Six teams in Kansas University men’s basketball history have gone undefeated in conference play.

The 2001-02 Jayhawks, 11-0 heading into today’s game against Baylor (3:05 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse), want to become lucky No. 7.

“After beating Texas, it’s definitely in the back of our minds. You start to see evidence we could go undefeated,” KU freshman Wayne Simien said following last Monday’s 110-103 overtime victory at Texas.

“(Still) you take it one game at a time. Right now we want to take care of Baylor first. It’s the only game we’re thinking about. We’ve come this far, we might as well finish up strong and win the whole thing.”

To finish with a perfect 16-0 record, the Jayhawks must beat Baylor today, Iowa State on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse, Nebraska next Sunday in Lincoln, Neb., Kansas State on Feb. 27 at Allen Fieldhouse and Missouri on March 3 in Columbia, Mo.

Can it be done?

Coach Roy Williams won’t waste a minute pondering the possibilities.

“My goal every year is to win every game. I’m not going to sit here and say I think about going undefeated in the conference,” Williams said. “I don’t sit around saying, ‘Gosh we’ve got a chance to go undefeated in the league.’ It’s like me on the eighth hole saying I’ve got a chance to shoot 63. That’s stupid.

“If I birdie the first hole, I think I’m going to try to birdie every one of ’em, it doesn’t mean I think it’s really gonna happen. I haven’t seen Tiger (Woods) do that yet.”

KU last went undefeated in league play back in 1970-71.

A whopping 17 KU teams have lost one game during a conference season en route to league titles.

The Jayhawks, who could tie for the conference title with wins today and Monday, last won league in 1997-98.

KU was 8-2 and in the hunt for a league crown a year ago when the Jayhawks visited Baylor in Waco, Texas. Dave Bliss’ Bears shocked KU, 85-77, and the Jayhawks went on to finish in a tie for second in the league, just a game behind Iowa State.

Payback might be on the minds of the Jayhawks today.

“It’s something we’ve heard about,” Simien said of last year’s Baylor game. “Keith (Langford, freshman from Fort Worth, Texas) was at that game. He told me how uncomfortable it was him being a Kansas recruit sitting behind the bench in his home state with Baylor playing well (leading 25 at half).

“I was hanging out with Nick Collison the other night when we found out Oklahoma State had beaten Oklahoma (second place in league at 8-3). He said we were in the same situation last year. They felt the title was right in their hands and they let it slip away. It’s nice to have an extra cushion now (three-game lead), but the fact is we still have to win more games.”

Up first is Baylor.

“I was mad before the game. I didn’t think we were focused,” Williams said of last year’s KU-Baylor game in which Wendell Greenleaf scored 25 points. “I told ’em before the game, ‘You guys don’t understand what you are getting into. It’s the first Big Monday game they’ve played. It’s a sellout and they’ve only had two in history.’ We didn’t do a good job of understanding how difficult it would be.

“I tried to warn ’em, did warn ’em and did say something hoping to shake ’em up in the locker room. I didn’t like our attitude, the way we were sitting, talking, walking and before you knew it we’re down by 27.”

The 2001-02 Bears, who are led by 6-foot-8 freshman forward Lawrence Roberts (16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg), 6-2 junior Greenleaf (14.0 ppg) and 5-10 freshman John Lucas (12.6 ppg), stunned Missouri, 81-80, last Saturday in Waco, then lost at Texas Tech, 90-65, on Wednesday.

“They are an unusual team. They beat A&M by 52 (97-45 on Feb. 3 in Waco) then lose to Tech by 25,” Wiliams said.

“If you look at their stats, they’ve shot the ball well from the three-point line (223 of 594 compared to KU’s 139 of 336). We have to defend the three-point line. They have struggled in rebounding (870 to opponents’ 952). We have to make sure that’s a positive. Their big guys will try to take our guys out on the court to shoot the ball and open up the game.”

Roberts is joined in the frontcourt by 6-9 Greg Davis, who averages 7.8 points and 6.2 boards. R.T. Guinn, a 6-10, 240-pound sophomore center, averages 6.0 points and 3.9 boards.

Â

Gooden OK: KU junior Drew Gooden, who missed Thursday’s practice with the flu, practiced Friday and is expected to play today.

Â

Bears’ big wins: Bliss on last week’s win over Missouri and last year’s over Kansas.

“I had that (same) feeling after Hardin-Simmons,” Bliss said of the thrill of victory. “We’re Baylor. We appreciate ending up ahead of anybody. For our team, we’re trying to make some strides, to have a chance to win a game … the aspect of having a nice crowd and having it (MU game) be on TV, that’s unusual for Baylor. Let’s assume it means a little more when it’s a league game.”