Bison excited to face nationally renowned Jayhawks

Lewisburg, Pa. ? Junior co-captain Kevin Bettencourt always takes a break from pregame warmups to enjoy the scenery prior to a Bucknell road game.

“I remember my first road game (as a freshman) at Notre Dame,” he said. “I just stopped and soaked it all in. I then treated it as just another game.”

Friday’s NCAA Tournament subregional opener at Oklahoma City’s Ford Center against perennial national power Kansas University is not just any game for Bettencourt or his 12 Bucknell teammates.

It is the biggest game of their lives.

They all know it and are relishing the challenge of playing the No. 3-seeded Jayhawks (23-6).

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Bettencourt said. “(The Jayhawks) have all that tradition. They are one of the top-five programs of all time.

“This gives us the opportunity to play on the big stage. We have nothing to lose.”

No. 14 seed Bucknell (22-9) hasn’t lost since Feb. 23 at Holy Cross, which picked up the Patriot League’s first postseason tournament victory Tuesday at Notre Dame in the first round of the NIT.

The Bison have won four in a row, including a 61-57 thriller against Holy Cross for the league title and automatic NCAA Tournament berth.

Kansas lost Saturday to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference tournament’s semifinal round. Coach Bill Self’s club has lost five of its last eight.

Injury trouble: KU is trying to get starters Keith Langford and Christian Moody healthy, but Bucknell’s only significant health issue is sophomore forward John Clark.

Clark hasn’t played in the last two games after seeing a combined 22 minutes in the previous five games because of a left foot injury.

There is a small bone below a tendon in the ball of his foot that fractured last season into two parts. Subsequently, there is a lot of inflammation.

“I’ve been to 94 doctors,” Clark said. “They all said you can play until the pain makes you stop.”

Clark has orthopedic shoes and takes anti-inflammatories.

“The walk to the bathroom in the morning is always interesting,” he said. “It’s been rough because I’m not the most athletic guy. The toughest part has not been practicing, so I’ve struggled shooting.”

The Tulsa, Okla., native plans after the season to meet with one of the nation’s top foot specialists in Houston, with surgery an option.

But, “if I have the surgery to remove the bone, I won’t be able to play anymore.”

That leaves an offseason of swimming as part of the treatment and “a lot of couch time and Doritos,” he said.