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A narrow win over Texas and a lost to Texas Tech at the start of Big 12 play had many questioning the legitimacy of the Kansas Jayhawks. But don’t doubt KU any longer, especially after a thrilling come-from-behind win on the road against a good West Virginia club. That might be the game that turns things around for Bill Self and his club, leading them to a record 14th straight conference title. There’s still plenty of basketball to be played and the Baylor Bears are no pushover.
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The Bears are a solid club but they’d be a great one if they could beat a ranked team. Five of their six defeats have come against teams ranked in the AP poll at the time of the contest and they are just 1-5 ATS in those games. The grind of the schedule has apparently caught up with them as Baylor suffered its first loss against an unranked team last week, falling at Iowa State to slip two games under .500 in Big 12 play.
KU will be a big favorite in this one, but home hasn’t been all that special this season in what many view as a down year for Jayhawks basketball. They’ve lost three home games already this season with one of those at the Sprint Center, their home away from home in Kansas City. Since the start of league play, the Jayhawks are 2-1 SU and 0-3 ATS at home with a 12-point loss to Texas Tech and wins over Iowa State and Kansas State by a combined six points.
Player to Watch
You don’t talk about Kansas basketball without bringing up the name Devonte’ Graham. The senior guard has been the backbone of the team all season and was stellar in the second half of the Jayhawks stunning comeback win over West Virginia. He hit several big shots in the second half helping KU erase a 16-point first half deficit. Graham also played the entire 40 minutes for the fourth time this season.
Graham gets plenty of run time, averaging nearly 36 minutes per game, and he makes the most of it. He ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring behind Trae Young with 18.3 points per game and is third in assists with 7.3 per contest.
Key Stat
One way to silence the crowd at the Phog is to take Kansas out of its game, and Baylor’s defense is good enough to do that. In their win over Oklahoma State last week, the Bears allowed just 60 points, holding the Cowboys to 19 points below their season average. For the season the Bears allow just 66.9 points per game while holding opponents to 40.1 percent field goal shooting, a number that ranks them 29th nationally.
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The Big 12 is a beast and there are no easy games, so Kansas better be on the lookout for the upset-minded Bears. The Jayhawks appear to be vulnerable this season and have eked out several close wins. And they haven’t been the dominant home team we’ve seen in the past. Baylor has a shot if Manu Lecomte stays hot. He went for 30 his last game and appears to have recovered from an injury that hindered his shot.
But the Phog is still a tough place to play and KU is coming off its biggest win of the year, knocking off West Virginia on the road, coming back from 16 points down against the Big 12’s best defensive club. Graham and Svi Mykhailiuk give Kansas something not seen in the college game these days – senior leadership. And the Jayhawks ride that to a win, though the Bears hang close to cover the spread.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas 74, Baylor 69
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