Kansas University and Texas A&M will meet today for the second time in eight days. The Jayhawks stopped the Aggies, 72-55, a week ago today in College Station, Texas.

The game assured KU a piece of the Big 12 regular-season title.

“We played our best road game of the season down there,” KU coach Bill Self said. “We know they are capable of playing with us and having a great chance to win if they perform. It’s a great preparation game for the (NCAA) Tournament.”

Of the matchup, KU’s Russell Robinson said: “A&M is physical, very physical. They’ve got good players. Our motivation is to survive and move on to the Big 12 championship game.”

Brandon Rush noted: “I don’t care who we are playing. We just want to move to the championship game.”

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Ouch: KU forward Darnell Jackson took a hard elbow to the chest from NU’s Ryan Anderson and went down to the floor to catch his breath with three minutes left.

“I was upset. I was like, ‘There’s no point in playing dirty,”’ Jackson said. “If you want to compete, compete, don’t play dirty.”

“I just saw him make contact, but the official said it wasn’t a flagrant foul,” Self said. “Hey it’s basketball. People get hit all the time.”

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Collins nets T: Sherron Collins received a technical foul after barking at NU’s Ade Dagunduro, who fouled Collins on a breakaway layup try with 1:19 left. Nebraska’s bench also received a technical for words uttered during the sequence.

“I felt I had to protect myself,” Collins said. “I thought he tried to cheap-shot me. Coach wasn’t that mad (at technical), but he said I had to make smart decisions. That could hurt us in the (NCAA) Tournament.”

Self said: “I think you can show a spark without getting a technical. Hard fouls happen all the time. Maybe it was (a cheap foul). Maybe it wasn’t. Who knows? But there’s a way to conduct your business and get your point across without getting T’d up. I didn’t like it. I love the fire. He (Collins) just has to do a better job controlling it.”

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Late layup: NU’s Sek Henry swiped the ball from Rush and raced in for a layup try with KU trying to run out the clock on the double-digit victory. Henry was fouled and hit two free throws with 6.8 ticks left.

“Anyone else would have let the game be over. I guess he wanted his two points,” Rush said.

“I wouldn’t have done it. At the same time, I understand where he’s coming from. He wanted to play the whole game,” Robinson said. “Congratulations to him. He finished with four (points) in 21 (minutes).”

KU coach Self wasn’t miffed at NU’s actions.

“That should never happen,” Self said of his players not protecting the ball even in trying to let the clock simply expire. “Brandon, Sherron and Mario (Chalmers) I think were gonna have a little tea party there with 19 seconds left. If they got any closer they could have probably held hands. Why wouldn’t the defender go take the ball when you got three guys standing there?”