Big 12 Basketball: Kansas, Oklahoma shines, Kansas State upset in Round of 64

Oklahoma and Kansas Pick Up Statement Wins

Both of these teams came into the NCAA Tournament without a lot of confidence as they have both struggled for much of conference play. The Oklahoma Sooners took on 8th seeded Ole Miss while the Kansas Jayhawks took on Northeastern. They both picked up blowout wins in what might’ve been both team’s best game of the season.

You may think a four seed beating a 13 seed shouldn’t be considered a statement win but the way they played on both ends of the floor was very impressive. The Jayhawks won this game 87-53 behind a dominating performance inside as they outscored the Huskies in the paint 50-16.

A big part of Kansas’ dominant performance was the play of their star, Dedric Lawson. He is relied upon so much on the offensive end for a team that struggles to score the ball consistently. In this game, Lawson finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds. The play of freshman point guard Devon Dotson was big as well as he finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

Kansas is able to count on these two every game with Lawson dominating inside while Dotson is able to attack the basket at will in transition. It is the other guys on this team who will need to play well for this team to advance. K.J. Lawson is one of those guys and he chipped in with a big 13 points off of the bench.

The Jayhawks were in control from the get-go against Northeastern and Oklahoma experienced much of the same. The Sooners had four starters score 18 or more points in their 95-72 win. They were very efficient shooting the ball, but the way that they played in other areas were even more impressive.

They forced 11 turnovers while only committing four themselves. The Sooners did a good job playing fast and aggressive, but that didn’t lead to bad mistakes which often is the case.  Oklahoma got off to a good start in this game and they never looked back. Their 58% shooting from the field was the best mark of the season for them.

They’ve been inconsistent all season but they had four players today who played extremely well. Christian James and Rashard Odomes both scored 20 points while Brady Manek finished with 18. Kristian Doolittle was their best player in this game as he had a complete game finishing with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

Both these teams will need to ride this momentum into their next game if they want to advance to the Sweet 16. The Jayhawks will play Auburn on Saturday while the Sooners will take on Virginia on Sunday. Both of these games will be tough, but if these teams play the way they did in their first games they will have to like their chances.