Game day breakdown: No. 6 Kansas basketball at Oklahoma State

By Matt Tait     Jan 3, 2022

Nick Krug
Kansas forward Mitch Lightfoot (44) looks for a rebound with Stephen F. Austin forward Gavin Kensmil (14) during the first half on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 at Allen Fieldhouse.

No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks (11-1) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-4)

Time: 8 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022

Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Oklahoma

TV: ESPN2 | Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network

Keys for Kansas

1. Time to turn it up

The start of the Big 12 Conference schedule always requires a little added intensity, but Kansas coach Bill Self said on Monday that the Jayhawks would need to find an extra gear right out of the gate to handle the Cowboys.

For one, Kansas is opening conference play on the road in what historically has been one of the toughest places for the Jayhawks to play.

For two, Oklahoma State, which Self said was now “COVID clear” has been off for the past two weeks, and the Cowboys figure to be raring to go, both because of the chance to get back to action and with Kansas coming to town.

“We expect them to come out with great energy,” Self said. “They haven’t played in about two weeks. So, you could say that could be an advantage to us or you could say they’ll be more turned up than they’ve ever been because they’re so excited to play. And plus, it’s the first conference game.”

Regardless of what type of challenge Oklahoma State presents, KU senior Ochai Agbaji said the KU veterans have clearly explained to the newcomers what it will take to flip the switch to conference play.

Those conversations, Agbaji said, first surfaced weeks ago, when he and the other upperclassmen started to explain to their new teammates that the back half of the nonconference season was the time to start preparing to make the transition to Big 12 play.

“You know, (we’ve been) telling them that it is a different season,” Agbaji said. “It’s going to be amped up and the guys that we’re going to go against are the same athletic ability as us. It’s just going to be a challenge every night trying to score and defending, obviously. It’s just time to turn it up to the next level.”

2. Match OSU’s athleticism

Self still remembers how much of a struggle it was last season, in a loss in Stillwater, for the Jayhawks to match OSU’s speed and athleticism.

Although the season-ending loss to USC in the NCAA Tournament really hammered home the point, games like the one at Oklahoma State set the wheels in motion for Self and his coaching staff to find ways to get more athletic in the offseason. While that has been tested at times throughout nonconference play, the time to see how much it pays off is now here. And the Jayhawks will find out quickly how much better they have become in that department.

“They’ve got some nice pieces, and they’re very athletic,” Self said Monday. “I think that’ll be a big key for us, being able to play to their quickness. We need to be turned up because they made us look slow last year.”

Memories from that game — a 75-70 Oklahoma State win on Jan. 12 — figure to benefit the Cowboys this season, with so many of the same players still on OSU’s roster.

Sure, Oklahoma State lost No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cade Cunningham, but Mike Boynton’s squad replaced him with a few players, including former Kansas guard Bryce Thompson.

Thompson already has missed time because of an injury this season, but he played 6 minutes in OSU’s most recent game (a 72-61 loss to Houston on Dec. 18) and the expectation is that he’ll play against Kansas.

“They haven’t had all their team together all the time and it’s hard to get rhythm when that’s the case,” Self said.

3. Limit the fouls, Mr. Lightfoot

Plenty has been made about KU senior Mitch Lightfoot sliding into the starting lineup for David McCormack in this one, but the new role won’t matter much if Lightfoot can’t stay out of foul trouble.

He’s been largely successful at that so far this season, averaging just over 2.5 fouls per game. But he’s still capable of spurts like the one he had against Missouri, when he picked up three fouls in about a minute to earn a seat on the bench for the rest of the game.

That was the only game Lightfoot has fouled out of so far. And he has only reached four fouls on two other occasions — the season opener versus Michigan State and at St. John’s.

Given the fact that Self’s desire to plug Lightfoot into the starting lineup is tied largely to his overall efficiency, there’s a real chance that the sixth-year senior could see his minutes per game number double from 13 to 26 in this one. The only way it will, though, is if Self and his staff don’t have to think much about Lightfoot’s foul trouble.

If they do, regular starter David McCormack could be in line for 20+ minutes and freshmen KJ Adams and Zach Clemence also could be utilized more than they have been.

