LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The opponent and the facility might be a little distracting, but the UND men's basketball team is trying to focus inward.
When North Dakota faces No. 17-18 Kansas at 3:05 p.m. today in storied Phog Allen Fieldhouse, UND still has plenty to learn about itself rather than concentrate on the team's toughest game of the Division I era.
"Our approach is no different than any other game," UND coach Brian Jones said. "We're getting practice time this week to focus on what we need to do to get better."
UND will face a Top 25 program for the first time since losing to No. 25 Wisconsin last season 85-53 on Nov. 25 in Madison.
The game will be aired on ESPN U, with Mark Neely handling the play-by-play and Miles Simon doing the analysis.
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"It's about the opportunity," Jones said. "It's a good time to market our program against a Top 20 team like Kansas."
UND, which is playing Kansas for the third time in school history (both times as a Division II program), will definitely have its hands full against the Jayhawks, who advanced to the Elite Eight last season.
The Jayhawks, who are led by All-American candidate Thomas Robinson (16.7 points, 11.4 rebounds), are coming off an 89-34 win over Howard on Thursday.
The matchup against UND will be Kansas' final tune-up before opening Big12 conference play against Kansas State on Wednesday.
UND, meanwhile, is hoping to improve its abysmal play on the road. North Dakota is 0-6 on the road and 5-1 at home.
Jones said his team should be able to tap on the experience of last season's matchup with Wisconsin to handle the adversity of playing in Kansas' hostile environment.
"These guys have been on the big stage before," Jones said. "I want them to be fun and loose."
UND would also like to be healthy.
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After missing 35 straight regular-season games with an injury, North Dakota forward Spencer Goodman saw his first action in almost a full calendar year against Sacramento State last weekend. Goodman finished with seven points.
"That was good to see," Jones said. "He brings us toughness and athleticism. He's still getting into game condition, but we're talking about a young man who started every game before he got hurt. He's giving us a shot in the arm offensively and defensively."
Goodman might be needed more than usual, too. North Dakota played without senior captain Patrick Mitchell against Sacramento State, while center Brandon Brekke was limited by an injury.
Mitchell and Brekke are considered game-time decisions, according to Jones. Whether or not they're ready to go, Jones said he needs to see more production from the remaining reserves.
"Our guys off the bench have to continue to give us more," Jones said. "They give us a lot defensively, but they have to give us more offensively. We've seen it from different guys at times through 12 games, but we need them to be more consistent with it."
