How Dajuan Harris can help Jayhawks defeat elite OSU defense: KU opponent breakdown
After a nine-day layoff, the Kansas men’s basketball team is officially back and ready to open Big 12 conference play against Oklahoma State on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
KU has won three straight games against the Cowboys and hasn’t lost to them in Lawrence since 2018.
This time around, Oklahoma State is coming off an 81-58 victory over Texas A&M CC.
Coach Mike Boynton leads a defensively stout Cowboys team. Oklahoma State had held teams to worse than 40-percent shooting from the field in 14 straight games dating back to last year.
Plus, the Cowboys have a star big man that could cause matchup issues for an undersized Kansas team.
Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game.
Saturday’s game: No. 4 Kansas vs. Oklahoma State
When/where: 1:00 P.M., Allen Fieldhouse
TV/Streaming: CBS
Opponent’s record: 8-4
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) Ranking: 29
All statistics are from KenPom.com, Hoop-Math.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division I competition.
Oklahoma State Team Strengths
Defense first: Oklahoma State ranks fifth in the nation in opposing field goal percentage (41.6) and 10th in opposing three-point percentage (26.9)
Protect the paint: The Cowboys rank 10th in block percentage (15.5) and 22nd in blocks per game (5.2)
Crash the glass: Oklahoma State does a great job of collecting rebounds, ranking 26th in rebounds per game (39.7) and 27th in offensive rebounding percentage (35).
Oklahoma State Weaknesses
Cough up the ball: Oklahoma State ranks 318th in turnover percentage (21.7) and averages 14.8 turnovers a game, which ranks 330th.
Old school play: The Cowboys struggle to shoot the three, ranking 218th in three-point percentage (32.5), and they don’t take a lot of shots beyond the arc in general. Only 37.4% of their total field goal attempts are threes, ranking 192th
No trust in the bench: Coach Boyton only plays his bench players for 30.2% of available minutes, ranking 200th.
PLAYER TO WATCH
7-foot-1 junior forward Moussa Cisse (No. 33)
+ Has five double-doubles in 12 games, which ranks second in the Big 12 to KU’s Jalen Wilson
+ Great rim protector. He ranks fourth in the nation in blocks per game (2.9).
+ Elite rebounder who averages 10.8 rebounds per game
- Not much of a passer, averaging 0.6 assists per game
- He struggles at the free throw line (42.9%)
Tale of the Tape
Cisse is a problem inside. Here, he received a pass between two defenders, held the ball high and swiveled into a dunk.
His height is a massive advantage over a KU team that relies on 6-foot-7 forward KJ Adams to play the center. KU will have to bring in timely doubles, rotate well defensively and deny Cisse the ball as much as possible.
No fastbreak points are guaranteed against the Cowboys. Here it looks like an easy fastbreak for Texas A&M CC, but Oklahoma State guard Avery Anderson had other ideas.
The Texas A&M CC player threw up a layup, but Anderson came running in to get a block and tumbled into the first row in the process. Kansas has to be diligent about taking smart shots and being aware of defenders around them on fast breaks and in the paint.
Game Prediction
KU comes in off a break in play but is firing on all cylinders. The Jayhawks have won five straight games, including a recent 68-54 win over Harvard
This is a huge test for KU right off the bat in a conference opener. The Cowboys are defensively stout and could really shut down the paint if the Jayhawks don’t move the ball well.
In Kansas’ game against Indiana, Trayce Jackson-Davis had nine blocks. Moussa Cisse is a much better rim protector, and if the Jayhawks are careless with the shots they take, he will make them pay.
On the flip side, the Cowboys have been a lot better on offense as of late, shooting 43.4% from the field and 36.5% from behind the arc in their last five games.
Still, the offensive consistency isn’t there yet. And even if Cisse gives KU issues with his size, he doesn’t have the offensive skill to win the game by himself. I think this will be a close game and a bit of a slugfest, but that KU pulls out.
Give me KU by a small margin.
Kansas 72, Oklahoma State 65
Shreyas’ season record: 4-0
Player to watch: Dajuan Harris
Harris’ play in games shows up far beyond the stat sheet. He’s the player KU relies upon to set the tempo, run the offense and direct the floor. He should be pivotal in this game where KU is coming off a break in play and plays against a tough, defense-focused conference opponent. In a game like this, having his veteran presence is important. Harris can settle Kansas down if the Jayhawks get rattled or start slow. If Harris can play his usual hard-nosed defense and make sure he sets up his teammates for quality shots, KU should roll to victory.
