Kansas vs. Texas

[The Judge]

Big 12 title game only way to divide these equals
March 15, 2008
By Dennis Dodd
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas' Connor Atchley is like a lot of 22-year-olds. Cable TV is older than him. Mention heavy metal and he thinks Guns N' Roses, not car fenders and quarter panels.

So why would anyone expect a college junior to know the gravity of Sunday's Big 12 tournament championship game?

Kansas vs. Texas playing in the tournament final for the third consecutive year.

Kansas trying to make it three in a row. Texas trying to back up its regular-season victory in the team's only matchup. The schools are co-champions of the regular season.

An NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed may be on the line. Even if it isn't, we're talking about the program of Dr. Naismith suddenly on equal footing with a program defined by T.J. (Ford), D.J. (Augustin) and A.J. (Abrams).

One is a college basketball blueblood; the other is supported by Orangebloods.

"We're together at the same level, really," Atchley said after his team's 77-49 semifinal victory over Oklahoma.

Basketball blasphemy? No. This is the first and fiercest rivalry in this pre-adolescent 12-year-old league. History doesn't count unless it's recent.

"I'd say we're equal because we only play them one time a year," said Kansas' Brandon Rush.

That quirk in the Big 12 schedule keeps its two best programs from playing an annual home-and-home. This year's regular-season encounter went to Texas 72-69 on Feb. 11 in Austin. Secretly, Kansas has been counting the days until they meet again. The Jayhawks lead 3-2 in the head-to-heads in the last three seasons. Since 2006, the programs are separated by only five games -- Kansas is 84-14, Texas is 79-19.

Kansas has won five outright Big 12 titles to Texas' one, but who's counting? These
two are clearly the class of the conference right now.

"I think it's fitting we get to play each other," Kansas coach Bill Self said after a 77-71 semifinal win over Texas A&M. "It's been a pretty good run we've both had.

"That's the best team we played," he said of Texas.

If you had to pick a team out of this league right now, it would have to be Texas. It is the only program in the country to beat three current top 10s -– Kansas, Tennessee and UCLA. All three teams won or tied for the conference title.
As good as Kansas is, it hasn't beaten a team in the current AP top 25.

It's a battle of guards. Rush scored 28 points against Texas A&M in the other semifinal, the best game of his injury-scarred, up-and-down, might-go-pro career.
"You saw an NBA guard out there today," Self said.

Yeah, but which one? Augustin and Abrams form one of the best backcourts in the country.

And with Tennessee's loss in the SEC tournament semis, that No. 1 seed might be sitting out there on Saturday. The Big 12 has snatched up six top seeds in its history, but that's getting old. It might be time for this league to win a title. The current 12 members have one national championship since 1952. That was Kansas in 1988. Since then, the Jayhawks are about the only major-college basketball power (besides Indiana) not to win a national championship.

UCLA has done it. Duke and Carolina have done it. So has Kentucky.
You probably don't have to be told, then, that the Big 12 is the only major conference not to produce a champion since 1988.

"We've got some work to do," Texas coach Rick Barnes said.

Kansas holding a 1-0 lead over Texas in the last 56 years doesn't exactly frighten the Longhorns.

"We think us and Kansas are two of the best teams in the country," Texas' Damion James said. "Look at what we've done and they've done you can see for yourself. You can put us in the same boat."

It doesn't matter Saturday that Kansas has decades of excellence behind it and Texas has Barnes, who has spent nine years building a national power. They're equals on Saturday.

It's all about heavy metal, and who's bringing it -- on both sides.

"It's easier to have a great team than it is to have a great program," Self said.

Yes, but which is which on Saturday?