LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas coach Bill Self believes that unbeaten Wichita State deserves a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament if it beats Missouri State on Saturday and then wins the Missouri Valley tournament.

That doesn't mean he's changed his stance on scheduling the Shockers.

The subject is brought up at least a few times every year, and it was broached again Thursday. Self said he'll continue to schedule games solely in the best interest of his program, which means home games to pad the coffers and road games in places advantageous to recruiting.

So rather than a dangerous game closer to home, the Jayhawks prefer to face marquee names such as Duke and Georgetown in places like Chicago and New York.

"I don't want to say never, but I mean, we're pretty locked into what we're trying to do from a scheduling standpoint, and that's not a knock on anybody," Self said. "We're going to schedule strictly based on what we feel is best for us."

It sure would be an enticing matchup this season.

Bill Self is high on the Shockers, but it doesn't mean Kansas' coach will schedule them anytime soon. Tom Pennington/Getty Images

The fifth-ranked Jayhawks are 22-6 and have already wrapped up a share of their 10th consecutive Big 12 title. The No. 2 Shockers are 30-0, and with one more victory they would become the first team since Saint Joseph's in 2004 to enter its conference tournament with an unblemished record.

Both teams are firmly entrenched in the top 10 of the latest RPI, the Jayhawks on top by virtue of their schedule and the Shockers at No. 9 thanks to their record.

"They've had an unbelievable year, and I personally believe they deserve a 1-seed if they run the table," Self said. "Pundits say, 'Well, their schedule' and this and that. Hey, it's hard to win on the road, especially when you're everybody's Super Bowl game. I respect that."

It's not as if the programs have never met, it's just that it's been since 1993. And in the viewpoint of some, that's about two decades too long. That's why an occasional politician will float legislation in Kansas designed to force the teams to play each other.

That would be fine with Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, who told The Associated Press earlier this season that he offered what amounts to a two-for-one proposition: one game in Lawrence, one in Kansas City and one in Wichita.