LAWRENCE, Kan. — There are lessons to be learned in Kansas' quest to continue its dominance of the Big 12 Conference, and coach Bill Self knew Wednesday's result meant nothing more than a beginning.
He had witnessed a similar sight unfold before: A sellout crowd of fans dressed in blue rising at Allen Fieldhouse as an opposing Big 12 coach made a brisk walk on the sideline to exchange a greeting after defeat. This time, Kansas State's Frank Martin played the part of the losing leader in the Jayhawks' 67-49 triumph to open a conference race that appears as open as it has been in years.
The 14th-ranked Jayhawks (11-3, 1-0), however, did prove two things in beating their in-state rivals: Allen Fieldhouse is still a difficult place for visiting teams to win, and threats to Kansas' Big 12 supremacy — such as Baylor and Missouri — must prove they can unseat the program that has won at least a share of the past seven regular-season conference titles.
Kansas' first step in the journey toward eight did not come without flaws. At times, the Jayhawks appeared slow and confused in their half-court offense despite junior guard Travis Releford scoring a game-high 16 points. At times, No. 23 Kansas State (11-2, 0-1) appeared capable of a comeback — the Wildcats cut a 15-point halftime deficit to three with 12:30 left in the second half.
Order was restored late, however, as the roar in Allen Fieldhouse returned and the Jayhawks earned their fourth straight victory since falling to Davidson on Dec. 19.
"This is one out of 18," Self said, referencing the number of conference tests. "This is nothing to get giddy over. It would not be a good thing if we didn't win in our own building. But road wins are precious. There aren't going to be a lot of teams that get a lot of them. All we did tonight was hold serve."
Self's team did so by dominating the glass. The Jayhawks outrebounded the Wildcats 50-26, led by junior forward Thomas Robinson's 14. No Kansas State player had more in the category than senior forward Jamar Samuels' and junior guard Rodney McGruder's five apiece.
Kansas' first-half surge made it seem as if a rout was imminent. The Jayhawks scored 17 of the game's first 20 points on their way to a 35-20 halftime lead. After Kansas senior guard Tyshawn Taylor made a layup to close scoring before the break, Martin walked toward a tunnel with a slight smirk while shaking his head.
After the break, Martin had reason to grin about his team's 16-4 run to start the second half. But thanks, in part, to two 3-pointers from senior guard Conner Teahan, the Jayhawks' lead grew to 11 points about four minutes after the Wildcats made their move.
From there, the familiar sights and sounds of a Kansas victory at Allen Fieldhouse returned. The result was consistent with a lopsided series history: Going into Wednesday, the Jayhawks had won 42 of the past 45 games between the schools dating back to the 1994 season. In addition, Kansas had won five straight meetings at Allen Fieldhouse and 16 of the past 17 when hosting.
"It's huge for our confidence going into conference, and it was against a good team — one of the best in our conference," said Taylor, who finished with 13 points.
"It's a good way to start. We just have to keep improving."
Taylor is correct, because earning another Big 12 title this season to add to the Jayhawks' storied history could be difficult. Usually a favorite in the league each winter, the Jayhawks enter as a question to extend their streak, in part because of their early performance. They dropped games against Kentucky, Duke and Davidson while trying to adjust to life after the departures of former stars Tyrel Reed, Brady Morningstar and Markieff and Marcus Morris.
At times, the transition has included growing pains. Self has mentioned that his current squad lacks the aggression of his more decorated teams from his eight previous seasons in Lawrence. In fact, after the loss to Davidson, Self addressed the result by saying, "That wasn't an upset tonight."
Doubt about Kansas' ability to continue its Big 12 dominance could last the rest of the season. No. 4 Baylor stands at 14-0, while No. 7 Missouri also is unbeaten at 14-0.
The Jayhawks will have time to ease into their Big 12 schedule before facing those tests. They play Baylor in Lawrence on Jan. 16 and in Waco, Texas, on Feb. 8. Meanwhile, they travel to Missouri on Feb. 4 and host the Tigers on Feb. 25.
The Wildcats don't have that luxury. Kansas State's trip to Lawrence represented the start of a brutal week: On Saturday, the Wildcats return home to Bramlage Coliseum to play Missouri before hosting Baylor on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, though, they were the first to test Kansas. And as Martin watched the Jayhawks' first-half run from his bench with an expressionless stare, he knew the defending Big 12 champions still present a threat.
"That's the problem with the first five, six minutes of the game here," said Martin, who fell to 2-8 against Kansas. "I think every team that comes in here deals with it — not just us. I've watched tape — I've seen that everybody is down 12-2 to start the game. It's unbelievable. It takes so much effort and energy to get yourself back where you can manage a game. You make a mistake, and they make you pay."
Kansas made its rival pay Wednesday, and the result served as a reminder to the rest of the conference that the Jayhawks remain hungry.
