Game 31: Baylor at No. 13 Kansas – Preview and Prediction

The Streak ended on Tuesday against Oklahoma, but KU still has to play one more regular season game. The Baylor Bears will enter Allen Fieldhouse today; a venue where they have never won. Kansas looks to head into tournament time on a high note.

Game Info and Notes:

• Saturday, March 9th, 2019 at 1:00 PM CDT
• Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kan.
• ESPN or the Watch ESPN App
• Baylor’s head coach Scott Drew is 0-13 against Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, and only has one win against Kansas since 2014.
• Both Scott Drew and Bill Self have 13 losses in Allen Fieldhouse.
• With a win, Kansas would complete an undefeated home schedule for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

About the Bears

Baylor enters this game with a record of 19-11, and they are projected as a nine seed on Bracketmatrix. As Ryan Landreth said on Friday’s ITP, Baylor is the definition of a good not great team. They score 72 points per game and give up 66. They shoot 35% from three; their opponents shoot 33%. It’s very hard to be scared of the Bears, especially when they are coming to Lawrence where they’ve never won.

Bears to Watch

Makai Mason – RS – Senior, Guard, 6’1″
Mason is a grad transfer from Yale, who leads the Bears with 14.6 points per game. He shoots 36% from three (again – good not great) but isn’t afraid to pull up from anywhere across half-court. Mason is also dishing out 3.2 assists this season, and shoots 83% from the free-throw line. B

Prediction

Kansas 78 – Baylor 71

Kansas nearly blew a 20-point lead in Waco in the first meeting between these two teams. I anticipate a slightly different feeling game this time around. I think KU controls throughout but never leads by more than 10 or 12.

I think Dedric Lawson will have a solid game, as will Devon Dotson. It’s getting harder and harder to predict who else on this team will play well, which is kind of scary heading into the tournament but you never know how things could play out.

Also keep watch for a Lagerald Vick send off video after the game. I have no inside sources whatsoever, I just have a hunch. I hope they honor him in someway as today would normally be senior day. Regardless, I think KU ends their regular season with a win.