Kansas Jayhawks at Oklahoma Sooners Predictions
Thanks to the insanity that is the Big 12 Conference, the Kansas Jayhawks were able to climb back into a four-way tie for second place in the standings just one game behind the Texas Longhorns by beating them on Monday night in Lawrence. But now that everything is so tight in the conference race, they can't afford to drop a game against one of the teams at the bottom of the conference, even if it is on the road. So today's game against the Oklahoma Sooners is critical for their hopes in the Big 12 race.
The Sooners have been struggling recently, but they play a style different enough from the rest of the conference that it can be a problem, and they nearly pulled off an upset in Lawrence early this season. Will they be able to get some revenge at home to kickstart their push for a bubble spot in the NCAA Tournament? Will Kansas be able to maintain the momentum of nearly the entire roster playing well and turn in another good game? Our crew shares their thoughts below.
Do you disagree with our assessment? Make sure you read them all and then hop over to the Discord or on Twitter to share your own thoughts.
Kyle Davis
Check out our Oklahoma Preview for Kyle's full breakdown and prediction.
Lucas Murphy
The Kansas Jayhawks got everything from Jalen Wilson and practically no support from anyone else in the loss to Iowa State. This team has no doubt had its highs and lows and the game against the Cyclones was low. There is no time to dwell on the loss as the Jayhawks return home to take on the No. 1 team in the Big 12, the Texas Longhorns. If the Jayhawks want any chance at winning the Big 12 conference like Brendan said they will have to get this victory. I am in no question biased, but Jalen Wilson is the player of the year, but even he needs other players to step up and help if Kansas wants any chance at winning against a stout Texas squad. The Jayhawks will have to score points and win the rebound stat line.
Kansas 82, Oklahoma 74.
Derek Noll
It seems like a pretty good time to play the “weaker” teams in the conference even if they are on the road. Oklahoma is always a scary prospect in Norman, but Kansas looks focused again and the fact that others stepped up when Jalen Wilson wasn’t on was a bright spot that I hope we see more of (minus the Wilson not scoring part). Normally I’d predict Zach Clemence to be the one to step up against the Sooners, but he isn’t fully fit so I’ll take Ernest Udeh to make a big impact in a KU win.
Kansas 77, Oklahoma 70.
Brendan Dzwierzynski
Per usual, I’ll take this moment to play the eternal optimist. What we saw from KU against Texas was quite encouraging, and I doubt Jalen Wilson will be a ghost again on Saturday. Oklahoma has been a bear to play against, and without a full-strength OU Stopper available (hi, Zach), the matchup on the defensive end will be particularly intriguing. Give me the Jayhawks in a much better performance than in their last CBS game.
Kansas 74, Oklahoma 69.
Andy Mitts
Much like last time these two teams met, all of the metrics favor the Jayhawks. The Sooners don't turn over their opponents, turning the ball over a lot themselves. They don't rebound the ball offensively very well, and they have struggled with shots being blocked. But this team absolutely clobbered Alabama just two weeks ago, which otherwise broke up a six-game conference losing streak.
We heard reports of a meeting that Self had with the players on Sunday night, and with the reaction they had in the next game, I have a hard time imagining that doesn't carry over. As Brendan wrote earlier this week, a big game from Joseph Yesufu would go a long way to solidifying his spot come tournament time. And Jalen Wilson is not going to be held down again, especially by a defense that has struggled as much as Oklahoma's.
Kansas 92, Oklahoma 71.
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