Kansas basketball coach Bill Self previews Jayhawks’ rematch vs. Big 12 foe Baylor

Kansas is ranked seventh in the country. Baylor is ranked ninth in the country. And the two sides are currently tied with No. 5 Texas for first place in the Big 12 Conference’s regular season standings.

LAWRENCE — Regardless of whether or not ESPN’s “College GameDay” show was going to be in Lawrence on Saturday, when Kansas basketball faces Baylor, Jayhawks coach Bill Self thinks the matchup will be a big one.

Earlier this season, the Jayhawks (21-5, 9-4 in Big 12) lost on the road against the Bears (20-6, 9-4 in Big 12). But that contest was a part of Kansas’ three-game losing streak, which seems a lot longer ago than it is considering Self’s squad has gone 5-1 in the six games since. And here are some things to think about before the scheduled 3 p.m. (CT) tip-off inside Allen Fieldhouse.

There’s something that stands out to Bill Self about Kansas’ loss earlier this season against Baylor

Although Kansas’ loss earlier this season against Baylor came by just six points, 75-69, it didn’t feel like that to Self. He doesn’t think his Jayhawks made the Bears sweat out those final minutes like they should have. Most of the things Kansas uses to measure the energy a team plays with in a game, like offensive rebound attempts, deflections and dives, Baylor graded out better on.

Those measurements don’t show up in a box score like points, rebounds or assists. However, Self still thinks they have a significant effect on the game. So, one would think the level of energy the Jayhawks play with when the game starts up will be something to watch for.

Bill Self addresses availability of Dajuan Harris Jr. and Kevin McCullar Jr.

Both redshirt junior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. and redshirt senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. missed time during Kansas’ win earlier this week against Oklahoma State because they got hurt during the game. However, both seemed to be in good spirits postgame. And the way Self described their statuses Thursday, it seems probable that the two Jayhawks starters will be able to play against Baylor.

Self said the team had Wednesday off, but noted Harris and McCullar have received treatment multiple times since the win against Oklahoma State. Self didn’t know if they’d practice Thursday, but was hopeful they’d be on the court Friday. Self added if they’re on the court Friday, they’ll play Saturday.

Bill Self discusses the injury statuses of a few more Jayhawks

Sophomore guard Bobby Pettiford Jr. played Tuesday against Oklahoma State in his first game since he played Feb. 4 against Iowa State, and according to Self it wasn’t because he necessarily wanted to play Pettiford. Pettiford, who’s missed time due to injury this season, basically only played because Harris got hurt. But Self does think Pettiford will be more available Saturday against Baylor, and hopefully Monday as well against TCU, than Pettiford has been recently.

Self said sophomore forward Zach Clemence is still bothered by a knee injury. Although Clemence could have played against Oklahoma State, Self noted he wouldn’t have been at 100% and might not be for a little while longer. Clemence, in Self’s estimation, is at about 85% or 90% right now.

Self said super-senior forward Cam Martin is not going to play. That’s because Martin’s shoulder is still not where they’d want it to be. Martin hasn’t played since Jan. 3 against Texas Tech.

Bill Self thinks 5 losses is good enough to win the Big 12 regular season title

Right now, Kansas, Baylor and Texas all have four losses in conference play with five games left before the conference tournament. Iowa State is right behind them with five losses. And Kansas State and Oklahoma State each have six.

Self thinks if a team can finish the season with five losses in Big 12 play, in a season that’s been as challenging as it has, that team would definitely win the conference’s regular season title. Six losses would have a shot, too, but might have to share it with someone else. So, this game between Kansas and Baylor will mean a great deal.

Moving forward, Bill Self has high expectations for his freshmen

Although none of Kansas’ freshmen have played as regularly as Gradey Dick, one of the Jayhawks’ guards, Self thinks they all need to play like they aren’t freshmen anymore. Self added they need to play beyond the experience they have at the college level. It’s about that point in the season where that is critical for Kansas.

Ernest Udeh Jr., a center, and Zuby Ejiofor, a forward, have shown flashes of being able to do that more recently than MJ Rice, a guard. But Rice has played well at times this season, too. And if injuries are going to continue to be a problem for the Jayhawks, they’ll need to sustain those flashes for longer than they have.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self previews Jayhawks vs. Baylor Bears