Others have tried and come close. In fact it was the Oklahoma Sooners who put a scare in the Kansas Jayhawks’ string of regular season Big 12 titles last season. But OU couldn’t overcome Kansas and the dynasty just continues to roll along. Kansas clinched its 13th straight Big 12 regular season title last week while the Sooners, one season after contending for the top spot, are at the bottom of the conference standings.
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It was just last season when the Sooners were playing in the Final Four, but it seems like it’s been much longer. After ending a seven-game losing streak with a 70-66 cover win over Texas two weeks ago, the Sooners lost their next two on the road to Oklahoma State and Baylor by a combined 10 points. The games were close and OU covered both times to improve to 5-2-1 ATS away from Norman in Big 12 play. And while their games with Kansas have been close recently, the Sooners have been unable to pull one out, losing three straight and six of the last seven.
Kansas earned its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular season title by pulling away from TCU for an 87-68 win last week, the Jayhawks’ fifth straight after a shocking overtime loss to Iowa State. It’s hard to imagine a team with three losses playing any better than KU. During their six-game run, the Jayhawks beat two top-10 teams, avenging an earlier loss to West Virginia with an 84-80 home win and defeating Baylor 67-65 in Waco. KU covered in its last two games, but has been a bad bet this season. The Jayhawks are just 3-9 ATS at Allen Fieldhouse this season and are 1-2 ATS in its last three home contests with OU.
Injury Report
Oklahoma’s miserable season got a little worse when leading scorer Jordan Woodard was lost for the season with a knee injury. Woodard went down in the second half of the Sooners 80-64 loss to Iowa State, extending OU’s skid to seven games. The team responded with a win over Texas next time out to end the losing streak, but Woodard’s absence was felt in a loss to Baylor last week.
The Sooners scored just 54 points and generated little offensively with one player reaching double figures. They held the Bears without a field goal over the final six minutes, but failed to hit their own shots that could have made the game more interesting. OU still may have lost the game, but the ball would have been in Woodard’s possession when the Sooners needed some clutch scoring. They didn’t get it.
Player to Watch
Kansas isn’t loaded with superstar talent, rather their mix of quality players allows Bill Self to match his lineups and he’s kept several of those players around the program for four years. One player who has risen in the Wooden Award watch is senior Frank Mason III, who has become the piece the Jayhawks can least afford to be without.
Mason was on display in KU’s win at Baylor last week, lifting the Jayhawks in another close game against a ranked foe. Mason scored 23 points and dished out eight assists that night and his calm demeanor in the closing minutes was comforting. Mason played 39 minutes in KU’s title clinching win over TCU, scoring 20 points. His improved shooting, especially from three-point range, has helped lift his scoring average to 20.3, almost eight points per game higher than last season.
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Though it’s been one-sided in favor of Kansas, this is still a rivalry game and the Jayhawks are going to get Oklahoma’s best shot. After battling through the grueling Big 12 schedule and coming away with another conference title, there’s always the chance of a letdown, but don’t expect the Jayhawks to let up. There’s still a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament at stake and a little hiccup at this point could cost KU that spot.
And unlike other teams who recruit the one-and-done players, Kansas has strong senior leadership with Mason and Landen Lucas. There still is plenty to be said about that. It’s been a tough go for Oklahoma and they won’t have enough firepower to keep up without their leading scorer.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas 81, Oklahoma 69
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