Kansas, Oklahoma 1-2 going into showdown

Final: No. 1 Kansas 109, No. 2 Oklahoma 106.

Might as well make Kansas-Oklahoma a best-of-three, with a possible rubber match in the Big 12 Tournament. That has to feel good. “I think we were creating offense for them”.

As the cheerleaders rushed the floor and the Jayhawks celebrated around him, Hield walked alone on the far side of the court as his teammates lined up after the 109-106 loss – the first triple overtime matchup between the nation’s top two teams since 1957, when Wilt Chamberlain played for the Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks led by 11 once again with 3:02 in the first half, but the Sooners finished the half on an 18-3 tear to take the lead. “One day, Danny Manning and I combined for 45”. That’s the most an opposing player has ever scored at Allen Fieldhouse. Just how deep are the Jayhawks? The Big 12 also was the last to accomplish the 1-2 feat in the AP poll, accomplishing it for six straight weeks with KU and Texas from November 30, 2009 to January 4, 2010.

The Jayhawks rolled with just 7 guys in the overtimes, but basically 5 as Traylor barely played and Greene just stood in the corner for a possession.

“When Forte went out, it changed things and it took them some time to adapt”, Drew said. The Sooners trailed 32-21 in the first half.

No. 19 Iowa 77, Nebraska 66: Jarrod Uthoff had 25 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as host Iowa (12-3, 3-0) held off Nebraska (8-8, 0-3).

It went triple overtime with some players putting in almost all 55 minutes. Something to watch for next matchup.

There is a nice bit of symmetry to the fact that Kansas and Oklahoma could be meeting Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse as the top two teams in the country. I’m sticking with the greatest game in the land, one in which the top-tier talent still gives us a highly-skilled game with back-and-forth drama and the type of uncontrolled emotion the National Basketball Association doesn’t see until May, if at all. Graham had 7 rebounds and 3 assists, but like Mason had 4 turnovers.

“Given all that was at stake, I don’t know if I’ve been in one better”, Kruger said of the game. He helped off his man much too often, and allowed the Sooners too many open looks.

Sure, many of those games are simply remembered for one moment, but they were all season-ending or season-making games. They are led by an enviable three-headed guard rotation of Mason III, Selden Jr. and Graham, and senior forward Perry Ellis is a sleeper player of the year candidate.

Carrington Love scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half as Green Bay erased a 10-point deficit. Lucas played some really nice defense in the overtimes as well, and had 8 rebounds and no turnovers.

At least, until they play Round 2. But Kansas needed more. I have no earthly idea how “good” the entire game was because I wasn’t born yet. Like most sportswriters, I’ve racked my brain and can’t come up with a more electric regular-season game in college basketball. Wayne Selden squandered the first chance, a wide-open right-wing 3-pointer that clanged hard off the rim but would not fall.