Jayhawks await consecutive road matchups versus Oklahoma schools

A win versus the No. 5 team in the country and leader of the Big 12 should put the Jayhawks in good spirits for this weekend. But as we all know from other games this season, nothing is guaranteed in this conference.

The two upcoming road games in a matter of four days will be another test of KU’s endurance. They will only be traveling a little over an hour — from Norman to Stillwater — in a pair of crucial games that could determine the winner of the Big 12 regular season title.

Oklahoma State head coach Michael Boynton has done a very good job with the Cowboys, who now sit above .500 in conference play following a win against Texas Tech. That game is more worrisome for the Jayhawks than their contest against the Oklahoma Sooners. Still, there are some things to be worried about when playing Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is a meager 2-9 in conference play, yet surprised the college basketball world by pummeling the No. 3 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide by 24 points two weeks ago. If the bottom feeder of the conference is able to do that versus a team that is 11-0 in SEC games, that should tell us that the Big 12’s competition is unmatched.

Even though the Jayhawks prevailed in their first matchup against the Sooners, it did not come without its drama. KU trailed by double digits with five minutes remaining until Kevin McCullar Jr. and KJ Adams hit some clutch buckets. Grant Sherfield, who averages 16.9 points per game for Oklahoma, had 25 in the contest.

After seeing how OU manhandled Alabama on their home court, a win Saturday will not be easy for the Jayhawks. The game will depend on the version of Oklahoma that they see — the team that is hitting all of their threes and dominating offensively, or the team that lost by 30 to West Virginia.

Following Saturday’s contest comes a road game versus Oklahoma State. The same can be said about the Cowboys as the Sooners, as Oklahoma State blew a hefty 15-point lead to the Jayhawks as well. Former Kansas player Bryce Thompson scorched KU’s defense for 23 points in 29 minutes on New Year’s Eve, but it was not enough to overcome Bill Self’s squad.

Back-to-back wins for the Jayhawks would be extremely important for the team down the stretch.   Only two road games remain for Kansas after they face Oklahoma State, which happens to come against No. 17 TCU and No. 5 Texas. The winner of the Big 12 and important NCAA Tournament seedings could be decided by who finishes victorious in those games.