Sherron Collins tonight will find out what it’s like to play against a clone of himself.

Collins, Kansas University’s stocky 5-foot-11, 205-pound freshman point guard from Chicago, figures to take a turn guarding Byron Eaton, Oklahoma State’s equally bulky 5-11, 215-pound sophomore floor general from Dallas during the Big 12 showdown at 8 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.

“I guess we just play alike,” Collins said. “I’m a freshman and I don’t know too much about him. I know he can shoot the ball. He can penetrate and has a pretty strong-built body.”

Eaton, a starter who logs 23.5 minutes a game, averages 6.3 points and 3.8 assists. Collins, a reserve who averages 18.7 minutes, has contributed 7.4 points and 2.1 assists per contest.

“They are built the same way, and both were good high school football players,” KU coach Bill Self said of Eaton, a quarterback, and Collins, a wide receiver. “I think Eaton will be an excellent college guard. I know Sherron will be the same thing. Both are fast with the ball, strong, can get from Point A to Point B a little quicker than you may think.”

Collins’ keys to the game? “We’ve got to guard man-to-man and we’re just going to guard our butts off,” he said. “We’re just going to man up and try our best to take them out of the game.”

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Bowman’s debut: Oklahoma State football standout Adarius Bowman will make his hoops debut tonight. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver caught 13 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns in OSU’s football victory over KU on Oct. 14 at Memorial Stadium.

OSU coach Sean Sutton told the Daily Oklahoman that Bowman will likely only play in a pinch, which could happen since OSU has an eight-man rotation because of injuries and suspensions.

“It’s good for me because he guards me all practice,” guard Terrel Harris said of Bowman, who has practiced since Monday. “Getting ready for the Kansas game, they tell him to get up on me and really reach and grab and stuff. I think he’s stronger than probably every player on the Kansas team, but it just helps me a lot. I have to box him out, and he goes hard.”

Self, who watched Bowman burn KU in football, quipped: “We’ll have to make sure we get our safeties back there. He’s pretty fast.”

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Halftime show: Former OSU coach Eddie Sutton figures to receive a thunderous ovation during a halftime ceremony tonight honoring the former Cowboy coaching legend.

The Bucklin native who went 798-315 in 36 seasons as a college coach (he had a 11-22 record against KU), is fondly remembered for a gesture he made in the closing moments of KU’s 79-61 win over OSU on March 1, 2003 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Sutton, who went 0-11 at Allen Fieldhouse as OSU coach, left his bench area and strolled to KU’s bench to shake the hands of Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich in the closing minutes of their Senior Day contest.

“He’s always respected everything that’s gone on at Kansas,” Self said. “I think it will be a halftime he enjoys very much.”

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Series: KU leads the series with Oklahoma State, 100-51, including a 54-10 record in games played in Lawrence (39-8 in Allen Fieldhouse).