The curse of being the No. 1 team in the country struck the Sooners on Monday when they were schooled by Iowa State. It doesn’t get any easier for Oklahoma with a visit to No. 13 Baylor, OU’s fifth game against a ranked opponent to begin Big 12 play.
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HOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 for not even 24 hours before falling at Iowa State. But the defeat could hardly be blamed on the explosive backcourt of Buddy Hield and Isaiah Cousins, who tried to shoot the Cyclones out of the gym.
Cousins kept the Sooners in the game by going for 26 points, and they’ll need his contributions in order to be successful going forward. Hield, the National Player of the Year candidate, struck for 27 and provided a late spark, but OU will need more outside of those two.
After Iowa State – a middle-of-the-pack rebounding team in the Big 12 – outrebounded Oklahoma 43-32 on Monday night, there is cause for concern with Baylor up next. The Bears have the best rebounding margin in the conference at +10.6 per game and have the league’s top rebounder in Rico Gathers.
It wasn’t that the Cyclones dominated the boards against OU, but how they did it was alarming. Ryan Spangler, the Big 12’s second-leading rebounder, had just six in 34 minutes and forward Khadeem Lattin also struggled. If Oklahoma wants to avoid its first two-game losing streak since last January, rebounding will be a key.
HOW THE BAYLOR BEARS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
With four competent big men, headlined by Rico Gathers and Taurean Prince, Baylor’s frontcourt is arguably the best in the Big 12 and among the best in the country. Each player brings his own unique skill set that works in tandem with any of the others and they have the Bears sitting on top of the conference standings.
Gathers averages a double-double with 12.8 points and a conference-best 10.7 rebounds, while Prince leads five players in double figures by averaging 15.0 points per game. Gathers could have a big day on the glass against the Sooners, who have been weak on the boards.
Outstanding bench play has also played an integral part in Baylor’s success and the reserves could see plenty of action Saturday. Coach Scott Drew was impressed with the Bears’ 29 bench points in Wednesday’s 79-72 overtime win against Kansas State.
Led by Johnathan Motley, who tallied 15 points on Wednesday and ranks fourth on the team in scoring, Baylor’s reserves average 26 points and a league-leading 53.4 percent shooting.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
As we know all too well by know, it’s tough to win on the road in the Big 12, and the Ferrell Center has been a major reason why. Baylor extended its home win streak to 15 with a double overtime win against Kansas State on Wednesday. The Bears have won five consecutive conference games for only the second time in school history and took over first place in the league after West Virginia lost.
Oklahoma will remain the No. 1 ranked team until the new polls come out on Monday and the pressure of being the top dog may have gotten to the Sooners in their loss at Iowa State. OU didn’t play that well, committed costly turnovers and allowed the Cyclones too many second chance points. The Sooners will put it all together against a confident Baylor team and get an important road win.
Oklahoma 82, Baylor 76
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