Unranked Oklahoma (12-5, 3-2) heads to Waco, Texas, to take on the freshly appointed No. 1 Baylor Bears (15-1, 5-0).
The road test will not be easy for the Sooners as Baylor is one of the toughest defenses in the nation, allowing just 58.6 points per game. However, Lon Kruger will counter with a trio of scorers who account for three of the Big 12’s top-10 scorers. Kristian Doolittle (No. 4), Brady Manek (No. 7), and Austin Reaves (No. 8) are going to have to be their best against the Bears.
STAY ELITE ON DEFENSE
Baylor only allows 58.6 points per game. The best way to counter their defense is with equally elite defense. Oklahoma has kept four of their last five opponents under 70 points. Baylor has only surpassed 70 points once in their past five games. For the Sooners, the goal should be to lock down the Bears and not force themselves into a shooting contest. If the latter takes place, Oklahoma could get run out of the gym before the first half is over.
FEED DOO
Kristian Doolittle will be the cornerstone once again for the Sooners. However, Doolittle has not been as dominant over the past two games for Oklahoma. Against Kansas, he faced a near-impossible task of defending Udoh Azubuike, getting into foul trouble for much of the second half. Doolittle managed 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Against TCU, Doolittle took the back seat to Brady Manek’s 31 point outburst. Doolittle finished with 11 points and four rebounds on just nine shots.
Doolittle will have to be the main point of offense against Baylor to allow more floor space for the likes of Manek, Austin Reaves, and De’Vion Harmon.
SOONER MAGIC
This will be Oklahoma’s highest-ranked opponent since they played No. 2 Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The program has yet to defeat a No. 1 ranked team on the road since the AP Poll was introduced in 1949.
However, top-ranked teams have had a tough time picking up wins this season. The No. 1 ranking has turned into somewhat of an unwanted achievement as five teams were ranked No. 1 and lost before Christmas. With the Bears coming close to being upset by Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Baylor showed that they can be caught off guard.
With what happened the last time a Sooners team traveled to Waco, Lon Kruger’s crew cannot be counted out until the final buzzer sounds.
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