Self is in search of consistent production from the 5 spot, and he does not appear to care who gives it to him. Staying out of foul trouble and getting on the glass are two of the easiest ways to become a part of that answer.

“The biggest thing that bothers me is the two big guys combined for one defensive rebound (against George Mason),” Self said of Lightfoot and McCormack. “Ochai and CB (Christian Braun) should not be our leading rebounders.”

Marquee Matchup

KU’s backcourt vs. Oklahoma State senior Isaac Likekele

He’s been around long enough for the Jayhawks to know what he’s about, but that doesn’t make it any easier to handle on the court.

In addition to being one of Oklahoma State’s toughest and top play-making guards, Self said Monday that the 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior from Arlington, Texas, was “as physical a guard as there is in America.”

“He’s a load,” Self said. “It’s like a fullback or a linebacker.”

And when he has the ball in his hands and is running free in the open court, he becomes even harder to handle. While littler guards like Remy Martin and Dajuan Harris Jr. may have a tough time against Likekele’s physicality, they both possess the potential to frustrate him early after the catch.

“We’ve gone against him a lot,” Self said Monday. “There’s a couple of schools of thought on it. The one thing that a lot of people do is they kind of back off. But if you back off, you let him get a head of steam because he’s really good at going downhill. I don’t know that that’s the best way to do it.”

Look for Kansas to throw many different looks — and different players — at Likekele to try to keep him from getting comfortable and controlling the game with his ability to attack from anywhere on the floor.

The rest of his Cowboys teammates are capable of taking on that role, as well, but none of them do it with the same punishing style as Likekele.

“I think he’s a good all-around player,” Self said. “Kind of like a Marcus Garrett was for us last year.”

Jayhawk Pulse

The sixth-ranked Jayhawks are currently riding a 30-game winning streak in conference openers, yet another mind-blowing streak that dates back to the 1991-92 season.

While KU’s chances of winning significantly go up when they’re on their home floor, the current conference-opening win streak is made all the more impressive by the fact that 18 of those 30 have come away from Allen Fieldhouse.

The last time the Jayhawks lost a conference opener came in the Sooner State, when they fell to Oklahoma, 88-82, on Jan. 8, 1991.

This will mark Oklahoma State’s third crack at Kansas in its conference opener during that stretch, with the Jayhawks winning 76-61 in 1996 at OSU and 87-57 in 2007 in Lawrence.

They don’t make them much tougher than this, though. Oklahoma State’s home win over the Jayhawks last season gave the Cowboys their 13th victory over KU since 2000, which is tied for the most victories by any opponent in the country during that time frame.

KU leads the all-time series with the Cowboys, 119-60. That includes a record of 9-5 in the past 14 meetings. KU is 38-36 all-time against OSU in games played in Stillwater, with the series being even at 36 wins apiece in games played at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Although the overall series dates back to 1926, KU is 30-13 all-time against OSU in Big 12 play and Self is 23-14 all-time against his alma mater, including a record of 22-11 while the head coach at Kansas.

The Jayhawks have won seven in a row since falling to Dayton in Orlando in late November, and KenPom.com lists the Jayhawks as a 6-point favorite, with a 73% win probability.

Probable Starters

No. 6 Kansas

G – Dajuan Harris, 6-1, 180, Soph.

G – Remy Martin, 6-0, 195, Sr.

G – Ochai Agbaji, 6-5, 210, Sr.

G – Christian Braun, 6-6, 205, Jr.

F – Mitch Lightfoot, 6-8, 225, Sr.

Oklahoma State

G – Avery Anderson, 6-3, 170, Jr.

G – Isaac Likekele, 6-5, 215, Sr.

G – Bryce Thompson, 6-5, 195, Soph.

G – Rondel Walker, 6-5, 180, Soph.

F – Kalib Boone, 6-9, 210, Jr.

Game day breakdown: No. 6 Kansas basketball at Oklahoma State

By Matt Tait     Jan 11, 2021

AP Photo/Mitch Alcala
Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham slam dunks the ball during the second half of the NCAA college basketball game against Oakland in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020.

No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks (10-2 overall, 4-1 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-3 overall, 2-3 Big 12)

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla.

