Kansas University men’s basketball coach Bill Self has issued a direct challenge to his three junior starters as the Big 12 Conference season heads into the home stretch.

“I do think those three need to take a little more ownership as far as leadership in what’s going on,” Self said Thursday.

He’s still displeased after a lack of “energy and hunger” from marquee players Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and Wayne Simien and their teammates, too, during Monday’s 80-60 loss at Oklahoma State.

“It’s one thing for David (Padgett) and J.R. (Giddens) to go into Stillwater and maybe be a little surprised by the atmosphere and their pressure and things like that,” Self said of his two freshman starters. “It should never happen with the other three, because they’ve been there.”

Simien scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds to fare better than Langford and Miles, who combined for 11 points, 13 assists, 10 turnovers and eight rebounds.

“It’s easy to say, and everybody knows, we’re going to go as those three go nine out of 10 times,” Self said.

Those three players have helped KU to two Big 12 titles and two Final Fours the past two seasons.

“A lot of this in my opinion … these guys have experienced a lot of success, and a lot of people have told them how good they are all the time,” Self said.

“I’m used to coaching guys who haven’t experienced success and can’t wait to play a team that has been told how good they are all the time. To stay up there, you’ve got to be hungry. Hunger starts in May and all the way through. You’ve got to be a hungry cat because a lot of teams are very, very hungry.”

Kansas University's Keith Langford (5) drives against Oklahoma State's Tony Allen. Langford, who averages 15.9 points per game, scored just eight Monday against the Cowboys in Stillwater, Okla.

Self, who said he saw hunger from his squad in wins over Missouri, Michigan State, Villanova and Texas Tech, isn’t blaming only the juniors. Other players are accountable, and so is he.

“I personally believe that coaches should be evaluated on how unselfish and how hard their team plays. I have to take ownership and say we haven’t been able to get them to do that consistently,” Self said. “There is no question about that. We preach it every day but it hasn’t happened.”

KU, he says, has to play great defense and rebound the basketball every night.

“There have been times we’ve been terrific in those areas and times where we stunk in those areas,” Self said. “It’s like they are going to do it (once) to prove they can do it and after that, ‘Now we’re going to play the way we want to play.’ I don’t think they are doing it intentionally. It’s the mindset right now.”

Self went to work changing that mindset at Wednesday’s practice, which consisted entirely of defense.

“Yesterday was one of our better practices. We never did play offense yesterday. Practice started out slow, and by the end of practice they understood they never were going to get the ball,” Self said.

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“They really enjoyed the way I wanted them to play yesterday. We have to have balance, but it all begins with defense and rebounding the ball.”

The players played ran offense and defense Thursday preparing for Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. game at Nebraska, “as close to a must-win as a team can have,” Self said.

The fact KU is a game back of Texas and Oklahoma State in the league standings should instill pangs in the two-time defending conference champs as they travel to Lincoln, Neb.

“I think it should,” Self said. “But what drives me nuts is, why do you even have to have an incentive to be hungry? I don’t think you ever should have to have incentive. I think that is something that would drive our hunger level. But I’m not positive.”

Simien and Miles each agreed the Jayhawks would be ready, and Simien insisted the juniors wouldn’t back down.

“It’s all on us. Pretty much the core of the team starts with us three,” Simien said. “If we don’t come out and show energy and leadership it’ll trickle to the rest of the team.”

“I think we are hungry to an extent. This is a completely different team this year. We have not accomplished what we really want to. Big 12 championships are our goal. We still have a shot to do it. We’ve not won the Big 12 tournament since I’ve been here, and we’ve not won the national title. There are a lot of things this team wants to do.”

“Of course we have to show leadership,” Miles said. “The other guys tend to feed off the three of us.”

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Bumps, bruises: J.R. Giddens has been wearing a protective boot on his left foot the past two days outside of practice. He had surgery to repair a stress fracture in the foot last summer.

“He’s been experiencing pain in there all year long. It’s been much more sore lately,” Self said.

“It’s a little sore,” said Giddens, who didn’t practice Wednesday, but practiced hard Thursday. “It’s cool. I’ve just been resting it a bit. It won’t prevent me from playing basketball.”

• Langford brothers: KU’s Keith Langford is looking forward to playing against brother Kevin in the Feist Shootout next season in Kemper Arena. Kevin, a 6-foot-8 senior forward from North Crowley High in Fort Worth, Texas, this week verbally committed to California over UCLA, TCU and others.

“Of course, he’s my little brother,” Keith Langford said. “I played a year with him in high school. Two brothers playing Division One basketball at the same time is something that will be fun.”

Will he guard his brother?

“For laughs, I guess,” Langford said. “He might play a little bit on the perimeter. He does play inside and out.”

Langford, who has scored in single digits the past two games after 32 straight double-figure outings, doesn’t blame his slump on an injured index finger on his shooting hand.

“I just jammed it two or three times in practice. I’m fine,” he said.

• Scandals: Self, like all college coaches, has been shaken by reports of scandals in college athletics.

Colorado football recruits have said they were taken to sex parties by CU players. And at St. John’s, several players have been suspended for violating curfew at strip clubs.

“Everything that happens in college sports makes you think, ‘What do I need to talk to my team about?'” Self said. “What you do is definitely educate your guys. Hopefully, you can trust them, and have more a feel for what’s going on during (recruits’) visits with itineraries and knowing exactly what’s going on and not leave it up to guys to decide what’s going on.”