The big picture There were no shocking results in the midweek games to shake up the standings, although Iowa State made an emphatic statement to those who doubted their undefeated start. The Cyclones thumped Baylor, 87-72, to keep the Bears winless at Hilton Coliseum through 12 all-time visits. DeAndre Kane had a historic performance, scoring 30 points while dishing out nine dimes, swiping five steals, and grabbing eight boards. Kane was just the fourth Division I player to achieve those numbers in a single game. Today’s games Iowa State at Oklahoma; Saturday, 11 A.M. CT (ESPNU) The Cyclones have a dangerous game this morning as they take on the Sooners in Norman. If both teams can actually wake up for the early tip, it’s going to be an exciting, high-scoring affair. Oklahoma’s 74.3 adjusted possessions per game is the 10th-quickest pace in D-I hoops, while Iowa State is currently the 27th-fastest team with 72.2 adjusted possessions per game, according to Ken Pomeroy. The two teams are also both in the Top 11 nationally when it comes to adjusted offensive efficiency, so the scoreboard operator at Lloyd-Noble will likely have a sore finger in the morning. Pomeroy predicts a 91-86 final score in favor of Iowa State. With that many points expected, the game could come down to who can get a few stops late in the game. For Oklahoma, the challenge will be figuring out how to limit the damage from a pair of matchup nightmares in Kane and Georges Niang. The Sooners do match up better with Iowa State than most teams, mirroring their smaller lineup that lacks a true center. Cameron Clark will presumably draw the tough cover of Niang, as Spangler lacks the footspeed to keep up with a forward that can stretch the floor. Even if Clark can handle that challenge, though, the Sooner backcourt will have a very tough time with the big, strong point guard. Look for Coach Hoiberg to exploit that advantage by posting up Kane and letting him work on the smaller OU guards. TCU at Baylor; Saturday, 12:30 P.M. CT (Big 12 Network/ESPN Full Court/ESPN3) The Bears have a prime opportunity to bounce back from their conference-opening loss to the Cyclones as they host TCU this afternoon before traveling to Lubbock on Wednesday night. Although the game is a mismatch on paper, Baylor has to take better care of the basketball if it hopes to avoid a catastrophic upset at home. The Bears have struggled all year with turnovers, but are coming off a horrible performance in Ames where they coughed it up on nearly 26% of their possessions. With Baylor averaging only 64 possessions per game — an adjusted tempo that ranks 329th out of 351 D-I teams — making mistakes that often could keep an overmatched TCU team in the game. The Frogs, meanwhile, have shown improvement following the return of forward Amric Fields. After missing the first three games of the season recovering from knee surgery, Fields broke his hand in the Great Alaska Shootout and missed another four contests. Since his return, the junior has averaged more than 17 points and nearly seven boards in three games. If TCU wants to have any kind of a shot this afternoon, they’ll need a monster game from Fields and freshman center Karviar Shepherd against the huge Baylor front line. Kansas State at Kansas; Saturday, 1 P.M. CT (ESPN) The Wildcats quietly took care of business in Fort Worth on Tuesday night, avoiding a letdown performance against TCU just two days after their big upset of Oklahoma State. The defending co-champs of the Big 12 now boast a 10-game winning streak as they head to Lawrence to square off against their most-hated rivals and the squad with whom they shared last year’s title. History is against the Wildcats, however, as they have won only twice in the last 18 meetings of the Sunflower State rivalry, and have not won at Phog Allen since 2006. Although the Jayhawks faced one of the nation’s toughest non-conference slates, the four losses they have endured are unacceptable in the eyes of demanding KU fans. Kansas certainly has some issues to work on, namely finding someone who will step up in crunch time, and learning how to hang on to the basketball. Bill Self teams always improve from November to March, and this year’s Jayhawk team is one that nobody will want to face in the field of 68. Just don’t try telling that to the Jayhawk faithful if they happen to lose this afternoon. Oklahoma State at West Virginia; Saturday, 3 P.M. CT (Big 12 Network/ESPN Full Court/ESPN3) West Virginia comes into this game with the nation’s 26th-best three-point percentage, having knocked down almost 40% of their looks this season. That long-range attack will certainly be tested this afternoon against an Oklahoma State team that uses a ton of pressure on the perimeter and has frustrated opponents to the tune of a 28.8% mark beyond the arc. Although the Cowboys are clearly the better team on paper, road wins are always tough to earn in conference, so this one could come down to who imposes their will on the perimeter. It’s also worth noting that Oklahoma State is coming off a win against Texas in which the team posted a free-throw rate of 102%, meaning that they actually tried more free throws than field goals. Their guards are quick and have earned a ton of free throws all year thanks to their aggressive play and the new rules emphasis, but they can’t get frustrated this afternoon if they don’t get the calls they are used to. Most refs tend to enjoy living, and if they whistle a physical West Virginia defense for every touch foul, it might be tough for the three-man crew to make it out of the mountains intact. Texas Tech at Texas; Saturday, 7 P.M. CT (LHN) LRT’s full preview of the Texas Tech/Texas game will be available later today. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
