doing well. This is not one of our times,” Self said after the Baylor loss. “We got beat by a team that was projected to win the league tonight that’s really good. And they went through the same crap we’re going through right now.
“We got beat by a team that’s fifth in the country at their place by one, and we got beat at home (by a team) that could have beat anybody in the country Saturday. So, our league is that good. It’s going to be a grind.”
The Big 12 had six teams in the Associated Press Top 25 this week. Kentucky has not faced that type of talent in Southeastern Conference play. But remember last year UK went to Kansas and demolished the Jayhawks and a win over Kansas would be a huge boost to UK’s NCAA Tournament resume.
“The difference in our league from in the past, there’s just not games that you can look to saying, ‘We can get well here.’ I mean, there are none of those games,” Self said. “I’ll be honest with you, I’ve got to take a different approach and understand that it’s a marathon.”
