Utah State-Kansas AP Preview

GAME: No. 15 Utah State (24-8) vs. No. 2 Kansas (25-7)

REGION: West, first round
TIME: Thursday, 9:40 p.m. EST
SITE: Ford Center; Oklahoma City.

Kansas coach Roy Williams is more than just a little dismayed by the NCAA tournament selection committee's decision to deny the Jayhawks a No. 1 seed.

While fellow Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Texas landed top seeds in the East and South Regionals, respectively, Kansas got a No. 2 seed out West despite winning the conference's regular season title.

"I'm confused," Williams said. "We played 12 teams that made the tournament. We played 15 games against the tournament field. I think our schedule is pretty difficult.

"We played three No. 1 seeds. Again, this is not against Texas because it was a hard, hard thing, but I'm just mystified. We beat Texas, we won the regular season, Texas beat Oklahoma twice, it's a confusing thing. I'm at a loss of words."

The only way for the Jayhawks to prove they were a legitimate No. 1 is to wind up in New Orleans early next month, a journey they'll begin with a first-round matchup against 15th-seeded Utah State.

Kansas would have more than likely sewed up a No. 1 seed by wining the Big 12 tournament, or at least advancing to the title game. But a 68-63 loss to Missouri in the Big 12 semifinals Saturday left the door open for some interesting decision-making by the committee.

"To me, the whole selection thing was more confusing this year," Williams said. "Perhaps that means it's more difficult for the committee, too. We had three teams that could have easily been No. 1 seeds."

Since taking over for Larry Brown after the Jayhawks' 1988 championship, Williams has entered the tournament with several powerhouse teams, only to be denied winning a national title.

"I tell you what, we're going to be fired up," Williams said. "Now you just move all the numbers from the side there and you go play. If you play well, you get to stay and if you don't, then you don't."

Last season, Kansas rode a No. 1 seed to the Final Four before losing to eventual national champion Maryland.

Senior forward Nick Collison is hoping to lead his team a bit further this time.

"Anybody who's going to win this title just has to welcome the challenge, and that's the attitude we've got to have," he said. "Just welcome the challenge and whoever we play, we have to play to win and we have to beat them to win it anyway."

The Aggies, making their third tourney appearance in the last four years, nailed down their spot with a 57-54 victory over Cal Poly-SLO in Saturday's Big West title game.

Cardell Butler scored 17 points, including four big free throws in the final seconds as Utah State won its fifth straight.

Coach Stew Morrill doesn't mind playing the underdog. In 2001, the Aggies entered the tournament as a No. 12 seed and stunned Ohio State in the opening round.

However, Merrill admits the Jayhawks pose a much stiffer challenge than the Buckeyes did two years ago.

"This year we're facing a team that won the Big 12, could have been a No. 1 seed, is fourth in the country, and we know the magnitude of the challenge we have," he said.

"But we're also delighted with where we're at and the opportunity we have to play in the NCAAs. We're going to enjoy the experience and hope we can play well."

Kansas leads the all-time series 4-2, but the schools haven't met since 1968.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Utah State - F Desmond Penigar, F Toraino Johnson, C Spencer Nelson, G Butler, G Mark Brown. Kansas - F Collison, F Jeff Graves, G Keith Langford, G Kirk Hinrich, G Aaron Miles.

TEAM LEADERS: Utah State - Penigar, 15.4 ppg; Nelson, 7.3 rpg; Brown, 4.6 apg. Kansas - Collison, 18.4 ppg and 9.3 rpg; Miles, 6.5 apg.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Utah State - Automatic bid, Big West tournament champion. Kansas - At-large berth, Big 12.

ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Utah State - 6-16, 14 years. Kansas - 65-31, 31 years.