Baylor at Oklahoma: 2022-23 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Two Big 12 teams meet, with both hoping to improve their standing; can the Bears continue their winning streak or will the Sooners get their first big conference win?
TV schedule: Saturday, January 21, 4:00 pm ET. ESPN2
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma
Baylor (13-5) has had their share of ups and downs already this season. The Bears have beaten both Gonzaga and UCLA and now have three straight wins, but lost their first three Big 12 contests and got blasted by Marquette in late November. It’s not really a matter of which Baylor team shows up, but will this offense continue to be the high-powered machine it’s been in recent games.
The biggest impact has been had by freshman guard Keyonte George (17.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg), the former Top 10 recruit who has done well in Scott Drew’s system this year. He helps lead a potent backcourt that also features senior guard Adam Flagler (16.0 ppg, 5.3 apg) and junior guard LJ Cryer (14.2 ppg), who both featured on their national championship team from two seasons ago. In the frontcourt, look no further than forward Jalen Bridges (9.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg), whose solid play has helped make up for the loss of Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, still out due to injury.
Baylor sits 21st in the AP Top 25, 17th in KenPom, and 16th in the NET rankings, according to the most recent updates. As teased previously, the offense is really good (3rd in efficiency), and has put up impressive numbers during conference play, even during those early losses. The defense hasn’t exactly been electric recently, but the Bears did just have their most efficient offensive performance in putting up 81 points at Texas Tech earlier in the week.
Across the court, Oklahoma (11-7) could really use a win over a team like Baylor. Their 2-4 start to Big play saw them churn out two close wins over Texas Tech and West Virginia, though they’ve yet to defeat one of the top-tier Big 12 squads. Porter Moser is now in his second year with the Sooners and has a team that looks like it’ll be on the bubble come March.
Clearly, the first name to mention is senior guard Grant Sherfield (17.5 ppg, 3.5 apg), the Nevada transfer who has fit in well in this system and become the focal point of the offense. Oklahoma still fields the two brothers from Eastern Washington, as senior forward Tanner Groves (10.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and guard Jacob Groves (9.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg) are both starters putting up decent numbers. Someone else to mention is freshman guard Milos Uzan (6.5 ppg, 3.3 apg), the top recruit who has now scored in double-digits in three of the Sooners’ last four games.
Unranked all season long, Oklahoma sits at 38th in KenPom but way down at 54th in the NET rankings. Their tough loss Wednesday to Oklahoma State is responsible for that dive, as both offense and defense struggled against the Cowboys in a 16-point loss. Still, this is a great defensive rebounding team that plays above-average offense inside the arc, while also hoping that Sherfield’s 44% clip from outside continues.
Every Big 12 game this season will be a battle and this one is certainly no different. Forget the records or even the current momentum; Baylor may be back on track but winning on the road is not easy in this league. The Bears are going to need those talented guards to take advantage of a Sooners defense that hasn’t been forcing turnovers. On the other side, Oklahoma is going to need a better performance from their bigs, especially if the shots aren’t falling from outside like in some of their recent losses.
Next. Latest Big 12 power rankings. dark
Baylor hunts for a fourth consecutive win while Oklahoma hunts for their first really impressive win of the season. The Sooners have beaten Florida and West Virginia, but knocking off the Bears could really jumpstart things for Moser and company. However, with the way the Bears have been playing recently, we’re going to give them a slight edge, even in a hostile road environment. Expect another nice performance from George in leading this Baylor squad, but don’t be shocked if Sherfield matches or outshines him.