The Texas Longhorns finally earned their first conference win on Saturday night, taking care of a Texas Tech team that should finish the season at the bottom of the Big 12 standings. Texas looked rejuvenated, hustling to loose balls and pressuring the Red Raiders into mistakes. While excitement was certainly tempered by the quality of opponent, geting over that hump and finally earning a league win was a big accomplishment for this young team. After three narrow losses in Big 12 play and a heartbreaking loss to UCLA in the non-con, the win was a much-needed boost of confidence.

With four games still remaining until the return of point guard Myck Kabongo and with Jonathan Holmes out at least three weeks with a broken bone in his hand, the young Longhorns face long odds in trying to climb back towards .500 in league play. Increasing the difficulty level are a pair of tough road trips over the next week, as the Horns head to Kansas State tonight and West Virginia on Monday. Although Texas is just 1-8 away from the Erwin Center and winless in true road games, stealing a victory in either one of those games would go a long way in the team’s fight to get back to the middle of the pack.

Kansas State poses an especially tough test, as their experience far outweighs that of the Longhorns. The Wildcats return essentially everyone from last year’s NCAA-tournament team, having lost only Jamar Samuels and little-used Victor Ojeleye to graduation. Texas has also come up empty in its last two trips to Bramlage Coliseum, while K-State has won 11 out of their last 12 games at the Octagon of Doom.

By the numbers

With almost the entire K-State roster back, it’s no surprise that the team has maintained its stingy defense from the Frank Martin era. On the season, the Wildcats are allowing an adjusted 0.902 points per possession, according to Ken Pomeroy. The Wildcats force mistakes on 22.4% of their defensive possessions and have held opponents to a 46% effective field-goal percentage, both stats that rank in the Top 100 nationally.

However, when you dig a little deeper into the numbers, it’s clear that K-State’s defensive stats have been buoyed a bit by a very strong start against weak non-conference competition. Since the start of Big 12 play, Kansas State’s adjusted defensive efficiency has ballooned to 1.001 points per possession. League opponents have an effective field goal percentage of 49.8% and a free-throw rate of 44.8%. In simpler terms, Big 12 foes are getting to the line to shoot a little more than two free throws for every five field goal attempts.

Another K-State statistic that has seen a precipitous drop since the start of league play is their offensive rebounding percentage. For the year, the Wildcats have reclaimed 39.1% of their missed shots, but have been able to do so only 27.8% of the time against Big 12 opponents. In fact, in Saturday’s loss to Iowa State, KSU posted just a 17.2% mark on the offensive glass. The Wildcats are only an average-shooting bunch, having an effective field goal percentage of 47.7% on the year. That means that offensive rebounds are essential for K-State to keep scoring, so the drop-off in league play is concerning.

The other reason that the Wildcats are able to have an efficient offense despite average shooting is the fact that they value the basketball. Kansas State has a turnover percentage of only 18.9%, and the team has improved that to 17% against Big 12 opponents. Their ability to maximize possessions by not turning it over and getting to missed shots is the reason that their adjusted offensive efficiency is a solid 1.062 points per possession.

That offense has a new look under first-year head coach Bruce Weber. He favors a motion offense with constant cutting across the free-throw line and baseline, eschewing pick and roll sets for dribble handoffs and crisp passing. As a result, the Wildcats have assists on nearly 65% of their buckets, a number that ranks 11th in the nation. That stat also underscores the fact that it can be hard for K-State to score if it doesn’t get looks in the flow of the offense. The team lacks true slashers that can get to the rim or players that can shake a defender to get an open jumper.

That reliance on taking jump shots off of passes also means that the Wildcats don’t get to the line very often. The team’s free-throw rate of 32.3% is ranked in the bottom 100 of Division I’s 347 teams, but that could be a blessing in disguise. When the Wildcats do manage to get to the charity stripe, they make only 64.7% of their attempts.

Meet the Wildcats

The team’s leading scorer is senior Rodney McGruder (No. 22), a player that Texas fans know all too well. In last year’s meeting at Bramlage Coliseum, McGruder poured in 33 points, and he has averaged 19.3 points in four games against Texas. There were some growing pains for the senior at the begining of the season, as he adjusted to his new role in Weber’s offense. Now, he is much better at reading the defense on his cuts and finding open space to receive the pass and get up his shot. McGruder is averaging 18.7 points and has made 44.2% of his threes in Big 12 games.

Whoever is tasked with slowing down McGruder will have to bring their track shoes. The Wildcats will run their star through numerous screens, waiting for just enough of a defensive lapse to get him open for a jumper. If Julien Lewis and the other Texas defenders can stay in McGruder’s shirt and force him to put the ball on the floor, his effectiveness is limited. He has shown at times this season that when opponents deny him open looks on the pass, he can get frustrated enough to start forcing bad, challenged shots off the bounce.

