Kansas Jayhawks at Oklahoma State Cowboys 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 State Preview for Kyle's full breakdown and prediction.
Lucas Murphy
The Kansas Jayhawks now sit a half game out of first place in the Big 12 after the Texas Longhorns get upset by the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Kansas heads to Stillwater, Oklahoma which is a tough place to play and has so much meaning to head coach Bill Self. We are starting to see more rhythm with the Jayhawks and Ernest Udeh is carving out a significant role for himself. I have been very impressed with the maturity but more importantly his hustle. You can tell he is buying into Bill Self’s program as more minutes continue to come his way. Jalen Wilson got back on the horse and let’s hope he rides into Stillwater ready to play. I anticipate a back and forth game early on but Kansas pulls away at the end.
Kansas 78, Oklahoma State 70.
Derek Noll
Oklahoma State is playing their best basketball of the year making the game against Kansas, one that looked a little easier a week ago, a more difficult task. KU has routinely struggled in Stillwater so this one is gonna be a battle, but KU with a share of first place on the line, I think Kansas wins this one. Look for Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick to have big games against the Cowboys
Kansas 77, Oklahoma State 74.
Brendan Dzwierzynski
KU’s record in Stillwater under Bill Self isn’t quite as dire as sole folks make it out to be, but it would also be foolish to not think this will likely be a knock-down, drag-out fight between the Jayhawks and Cowboys. Ball security and an all-around scoring effort are pivotal against one of the best defenses in the country, but I do think Kansas gets it done and continues its hot streak.
Kansas 72, Oklahoma State 70.
Andy Mitts
The last game between these two teams was such a weird one, with Bryce Thompson just going off from beyond the arc. It also seemed like Moussa Cisse had a big game, but he only had 4 points and 6 rebounds.
If you look at all the metrics, Kansas has an advantage across the board, with the exception of offensive rebounding. But when you just look at recent history, that is a much worse prospect. The Cowboys have been outperforming Kansas in the last five games by a significant margin, and this is a home game for them. If Kansas is able to win this one, they will have to earn it. Look at early shots to set the tone, but I'm worried about this one quite a bit.
Oklahoma State 75, Kansas 72.
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