It’s a game Caleb Tegtmeier said he’s been looking forward to for more than a year.
As an Emporia kid, he grew up watching the Kansas Jayhawks play basketball on television. He wasn’t alone.
“You can’t live in Kansas and play basketball and not follow them,” Tegtmeier said.
Tonight will be different. Tegtmeier and the rest of the Emporia State Hornets actually will be on the Allen Fieldhouse floor, taking on those Jayhawks in an exhibition game at 7 p.m.
After losing 87-62 to Wichita State in an exhibition last week, ESU knows that the task will be even tougher tonight against No. 3-ranked KU.
“I’d like to see us handle adversity,” ESU coach David Moe said. “Things are not going to go our way all the time.”
The Kansas lineup will offer mismatches that ESU will not face for the rest of the season.
The Jayhawks’ talent includes 6-foot-6 guard Brandon Rush and 6-8 forward Julian Wright. Both were preseason picks as co-Big 12 Conference players of the year by coaches in the conference.
Throw in the 6-8 Darnell Jackson, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds in KU’s first exhibition game against Washburn, and 6-9 freshman Darrell Arthur, who led the Jayhawks with 21 points in his first game, and the Hornets should have their hands full in the lane.
ESU has only one player 6-8 or taller.
“I want our guys to keep playing hard and keep doing the things we’ve stressed,” Moe said. “Obviously, we can’t simulate their athleticism, size and strength in our practice.”
Moe has been pleased with the progress he’s seen his team make through the first few weeks.
After putting together a 25-9 second-half run at WSU, the Hornets competed well at an unofficial scrimmage over the weekend against Division I Northern Colorado.
“I think we got better when we went to Colorado,” Moe said. “I think we get better everyday.”
Though it would be tough for ESU to stay close on the scoreboard tonight, Moe said he was looking for sustained stretches where his team looked like it belonged with the more talented Jayhawks.
“Our objective is to play as many minutes as we can on the same level as they are,” Moe said.
Moe said his team had about 25 minutes of competitiveness against Wichita State, and that he would like to see just as many, if not more, competitive minutes tonight.
ESU once again should be led by its pair of transfer guards. San Jose State transfer Donta Watson had 19 points against WSU, while Rainy River (Minn.) CC transfer DeAndre Townsend had 17.
Still, Moe said his team’s greatest asset tonight would be its ability to work together.
“We’ve got to make sure that we understand what it is that gives us a chance to compete and be successful,” Moe said, “and that’s not going to be on the talent side as much as it’s going to be on the team side.”
KU opened its exhibition season with a 99-69 victory over Washburn last week. The Jayhawks were the unanimous choice to repeat as Big 12 Conference champions after winning the title last year.
“I think they’re certainly as talented of a team as there’s been in awhile,” Moe said. “That doesn’t necessarily give you a national championship. Guys have got to play and sacrifice some of their own goals for the sake of the team. If Coach (Bill) Self can get those guys to do that, I’m sure they’ll have a really good chance to win it all.”
Tegtmeier said he was looking forward to giving an all-out effort.
“We can’t really go in there expecting to have much success,” Tegtmeier said. “It’s a different experience. It’s something that not many people can say they’ve done.”