LONGHORNS MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Texas’ final trip — at least as a member of the Big 12 — to the legendary Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., provides an opportunity for the Longhorns (17-9, 6-7 Big 12) to tighten their grip on an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament at 5 p.m. Saturday (ESPN, 1300). But it’s never easy to take on the Big 12’s dominant force, Kansas (20-6, 8-5), especially on the Jayhawks’ home court.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

Max Abmas: Making plays, though not many buckets

Although Texas guard Max Abmas has hit just 14 of 48 shots from the floor while averaging 11.8 points over the past four games, Texas coach Rodney Terry credits the 6-foot graduate transfer from Oral Roberts for running the offense while taking over as the team’s full-time point guard. “Max has a big old bull’s-eye on him as soon as he walks in the building,” Terry said, a nod to Abmas’ career scoring average of 20.1 points. “But Max affects the game by more than just scoring. Everybody looks at his points, (but) he understands that being a primary ball handler, he’s going to be measured on how well his team performs. He’s an elite passer and makes the guys around him better.” In Monday’s 64-59 win over Kansas

State, Abmas became just the 12th player in NCAA Division I basketball history to score at least 3,000 points, and he’s one of just three DI players to have 3,000 career points and 500 career assists. He’s averaging 16.9 points this season despite his recent cold spell, and he has 22 assists over the past four games.

Kevin McCullar Jr.: Kansas star could miss game

Kansas has dominated the Big 12 since the conference’s inception for the 1996-1997 basketball season. However, the Jayhawks, who have won 21 regular-season titles, trail first-place Houston by two games with five games left in the regular season. A healthy Kevin McCullar Jr. would help Kansas make a push for another conference crown, but the team’s leading scorer is questionable for the Texas game. After McCullar played for the first time in two games in Kansas’ 67-57 win over Oklahoma on Saturday, Jayhawks coach Bill Self said Monday that the San Antonio native “tweaked (a bone bruise in his knee) again” and might miss the Texas game,

Hunter Dickinson: Kansas post will test Texas bigs

Hunter Dickinson, a 7-2 senior transfer from Michigan in his first season at Kansas, gives the Jayhawks an oldfashioned post with the ability to pop out of the paint and drain the occasional 3-pointer. He averages 18.2 points and 11 rebounds and will offer, literally, the biggest test of the season for a Texas frontcourt that leans heavily on 6-9 Dillon Disu and 6-8 Dillon Mitchell. Texas graduate Kadin Shedrick, a 6-11 transfer from Virginia, has been battling a nagging back injury that has limited his playing time. After 11 straight games in December and January with at least 19 minutes, Shedrick hasn’t played 19 minutes since a loss to Texas Tech on Jan. 6. “They got Hunter inside, and he’s a big load in there,” Terry said. “He has an inside presence but scores outside as well. It (interior defense) is going to be by committee, and even then, you’re not going to shut Hunter down. You just can’t let him have one of those great nights with 25-30 points.”

Texas vs. Kansas prediction

Kansas. The Longhorns have ratcheted up their defense in recent weeks but have endured their two worst shooting games of the season over the past two contests. A Kansas defense that holds opponents to 39.6% shooting for the season is particularly effective at home, and Dickinson might limit Disu’s offense by making him work defensively in the paint.

— Thomas Jones