Kansas looks to Wrap Up Big-12 Title vs. Oklahoma

It seems like the Kansas Jayhawks are at or near the top of the college basketball world every year. They once again find themselves as the #1 team in the country heading into the final 2 weeks of the season. A convincing 20 point blowout against the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday has all but wrapped up the Big-12 conference regular season championship for Kansas. However, now they have to maintain their ranking in order to receive a top seed for the NCAA tournament from the selection committee. Although the Oklahoma Sooners have had a down year due to the loss of their top player and NBA number 1 pick Blake Griffin, they are still very capable of making it hard for opposing teams to get wins down the final stretch.

The Sooners have a 4-8 conference record, and are destined for the NIT this year, but big wins against Arkansas, Oklahoma St, Missouri and Texas prove that they can win on any given night. They will most likely be a substantial underdog against a stacked Jayhawks squad, but they have the potential of making Kansas fight for this victory.

Willie Warren leads the way offensively for the Sooners scoring 16.3 points per game. He’s a scrappy guard that adds 4 assists and over 3 rebounds on average, but his strength is defense. Along with Warren, Oklahoma’s other guard Tommy Mason-Griffin has the ability to fill up the stats sheet, and can play lock down defense. They will both need to bring their best game to Kansas Monday night as they will be going against 2 of the top guards in the country. Having a 1-8 road record doesn’t bode well for the Sooners, but they may catch the Jayhawks looking ahead to their match-up with the Oklahoma St Cowboys on Thursday.

Kansas is well aware of what is at stake over their last 4 games. They have a difficult schedule as they have to play the Cowboys on the road, and then 7th ranked Kansas St at home. They will need to win all 4 to assure themselves of a top seed in the NCAA tourney, but can lock up the conference title with a win Monday against Oklahoma. The one blemish on the Jayhawks resume is an 8 points loss to a very good Tennessee Volunteers squad on the road. They haven’t faltered at all at home, winning by double-digits in all but 2 of their games there.

Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry are above average guards that have NBA type talent. They keep defenses honest from the perimeter, but the Jayhawks thrive in the paint. Forward Marcus Morris and center Cole Aldrich take up space inside on both ends of the floor. They combine for over 24 points and almost 17 rebounds per game, and make it difficult for opposing offenses to get easy points.

Although this may be a one-sided beat-down, Oklahoma could make this one interesting. If nothing else, tune in to see one of the best teams in the country as they make a run towards the National Championship.

Related posts:

1. NCAAB Rivalry: #5 Kansas St @ #2 Kansas
2. 7/10 Seed Match-Up: Oklahoma St/ Georgia Tech
3. NCAAB Big-12 Showdown: Kansas St Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears
4. AT&T Cotton Bowl Preview: Oklahoma St. vs. Mississippi
5. Kansas St and Butler Fight for Spot in Final Four

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