Big 12 heavyweights Kansas Jayhawks and Baylor Bears will collide in a highly anticipated rematch this Saturday down in Waco. Will the Jayhawks down Baylor again? Or will the Bears get back at Kansas? Check out our preview below of this Kansas-Baylor Big 12 college basketball game.
The Jayhawks defeated the Kansas State Wildcats Tuesday at home, 102-84. That’s tied for the best offensive performance in a game by Kansas this season, and it’s got a lot to do with Ochai Ogbaji, who finished with 23 points in 35 minutes. He also passed Wilt Chamberlain for the 26th spot in the all-time Kansas scoring list. Agbaji and the Jayhawks will look to keep it going Saturday against the Bears, whom Kansas defeated in Lawrence on Feb. 5, 83-59. Ogbaji and Christian Braun each scored 18 points in that game. They also powered Kansas’ rebounding, combining for 19 of the team’s 46 total rebounds as against just 37 by Baylor. Ranked first in adjusted offensive efficiency in the Big 12, the Jayhawks could torch Baylor’s defense anew. The Jayhawks are No. 1 in the conference also in effective field goal percentage, 3-point shooting percentage, and 2-point shooting percentage.
Kansas is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven games overall.
Adam Flagler was not going to let the Bears lose Tuesday, as he scattered 29 points in 41 minutes to lead the defending national champions to a 66-64 win in Stillwater over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. James Akinjo scored just six points but buried perhaps the biggest basket of the game with just 14 seconds remaining in overtime. Baylor didn’t shoot particularly well from the field in that game, making just 36.8 percent of their shots, but forced Oklahoma State to commit 15 turnovers while also recording nine steals. In the first meeting with Kansas, the Bears had 12 steals to just six by the Jayhawks. Baylor also forced the Jayhawks to pick up 14 turnovers. However, the Bears were not careful with the leather either, throwing the ball away 14 times. Flagler was contained by Kansas in the first half, so look for him to hunt for his shots to establish rhythm right away in this rematch.
Baylor is 2-2 against the spread in its last four games as the home team.
