Slumping Tigers face Kansas on the road

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- If Kansas stays as sharp as it was against Texas, Missouri could be in for a long night.

The No. 6 Jayhawks (16-1, 6-0 Big 12) will be fresh off a startling 90-65 victory over No. 16 Texas when it hosts the fading Tigers on Monday night. It was the best game the Jayhawks have played all season.

But Quin Snyder's Missouri (10-10, 2-5) will be staggering under the weight of a demoralizing 64-53 loss Saturday night at home to Kansas State, a game that let the Wildcats break a 20-year drought on the Tigers' home court.

Missouri's best hope might be a mental, emotional or physical letdown by the Jayhawks on the heels of what must have seemed to Texas a superhuman effort.

But there's no way that will happen, said Kansas' Keith Langford.

"It doesn't matter," Langford said. "We just like playing. It's not like we're 34 years old out here and need a long time for recovery. We want to play. We're ready to play. Against Missouri, energy and adrenaline won't be a problem."

It might be a good time to check and see what Snyder's most lopsided Big 12 loss has been. For Texas' Rick Barnes, the worst conference loss is now the 25-point hiding the Jayhawks put on his Longhorns, who were outclassed start to finish, top to bottom, offensively and defensively.

With Oklahoma's loss earlier in the day at Iowa State, the victory also made Kansas the only undefeated team in league play.

"Kansas has always been at the top of the race for a Big 12 championship," Langford said. "We want people to know that the road is still going to go through us. We want that pressure. We want that incentive."

Wayne Simien scored 27 points and Langford had 17 against the Longhorns (15-5, 4-3), who fell to 0-5 in Allen Fieldhouse since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996. Texas committed a season-high 20 turnovers.

"When Kansas clicks, they are a pretty tough team to beat," said Texas freshman Daniel Gibson, who had four points in the first half and 15 in the second. "Kansas has great fans. They really give the team energy. Sometimes I couldn't even hear myself talk."

It was the smothering defense that impressed Texas the most.

"They didn't make very many silly plays," said Texas center Jason Klotz. "I think that they are the best team in the Big 12."

Missouri veterans who have been subjected to the screaming Allen Fieldhouse sellout crowd know well the perils of traveling to Lawrence.

"Playing on the road, period, is tough, but especially in Kansas," said Missouri center Linas Kleiza. "It's going to be sweet if we can get that win."

Perhaps, Kleiza suggested, the Tigers will be loose, and the Jayhawks will be worried about protecting their position.

"We have nothing to lose," Kleiza said. "We don't have nothing to protect. We just got to have confidence in ourselves and just play hard and play ball. No one expects us to win. We don't have no pressure on our backs."

No doubt, Kansas coach Bill Self will be pointing out to his Jayhawks that this is the same Missouri team that played No. 1 Illinois so tough before beating No. 17 Gonzaga right after Gonzaga had beaten Oklahoma State.

It's something that could give hope to the Tigers.

"We've done things this year that are weird," said Missouri's Jason Conley. "We've lost to teams we weren't supposed to, and we've beaten teams we're not supposed to beat. Anything is possible with this team. I'm sure there are a lot of people doubting us."