TV: Big 12 Now/ESPN+ | Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network

Log on to KUsports.com for our live game blog coverage and follow the KUsports.com staff on Twitter: @KUSports @mctait @bentonasmith & @SJacksonLJW

Keys for Kansas

1. Corral Cade Cunningham

Projected by many as the top pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham is a generational talent who brings a little bit of everything to the floor.

As such, the Jayhawks will have to be sound and creative in their attempt to slow him down in this one.

“What I like about him the most is he’s just a basketball player,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, who noted that the Jayhawks recruited Cunningham early in the process. “He can play 1 through 4, maybe 5, he rebounds his position, he’s got size, he’s got unbelievable vision, he can score at all three levels and he’s got great pace.”

So far this season, Cunningham is averaging 17.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 33.4 minutes per game. He has shot 45.3% from the floor, 37.2% from 3-point range and 82.1% at the free throw line. But more than that, Self said the talented freshman has looked to be in complete control of everything the Cowboys do from Day 1.

“The game’s in slow motion to him,” Self said. “I think that’s a tribute to his IQ and his feel, and also his talent.”

Said KU senior Marcus Garrett, who figures to spend a fair share of this one guarding Cunningham: “He kind of can do everything. He can pass, he can shoot, he can handle the ball. Basically, everything kind of runs through him.”

Cunningham’s career high (29 points) came in an easy win over Oral Roberts earlier this season, when he attempted as many free throws as field goals (10). He has reached 20 points four other times, including twice against Big 12 competition, when he scored 25 against both Texas and West Virginia.

“He’s certainly worthy of all the accolades that have been thrown his way so far,” Self said.

2. Start faster

In two of their last three games, the Jayhawks have looked a step slow in the game’s opening minutes, and it has shown up on the scoreboard.

Against Texas, in what turned out to be a 25-point home loss on Jan. 2, the Jayhawks found themselves in a 10-2 hole just a few minutes into the game.

Two games later, in a home win over Oklahoma, KU started out down 9-2 before bringing the fight to the Sooners.

While Kansas was able to recover from the slow starts in both instances — however temporarily against Texas — doing so took a lot of extra energy and added stress to the situations.

KU suffered a similar fate against Gonzaga in the season opener and also against Kentucky in the Champions Classic.

When the Jayhawks have started out well, they’ve been tough to beat. They jumped out to a 17-8 lead on the road at TCU in between those two bad starts and nearly beat the Horned Frogs by 30.

Prior to that, KU got out to a 13-4 edge in a double-digit home win over West Virginia and played even-up with Texas Tech at the start during a one-point road win in the Big 12 Conference opener.

A fast start certainly does not guarantee victory, but it could make some of these games a little less stressful for the Jayhawks, who continue to try to find their complete rhythm.

A good start is the goal in any game. But it could be more important at Oklahoma State than anywhere. The Jayhawks are just 6-7 in Stillwater in Self’s 18 seasons in charge of the program, and OSU has more wins over Kansas (8) than any other program in the country since 2008.

“I think that they get pretty amped up to play against us and they’ve had some really good players and they’ve had some good teams,” Self said. “They’ve got a nice team (this year). (OSU coach) Mike (Boynton has) done a great job and he’s well liked by everybody down there, and they play hard for him.”

3. More from the bench

On Monday, Self made it clear that he liked the pieces he has on this roster and the players he can turn to off the bench.

But simply having depth, Self said, is not the same as getting a big lift from that depth. And that’s exactly what the Kansas coach is looking for from his second unit in the weeks ahead.

“I think we’ve got good depth,” Self said on Monday. “But I don’t think our bench has played anywhere close to like they’re capable of playing.”

Against an Oklahoma State team that often plays five guards — and appears to play with five guards even when their front court players are on the floor — the Jayhawks’ bench could be called into action in this one.

Reserve wings Tristan Enaruna and Tyon Grant-Foster both have received increased opportunities of late, with freshman guard Bryce Thompson out with a back injury. And Self said Monday that Thompson “may be available” for tonight’s game after missing the last two.

Add to that the presence of backup point guard Dajuan Harris, who has been impressive at times and inconsistent at others.

We’ve had flashes,” Self said. “But I don’t think we’ve had very many games where you’ve had two or three guys on the bench really produce in a way that would be comparable to the starters.”

