Oklahoma, Kansas meet again
The Oklahoma Sooners and Kansas Jayhawks are the two best men’s college basketball teams in the Big 12. In the eyes of many, they are the top pair of teams in the nation.
On Saturday, the two foes will meet for the second time this season, with the venue shifting from Allen Fieldhouse to the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla. The first meeting between these two came back on Jan. 5, when Kansas was No. 1 and Oklahoma was No. 2 in the country. This time, the Jayhawks are sixth while the Sooners are third.
In that first meeting, Kansas won 109-106 in triple overtime in what was easily the best basketball game of the season. Oklahoma’s superstar, Buddy Heild, went for 46 points in 54 minutes, shooting 13-of-23 from the field while hitting 12-of-14 from the charity stripe. Jordan Woodard also put forth a tremendous performance in the losing effort with 27 points and seven assists that evening. For the Jayhawks, it was forward Perry Ellis with 27 points and 13 rebounds while Wayne Selden Jr. and Devonte’ Graham scored 21 and 22 points, respectively.
With all the madness of March only a month away and the Big 12 Conference Tournament even closer than that, this rematch truly means something. At this point, the Sooners are sitting at the top of the Big 12 standings with a 20-3 record, 8-3 in conference. Kansas shares the same conference mark but has a 20-4 record, making this game pivotal on many fronts.
While both teams are going to get into the NCAA Tournament, this is about winning the Big 12 and earning an easier road. The winner of this game has a great chance to get the top seed in the conference tourney and then, potentially, get a top line in March Madness. While the difference between a No. 1 and No. 2 seed seems small and perhaps insignificant, every little bit helps and in the first weekend, will keep you closer to home.
For Kansas, winning the first matchup back in January has not made it underestimate Oklahoma, says head coach Bill Self, per ESPN.
“I think that Oklahoma is probably the hardest personnel to guard, I think, because all of them can go get their own,” Self said. “All of them put pressure on the defense. None of them are just one-dimensional.”
On the flip side, the Sooners have plenty of confidence. Oklahoma has consistently come up short in recent years, but Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger likes his squad, again per ESPN.
“Maybe something that’s gone unnoticed a little bit is the fact that all our guys can drive and kick, and they can all handle it, and they like doing that,” Kruger said. “They like passing to each other, and they’re passing the ball well. Most of our shots from three are pretty good rhythm jumpers. They’re not hard shots off the dribble. And the passes are on target.”
On Saturday, the nation will be watching to see which one of these heavyweights can land the big blow.
