Kansas University’s basketball players will put a 23-game winning streak in Manhattan on the line Monday night.

That’s when the Jayhawks meet Kansas State in a rematch of the Jayhawks’ 97-70 victory Feb. 7 at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I won’t have to mention it to them. You guys (media) will talk about that,” KU coach Bill Self said of ‘The Streak’ – one that includes an 18-0 mark in Bramlage Coliseum. KU won five straight to close old Ahearn Fieldhouse.

“There’s no big streak in my mind. We’ve been here three years. You can’t have a massive streak in that period of time.”

Will Self remind his troops of KSU coach Bob Huggins’ guaranteeing a Wildcat victory over KU in Manhattan this season?

“We might,” Self said.

At KSU’s “Madness in Manhattan,” Huggins said: “Remember, Feb. 19 is when we beat ‘The Streak.’ Then we will have a rivalry.”

“That is not motivation,” Self said. “Something that somebody said is not motivation. Why wouldn’t you say that? You are trying to generate interest. That’s not my motivation. Motivation is, we are playing K-State. It’s a real important game. Something I said or he said or players said is totally irrelevant to how you’ll play. There’s plenty more motivation than that.”

¢ Brady in Denver: KU freshman Brady Morningstar did not attend Saturday’s game. He and family members were in Denver for the funeral of JoAnn Ficke, wife of Bill Ficke, who has worked in the shoe business and in AAU basketball for many years.

“A very close family friend. She’s been like an aunt to Brady,” Self said.

¢ Ouch: Aleks Maric took a hard shot in the ribs from Sasha Kaun and didn’t play the last 12:52, though he said he could have played had he been needed. It looked to KU players like Maric was hit in the groin area.

“Sasha is good at hitting people down there. He hit me down there. He gets everybody, he’s so wild,” Brandon Rush cracked.

¢ Turn of phrase: Self may have created a new word in discussing Kaun’s two fouls in the first two minutes.

“Our big guys can make some of the ‘foolishest’ fouls,” Self said. “His first foul to start the game was 94 feet from our basket after they rebounded. He knows he’s important. He and ‘Shady’ (Darrell Arthur) have been culprits in that area.”

¢ Congrats: KU athletic director Lew Perkins presented Self a basketball commemorating his 300th coaching victory, which had been attained a week earlier at Missouri. The fans gave Self a loud ovation during the presentation.

¢ Bench work: Self said he was amazed at the play of the subs the final five minutes.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been in a game where our second group shot the ball so well,” he said. “They are usually only in there a minute or two. Maybe breaking a sweat loosened them up a bit.”

¢ Facts: KU and Texas A&M remain tied for first in the league at 10-2. : KU has won eight straight over Nebraska and eight straight in Allen. : Jeremy Case scored a season-high nine points. Russell Robinson tied a season high with eight assists.

Memories of ’57?

Were you at the 1957 national championship game to watch KU and North Carolina in Kansas City, Mo.? If so, we want to hear your stories.

Also, if you have mementos of any kind from that game, let us know, so we can make it part of our 50th-anniversary special coming next month in the Lawrence Journal-World and on KUSports.com.

If so, call Ryan Greene at (785) 832-6357 or e-mail to editor@kusports.com