The Big 12 will get the college basketball spotlight on Wednesday, starting with a game between the no. 20 Oklahoma Sooners and Kansas State Wildcats. The Sooners are favored by 5.5 points at home.
The Sooners had an impressive 11-1 record during non-conference play, beating the likes of Florida, Notre Dame, Creighton, and Northwestern. But they’ve struggled to keep it going at the start of Big 12 play, going just 2-2. To be fair, those losses came on the road to Kansas and Texas Tech, both top-10 teams. The Sooners notched a big win over TCU over the weekend, which could help them get on track.
As for Kansas State, they are also 2-2 in Big 12 play but are coming off back-to-back wins over West Virginia and Iowa State. Before that, the Wildcats pushed Texas Tech in a close game. Even without any noteworthy wins during the non-conference part of their schedule, Kansas State has proven to be a tough out and won’t be a pushover Wednesday night in Norman.
Back Together
In their win over Iowa State, Kansas State got a big lift from the return of senior forward Dean Wade, who missed the previous six games with a foot injury. While he scored just two points, those points were actually the difference in the 1-point win. More importantly, Wade gives the Wildcats much-needed size and experience in the frontcourt. Before the injury, Wade scored in double figures in eight of nine games. After scoring 16 points per game last year, K-State knows he can fill it up. He’s also the team’s leading rebounder.
With Wade back in the picture, the Wildcats have a more balanced scoring attack. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr. has come on strong at the start of conference play. Veteran guards Kamau Stokes and Xavier Sneed are also averaging 10 points per game. However, the Wildcats aren’t a strong outside shooting team, so they need an inside presence who can be a threat to score and help Kansas State win the rebounding battle.
Depth and Defense
When the Sooners have won this year, it’s been because of their depth and defense. Oklahoma has nine players that play at least 12 minutes per game. They are also loaded with quality defensive players who have gelled together nicely on that side of the ball. To be more specific, the Sooners have defended the three-point line with great ferocity. The likes of Kansas, Texas Tech, Creighton, and Notre Dame have all shot under 30% from the perimeter against the Sooners.
However, when Oklahoma has been unable to stifle Big 12 opponents with their defense, they haven’t always had enough scorers to compensate. Christian James is leading the way at nearly 17 points per game while Brady Manek has been a consistent scorer on the wing. But the rest of Oklahoma’s supporting cast has been a little inconsistent since the start of conference play, which forces the Sooners to rely largely on their defense to win games.
Road Warriors
Kansas State is coming off a big road win against Iowa State and has played well on the road most of the season. While the Sooners are strong defensively, so are the Wildcats, which should lead to a close, low-scoring game. Bet on Kansas State beating the 5.5-point spread on the road.
