GAME NOTES: A special weekend is on tap in Lawrence as the third-ranked Kansas Jayhawks celebrate 110 years of basketball, with festivities as well as a Big 12 showdown with the Colorado Buffaloes. The Jayhawks have been the epitome of success over the last two decades and have won 23 or more games in 19 straight years. Bill Self's team got that 23rd victory last weekend against Baylor (100-90), but a three-game win streak came to an end with a 72-69 setback at 11th-ranked Texas on Monday. The loss was just the second on the season for KU, which remains atop the Big 12 standings with an 8-2 league-ledger. The Buffaloes are much further down the conference ladder. Jeff Bzdelik's first season in Boulder has not been stellar, as Colorado is just 10-13 on the year, including a horrific 2-7 mark in-conference. The Colorado fans were able to take a little solace from last weekend's victory over Oklahoma (72-58), in that it stopped an ugly six-game losing streak. Kansas has won 10 straight in this series and is looking for another regular season sweep after posting a 72-59 win in Boulder on February 2nd.

The Buffaloes have struggled at the offensive end this season and will surely have a tough time of it in Lawrence this weekend. Colorado is dead-last in the conference in scoring (62.8 ppg) and in scoring margin (+0.3), despite ranking among the league leaders in scoring defense (62.5 ppg). Veteran guard Richard Roby is clearly the team's top offensive weapon. The 6-6 senior is shooting the ball extremely well this season (.506 overall and .422 from behind the arc), leading to a healthy 17.1 ppg. The versatile Roby is also tops on the team in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and second in both steals (23) and blocks (23). Fellow senior Marcus Hall is the team's top distributor (87 assists) and is the only other players on the roster averaging double figures at 12.9 ppg. Roby and Hall led the way in the victory over the Sooners last weekend, as both poured in 19 points. The Buffs were outscored in the paint 36-18, but shot the ball extremely well (.606), including .625 in the second half.

Shooting the ball well is something Kansas has done most of the time this season. One of the top offensive teams in the country, KU is netting 82.9 ppg, on .509 shooting (second in the nation). The success is not limited to the offensive end of the court, with Kansas boasting the nation's best scoring margins at +21.1. The team is holding foes to a mere 61.8 ppg this year, at a .385 shooting clip (14th nationally). Scoring depth is obvious with four of the team's five starters averaging double digits. Forward Darrell Arthur leads the way with 14.0 ppg. He gets help down low from Darnell Jackson (12.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg). The backcourt is well-stocked, with a trio of explosive guards in Brandon Rush (12.3 ppg), Mario Chalmers (12.1 ppg) and Sherron Collins (9.4 ppg). The team got 22 from Arthur on Monday, but it wasn't enough to push the Jayhawks past the Longhorns in Austin. Jackson and Chalmers added 13 points apiece, while Rush chipped in with 10. However, Kansas shot a uncharacteristically-low .435 from the floor in the game, including a mere .235 effort from long range (4-of-17).

There will be a lot of excitement in Lawrence this afternoon and the crowd will surely be revved up all day long. That doesn't bode well for the Buffaloes, who will find it hard to match Kansas' intensity from the opening tip.