As of late, the other main scoring threat for Kansas State is junior Shane Southwell (No. 1). After coming off the bench in the team’s first nine games, Southwell has been a starter in the last ten. In Big 12 play, he is averaging 11.8 points and has knocked down 48% of his threes. He is a skilled shooter who has a nice midrange jumper, but he is perhaps most dangerous when opponents switch on screens. The 6’6″ Southwell is quick to notice when he has a smaller guard on him, and will isolate those defenders near the hoop for short jumpers and layups.

At the point, sophomore Angel Rodriguez (No. 13) has grown up quite a bit since last season. In the team’s last four games, the once-erratic Rodriguez has posted 26 assists against only three turnovers. For a player that would often over-penetrate and force the ball against set defenders, that improvement is staggering. He still can get defenders on his hip and drive to the rack, but now the sophomore has a better feel for when those opportunities are actually there.

Unfortunately, while Rodriguez has been improving his ball control, his long-range shooting has declined considerably. The Puerto Rican product certainly has range beyond the arc, but he has made only 6-of-28 (21.4%) in the team’s last ten games, dragging his average down to 29.6% on the year. While the Longhorns can’t completely sag off of him, his long-range struggles do mean that they can give him a little space and try to neutralize his driving ability.

In the middle, sophomore Thomas Gipson (No. 42) is a vacuum that keeps the K-State offense humming. Although the Wildcats don’t typically post him up and dump the ball inside, he constantly reclaims missed shots and knows where to go when Rodriguez drives so that he can receive the dump-off and go up strong. Gipson’s offensive rebounding mark of 15.9% is 21st in all of D-I hoops, while his 17.3% mark on the defensive end also ranks just outside the Top 400.

One issue with Gipson’s game is his inability to convert at the line. Although K-State doesn’t get to the stripe very often as a team, he draws a little less than six fouls on opponents per forty minutes. That sends Gipson to the free-throw line around four times per game, where he is only making 57.4% of his attempts.

Rounding out the starting five is three-point marksman Will Spradling (No. 55). Like McGruder, Spradling will have numerous screens set for him in the K-State motion offense, and he has the quick release and accuracy to make opponents pay. On the year, he has made more than 35% of his threes, and has taken more than 67% of his looks from behind the arc. Although the Longhorns are already going to have their hands full trying to shut down McGruder and Southwell, they also cannot afford to lose track of Spradling.

With conference play now in full swing, Coach Weber has shrunk his core rotation to eight players. Senior forward Jordan Henriquez (No. 21) is a familiar face to fans of Big 12 basketball, as his 6’11” frame has made him a defensive presence all four of his years in Manhattan. He has a lot of length — even for a guy that tall — and has great timing, making him a great shot-blocker in the middle.

It’s also worth noting that when Henriquez gets the ball in the post, teams might actually find success simply fouling him. The senior has made just 28.9% of his free throws this year, and is a 50% career shooter at the line.

Fellow senior Martavious Irving (No. 3) plays an important role as the team’s backup point guard, and also brings excellent perimeter defense to the table. Irving is also a threat to pop the three, and has shown no qualms about quickly taking one off the dribble when opponents are paying too much attention to McGruder and Spradling off the ball.

Sophomore forward Nino Williams (No. 11) was a highly touted recruit out of high school, but never found consistent playing time under Coach Martin. He is still just a role player at this point, but is now at least seeing the court every night and averaging 12.5 minutes per game in league play.

Although not a part of that core rotation, freshman forward D.J. Johnson (No. 50) could also see some meaningful minutes in this one. After hardly playing from mid-December to late January, he logged 20 minutes against Iowa State on Saturday and chipped in a block and two boards. At 6’8″ and 250 pounds, he already is an intimidating presence inside, and it looks like he can be a force in the Big 12 by the time his career is finished.

Keys to the game

1) Limit KSU’s offensive rebounds – Closing out defensive possessions with rebounds has been a problem for Texas all season, and that could unfortunately play a huge role in tonight’s game. The Wildcats are generally an average team when it comes to shooting the ball, but they crash the glass and earn second-chance points. The Longhorns allowed a smaller Texas Tech team to reclaim more than 48% of their missed shots on Saturday, and late-game offensive rebounds helped Baylor and West Virginia pull out overtime wins over Texas. Repeating those same mistakes tonight will eliminate any hopes of a Longhorn upset.

2) Communicate on defense – With the constant screening and cutting in Kansas State’s offense, the strong Longhorn defense is going to be tested tonight. Texas needs to recognize who the shooters are and avoid going under screens against them, while also being aware that players like McGruder and Southwell will exploit favorable matchups that can arise from switching screens. If Texas can play sound team defense, the score will be in the range that can give them a shot at pulling off the road win. If not, this Wildcat offense can make their half-court offense look like a clinic.

