Oklahoma’s defense limits 3s. KU basketball has an answer for that: Opponent breakdown
The Kansas men’s basketball team begins a two-game home stand on Tuesday and faces Big 12 conference foe Oklahoma at Allen Fieldhouse.
The two teams most recently played last February, with the Jayhawks winning 71-69 over the Sooners in Lawrence. KU has won the previous three meetings.
Oklahoma captured its first conference win on Saturday with a 68-63 overtime victory against Texas Tech.
The Sooners present a unique challenge with their high-powered offense that controls the tempo, along with a shifty guard that the Jayhawks have to keep an eye on.
Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game.
Tuesday’s game: No. 2 Kansas vs. Oklahoma
When/where: 8:00 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse
TV/Streaming: ESPN2
Opponent’s record: 10-5, 1-2 Big 12
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) Ranking: 31
All statistics are from KenPom.com, Hoop-Math.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division I competition.
Oklahoma team Strengths
Take the right shots: Oklahoma ranks 10th in effective field goal percentage (56.3). The Sooners are also 21st in three-point percentage (38.2) and 24th in two-point percentage (55.6).
Don’t foul much: OU does a great job of playing defense without fouling. Oklahoma ranks 68th in opposing free throw rate (26.2)
Elite three-point defense: The Sooners are excellent at defending three-pointers. Opposing teams shoot 26.9% from three against OU, a mark that ranks sixth nationally.
Oklahoma team Weaknesses
Rebounding struggles: Oklahoma ranks 331st in rebounds per game (31.67). The Sooners are 338th in offensive rebounding percentage (22.4).
Turnover galore: OU struggles to take care of the basketball. The Sooners average 12.7 turnovers per game, ranking 159th. Most of their turnovers are caused by steals. OU ranks 306th in offensive steal percentage (10.8).
No trust in the bench: Oklahoma coach Porter Moser doesn’t play his bench heavy minutes. The Sooners rank 243rd in bench minutes percentage (28.8)
PLAYER TO WATCH
6-foot-2 senior Grant Sherfield (No. 25)
+ Sharpshooter; he shoots 46.4% from 3.
+ Great free throw shooter (88.0%)
- Not great at taking care of the ball (2.1 turnovers per game)
- Inefficient scorer inside the arc; 35.1% on non-layup two-point attempts
Tale of the Tape
Oklahoma does an excellent job of finding quality shots. Here, forward Devin Groves got double-teamed in the post, but guard Bijan Cortes started to wave his hands and ran inside the arc. Groves spotted Cortes, threw the pass and Cortes dunked in-between two slow-reacting Red Raiders.
KU has to put an emphasis on making sure it keeps track of players — if the Jayhawks lose track of cutters, others must slide over and play help defense.
OU isn’t shy about taking shots behind the arc. Here, guard Milos Usan received the pass from from Sherfield and Usan quickly drained the corner three. KU has to put an emphasis on protecting the corners and limiting the airspace of Oklahoma shooters.
Game Prediction
KU comes in after a dominant 76-62 victory over West Virginia in Morgantown. After dealing with the physical Mountaineers, the Sooners present their own unique challenge.
Oklahoma’s elite offense plays at a slow, methodical pace, ranking 345th in adjusted tempo (63.5). The Sooners will hold the ball and take their time in finding the right shot, which allows them to control the game.
KU’s defense needs to force turnovers and create a little chaos. That’ll allow Kansas to make OU uncomfortable and play the game at the Jayhawks’ own pace.
Kansas’ offense against the OU defense is a fascinating matchup. KU shoots an excellent percentage beyond the arc (38.2), ranking 23rd in the nation. On the flip side, Oklahoma ranks top-10 in opposing team three-point percentage. The Jayhawks’ point of emphasis should be on taking the right three-point shots and not just firing them up.
Though OU enters off a big win against Texas Tech, Kansas should win this game. Allen Fieldhouse is a tough task for any opponent, but Oklahoma lacks the defense to stop a multifaceted KU offense.
Prediction: Kansas 80, Oklahoma 72
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Oklahoma (OU +9.5)
Shreyas’ season record: 6-1
Shreyas’ record against the spread: 5-2
Player of the game: Gradey Dick
After a couple cold games beyond the arc, Dick rediscovered his shooting stroke against WVU. He shot 4-for-6 from three and finished with 16 points. Dick is the best high-volume shooter on the team not only by percentage (48.2%), but by the degree of difficulty and lack of space and time needed to get his shot off. Against one of the best three-point defenses in the league, Dick should be vital.
OU also struggles to rebound the ball, something Dick has put a special emphasis on as of late. If Dick can hit a couple of threes and continue to collect rebounds, Kansas should win with ease.
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
