Just 39 days ago Kansas and Oklahoma played an epic three-overtime classic in Lawrence. With first place on the line in the Big 12, the Sooners get the rematch in their barn with a chance to avenge that earlier loss.
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HOW THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
During a three-game road losing streak that included double-digit losses at West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Iowa State, coach Bill Self said the team lacked emotion on the court. If the Jayhawks fail to show some passion for the game Saturday, we better check them for pulse.
Kansas is right in the mix for another league title, but the strongest conference in the country has so many legitimate challengers. The Jayhawks are right where they hoped heading into this stretch of games and winning in Norman would be a huge boost. Despite some early losses, Kansas is back to where it normally finds itself late in the season.
The Jayhawks did a number on West Virginia with their halfcourt defense, frustrating Jaysean Paige into 14 points. They’ll need to apply similar pressure to OU, especially Buddy Hield, who torched KU for 46 points in the first meeting.
The backcourt play of Frank Mason and Wayne Seldon has been strangely inconsistent this season, but the pair was brilliant handling WVU’s press, playing ball-denial defense and chipping in a combined 25 points. It’ll be hard for them to stop OU from scoring, but holding the Sooners in the 60-70 range gives Kansas an excellent chance at getting the road win.
HOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Even on an off night, Buddy Hield can find ways to make thing happen. His three-pointer with 1.4 seconds left carried No. 3 Oklahoma to a win over upset-minded Texas on Monday night. Hield scored 12 of his 27 points in the final 3:20 to keep the Sooners in the thick of the Big 12 race.
Hield’s effort at Kansas on Jan. 4 was one legends are made of. The senior poured in 46 points making 13 of 23 field goals, including 8 of 15 three-pointers, while playing 54 minutes in the triple-overtime loss.
OU leads the nation in three-point shooting percentage, burying triples 45.1 percent of the time. The Sooners’ reliance on the shot has been evident all season. In their loss to Kansas State last weekend, they hit just 25 percent and lost by 11. While it’s a major weapon in their arsenal, the Sooners are a balanced team and shutting down the perimeter doesn’t guarantee a win.
Of course Hield will be the major focus for Kansas, which he should be. And while the National Player of the Year candidate will get his points, the Sooners need Ryan Spangler, Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard to offer up some help. And they have all season.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Oklahoma was so close to ending their drought at Kansas. The Sooners had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but missed freebies cost them a shot. The contest was a pretty good indicator of how closely matched the two teams are. The Jayhawks had the homecourt advantage in January and now its OU’s turn. The Sooners haven’t lost at the Lloyd Noble Center this NCAAB season and have some magic on their own floor. They bested Texas on a late Hield three on Monday and got past West Virginia by a pair in mid-January. With a raucous throng behind them on Saturday, look for Hield and his gang to continue their homecourt mastery to claim a victory and remain atop the Big 12 standings. This game will go a long way in determining the eventual league champion. However, OU’s string of close games – almost all of them winners – is a reminder that there’s no such thing as gimmes in the league.
Oklahoma 85, Kansas 82
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