LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The need to work the basketball inside is a product of the offense Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self wants to run and his preference to attack inside-out in half-court sets.Primary threats this season, however, dictate the Jayhawks be more proficient at running the floor and shooting from 3-point range. Often, Self employs a four-guard attack.Still, he values the importance of working the ball inside with No. 3 Kansas off to an 8-1 start and carrying an eight-game win streak entering a home game Saturday against Nebraska (5-4).Its to help our team, Self said. I mean, were not going to score consistently shooting 50 percent from 3 all the time. Youve got to be able to throw the ball inside and get fouled, or score on the block some. You have to be able to do that. So we need to feed those guys more often, get them more touches.Those guys, the Kansas big men, have been inconsistent factoring into team scoring.Sophomore forward Carlton Bragg is the leader among the bigs with a 7.8-point average that rank sixth among the Jayhawks scorers. Senior forward Landen Lucas averages the most minutes (17.4), but has been slowed by an ailing foot.Freshman center Udoka Azubuike has been the lone big to start in the lineup Self used the last four games. He averages 4.8 points and 4.7 boards.Each of those players, Self maintains, can gain more confidence if they are simply incorporated into the offense.They dont need to look to score if theyre getting the ball more, Self said. They can wait and have better timing and not force the issue. The more touches you get, the less you feel inclined that you have to score.With Kansas averaging 87.8 points and shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range, marks that rank 12th and ninth nationally, the guards are capable of shouldering the scoring load.In addition, they can initiate transition as rebounders, helping the Jayhawks to a 119-47 advantage in fast-break points.Theres going to be a game where were not making shots, said junior guard Devonte Graham, and well really find out what kind of team we are and if we can get stops and defend. Were just going to stay aggressive, keep passing how weve been passing it and keep shooting.The meeting against Nebraska renews a series that began in 1900, but was last staged in 2011, the Huskers final season in the Big 12. The programs were also league rivals in the Big Six, Big Seven and Big Eight. Kansas has won the last 17 meetings and was 31-3 against Nebraska as members of the Big 12.Nebraska is coming off a 77-62 homecourt defeat against No. 10 Creighton. The Huskers trailed 18-4 after scoring on just two of their first 15 possessions, then rallied within two early in the first half before Creighton ran away.If this doesnt hurt you, nothing does, Nebraska coach Tim Miles said after the in-state loss dropped him to 68-71 in his fifth season.Weve got to teach them how to win. I think its watching tape and meeting with guys and all that fun stuff, and just continually cultivating a relationship of trust and understanding of what good basketball looks like and how we have to do it against top-level competition.The visit to Kansas represents another top-level game. The matchup will be the sixth in 16 days for the Huskers against opponents ranked in the top 51 of the current RPI.Senior guard Tai Webster leads the Huskers with a 17.2-point average, while sophomore guard Glynn Watson chips in 13.2. Sophomore forward Ed Morrow averages 10.1 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds. Clearance Basketball Jerseys Throwback .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. Discount Basketball Jerseys Throwback . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. http://www.cheapbasketballthrowback.com/ . Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Lamb scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, lifting the Thunder to a 94-88 win over San Antonio and snapping the Spurs 11-game winning streak. Stitched Basketball Jerseys Throwback . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Sale Basketball Jerseys Throwback ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Then there were two races to go in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. I hope its been profitable, fun and spiritually fulfilling. Im going to assume that it was.Before we move on, lets take a look back at Texas. Hey, look who was all over the top of the DraftKings points chart! Three of the top four and four of the top seven points earners drove a Gibbs -- or a Gibbs-affiliated -- machine.Carl Edwards won the race, being out front when the race was shortened due to rain, after it had been delayed several hours due to rain. But he just finished third in fantasy points, behind Joey Logano, who dominated with 178 laps led, and Martin Truex Jr., with another top-notch race on a 1.5-mile track.Hopefully you got on board with my top midvalue pick in Kasey Kahne, who started 31st and finished eighth. He didnt lead a lap or register a fastest lap, but that day was good for 59 points, fifth-best in the field.This week, we make a visit to Phoenix, a flat one-mile track that we have already visited this season, but way back in March.Unlike other short tracks, the laps here are somewhat limited, the race is scheduled for 312 laps, as opposed to a mile-long track like Dover, where theyll run 400. So you wouldnt expect to see big numbers for laps led here, and thats true to a point, but more on that in a minute.The other point to focus on is that passing is tough at the track, and the rear of the field will be nearly a lap down when the race begins. Therefore, youll want to grab some of the starters in the front of the field for your own benefit.Four of the top five average scoring starting positions at Phoenix are one, two, three and four. Earlier this season, Gibbs cars started 1-2-3, and they finished 2-3-4.Who was one, you might ask?Im starting my team with...This is the easiest move Ill make all year, but Kevin Harvick is as good at Phoenix as any driver is at any track right now. During the past three seasons, there have been five races at Phoenix. Harvick has beeen the highest-scoring fantasy driver in all of them.ddddddddddddNo driver besides Harvick has broken the 100-point barrier in a single race. Harvick has AVERAGED 147.2 points per race. The next highest mark is 51.5 points per race. There have been 1,468 laps run at Phoenix in those five races. Harvick has led 994 of them.I think Ive made my point that will earn you points.Keep an eye on these four...Kyle Busch: Busch led 75 laps at Phoenix earlier this season and has finished fourth in the past two Phoenix races. Hes shown he can also put big numbers for laps led up at Phoenix, putting up 113 in the 2010 spring race and 237 in the 2012 Chase race. Hes also the leading points earner on flatter, shorter tracks this season.Carl Edwards: Edwards already has his spot in the Championship Round all locked up, so it remains to see how aggressive hell be at Phoenix. But if it takes the pressure off, it could lead to another strong Phoenix race. He finished second at Phoenix earlier this year, leading 65 laps with 39 fastest laps. Hes a two-time winner at the track, as well.Ryan Blaney: Blaney has only run one Cup race at Phoenix, finishing 10th earlier this season. He continues to run around the mid-$7,000s in cost, but he has the upside of a top-10 finish. Hes finished in the top 20 in three of the past four races on shorter flat tracks. And hes on a run of four straight top-20 finishes overall, regardless of track type.Landon Cassill: Cassill has been a solid low-cost fantasy play this season, more than just rounding out your roster. He finished 25th at Phoenix earlier this season, his first race there with Front Row Motorsports. If he didnt start 27th -- he often starts lower in the field -- hed earn more than 27 points.Thats all I have for you this week. We dont get out to the Southwest often, so enjoy some TexMex this week. ' ' '