While the benefits of performances like that are obvious from a production standpoint, there’s also another reason Self would like to see his reserves merit a little more playing time.

“Christian (Braun) and Ochai (Agbaji) don’t need to be playing 37 minutes a game, and Marcus 32,” Self said of the three KU starters. “That’s not really utilizing your bench in the way that I that I had envisioned.”

Marquee Matchup

Oklahoma State’s offense vs. KU’s D in the paint

Self will be the first to tell you that these Jayhawks aren’t as good as some from the past in the area of shot blocking.

However, the stats tell a different story.

Despite missing an obvious and elite rim protector like Udoka Azubuike, Joel Embiid, Jeff Withey or Cole Aldrich, the Jayhawks currently lead the Big 12 with 4.5 blocks per game.

Put another way, KU has blocked 12% of their opponents’ field goal attempts so far this season.

You’ll have to excuse Self if he’s not overly impressed with that.

“I think that there’s been years where four a game by a single player is realistic,” Self said. “We’re not a great shot blocking team by any stretch. We’ve got some guys that can run guys down and block from behind or alter (shots), but it doesn’t feel like that we have a dominant shot blocker.”

Junior forward David McCormack has been much better in the paint during conference play. After blocking just four shots in KU’s first eight games of the season, McCormack has recorded six blocks in the past four games, two a game against West Virginia, TCU and Oklahoma.

The reason this becomes such an important matchup in this one is because the Cowboys are the conference’s most blocked team, seeing 12.8% of their field goal attempts sent back in their face so far this season.

OSU does plenty of other things well on offense, including taking care of the basketball, which sets up another interesting clash.

According to KenPom.com, opponents have taken the ball away from OSU via steals just 6.6% of the time — lowest in the Big 12 — and Kansas has forced steals on just 7.6% of its opponents possessions, which ranks KU last in the Big 12.

Both Self and Garrett said the Jayhawks were making strides defensively. But if KU is going to get to the next level as a defensive team, Self believes it has to start showing progress in that area.

“The thing about it is, we don’t get very many opportunities from our defense to score easy,” Self said. “Our activity level’s got to improve.”

Jayhawk Pulse

After losing to Texas at home, the Jayhawks responded with two victories that came in different ways.

Against TCU, Kansas played lights-out offensively and ran away from the Horned Frogs on the road. Back at home against Oklahoma over the weekend, KU did not play as well on either end and had to scratch and claw their way to a four-point victory.

Such is life in the Big 12 Conference, and the Jayhawks know that they have to bring their best game every night to survive. That’s particularly true in this matchup against an Oklahoma State team that plays with top-tier tempo, ranking as the third-best adjusted tempo team in the Big 12 per KenPom.com, seven spots ahead of KU’s tempo, which ranks last.

“They play five guys at a time, just like us,” Garrett said. “And they get up and down the floor quick. They shoot 3s. They defend. (They’re) energetic. We know we’re going to have to come ready to play.”

Kansas leads the all-time series with the Cowboys, 118-59, and has won five in a row over OSU since the Cowboys swept the regular season series during the 2017-18 season.

OSU has won four of the last seven matchups with Kansas at Gallagher-Iba Arena, but the Cowboys are just 35-38 all-time against KU in Stillwater.

KenPom.com lists KU as a one-point favorite in this one (72-71), with a win probability of 56%, marking one of four games in KU’s next six contests where the site projects KU’s win chances to be 58% or lower.

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas listed Kansas as a one-point favorite when the game opened, but the line has moved to KU -3 in the hours since.

Probable Starters

No. 6 Kansas

G – Marcus Garrett, 6-5, 195, Sr.

G – Ochai Agbaji, 6-5, 210, Jr.

G – Christian Braun, 6-6, 205, Soph.

G – Jalen Wilson, 6-7, 190, RS-Fr.

F – David McCormack, 6-10, 265, Jr.

Oklahoma State

G – Avery Anderson III, 6-3, 170, Fr.

G – Bryce Williams, 6-2, 180, Sr.

G – Isaac Likekele, 6-5, 215, Jr.

G – Cade Cunningham, 6-8, 220, Fr.

F – Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, 6-7, 215, Fr.

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.