Kansas Basketball has had a hard time with Oklahoma State this season. The Cowboys will be going for a rare hat trick against the Jayhawks in round 2.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys handled the horrific Sooners in the first round much like they handled the Jayhawks in both meetings earlier this season, a first for Kansas Basketball. It would be quite the feat for first year coach Mike Boynton and his Cowboys to win a third.
Bill Self has never lost three times to an opponent in the same season at Kansas. Self had never lost twice before this season. In order for Kansas to stop this miniature streak, they will have to do it without the player with the nation’s best field goal percentage. Udoka Azubuike will the miss the entirety of the Big 12 tournament due to a sprained knee.
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Udoka has been vital to the Jayhawks success this season and Kansas hasn’t been able to beat Oklahoma State with him. Kansas will have to have a different game plan going up against the Cowboys this time around, which could work in Kansas’ favor.
Silvio De Sousa will have to be a spark for Kansas in this one. Mitch Lightfoot will get the larger group of minutes with De Sousa taking Lightfoot’s original minutes. As of late, De Sousa has played exceptionally well compared to the first two months of the calendar year. Perhaps some tournament magic can happen.
The good news, the Jayhawks can only afford one more loss. The next loss they take will be their last of the season. For whatever reason, the Pokes have had Kansas on the ropes, making the Jayhawks look almost pathetic at times.
The Jayhawks are Big 12 champions, again. Many that know more than I believe Kansas will be a 1 seed in the big tourney, but that may be hard to accomplish against the Cowboys. If the Cowboys beat Kansas, that should more than likely push them back to a 2 seed. Either seed shouldn’t hurt Kansas either way.
Bill Self, in a very short amount of time, must figure out how an already shorthanded squad moves forward with the Udoka injury. It’s a steep hill to climb. He has a certain point guard to help him. Devonte’ Graham, Big 12 player of the year, can have a really nice day. So can Svi Mykhailiuk. If those two can get Malik Newman and Lagerald Vick to stay with it, the sky is the limit. At least the low hanging clouds.
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An early afternoon game will tell us the answer. The Jayhawks are good, really good. They also are flying with a clipped wing, as well as a chance to be on the losing side of a hat trick.