The Kansas basketball team is set to play another huge Big 12 road game. Here are a few things to know when the Jayhawks battle the Sooners in Norman.
The Kansas basketball team is coming off a pair of wild wins last week and have won five straight to take a commanding lead in the Big 12 Conference race. The Jayhawks moved up to number 5 in Monday’s Associated Press Poll. As a matter of fact, Bill Self’s team earned the ranking by playing tough and finishing strong. Now the Jayhawks must show they deserve a place back in the top-five.
The fans in Norman are working to recover from two straight losses. The Sooners believe they have the best player in the nation in Trae Young. On the other hand, Oklahoma can’t rely only on the freshman point guard if they are going to beat the Jayhawks. The Sooners dropped out of the Associated Press top-five Monday. They didn’t fall far. Lon Kruger’s team is a strong 14th going into Tuesday’s matchup.
The Jayhawks continue to struggle on the glass. Despite a pair of big wins last week, they were outrebounded. That is a huge area of concern going into Norman. Especially the Sooners are missing a lot of shots. The Jayhawks gave up 16 second chance points to Baylor. They have to crash the defensive glass or that stat will catch up to them.
Here is where to watch the Jayhawks play the Sooners Tuesday
Date: January 23
Time: 6p.m. CST
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Venue: Lloyd Noble Center
Television: ESPN
Streaming: WatchESPN
Listen: Jayhawk Radio Network
Keys to Victory
Next: Jayhawk defense ready for the Sooners
The Jayhawks are winning ugly but they are improving on defense. We all expect Devonte Graham to give Trae Young trouble. The senior should have an advantage and force some turnovers. Young will score but will the rest of the Sooners contribute? If the Jayhawks can get points in transition off turnovers, work the defensive glass and keep Udokah Azubuike out of foul trouble they can get the victory.