3) Take care of the basketball – The opening ten minutes of the Oklahoma game and the final minutes of the Kansas loss reminded Texas fans just how bad the turnover bug was for the Longhorns at the beginning of the year. While the youngsters have made vast improvements in that department, the hiccups tend to come back in waves, and often at the worst possible time. Kansas State forces quite a few mistakes with their defense, so the Longhorns must avoid coughing it up tonight. Not only will turnovers waste possessions, but they will often lead to runouts that will get a loud and intimidating Bramlage crowd whipped into even more of a frenzy.

TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Kansas 6 0 W at Kansas State, 59-55 W vs. Oklahoma, 67-54 Mon at West Virginia Sat vs. Oklahoma State Baylor 5 1 W vs. Oklahoma State, 64-54 W at TCU, 82-56 Wed vs. Oklahoma Sat at Iowa State Kansas State 4 2 L vs. Kansas, 59-55 L at Iowa State, 73-67 Wed vs. Texas Sat at Oklahoma Iowa State 4 2 L at Texas Tech, 56-51 W vs. Kansas State, 73-67 Wed at Oklahoma State Sat vs. Baylor Oklahoma 4 2 W vs. Texas, 73-67 L at Kansas, 67-54 Wed at Baylor Sat vs. Kansas State Oklahoma State 3 3 L at Baylor, 64-54 W vs. West Virginia, 80-66 Wed vs. Iowa State Sat at Kansas West Virginia 2 4 W vs. TCU, 71-50 L at Oklahoma State, 80-66 Mon vs. Kansas Sat at Texas Tech Texas Tech 2 5 W vs. Iowa State, 56-51 L at Texas, 73-57 Sat vs. West Virginia Texas 1 5 L at Oklahoma, 73-67 W vs. Texas Tech, 73-57 Wed at Kansas State Sat vs. TCU TCU 0 7 L at West Virginia, 71-50 L vs. Baylor, 82-56 Sat at Texas

The big picture

The Iowa State Cyclones were on both ends of an upset last week, inexplicably dropping a game at Texas Tech before rebounding with a win over Kansas State at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday. Of course, astute sports fans will point out that Iowa State’s win over the Wildcats was only an upset if you pay attention to pollsters, as the Cyclones were four-point favorites despite being unranked.

The loss at Hilton was the second for Kansas State last week, as the Wildcats fell short against KU at home on Tuesday night. They slid from a first-place tie into a three-way tie for third, with a big game coming up at Oklahoma on Saturday. Both teams are 4-2, and although we are not even halfway through the conference schedule, it’s hard to imagine that the loser still has a hope to even tie for the league title. The Jayhawks are favored to win in every game they have left, according to Ken Pomeroy. With odds like that, it’s hard to believe that KU could drop three games down the stretch.

The only team that is still a game behind the unblemished Jayhawks are the Baylor Bears, but it’s hard to tell how much of their record is a result of their easy opening schedule. Baylor has four wins against the bottom three teams in the conference, with two of those victories coming against cellar-dwelling TCU. Baylor’s other win came at home against an Oklahoma State team that has won only one Big 12 road game in its last 22 trips. This week’s games against Oklahoma and at Iowa State should clarify where the Bears truly belong in the league pecking order.

Weekday games

Kansas at West Virginia; Monday, 8 P.M. CT (ESPN)

West Virginia makes its first Big Monday appearance as a member of the Big 12, and will also be facing Kansas for the first time in school history. The Jayhawks are riding a 17-game winning streak and ascended to the top spot in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll, having dispatched both Kansas State and Oklahoma last week.

Kansas has been easily handling most opponents, leading by double-digits at some point in every game except for the loss to Michigan State and the comeback win at Texas. It’s likely they will do the same against West Virginia tonight, as the Mountaineers make less than 30% of their threes and will also have a tough time scoring inside against block-machine Jeff Withey.

Oklahoma at Baylor; Wednesday, 6 P.M. CT (ESPNU)

Oklahoma has been a pleasant surprise in Lon Kruger‘s second season at the helm. Senior Romero Osby is peaking at just the right time, averaging 18 points and seven boards in Big 12 play. The frontcourt battle between OU’s Osby and Amath M’Baye and Baylor’s Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson should be a blast to watch. All four love to stretch the floor and should open things up for their shot-creating guards.

The other interesting matchup will be on the perimeter, where Oklahoma is limiting opponents to just 31% accuracy on three-point attempts. The Bears are one of the nation’s better long-range teams, knocking down 35.5% of their threes against D-I opponents. If Oklahoma can manage that kind of defensive success against the likes of Pierre Jackson and Brady Heslip, the Sooners have to like their chances with a much more experienced frontcourt.

Texas at Kansas State; Wednesday, 7 P.M. CT (ESPN2)

The Texas/Kansas State preview will be available on Wednesday.

