The Kansas Jayhawks host the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse. A win by the Sooners would see them tie with the Jayhawks in the standings, but getting a victory in Lawrence is of course going to be easier said than done. That said, it wasn’t that long ago when the Texas Longhorns thrashed the Jayhawks in that same arena.
The Sooners will look to go over .500 in conference play when they go up against Kansas on Saturday. Oklahoma is coming off a tough 76-61 loss in Waco to No. 2 Baylor Bears last Wednesday in which they performed terribly on offense. Oklahoma shot just 36.1 percent from the field and only 16.7 (4-24) from long range. That’s just the kind of effect Baylor’s suffocating defense has on its opponents. Kansas is another great defensive team, so Oklahoma must at least choose its shots wisely rather than going trigger-happy again on low-percentage, outside shots. The Sooners are still among the highest-scoring teams in the nation. They are putting up 81.8 points per game on 46.6 field goal percentage. The Sooners flaunt a senior-heavy starting unit, with Austin Reaves and Brady Manek along with Kur Kuath. That experience can be a significant factor in helping the Sooners play steady on the road against a tough opponent like Kansas.
Oklahoma is 3-2 against the spread in its last five games as the road team against the Jayhawks.
After a shocking loss at home to the Texas Longhorns on Jan. 2, Kansas got back to its winning ways, venting their frustrations on the hapless TCU Horned Frogs during Wednesday’s 93-64 win on the road. David McCormack had 20 points and eight rebounds to go with a pair of blocks to lead the Jayhawks past TCU, while Ochau Agbaji and Jalen Wilson scored 19 and 16 points, respectively. The Jayhawks dominated with their rebounding and defense. They more than doubled TCU’s total rebounds, 41-20, while limiting the Horned Frogs to only 42.1 percent shooting from the field. Kansas’ defense is going to be a problem for Oklahoma. Although the Jayhawks are only 125th in the nation with a scoring defense that is allowing 68.9 points per game, their adjusted defensive efficiency number reveals that they are 11th in Division I basketball with 90.2 points surrendered per 100 possessions.
Kansas is 2-0 against the spread in the last games vs. Oklahoma.
