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Kansas Basketball loses inside track in Big 12 title race

By Leigh Oleszczak

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 11: Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks walks off the court during a timeout in the game against the Baylor Bears at Allen Fieldhouse on January 11, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 11: Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks walks off the court during a timeout in the game against the Baylor Bears at Allen Fieldhouse on January 11, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Third ranked Kansas basketball fell flat against the fourth ranked Baylor Bears on Saturday and it cost them the edge in the Big 12 title race.

The game, which was a 67-55 victory in favor of Baylor, was bad all around for the Kansas Jayhawks, who allowed Baylor to record their first ever victory in Allen Fieldhouse and it was also Baylor’s first ever road win against a top five opponent.

Give Baylor props. They came into Allen Fieldhouse and played great while KU likely underestimated them and expected to let the Phog magic take over and for the pressure to get to Baylor. Instead, the Bears wiped the floor with Kansas and the final minutes of the game were pretty much all Baylor.

Baylor was hyped a lot coming into this game and now KU fans know why. Jared Butler was a freak of nature in this game, leading the way with 22 points for the Bears. KU had no answer for him.

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The Bears are now 13-1 while the Jayhawks sit with a 12-3 record. There are still plenty of games left to be played this season, but considering Baylor already came into Allen Fieldhouse and won, they most definitely have the edge when it comes to winning the conference. The two play again in Waco on February 22nd, which KU fans will certainly have circled on their calendars.

Last year was when the Big 12 title streak ended for the Jayhawks, with Kansas State and Texas Tech getting a share of the title. While KU is a very talented team this year and still have a good chance to re-start the streak, Baylor just made it a little more difficult, winning the first head-to-head in Lawrence, forcing KU to now have to win on the road against them a month from now.

Turnovers were a huge problem for the Jayhawks on Saturday, who turned it over to Baylor 14 times (compared to just five for the Bears). KU had just a 39.2 shooting percentage and 26.7 three-point percentage. Baylor shot 45% from the floor and 42.1% behind the arc, which made a big difference in this one.

Kansas has had a good season so far and all three of their losses have come against ranked opponents. Overall, they’re 2-3 against ranked opponents and won’t have a chance to play another one until February 1st when they play Texas Tech (that’s as of this moment; obviously rankings will change).

Next up for Kansas basketball is a road trip to Norman, Oklahoma on Tuesday for a date with the Sooners. They should be able to get back on track, but this loss is going to hurt them quite a bit down the road.

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