Iowa State at Oklahoma State; Wednesday, 7 P.M. CT (Big 12 Network/ESPN3.com)

Without looking it up, can you guess what year it was when the Cyclones last won at Gallagher-Iba Arena? If you picked sometime this century, you need to go a little further back. Don’t name a year during the Clinton administration, either. As hard as it is to believe, Iowa State has not won a game at Oklahoma State since March of 1988. Although Iowa State only traveled to Stillwater every other season during the 12-team era of the Big 12 Conference, they did make annual trips during the Big 8 days. All told, that’s 17 consecutive road losses over 24 years for ISU at Gallagher-Iba. To put it another way, Fred Hoiberg was still just a pimply-faced teenager at Ames High School when the Cyclones last tasted victory in Stillwater.

Historical context aside, this is a huge game for both teams. Oklahoma State has continued their struggles on the road in conference play, making their defense of home-court advantage even more important if they want to finish near the top of the standings. Iowa State, on the other hand, sacrificed what should have been essentially a gimme-game at Texas Tech. To make up that lost ground, they now have to steal a road game or two against tougher competition.

It has been a rough season for the Texas Longhorns, who are sitting at 0-5 in conference play for the first time in nearly 40 years. They will need a miraculous finish to avoid missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in Rick Barnes’ 15 seasons on the 40 Acres, and they just lost sophomore forward Jonathan Holmes for at least three weeks with a broken bone in his hand.

If there were ever an opponent the Longhorns would be happy to see in their current funk, it would be the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Barnes is a perfect 14-0 against Texas Tech at the Erwin Center, and the Red Raiders are in the midst of their own disappointing season. Interim head coach Chris Walker is trying to put the pieces together in Lubbock after the program lost coach Billy Gillispie less than two weeks before the start of practice.

The Longhorns still have five games to play without sophomore guard Myck Kabongo, who will miss 23 contests this season due to an NCAA suspension. With Texas Tech and TCU both coming to the Erwin Center during that five-game stretch, the Longhorns have the chance to build a little bit of confidence and momentum before Kabongo’s return. Texas’ schedule is favorable for the final eight games, so there is still time to right the ship and battle for a post-season bid, even if the NCAAs are ultimately out of reach.

By the numbers

The Red Raiders struggle even more than the Longhorns when it comes to scoring, although the margin is razor-thin. Texas Tech has posted an adjusted offensive efficiency mark of 0.948 points per possession, according to Ken Pomeroy. The Longhorns, meanwhile, average an adjusted 0.951 points each time down the court.

Tech’s inability to score is the result of very poor shooting, especially from outside. The team has made only 26.5% of its three-point attempts this season, the ninth-worst mark in all of Division I hoops. Tech has just two players who have made more than 30% of their three pointers, and that pair has combined to average just over two makes per game. That long-range futility means that opponents can sag way off of the perimeter on defense, making it harder for the Red Raiders to get the ball into the paint.

Knowing that Tech faces packed-in defenses, it might come as a surprise that the team has a two-point field goal percentage that is currently ranked 68th in the country. The Red Raiders make just over 50% of their shots from inside the arc, thanks to easy looks on putbacks and dribble penetration from guards and wings. The team’s 35.3% offensive rebounding mark is 70th in the country, while their assist percentage of 44.3 ranks in the bottom 20 nationally.

Early in the year, the Red Raiders were getting out and pushing the tempo. However, in conference play, Coach Walker has taken the air out of the ball in an attempt to shorten the game and increase his overmatched team’s odds to pull off the upset. Although Tech is averaging 69.1 possessions per game, that number has plummeted to just 64 possessions per game in Big 12 contests.

While the strategy has only led to one upset, it is keeping the Red Raiders competitive for longer against much better opponents. Tech trailed Kansas by just two and Oklahoma by five at halftime in each of those games, but went on to lose by 14 and 16 points, respectively. The Red Raiders also hung with Oklahoma State for about 14 minutes in their game, staying within three points. The Pokes blew Tech out of the water over the final 26 minutes, outscoring their opponents by 31 over that stretch.

Meet the Red Raiders

The key player for Texas Tech is actually their sixth man, 6’7″ junior forward Jaye Crockett (No. 30). Crockett can knock down midrange jumpers and threes, but has suffered from the same shooting inconsistencies that have plagued the entire team. Fortunately, he has a nice repertoire of post moves that he can use against defenders of all sizes and is usually able to get to the rack, even through contact. Crockett has also shown a very nice turnaround jumper throughout his career at Tech, so he’s still able to score near the paint even when opponents play sound defense.

Crockett also leads the team with eight rebounds per game, and has a defensive rebounding rate that is just outside the Top 50 nationally. Crockett reclaims 24.1% of opponents’ missed shots when he is on the court, and also snags 11.3% of his offensive rebounding opportunities.

Fellow 6’7″ forward Jordan Tolbert (No. 32) is also a big part of Tech’s success on the glass, but he does his work as a member of the starting five. The sophomore is also ranked nationally in both rebounding categories, grabbing 11.6% of his offensive opportunities and 19.9% of his chances on the defensive end. Although he averages only 8.5 points per game, his rebounding contributions and interior presence on D are key for a team that is relatively undersized.

