Sore back: Sasha Kaun scored eight points and grabbed two rebounds with three blocked shots in 16 minutes. Not bad for a guy with a bad back.

“I hurt it lifting weights this week,” Kaun said. “It hurt a little bit, but it was all right.”

Coach Bill Self said: “He hurt it picking up a weight this week. He wasn’t 100 percent, but he played well.”

¢

Next up is KSU: KU’s players will turn their focus immediately to Saturday’s 8 p.m. home game against Kansas State. The Wildcats beat KU, 84-75, on Jan. 30 in Manhattan.

“I don’t guarantee victory. It’ll be a hard-fought game,” KU’s Mario Chalmers said, asked if he’d copy KSU’s Michael Beasley, who guaranteed a win in the first meeting and backed up his boasts.

“I’m not going to guarantee anything. We’re going to bring it more than we did at K-State,” KU’s Brandon Rush said. “We let their crowd get in our heads at K-State.”

Self expects a great game.

“I think our guys will be as excited to play as they have all year,” he said. “I hope not too excited. K-State’s guys will be excited to play the game. The bottom line is, they handled us the first time. Our players know they handled us. I hope from a competitive standpoint that will be great motivation for us. I also believe you have to play. We may not play great. Who knows? I’d be totally disappointed if it was not an unbelievable effort game from us.”

¢

Self on Jacob Pullen, who scored 20 versus KU in Manhattan: “If you go back and watch the tape, he made eight free throws in the last two minutes. Even though he got 20, he played well, he was the best guard in the game, without question. And I think we have better players than that (in committing silly fouls), and hopefully we will do a better job trying to contain him, but it’s kind of a unique situation, watching tape for the next two days. Teams have struggled playing them one way. They have had success playing them the same way. Teams have had success guarding them one way. Then if you guard Beasley and (Bill) Walker one-on-one, they can go for 75. There’s going to be some thinking going on how is the best way to defend them.”

¢

Jackson’s plans: Darnell Jackson was to fly to Oklahoma City today for his cousin’s funeral and was to return to KU tonight. KU officials said the NCAA allows schools to pay for, and make arrangements for, players’ trips home for funerals. Rodrick Stewart attended his brother’s funeral Wednesday and was to return to campus today.

¢

Hot from three: Rush hit three of four threes after going 4-for-18 his last four games.

“Every day the guards have been shooting extra. We’ve been shooting 15, 20 minutes after practice, 50 threes, 100 threes,” Rush said. “We started about two weeks ago.”

¢

Notes: Mario Chalmers moved into a tie for third on KU’s all-time steals list with Danny Manning when he collected his 250th theft. … Russell Robinson had a career-high 10 rebounds. His previous high was eight on Jan. 16, 2006 at Missouri. … Rush tied a season-high with 37 minutes played. … ISU had eight turnovers, tying a KU opponent season-low.