Oklahoma (16-8, 6-5) is seeking its first road win against No. 3 Kansas (21-3, 10-1) since 1993. However, not all hope should be lost for Sooners fans.
Lon Kruger’s squad has been on a near-constant ascent since the start of Big 12 play. With the exception of two road losses against Iowa State and Kansas State, Oklahoma has been improving over the last month and a half. With the emergence of Alondes Williams and big productions from Brady Manek and Kristian Doolittle sprinkled in over the past four weeks, the Sooners have yet to reach their peak.
With that being said, Oklahoma will be fighting an uphill battle Saturday morning.
BIG PLAY BRADY
Brady Manek will be the number one barometer of how the game will go for the Sooners. In the first matchup between these two teams, Manek’s main job was to harass Udoh Azubuike on the defensive end of the floor. A tough task, but nonetheless Manek passed the test, forcing Azubuike into foul trouble early in the second half.
Once again, Manek will have to put his offensive abilities second and focus on being a thorn in the big man’s side for all 40 minutes. Any offense out of Manek will be welcomed with open arms, but more important will be forcing Azubukie into poor shots.
DOO EVERYTHING
Kristian Doolittle will also be tasked with Azubuike, helping Manek and Kur Kuath depending on who is on the floor. With Doolittle being the hotter hand heading into the game, he will have to stretch the floor offensively, drawing Jayhawk bigs out of the paint with his shot-making abilities. Even if he misses, Kuath and Manek should be able to generate offensive rebounds if Kansas respects Doolittle’s offensive prowess like they should.
PLAY A FULL FORTY
In the last matchup, Oklahoma stuck with the Jayhawks for the better part of 30 minutes. The final 10 minutes in Norman was where it went wrong for the Sooners. Playing as a team and not pressing when Kansas gets a run will pay off big time when it comes down to it.
Add in a few solid performances from guys like Alondes Williams, De’Vion Harmon, Austin Reaves, Jamal Bieniemy, and Kur Kuath and the Sooners may just leave Phog Allen Fieldhouse with the program’s first win in Lawrence since the Billy Tubbs era.
Oklahoma and Kansas are set to tip-off at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
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