The other big man in Tech’s starting five is 6’11” junior Dejan Kravic (No. 11), who transferred to Lubbock from York University in Ontario. Kravic has been very impressive in his short stint on the High Plains, showing off an old-school kind of game. He can use either hand in the post and has an incredibly soft touch on his numerous hook shots and floaters. Although his shot is unorthodox, it’s effective. At times, it can look like Kravic is almost pushing the ball over the rim and down into the basket.

At the point, Josh Gray (No. 5) has been very impressive at times, but has also had his share of freshman mistakes. Gray is lightning quick with the ball and can make passes when it looks like there is no opening, but he also tends to over-penetrate and sometimes forces shots against good defense or early in the shot clock. While it looks like Gray will be a very good point guard in the near future, at this point the results are still mixed.

Freshman Dusty Hannahs (No. 2) has worked his way into the starting lineup, earning the nod in all six Big 12 games so far. He was Player of the Year in Arkansas as a high school senior, and is Tech’s only real three-point threat this season. Hannahs has knocked down 39.4% of his long-range attempts, but is averaging just 6.5 points in his 19 minutes per game. Although he has shown the ability to drive and sink a floater in the lane, more than 68% of his buckets have come from behind the arc.

Junior Jamal Williams, Jr. (No. 23) is the final member of the starting five, hailing from Brooklyn. He arrived at Tech via the juco route, playing his first two seasons at Lake Land College in Illinois. Williams plays excellent perimeter defense, frustrating opposing guards who like to use dribble penetration. At 6’4″, he also provides some quality defensive rebounding from the wings, reclaiming more than 10% of opponents’ misses.

Off the bench, Tech relies on a trio of options in the backcourt. Daylen Robinson (No. 10) is another juco transfer who can give backup minutes at the point, but often plays out of control. His even assist-to-turnover ratio of 1:1 underscores that inconsistent level of play.

Toddrick Gotcher (No. 20) is still considered a freshman after playing just nine games last year and using his medical redshirt. He brings some length and strength to the perimeter in his 6’4″ frame.

Senior Ty Nurse (No. 4) is averaging just over 12 minutes per game and is having a very difficult final season. He averages less than a point each night and has made only 10.3% of his threes, a shocking drop from the 38.8% mark he posted as a junior. Nurse had made an immediate splash in Lubbock, scoring 29 points in his first game with Tech last year. He started 24 of the team’s 30 games and led the team in minutes played, so the drop-off in his senior year is surprising and disappointing.

Keys to the game

1) Deny second and third chances – The Longhorns still have the nation’s best defense, as measured by effective field-goal percentage. Unfortunately, their defensive efficiency has been killed by sending opponents to the line and allowing them too many offensive rebounds.

While Texas Tech is a very poor shooting team, they have shown a willingness to crash the glass and they extend possessions as a result. The Red Raiders have preferred to slow Big 12 games down, so the importance of each and every possession will be magnified tonight. Texas has to close out its defensive stops with rebounds, as a few second chance baskets here or there could be the difference in a low-scoring battle.

2) Protect the basketball – The first ten minutes of the Texas/Oklahoma game on Monday night looked like something out of Keystone Cops or a Buster Keaton film. The Longhorns coughed it up on eight of their first ten possessions, yet still remained in the game.

One thing the Tech defense actually does well is force turnovers, as the Red Raiders cause mistakes on 22.3% of their opponents possessions. As outlined above, this will be a low-possession game where every trip down the court will be crucial. Wasting possessions with miscues could keep the Longhorns winless in conference play.

3) Keep the bigs out of foul trouble – With Holmes out of commission, the Longhorn frontcourt will likely be a rotating cast of characters. Cameron Ridley and Prince Ibeh were caught biting on pump fakes against Romero Osby on Monday night, and the fouls piled up as a result.

Tech’s Kravic has proven to be a very crafty big man, so the Longhorn forwards cannot afford to make the same mistakes tonight. Ridley, Ibeh, Holmes, and Connor Lammert are going to have their hands full with Kravic, Tolbert, and Crockett, and having to play with foul trouble is only going to make things tougher. The youngsters need to play sound defense and stand tall in the hopes of avoiding dumb fouls underneath.

It has been 15 years since the Texas Longhorns opened conference play with four losses, a depth which the program had never reached under Coach Rick Barnes before Saturday’s heartbreaking loss to Kansas. With little time to prepare for tonight’s road game against Oklahoma, the Horns will have to rebound quickly if they want to avoid making even more unfortunate history.

Texas has not opened conference play with five straight losses since Leon Black was at the helm in 1975-76. There were some close calls in between, with both the 1982-83 and 1983-84 squads dropping four before stopping the bleeding in their fifth game. Those reprieves were temporary, however, as the 1983-84 team ended up losing nine of its first 10 Southwest Conference games and the 1982-83 team finished 1-15 in the league.

