Start the hype now for Kansas vs. Texas. Still a month away, that game looms over the Big 12 as conference play starts this weekend. Two undefeated teams, No. 1 vs. No. 2, about a dozen future NBA players on the court.

Of course, they have to get there first.

Back to being one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Big 12 offers plenty of banana peels to slip up the top two teams in the country. If the Jayhawks and Longhorns end up undefeated when they meet Feb. 8 in Austin, they will have earned it.

"Anybody can go anywhere and get beat, and being able to hold at home is going to be tough because the talent level is so good," Kansas coach Bill Self said Thursday, a day after his top-ranked team survived a scare against Cornell. "We've been fortunate to have quite a bit of success in the league the past few years, but I believe this will be the hardest year to win the league since I've been in the league - and I believe we have a good team."

Every Big 12 team has a winning record, the conference has set a record with 140 nonconference wins and its teams are a combined 105-1 at home. The Big 12 has had at least four teams in the Top 25 for five straight weeks, has the nation's second-best Ratings Percentage Index and is 8-3 against ranked teams.

•The Iowa State team was stranded in Chicago after playing Duke on Wednesday night at the United Center because of the winter storm blanketing the Midwest. Coach Greg McDermott said the Cyclones' home game Saturday against North Dakota State remains as scheduled.

AP