Kansas City, Mo. ? Jeff Boschee was in dire need of a catnap on Saturday afternoon at Kemper Arena.

“It’s hard to stay in the game. I was thinking about what I’m going to eat at the steakhouse tonight,” Kansas University’s senior guard said of his daydreams on the bench during the final eight minutes of KU’s 90-50 Big 12 semifinal rout of Texas Tech.

He actually was caught with his eyes closed in a Kemper scoreboard closeup late in the game. KU coach Roy Williams played the reserves the final seven minutes of the blowout.

“It wasn’t the most exciting game in the world. We pretty much shut them down defensively,” Boschee said after his three-point, three-assist performance.

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Title in KU’s grasp: KU junior Drew Gooden longs for a victory over Oklahoma today in the Big 12 finals, set for 2 p.m. at Kemper Arena.

“I’m starting to get hooked on cutting down nets,” Gooden said. “I’ve had my first taste, cutting down my first one, so I want to have a taste of cutting down two.”

Kansas cut down all but three strands of the north Allen Fieldhouse net after clinching a share of the regular season title with a win over Iowa State on Feb. 18.

KU today will try for its first Big 12 tournament title since winning three in a row from 1997 to 1999.

“It’s big,” freshman Keith Langford said after scoring 10 points in 20 minutes. “This is the Big 12 tournament, another opportunity to beat people to prove we are the best in the league. It’s what we’ve wanted since Day One.”

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Double trouble: Gooden recorded his 21st double-double, tying Raef LaFrentz for the single-season KU record set in 1996-97.

“I didn’t know about that. I forgot about that. It’s nice to make history,” Gooden said.

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KU-OU revisited: KU today will play Oklahoma for just the second time this season. The Jayhawks won, 74-67, on Jan. 19 in Allen Fieldhouse. Gooden scored 19, Nick Collison 17, Kirk Hinrich 15 and Langford 12 for KU. Ebi Ere and Quannas White had 17 apiece and Hollis Price 11 for OU.

“Oklahoma is as physical as anybody in the country,” Collison said. “They do beat on you. Plus, they are very talented. They do like a little slower tempo than Texas.”

KU outrebounded the Sooners, 38-33, in Lawrence. OU hit 41.7 percent of its shots to KU’s 50 percent.

“Oklahoma likes to slow it down more,” Gooden said. “When we play Oklahoma, it’s a tough battle.”

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No. 1 seed to be announced: KU today will be granted a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It’s expected the Jayhawks will be sent to St. Louis for first- and second-round tourney games Thursday and Saturday. It’s also expected KU will be in the Midwest Regional, with its next destination Madison, Wis., for the Sweet 16.

“It means you’ve had a helluva year,” Williams said of a No. 1 seed. “Between No. 1 and 2 there’s not a lot of other teams. It is pride, knowing you’ve had a great year.

“The so-called experts say no No. 16 (seeded) team has beat a No. 1. That’s going to happen one of these days. You hope not to us.”

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Lee plays seven minutes: Freshman Michael Lee hit a three and another long range jumper to finish with five points and three rebounds in seven minutes.

“I feel pretty confident with my shot. I just have to focus on other aspects like my defense,” Lee said. “I have to get smarter defensively, stay in a defensive stance and I’ve got to get in better game shape. I know what I need to work on for next year.”

His buddy, fellow Portland, Ore., native Aaron Miles, had a career high 15 assists.

“Amazing, amazing,” Lee said. “I know he’s more than capable of that. He was focused. He knew what he had to do.”

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Stats, facts: KU has 29 wins, its most since going 35-4 in 1997-98. Â KU has a 16-game win streak, biggest since winning 22 straight from Nov. 22, 1996 to Feb. 4, 1997. Â KU is in the title game of the tournament for the first time since 1999 and fourth time in the six-year history of the tourney. Â KU’s season-high 31 assists set a new Big 12 tourney game high. Previous best was KU’s 27 versus K-State in 2000. Â Gooden’s 21 rebounds tied a career high and were the most by a player in a league tourney game. He also had 21 boards against South Carolina State, most rebounds by a player in the Williams era. Gooden’s 20 defensive boards are most by a Jayhawk in the Williams era. Â Miles’ 15 assists were a career high and Big 12 record. Doug Gottlieb of Oklahoma State had 14 assists against Baylor in 1999. Â Boschee’s three points marked his lowest scoring output of the season and lowest since scoring three versus Illinois in the Sweet 16 last year. Â KU has won 18 of its last 20 in Kemper.