The Longhorns showed a lot of promise in their upset bid against Kansas on Saturday, so there’s hope that they can avoid that 0-5 start tonight. Texas has now proven it has the talent to compete with anyone in the league, but these young Longhorns have to also prove that they have the moxie to actually close out their opponents.

By the numbers

Like most Lon Kruger teams, these Sooners play tough defense and value the basketball. Oklahoma is allowing opponents an adjusted efficiency mark of just 0.918 points per possession, while coughing it up on only 18.9% of their own possessions. While that turnover percentage is not nearly as miserly as that of Kruger’s UNLV teams, the Sooners definitely limit their mistakes on the offensive end.

That ability to make possessions count is very important for a team that doesn’t actually shoot the ball very well. OU’s effective field goal percentage is only 47.2%, more than a full point below the national average. That number is dragged down by poor outside shooting, as the Sooners make only 32.2% of their three-point attempts.

The other aspect of Oklahoma’s offense that makes up for their poor shooting is an ability to extend possessions with offensive rebounds. The Sooners are ranked 63rd in the country in OR%, grabbing 35.8% of their missed shots. Add in that solid work on the glass with the low number of turnovers, and OU is currently ranked 60th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 1.072 points per possession.

As for that tough defense, the Sooners lock down the perimeter and keep their opponents off the line. Oklahoma opponents have made only 30.4% of their three-point attempts this season, one of the fifty best defensive marks on the perimeter. OU also only gives away about three free throw attempts for every ten field goals, a defensive FTR that ranks in the Top 70. Although Texas has not proven it can take advantage at the line, it is unlikely that they will get many attempts at the charity stripe against this Sooner D.

Meet the Sooners

In the second year under Coach Kruger, the Oklahoma roster has quickly come together with a nice blend of youth and experience, giving the Sooners a very deep bench. Oklahoma returns all five starters from last year’s team, but the bench is so deep that three of them are now reserves.

Senior guard Steven Pledger (No. 2) is one of the two returning starters who has held on to his role in the starting five. He has a deadly three-point shot and is mostly a catch-and-shoot guy who does not attack the rim that often. After a scorching 5-for-9 start behind the arc in the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe, Pledger has cooled off a bit, but is still sinking nearly 37% of his threes.

The other returning starter who is still in the starting five is forward Romero Osby (No. 24). The former Mississippi State Bulldog is tops on the team in both points and rebounds, scoring 13.6 per game to go with 6.4 boards. Osby is a very tough matchup because he has good handles, can move quickly, and has a nice midrange game. Although Oklahoma likes to isolate him on the block and use cross-screens to free him up for easy hoops, Osby loves to face up defenders near the free throw line and quickly drive to the rack.

Fellow transfer forward Amath M’Baye (No. 22) also presents the same matchup problems. Although M’Baye cannot hit the three like Osby can, he also has a good midrange game and the ability to take other forwards off the bounce. The pair of forwards are also tenacious on the glass, with their individual rebounding percentages ranking in the top 500 nationally on both ends of the court. M’Baye snags more than 10% of his offensive rebounding opportunities, a huge reason why the Sooners are still successful on offense despite poor shooting numbers.

In the backcourt, the Sooners are getting instant production from freshman Buddy Hield (No. 3), an exciting kid from the Bahamas. Although he’s not technically the team’s point guard, Hield leads the starters with two assists per game and rebounds incredibly well for a 6’3″ guard. He knows where the ball is likely to carom off a miss and manages to slip through the defense to steal boards from bigger players.

Although he’s a great facilitator and board man, Hield is truly a scorer at heart. He has a nice outside shot, smooth midrange jumper, and is great at slashing to the rack. That ability to penetrate is key on a team that doesn’t log many assists. Hield’s drives force defenses to help and rotate, which often opens up the bigs underneath or Pledger behind the arc.

At the point, freshman Je’lon Hornbeak (No. 5) is still adjusting to the college game. On a team that doesn’t turn it over often, Hornbeak is the one who makes the miscues that has coaches scratching their heads. He has a great ability to shift speeds and get into the heart of the defense, but his primary problem is that he frequently gets locked into his highest gear. Many of his turnovers are a result of playing too fast and out of control, so once he masters the art of slowing down and taking what the defense gives, his game will quickly elevate.

When Hornbeak is playing off the ball, he is also a threat from outside. The freshman has made nearly 38% of his threes, including a perfect 2-for-2 performance in the team’s win over in-state rival Oklahoma State.

With the freshman and Wyoming transfer M’Baye now in the starting lineup, Sam Grooms (No. 1) now comes off the bench, just a year after starting every single game. Even while dealing with a pair of bad ankles, Grooms is still the team’s best facilitator, which is why he’s averaging more than 21 minutes in conference play. The senior is truly a pass-first point guard, and he leads the team with 41 assists despite coming off the bench.

