If by happenstance somebody in Lawrence owned a pet groundhog — Lawrence Larry? — then I’m darned sure what the rodent would have predicted Monday.

Six more weeks of baaad defense.

That’s baaad, as in good, because if there’s one thing you can count on from Kansas University’s men’s basketball team, it’s defense. The Jayhawks are not allowing opposing teams to shoot 37.5 percent from the field by ambling around the floor like a bunch of wobbly woodchucks (or aging Chuck Woodlings, for that matter).

Offenses go through ups and downs — the Jayhawks are in a down period now — but defenses waver on a smaller curve, and it’s a good thing.

Kansas would not have toppled Missouri Monday night if it hadn’t throttled the Tigers’ offense. MU shot only 36 percent, including 17 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Most importantly, KU allowed Mizzou only two points in the last five minutes. MU missed six of its last seven shots. Unlike the two Super Bowl teams, who played defense only in the first and third quarters, the Jayhawks were rocks throughout.

“We got stops,” KU point guard Aaron Miles said. “It’s important we do that, especially late in the game.”

This one was indeed a game, with the lead changing hands 17 times until the Jayhawks erected that defensive wall down the stretch and won, 65-56 — a deceptive score because the final margin was KU’s largest advantage all night.

On paper, Keith Langford, the Jayhawks’ leading scorer at more than 17 points a game, had an off night with just 10 points. That’s only half of the story, though.

Kansas University's Michael Lee (25), who finished with three points and three rebounds, takes off on a fast break, leaving a pair of Tigers in his wake. The Jayhawks held off Missouri, 65-56, Monday at Allen Fieldhouse.

“Defense was a focus,” Langford said. “I didn’t want the intensity to lapse, and we kept it for most of the game.”

Although the Jayhawks used a zone defense efficiently early in the second half, they were mostly in man-to-man, and, when they were, Langford’s primary assignment was MU’s Rickey Paulding.

In the mini-battle of the team’s leading scorers, Paulding out-pointed Langford, 14-10, but Paulding had four turnovers and no assists. Compare that to Langford’s three assists and no turnovers. Oh, and Langford outboarded Paulding, 7-6.

“A lot of people may rag on me for my defense,” Langford said, “but scoring wasn’t my focus tonight.”

At this stage of the season, you simply try to win any way you can because it’s conference time, and nobody has any secrets anymore. You show up, you play, and you hope it’s good enough.

Did you see the Associated Press poll that came out Monday afternoon? Kansas was ranked 20th, yet that wasn’t the most notable aspect of the listing. Three Big 12 schools are ranked ahead of the Jayhawks — Texas 11th, Oklahoma State 13th and Texas Tech 19th.

Miles drives KU to victory Woodling: Jayhawk defense saves day Tigers pessimistic after loss Graves late to practice, starts on bench Hear Bill: KU-MU postgame comments See the photos: KU-Missouri Get the stats: KU-MU box score 6Sports video: KU defeats Missouri, 65-56

When was the last time three league teams were ahead of the Jayhawks in a weekly poll? A long time, that’s for sure. Still, what does it mean?

“The way college basketball is,” Langford said, “rankings don’t mean anything. I mean, if a couple of plays go a different way, we could have lost the game tonight.”

But those plays went the Jayhawks’ way, mostly because of how dogged they were on defense.

The Missouri win made KU one-up with two to go in the Jayhawks’ toughest eight-day stretch of the season. They’ll play host to Texas Tech Saturday afternoon, then travel to Oklahoma State Monday.

Kansas was 6-2 in January, but didn’t play a single ranked team. KU also has eight games in February, and five are against teams in the Top 25.

By the end of February, we’ll know just how far that baaad defense will carry the Jayhawks.