Portland, Ore. ? At Oregon, two Lukes are better than one.

“They are both good, real good,” Kansas University sophomore guard Michael Lee said of “Luke squared” – Luke Jackson and Luke Ridnour, the top two players on the University of Oregon men’s basketball team.

“If I had to pick one over the other I think I like Luke Jackson’s game more, but you can’t take anything away from Ridnour. He’s a great point guard, very exciting,” Lee added.

Slowing the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Jackson and 6-2, 175-pound Ridnour will be crucial today if No. 14-ranked Kansas hopes to upend No. 7 Oregon.

Tipoff for the battle is 2:30 p.m. CST, at the Rose Garden with a live telecast on CBS (channels 5 and 13).

“They are both very quick, very talented. I had a chance to play with both this summer,” said KU guard Aaron Miles, like fellow sophomore Lee, a graduate of Portland’s Jefferson High.

“I’ve known Luke Jackson for a while. We played against each other ever since I was young in tournaments. Luke Jackson is a cool person. He’s quick, has a good jumper. I see no faults in those two.”

Ridnour, who hails from Blaine, Wash., averages a team-leading 20.3 points a game off 49.1 percent shooting. He’s made 10 of 26 three-pointers and logs a whopping 7.5 assists per game. Jackson is right behind at 16.5 points a game off 42.9 percent shooting. He has canned five of 12 threes while averaging 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest.

The two All-America candidates led the Ducks to a 26-9 record last year and a spot in the Elite Eight, where KU halted Oregon’s season.

Oregon athletic department officials are making sure the two players are well known nationally. Jackson and Ridnour will share billboard space in Los Angeles. Jackson, a native of Creswell, Ore., and Robert Johnson, a 6-8 senior from San Francisco, will share billboard space in San Francisco.

Ridnour’s picture soon will occupy space in New York’s Times Square, ad space currently taken by OU football player Keenan Howry.

Oregon's Luke Ridnour (13) brings the ball up the floor against Texas' Fredie Williams during the NCAA Tournament last March. Ridnour and the Ducks, who defeated the Longhorns before being eliminated by Kansas, will take on the Jayhawks today in Portland, Ore.

The Ducks’ duo is so talented, the NBA may come calling after this season.

“We have to try to bring everything back to the team,” Ridnour told the Oregonian. “The NBA, that’s down the road. You have to focus on what’s at hand and that’s getting this year’s team better than last year’s team.”

Jackson told the Oregonian, “The question of going to the NBA doesn’t matter right now. It’s something we’ll have to look at the end of the season.”

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Tough test: KU coach Roy Williams realizes the Jayhawks (3-2) face a rugged test today against 4-0 Oregon.

“I think it’s difficult playing the No. 7-ranked team in the country in their area, if it’s Portland or Eugene or wherever it is. I think that’s difficult regardless,” Williams said. “Then you add to it that you did defeat them the year before, and they’ve got a bunch of kids back, it makes it even more so difficult.”

The Jayhawks pounded the Ducks, 104-86, last March in the Midwest Regional finals in Madison, Wis.

“I always liked the situation where somebody’s beaten us previously and us having another chance at them. You know it happened to us last year. Illinois beat us in the tournament in the year before and we played Illinois and our guys were really fired up and focused that game. So we know it will be a tough, tough task for us.”

Portland is about a two-hour drive from Eugene, where the Ducks have won 20 straight games in McArthur Court.

“It’s like us playing at Kemper. We do pretty well over there too,” Williams said of KC’s Kemper Arena. “You saw last night, North Carolina goes to Illinois (and loses). Florida goes to West Virginia (and loses). When it’s a road game, you especially know it’ll be a big-time test.

“They’ve got revenge on their mind possibly. They’re playing very well. We’re not playing as well, but we took a step forward (Wednesday in beating Central Missouri State).”

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Injury update: Kirk Hinrich (back strain) practiced again Friday as the Jayhawks worked out at Nike headquarters in Portland after touring Nike. He’s listed as probable for today. Wayne Simien (tendinitis right ankle) also practiced and is expected to play.

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Record turnout: Today’s contest at the Rose Garden will draw a record crowd for a college basketball game in the state of Oregon. The current record is 15,431, set last year when Duke and Portland played at the Garden, which seats 18,927 for college basketball.

“Somebody said it’ll be the largest crowd in the history of state of Oregon to see a college basketball game. It’ll be fun to be part of that, but we know we’ve got to play well,” Williams said. “These next two games are going to be good for us.”

KU will travel to Tulsa on Wednesday night.