Junior swingman Cameron Clark (No. 21) is also a demoted starter, and that new role means he doesn’t have to score quite as many points this year. Clark broke out late in his sophomore campaign with 42 points in a three-game February stretch, but is averaging just 6.3 points per game this year. He is typically serving as an undersized four when he’s on the court this season, but he still manages to scrap for offensive rebounds and putbacks. Clark also enjoys a matchup advantage against slower forwards, as he spreads the court with his jump shot and can take those defenders off the bounce.

Senior forward Andrew Fitzgerald (No. 4) is the third displaced starter on Oklahoma’s roster, and his minutes have been cut drastically. After averaging 28 minutes and 12 points per game last year, Fitzgerald has played 16.1 minutes per game this year and is averaging less than six points. Although he’s 6’8″, Fitzgerald loves to hang out on the baseline and pop fifteen-foot jumpers. His affinity for the midrange game also hampers his ability to make a difference on the glass, a big reason why his role has been reduced this season.

Freshman Isaiah Cousins (No. 11) rounds out the core rotation. After starting the first 10 games of the year, Cousins was replaced by Hield in the starting five. The 6’3″ guard from New York has a nice driving game, but his inability to score from outside allows defenses to sag off and take away that penetration.

Keys to the game

1) Force mistakes – While the Sooners generally take good care of the basketball, they have had stretches of sloppy play this season. In the team’s loss to Kansas State on Saturday, the Sooners ended 25.7% of their possessions with a turnover. The Sooners have scored less than one point per possession in just six of their 16 games, and four of those performances came when Oklahoma posted a turnover percentage north of 21%. If the Longhorns want to slow down an efficient OU offense, they will have to force the Sooners to waste some possessions.

Unfortunately, Texas does not typically force many turnovers. Saturday’s game against Kansas showed that they have that ability, though, and it also showed just how quickly the Texas D can fuel a run. If the Longhorns can put some pressure on Hornbeak and force miscues, they can hopefully get a few easy buckets in transition and avoid having to face a stout Oklahoma defense in the halfcourt.

2) Clean up the defensive glass – Oklahoma is not a good shooting team, but they do a great job getting to their misses and scoring second-chance points. Texas started well on the defensive glass against Baylor, West Virginia, and Kansas, but gave up key boards in the final minutes of all of those close losses. The Longhorns have to close out possessions with defensive rebounds for the whole 40 minutes if they want to get a road win at Lloyd Noble tonight.

3) Get the shooters going – The Sooners had major issues keeping up with Will Spradling and Rodney McGruder in Manhattan on Saturday. Although there’s not nearly as much motion in the Texas offense as there is in K-State’s, the Longhorns still work hard setting screens for Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis. Those two are going to get their share of open looks as the Sooner defense tries switching on screens, so they have to be ready to shoot and need to knock down their looks from the opening whistle.

4) Control tempo – Oklahoma is not a team that is going to get out and run, but the Longhorns still need to make sure that this game is played at their pace. The Sooners have a much deeper roster, an advantage that is going to be even more important with these two teams playing on only about 48 hours of rest. If the game does happen to speed up, tired legs could cost Texas in the final minutes. For a team that is already struggling to close out games, that will only make things tougher.

TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Kansas 4 0 W vs. Baylor, 61-44 W at Texas, 64-59 Tue at Kansas State Sat vs. Oklahoma Kansas State 4 0 W at TCU, 67-54 W vs. Oklahoma, 69-60 Tue vs. Kansas Sat at Iowa State Baylor 3 1 L at Kansas, 61-44 W vs. Hardin Simmons, 107-38 Mon vs. Oklahoma State Sat at TCU Iowa State 3 1 W vs. West Virginia, 69-67 W at TCU, 63-50 Wed at Texas Tech Sat vs. Kansas State Oklahoma 3 1 W vs. Texas Tech, 81-63 L at Kansas State, 69-60 Mon vs. Texas Sat at Kansas Oklahoma State 2 2 W vs. Texas Tech, 79-45 Mon at Baylor Sat vs. West Virginia West Virginia 1 3 L at Iowa State, 69-67 L at Purdue, 79-52 Wed vs. TCU Sat at Oklahoma State Texas Tech 1 4 L at Oklahoma, 81-63 L at Oklahoma State, 79-45 Wed vs. Iowa State Sat at Texas Texas 0 4 L vs. Kansas, 64-59 Mon at Oklahoma Sat vs. Texas Tech TCU 0 5 L vs. Kansas State, 67-54 L vs. Iowa State, 63-50 Wed at West Virginia Sat vs. Baylor

The big picture

Kansas and Kansas State emerged unscathed at the top of the league standings after a week in which both knocked off other undefeated contenders. The Jayhawks suffocated Baylor on Big Monday, holding the Bears to 23.2% shooting from the field en route to a 61-44 victory. On Saturday, Kansas State took care of Oklahoma at Bramlage Coliseum, setting up a battle for first place in the Sunflower State showdown on Tuesday night.

