Kansas - Oklahoma State Preview

While it hasn’t always been pretty, the Kansas Jayhawks have made it to this point in the Big 12 season undefeated in conference play, and currently have a two game lead over several teams tied for second. KU will look to stay undefeated and increase their lead on Saturday, when the Jayhawks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.

The Jayhawks’ struggles on offense lately have mostly been a result of sloppy guard play, particularly from senior point guard Elijah Johnson. Johnson has been prone to turnovers, and is struggling to score from both beyond the arc and in the lane. Ben McLemore has quickly turned into Kansas’ best offensive weapon, and Jeff Withey and Travis Releford are both efficiently scoring as well. If Johnson can return to the form he displayed in the latter portion of last season, Kansas’ offense will greatly improve.

Oklahoma State is one of the most talented teams in the league, and many pegged them as the second-best team behind Kansas before the season started. OSU is 4-3 in Big 12 play, however all three losses have come on the road to good teams – Kansas State, Oklahoma and Baylor. The Cowboys narrowly beat Iowa State at home on Wednesday, thanks to Marcus Smart’s layup with only seconds left on the clock. If Oklahoma State can defeat Kansas in Lawrence, they will take a huge step towards locking up an NCAA tournament berth and will be officially part of the Big 12’s upper tier of teams.

Kansas has won 102 of its last 103 home games; however Oklahoma State provides a huge challenge. If Kansas can finally get its offense to wake up, they shouldn’t have much trouble handling the Cowboys. However, if KU continues to shoot poorly from three and turns the ball over, Oklahoma State has the talent to pull the upset.

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Kansas Defeats West Virginia

The Kansas Jayhawks’ new number one ranking was quickly put to test, as the team got all they wanted from West Virginia in Morgantown last night. Despite blowing a big early lead and some sloppy play, KU hung on to win 61-56. The Jayhawks now have a nation-leading 18 game winning streak, and sit alone in first place in the Big 12 with a 7-0 record.

Kansas was led by Jeff Withey, who had another big game on both ends of the floor. Withey finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, anchoring another stout defensive performance from the Jayhawks. Kansas has held its past six opponents to fewer than 60 points, which has been crucial due to the team’s lack of offensive production.

Early on, it looked like the Jayhawks were on their way to a blowout. KU built a 15 point lead, only to turn the ball over repeatedly and allow the Mountaineers to quickly get back into the game. Kansas had 16 turnovers in the game, and point guard Elijah Johnson once again struggled to put together a consistent performance.

The Jayhawks also struggled from the free throw line, hitting a dismal 18 of 34 attempts. The poor free throw shooting and turnovers wasted a solid shooting night from the floor, as KU hit 54% of the field goals they attempted.

Kansas will be back in action on Saturday, when they host Oklahoma State (13-5, 3-3). West Virginia’s next three games are against the teams that currently sit with the Mountaineers towards the bottom of the conference – Texas Tech, Texas and TCU. WVU will have to find a way to win all three if it wants to get back into the NCAA tournament discussion. The Mountaineers have never missed the big dance under head coach Bob Huggins.

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KU Moves To No.1 In Coaches' Poll

After an impressive week in which they defeated Kansas State and Oklahoma and pushed their winning streak to a nation-leading 17 games, the Kansas Jayhawks have moved up to No. 1 in the coaches’ poll. KU is at No. 2 in the Associated Press poll behind Michigan. In both polls, Indiana is ranked third, followed by Florida and Duke.

While the Jayhawks have had several close calls, the team hasn’t dropped a game since losing a close contest to Michigan State early in the season. Last week, KU defeated No. 11 Kansas State on the road and Oklahoma at home. K-State was tied for first with KU when the two teams met, while Oklahoma was tied for second place on Saturday. The wins not only moved the Jayhawks up in the polls, but set KU up with a favorable run towards a ninth straight Big 12 title.

Several other local teams moved in both polls as well. Kansas State followed up its tough loss to KU with a road loss to Iowa State. The Wildcats fell to No. 18 in the AP poll and 21 in the coaches’ poll. Missouri rebounded to No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the coaches’ poll. Wichita State also moved up in both polls, as the Shockers are ranked 15^th in the AP poll and 14^th in the coaches’ poll.

 
The Jayhawks will be forced to defend their new ranking immediately, as the team travels to Morgantown to face West Virginia tonight. The Mountaineers are 9-10 this season and 2-4 in Big 12 play, and lost at Oklahoma State on Saturday 80-66.

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Kansas Once Again Beats KState In Manhattan

Kansas seized early control of the Big 12 conference race last night, edging Kansas State 59-55 in Manhattan. The Jayhawks have now won 16 straight games, and are still unbeaten in conference play. KU has won 45 of its last 48 games against KState, including a 23-2 mark in Bramlage Coliseum.

During the second half, it appeared that the Jayhawks were going to put the Wildcats away for good thanks to Ben McLemore. The redshirt freshman, who will be an early in pick in next year’s draft, scored five consecutive points to give Kansas a 10 point lead. However, KState got an answer from Shane Southwell, who hit consecutive three pointers to keep the Wildcats close. Southwell, who had a career high 19 points, also got KSU within three late, however KU closed the game out at the free throw line.

The 59 points were a season low for Kansas, and concerns about the team’s offense continue to grow. Kansas is averaging only 61 points per game in its last four contests, relying on its stout defense to grind out wins. While KU’s defense will keep them in every game, Bill Self will have to address the offense and try to get better play out of senior point guard Elijah Johnson, who has struggled mightily in conference play.

On paper, this is the toughest regular season game the Jayhawks had remaining, and the win now makes them heavy favorites to claim a ninth-straight Big 12 title. KU will face Oklahoma at home on Saturday, which should provide the team with another tough test. The Sooners are 4-1 in conference play this season, including impressive recent wins over Oklahoma State and Texas.

KState will have to regroup quickly, as they travel to Ames on Saturday to face Iowa State, who also only has one loss in conference play – which came in overtime in Lawrence against Kansas.

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Ben McLemore Returns To Practice, Will Play Saturday For Kansas

Kansas fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief, as freshman guard Ben McLemore has fully returned to practice and expects to be close to 100% when the No. 4 Jayhawks travel to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns on Saturday. McLemore had rolled his ankle late in KU’s blowout win over Baylor on Monday night, suffering a mild ankle sprain that initially looked very serious.

McLemore has been one of the best players in the country this season, averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 50% overall and 44% from three. The redshirt freshman is expected to be one of the top players selected in the 2013 NBA draft, and has been one of the biggest reasons why Kansas is a heavy favorite to win its ninth straight Big 12 title and make a second-consecutive Final Four.

McLemore’s return is also critical due to KU’s upcoming schedule. After traveling to Austin on Saturday, the Jayhawks will travel to Manhattan to play No. 16 Kansas State before hosting Oklahoma next Saturday. Like Kansas, K-State and Oklahoma are both undefeated in Big 12 play so far. If Kansas can win those games, it may have an insurmountable lead in the Big 12 race.

Around the Big 12, there are several other interesting matchups this weekend. K-State and Oklahoma will face off in Manhattan, as both teams will look to remain undefeated in conference play. The Sooners beat the Wildcats twice last season, and could make a serious push for an NCAA tournament berth with a big upset over KSU on the road. Oklahoma State, the team many thought would finish second to Kansas in the Big 12 standings, will try to rebound from two early conference losses as they host struggling Texas Tech. Also, watch out for Iowa State – after losing to Kansas in overtime to start Big 12 play, the Cyclones have looked impressive in two straight league wins. ISU will visit league-worst TCU tomorrow.

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