No. 9 Kansas men's basketball is riding high after a win over No. 1 Arizona, but Bill Self made it clear the celebration was short-lived.
“Well, I don’t know if it was, there’s still a great chance things won’t go your way even when you play hard, but our guys played great,” Self said of Kansas’ win over then-No. 1 and undefeated Arizona. “They played hard and tough for the most part. I was obviously very proud of them.”
Still, the message inside the locker room quickly shifted.
“But that was Monday and today’s Thursday,” Self said. “There are still bigger things out there, even though that was big at the moment.”
Next up is No. 5 Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones have won 13 straight this season. Kansas handled Iowa State convincingly in Allen Fieldhouse last month, but Self expects a much tougher challenge on the road.
“There was a period where they were playing as well as anybody in the country,” he said. “Then they had a bad week, then played great again. They’re terrific.”
Self noted Iowa State’s depth and star power.
“Their bench has gotten better. Their freshmen are good. They’ve got three potential All-American type guys starting,” he said. “We played so well against them the first time and they didn’t. I’d like to think we had something to do with that, but we’ll see a different team Saturday.”
Hilton Coliseum will provide its usual edge.
“They’ve won the last three there. It’s three and three over the last six,” Self said. “They’re ranked five now? So it’ll be five versus nine. It’ll be turned up in there.”
As for simulating that noise in practice?
“No. I’ve never been a big believer in that,” Self said.
Saturday also brings another measuring stick in a loaded Big 12 race. Self called Houston and Arizona the current front-runners but emphasized Kansas is firmly in the mix.
“We’re in it without question,” he said. “But we’ve got to do some damage to put ourselves right in the middle of it.”
Asked if Iowa State has the makeup of a national title contender, Self didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Could they make it? Absolutely. Could they not? Absolutely. There are so many good teams. But when they’re playing well, they play as well as anybody.”
After Iowa State, Kansas will head to Oklahoma State for a midweek Wednesday night showdown on the road.