Jayhawks take on Cowboys in battle for first place

On Wednesday, No.9 Kansas (21-4, 9-3 Big 12) will travel to Gallaher-Iba Arena looking for redemption against No. 14 Oklahoma State (19-5, 9-3 Big 12). The Cowboys ended Kansas’ 33-game home court winning streak February 2, upsetting the Jayhawks 85-80. Kansas would go on to lose their next two games before rebounding against Kansas State, and most recently Texas.

Bill Self appears to be putting the finishing touches on yet another fantastic season for the Jayhawks. Stringing together two dominant performances for the first time since December, Kansas  looks ready for another deep NCAA tournament run. The defense that the Jayhawks have played this season has been excellent, and Texas was no exception Saturday, putting up woeful offensive numbers in a 47-73 Jayhawk victory.

Oklahoma State has been on fire recently, and shows no signs of slowing the roll they are on. Their last loss coming against Baylor on January 21, the Cowboys have won seven straight games and are red hot on the offensive end. Coach Travis Ford is in the midst of his best coaching job to date, and has his team in a great position to win the Big 12 regular season championship for the first time since 2004.

Players to watch for:

Kansas:

#23 Ben McLemore: Considered by many to be the frontrunner for the #1 pick in the NBA draft in June, McLemore continues to amaze both Kansas fans and NBA scouts. Coming off yet another double-digit performance against Texas, the redshirt freshman is the most potent and most consistent offensive threat Kansas possesses. His continued health will be a necessity for the Jayhawks to play deep into March and April.

#15 Elijah Johnson: The struggling senior has made strides in getting back to top offensive form Saturday. Scoring 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, Johnson appeared to regain some of the confidence that led Kansas to the National Championship game last season. If Johnson can score 12-15 points a game for the rest of the year, Kansas will be a very dangerous team come tournament time.

#40 Kevin Young: A scrappy player, Young is a great “hustle player” for Kansas. The best attributes of Young’s game are not necessarily things that show up on stat sheets. Saving a ball going out of bounds or starting a fast break with a key steal are plays that can have huge impacts on games that the casual sports watcher may not notice. Kevin Young will never be a 15 points per game scoring threat, but his impact on the Jayhawks is just as big as the Jayhawks more offensively-known players.

Oklahoma State:

#22 Markel Brown: Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, Brown can put the ball in the hoop from just about anywhere on the court. Averaging a career high 15.8 points per game, Brown has scored in double figures in all but two games this season. Kansas will have to limit Brown’s scoring, as he scored a career high 28 points in the teams’ first meeting.

# 33 Marcus Smart: A freshman known as much for his defense as his offense, Smart is having a terrific first season in Stillwater. Scoring a remarkable 15 points per game, along with 2.9 steals, Smart is a tough match up for the Kansas defense. His 25  points were a big reason Oklahoma State upset Kansas February 2nd, and he will have to be limited for Kansas to avoid a repeat of the first meeting.

How I See It:
This is a tough game for Kansas, albeit with their regained confidence. Gallaher Iba Arena has not been kind to Bill Self and the Jayhawks over the years, and with Oklahoma State ranked in the top 15, it will be a tough atmosphere to play in yet again.
If Marcus Smart and Markel Brown start off the first half of this game the same way they started off the first half in Lawrence, Kansas won’t have a chance to recover. Defense will be key in Kansas winning a tough road game, and the Jayhawks have some tough matchups to deal with.

Prediction:
Kansas will come out a little sluggish to start the game, but not enough that they can’t recover. The players will again realize how important this game is to winning a ninth consecutive regular season championship, and will find a way to win the game 77-75.

Last Time Out:

Oklahoma State delivered a knockout punch to Kansas that sent the Jayhawks into a three-game losing skid. Kansas lost 85-80, and it was the first time Oklahoma State beat a top-5 team on the road since 1958.