Oklahoma could pick up a huge win at home against Baylor on Tuesday. After losing to Kansas, it would be a major confidence boost.
Who: 1. Baylor Bears 23-1 (12-0 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma Sooners 16-9 (6-6 Big 12)
When: Tuesday, February 18th at 9 pm ET
Where: Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, OK
TV Schedule: ESPN2
The Oklahoma Sooners and Baylor Bears face off for the final time in the regular season and the Sooners need a statement victory after losing to Kansas.
When these two teams met back in January, the Baylor Bears escaped with a 61-57 victory. Brady Manek was the lone double-figure scorer with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Baylor had three double-figure scorers including a 12 point and 15 rebound performance from senior forward Freddie Gillespie.
The Oklahoma Sooners to this point in the season have a NET ranking of 47 and have struggled against Quad one opponents with a record of 2-8. Losses to Kansas, Baylor and Texas Tech have hurt them but they have had major success against teams in other quadrants. Check out their NET team sheet.
They do a solid job of shooting the ball from the three-point line. Manek and Kristian Doolittle are their best three-point shooters at or above 40 percent.
The Baylor Bears have steamrolled their competition up to this point in the season. They are the second-best team in the NET and they have won 22 straight games going back to the November 15 victory over Texas State 72-63. Despite losing to a quadrant-two opponent in the Washington Huskies, the Bears are undefeated elsewhere. Check out their NET team sheet.
Jared Butler, MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell are double-figure scorers for the Bears and Gillespie averages close to a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds per game. The Bears are a team that can hurt their opponent inside and outside. Teague is a guy who can create his own shot and shoot efficiently from the three-point line.
The Sooners need a win to even the season series. Sweeps by Kansas and Baylor won’t be a good look. A win here would bode well for them as the final stretch begins.
Prediction: Oklahoma 78 – Baylor 70