While the Jayhawks looked dominant throughout December, they have survived some close calls in Big 12 play, needing a Ben McLemore three to force overtime against Iowa State and a furious second-half comeback to escape Austin with a win. The Octagon of Doom has tripped up Kansas in recent years, with the Wildcats snagging two victories against their hated rivals in the last five meetings at Bramlage.

Iowa State continued to take care of business, but the Cyclones certainly made it interesting. They led West Virginia by as many as 18 points in the second half on Wednesday night, but once again gave up a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation. If the Cyclones were having flashbacks to the McLemore heroics, they definitely didn’t show it. Will Clyburn raced up the court and hit Georges Niang under the basket for the game-winner with 2.3 seconds to go.

The Cyclones followed that exciting victory with an easy road win against league doormat TCU, keeping them just a game behind the league leaders. With another winnable road game against Texas Tech up next on Wednesday night, the Cyclones should be sitting at 4-1 in conference when they host Kansas State for a huge game on Saurday.

The bottom half of the league held steady last week as the league’s top teams added victories against the second division. Although Texas put a scare into the Jayhawks and West Virginia charged back at Iowa State, the league’s two worst squads scuttled through another week of action. TCU slid to 0-5 after losses to both Kansas State and Iowa State. The Horned Frogs logged only 0.827 points per possession against the Cyclones, but that futility was nothing in comparison to Tech’s. After losing by 18 to Oklahoma, the Red Raiders were blown out by 34 in Stillwater on Saturday, managing just 0.686 points per possession against the Pokes.

Weekday games

Oklahoma State at Baylor; Monday, 4:30 P.M. CT (ESPN)

Until they can get the monkey off their collective back, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will always be the team that can’t win on the road. Under Coach Travis Ford, OSU is 6-29 in Big 12 road games, with only one win in their last 21 conference games away from Gallagher-Iba. Last season, the team’s trip to Waco was a nightmare, with Baylor coasting to a 106-65 win at the Ferrell Center.

While it will be interesting to see if Philip Jurick and Michael Cobbins can handle unorthodox big men Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson, the key matchup could be on the perimeter. Baylor has allowed opponents to hit more than 34% of their threes on the year, a mark that is in the bottom half of D-I. OSU has a dead-eye shooter in Phil Forte that could propel his team to a road upset if he’s left unchecked behind the arc.

Both of these teams were considered preseason contenders who could challenge Kansas at the top of the Big 12. Neither has looked like a championship-caliber team so far in conference play, but the winner could make a statement in this nationally-televised game.

Texas at Oklahoma; Monday, 8:30 P.M. CT (ESPN)

LRT’s preview of the Texas/Oklahoma game will be available later this morning.

Kansas at Kansas State; Tuesday, 7 P.M. CT (Big 12 Network/ESPN3.com)

There will be a ton of experience on the court when the Big 12’s biggest rivalry heats back up on Tuesday night, with first place on the line. The Jayhawks start four seniors, while nearly everyone is back for a K-State squad that has three upperclassmen in the starting lineup. Although this is a Top 15 matchup, basketball fans across the country will have to get to their laptops to see the action. The game is on the Big 12 Network, so folks who are not in a market with an affiliate will have to use ESPN3 if they don’t pony up for the Full Court package.

All eyes will be on Elijah Johnson Tuesday night as he looks to bounce back from a very disappointing showing in Austin. Wildcat guard Angel Rodriguez has very quick hands on the perimeter, and the K-State defense forces opponents to turn it over on nearly 23% of their possessions. When the Jayhawks dug an 11-point hole against the Longhorns, turnovers were the catalyst. If EJ and the ‘Hawks have the same kind of issues in a very hostile road environment, that 15-game KU winning streak could be in jeopardy.

TCU at West Virginia; Wednesday, 6:30 P.M. CT (ESPN2)

West Virginia has lost three times by a combined total of 13 points in its inaugural Big 12 season. In the team’s one league win, they needed a last-minute rally and overtime to knock off Texas. While all of those tight games have likely turned some stomachs into knots in Morgantown, there’s little chance that any Pepto Bismol will be needed on Wednesday night. West Virginia should cruise to a victory over a depleted TCU team that struggles to score, hopefully building some confidence and momentum for the ‘Eers. With a road game against Oklahoma State and a visit from KU looming on the horizon, they will certainly need it.

Iowa State at Texas Tech; Wednesday, 8 P.M. CT (ESPNU)

While Iowa State proved it can play with the league’s best in a heartbreaking loss at Allen Fieldhouse, the team has yet to face any other true contenders. The Cyclones have marched through the easy part of their schedule, reeling off three consecutive wins against the league’s bottom four teams.

Although teams have been known to stumble when visiting Lubbock, Wednesday night should offer ISU another chance to log an effortless victory before the competition toughens up. As long as the Cyclones don’t get caught looking ahead, they should be sitting comfortably in second place before a key eight-day stretch pits them against K-State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State.