Playing as the underdog in sports is like being handed a round-trip ticket to Las Vegas, a wad of somebody else’s cash and a certificate for free meals and a hotel on the house. Sure, it still feels better if you turn that cash into more cash, but it’s not as if you’re stressed out making the wagers.

The Kansas University basketball team doesn’t get to feel that way very often. Pressure is a big part of the tradition.

On Monday in Norman, the young Jayhawks will play the role of underdogs, and if it suits them as well as playing the part of underdogs in the Big 12 race, they just might have what it takes to defeat a team that will have the backing of juiced crowd and a more talented, more experienced roster.

Kansas winning in Norman would be an upset, all right, but would it really be any greater surprise than KU taking an 11-1 Big 12 record into the game?

After KU took care of its second Allen Fieldhouse sparring partner this week in defeating Nebraska, 70-53, sophomore center Cole Aldrich was asked if he hoped Oklahoma would be rated No. 1 in the nation when the poll results come out Monday.

That was hours before the second-ranked Sooners — with star Blake Griffin on the bench because of a likely concussion — suffered a 73-68 loss to Texas.

“It doesn’t matter to us if they’re No. 1 or 2 or 850,” Aldrich said. “It’s just a number until you get to the NCAA Tournament and everyone is looking to get that No. 1 seed.”

Or is it? If getting the top ranking wouldn’t add to the Sooners’ pressure, it certainly wouldn’t subtract from it, either. Though Oklahoma won’t be No. 1, it will be favored, which, of course, gives Kansas a break in the pressure department.

“I think sometimes when you feel like you can play and — nothing to lose is the wrong term — but you feel like the pressure is on the other team to win, I do feel that’s a great situation to be in,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Absolutely.”

The game means a lot for one reason: Winning conference titles means a lot.

Kansas has been known to play well when cast as the underdog. During Brandon Rush’s freshman season, KU defeated Texas in the Big 12 tournament title game in Dallas, avenging a blowout loss to Texas earlier that season. In Rush’s sophomore year, Kansas upset defending national champion Florida, which had all of its starters back. Last season, North Carolina was favored to defeat KU in the Final Four. It didn’t quite work out that way. Those three games were played on neutral courts. The hostile atmosphere will make this one that much more difficult, that much more rewarding for the Jayhawks if they pull it off.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Aldrich said. “We’ve grown so much through the year from going over the little things we don’t really consider ourselves young anymore.”

The game features two of the best big men in the conference — assuming Griffin is cleared to play — but they won’t likely match up against each other.

What is the key to stopping Griffin, the leading candidate for Player of the Year honors?

“I don’t know,” Aldrich said. “Could you tell me? It’s tough. He crashes the board every time. That’s the great thing about it, playing against those guys who are just above everybody else.”

There is no greater motivation than playing against the best.