KU vs. OU: Pregame Ponderings

We will find out a lot about this Jayhawk team and coaching staff tonight, one way or the other.

Here are a few things I want to know:

*Can Bill Self find a way to motivate this team after two tough losses?
*Did Bill Self and his coaching staff come up with a better game plan after being outcoached the last two games?
*Will our four seniors lead tonight the way this team so desperately needs them to?
*How pissed are the seniors that the 32-home game conference winning streak ended on their watch?
*How pissed are the seniors that they just lost the third to the last game they will ever play in Allen Fieldhouse?
*How much will Giles and Galindo play and can they be effective having barely played over the last 6 weeks?
*Will Sasha Kaun play like a man tonight against Bookout and Gray or will he get pushed around and get in early foul trouble?
*Will J.R. Giddens be able to put behind poor shooting and (inexcusable) booing from the home crowd and blow his shooting slump out of the water in front of family and friends in Oklahoma?
*If J.R. isn’t able to bust out of his slump, will he be disciplined enough to cut back his shooting and do other things to help his team win? And will Self realize that is the right answer in order to give the team the best chance to win?
*Will Keith play hard for 40 minutes and keep the same pair of shoes on for the entire game? And will he hit his free throws if he gets to the line? And will he take the ball to the hole aggressively before the game has 30 seconds left?
*Will the other four players on the court get the ball to Wayne as much as he should get it, at least touching it once or twice on EVERY offensive possession?
*If Wayne does get several touches, will he get MEAN and dominate the paint like we need him to do tonight?
*Assuming Christian Moody again is not able to play, will some combination of Giles, Jackson, Kaun and Galindo be able to give this team the solid 40 minute effort that it needs at the 4 spot?
*Will Aaron Miles be more aggressive on the offensive end, both in taking shots himself and in creating shots for other using DRIBBLE PENETRATION?
*Will any of our perimeter players actually take a jump shot in front of the three-point line?
*Will we rebound better, after being outrebounded by one of the worst rebounding teams in the conference (ISU)?
*Will Bill Self put some faith in our bench players (and will they respond) so that our starters don’t have to play 39 minutes a game and can stay fresh?
*Will Michael Lee have one of those consistent all-around games we’ve been missing from him for quite some time? And will he avoid fouling out for the third straight game?
*Will the Jayhawks make a statement tonight that the Big XII Conference Championship still runs through Lawrence, KS?