It’s only the first week of January, so there just might be plenty of mega college basketball matchups to devour in the months ahead. But for now, there is no bigger game in the nation than the coming Big Monday showdown between one-loss Kansas and undefeated Oklahoma.
By the time opening tip-off comes at 8 p.m., KU (12-1 overall, 1-0 Big 12) and OU (12-0, 1-0) figure to be the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked teams in the country, and Kansas will have a chance to pick up its first marquee victory of 2016.
Of course, knocking off the Sooners won’t be easy. Oklahoma is one of the three teams in the nation without a loss — SMU and South Carolina are the others.
Whichever team leaves Allen Fieldhouse on top, the 40-minute battle should feature plenty of points and a barrage of 3-pointers. OU ranks 3rd in the nation in 3-point shooting (45.3%), behind only Kansas (46%) and St. Mary’s California (46.006%).
Four different Sooners are shooting 42.5% or better from 3-point range, with at least 25 attempts.
What’s more, Oklahoma has defended the arc well, and ranks 20th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (29%). Overall, OU has limited opponents to 37% shooting, No. 9 in the nation. KU’s foes have shot 31% from 3-point range (66th) and 39.1% from the field (45th).
The last group of Sooners with a better start to the season was the 1987-88 team (14-0), which advanced to the national title game and lost to Kansas.
As the Jayhawks attempt to become the first team to knock off OU this year, here are the Sooners they will have to find a way to keep in check.
**OKLAHOMA STARTERS**
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*No. 24 — G Buddy Hield | 6-4, 214, sr.*
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– As you might expect, no Sooner makes more 3-pointers than national player of the year candidate Buddy Hield. The Big 12’s best player this season is shooting 49.4% from long distance (39 of 79).
– Four times already this year (and in 3 of his last 6), Hield has produced a 30-point game.
– If Hield’s numbers (24.7 points per game, 5.3 rebounds) hold up, he’d become just the third player in Big 12 history to average at least 24 points and 5 rebounds, joining Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant.
– Hield put up 22 points to help Oklahoma beat Iowa State in its Big 12 opener, extending his current streak of 20-point outings to six games.
– Along with teammates Isaiah Cousins, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard, Hield has started every game (80 total) for OU since the start of the 2013-14 season.
– Difficult to guard, Hield makes opponents pay when they foul him. He’s hitting 90.5% of his free throws (67 of 74).
– If Hield has a weakness, it’s in his mid-range game. He has made just 4 of 29 jumpers (13.8%) from 2-point range this season.
*No. 10 — G Jordan Woodard | 6-0, 187, jr.*
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– He doesn’t take as many 3-pointers as Hield, but junior guard Jordan Woodard actually holds the title of OU’s best percentage 3-point shooter. Woodard comes in making 53.1% from downtown (26 of 49) — not too far off from Wayne Selden Jr.’s 55.4% (36 of 65).
– In the holiday mood of late, Woodard scored a career-high 28 points against Harvard on Christmas Day.
– Averaging 13.9 points and 3.7 assists, Woodard also grabs 4.0 rebounds a game.
– Woodard’s 3-point shooting is particularly impressive when comparing it to how he fared last season: 17 of 67 (25.4%). He has already made 9 more 3-pointers than he did all of 2014-15.
– Ranks 10th in the Big 12 in steals (1.7) and is a very effective free-throw shooter (89.2%).
*No. 11 — G Isaiah Cousins | 6-4, 200, sr.*
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– OU’s No. 3 scorer happens to be its third-best 3-point option, as well. Senior guard Isaiah Cousins has made 24 of 52 from behind the arc (46.2%).
– Often, when Cousins isn’t spotting up for a 3, he’s dishing an assist. His 4.8 helpers a game lead Oklahoma.
– After trailing much of the game Saturday vs. Iowa State, Cousins gave the Sooners a 76-75 lead with 5:53 left in the second half.
– Cousins starred in OU’s victory over the Cyclones, hitting 5 of 8 shots in the second half, including 3 of 4 from long range, on his way to 15 points.
– The PG had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists in perhaps OU’s best win to date, against Villanova.
*No. 00 — F Ryan Spangler | 6-8, 234, sr.*
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– The interior presence to compliments OU’s perimeter attack, senior forward Ryan Spangler averages a double-double: 11.1 points and 10.2 rebounds.
– Inside, Spangler is hard to stop: he hits 68.4% of his 2-point field-goal attempts.
– Outside, Spangler isn’t too bad, either: 13 of 29 from 3-point range (44.8%).
– Spangler has shot 50% or better from the field in 29 of his last 32 games.
– The 6-foot-8 big man had one of his best showings of the season against Iowa State, with 20 points and 12 boards. It marked his second time this season putting up 20 and 10.
– Spangler is OU’s best offensive rebounder (2.75 per game).
*No. 12 — F Khadeem Lattin | 6-9, 208, soph.*
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– With such a talented top 4, OU doesn’t need every player to score. Sophomore forward Khadeem Lattin averages 5.8 points and doesn’t take 3-pointers.
– His career high of 17 points came in late December against Hawaii.
– A guy who battles inside, Lattin averages 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
– Swatted away 6 shots a few weeks back, against Creighton.
– Lattin doesn’t take many shots, but when he does they tend to be makable: 56.9% shooter.
**OKLAHOMA BENCH**
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*No. 2 — G Dinjiyl Walker | 6-1, 203, sr.*
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Dinjiyl Walker provided a boost off the bench with 10 points in yesterday's win for the #Sooners.#BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/xO3vCxne8A
— Sooner News Daily (@SoonerNewsDaily) January 3, 2016
– It’s hard to get minutes when you play behind Hield, Woodard and Cousins, but senior guard Dinjiyl Walker picks his spots and contributes 4.8 points in 14.6 minutes.
– Walker is the least effective of OU’s regular 3-point shooters: 12 of 33 (36.4%).
– With more than half of his shots coming from long range, Walker only makes 37% of his field goals, overall (8 of 21 inside the arc, 38%).
*No. 30 — C Akolda Manyang | 7-0, 243, jr.*
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Manyang again. #Sooners https://t.co/BFoDDdPo5g
— OUHoops (@ouhoops) December 23, 2015
– Another inside-only option, junior 7-foot center Akolda Manyang averages 4.3 points a game.
– But Manyang is OU’s biggest and best rim protector (1.9 blocks). Twice this season, he has blocked 4 shots in a game.
– The backup big averages 3.1 rebounds in just 10.4 minutes.
