Through the Phog
Fansided

Kansas basketball: Jayhawks will make a road trip to Stillwater tomorrow night against an impressive Cowboys program

By Conner Becker

Dec 8, 2020; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up before the game against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2020; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up before the game against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Kansas basketball will be back on the road against Oklahoma State tomorrow night and will look to keep their away winning streak alive.

Following a close home win over the Sooners, Kansas basketball will look to extend their success and find another win in Stillwater tomorrow night against Oklahoma State.

The Jayhawks’ starting five is back in full strength with the return of senior guard Marcus Garrett to the lineup. Still questionable is freshman Bryce Thompson, who has seen some decent time on the floor but is currently unavailable due to what is being noted as a back injury.

The Cowboys have entered conference play with back to back losses against TCU and Texas but are coming off a 70-54 road win against Kansas State. The Cowboys are 6-3 (2-3 Big 12) on their season so far, sitting at 5th in the conference.

Regardless, the road test will be another opportunity for Kansas to try and submerge any doubts about their ability to defend the ball.

This will come with the challenge of holding off Cowboy’s leading scorer Cade Cunningham. Cunningham leads Oklahoma State, averaging 18 points a game, and comes in as an 82% free throw shooter. He also is the second-best scorer in the Big 12.

Standing at 6′ 8”, the freshman has been making some exciting buckets for the Cowboys and has been taking on a strong role for their starting five. Defending Cunningham will be a must and bringing the pressure inside will be crucial from guys like David McCormack.

Outside, we’ll need to see some defensive action from Jalen Wilson and Marcus Garrett. Oklahoma State will likely be doing everything they can to create some space and find Cunningham. Having a conference-leading shooter is going to be a weapon for the Cowboys and will require the Jayhawks to be on their toes on every transition, locking in on defense.

Oklahoma State’s defense is another story, as it sits along the bottom of the conference. The Cowboys allow upwards of 70 points per game and with the high scoring tendencies of this Kansas team, head coach Bill Self will need his guys to start fast.

Catching the Cowboys off guard and creating a pressured situation early will play into Kansas’ favor tomorrow evening. The Jayhawks have seen troubled times in Stillwater before and the series often makes for some heated matchups. Tomorrow’s game is set for 7 pm CT on ESPN+.

Home/Kansas Jayhawks Basketball