The Kansas Jayhawks will host the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday night in a big time Big 12 matchup. Kansas comes into the game at 12-1 (1-0) and ranked number one in the nation while Oklahoma comes in at 12-0 (1-0) and ranked number two in the nation. This will be the first time the top two ranked teams in the nation have met in the regular season since 2013. An interesting quirk actually makes this game number one vs. number one as Kansas is atop the AP Poll while Oklahoma is atop the coaches poll.
Kansas' only loss so far this season came at the hands of previous number one team Michigan State and that was back in the second game of the season. Since then the Jayhawks have reeled off 11 straight wins including a dismantling of Baylor in their Big 12 opener this weekend so they come into this game with a ton of momentum and home court advantage.
Kansas is led by junior guard Wayne Selden who has really come into his own this season as he leads the team with his 15.5 points per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and 55 percent from three. Selden is one of the toughest matchups in the nation and he is coming off a tremendous performance in the Big 12 opener as he scored 24 points and made 5-6 from the three point line.
Another player to watch for the Jayhawks is sophomore guard Devonte' Graham who has shown massive improvement from year one to year two on campus. Graham is averaging 10.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from three on the season. Graham is coming off his best game of the season against Baylor and he along with Selden and Frank Mason make up one of the best backcourts in the nation.
Oklahoma comes into this game unscathed and have some nice wins including Villanova and their most recent game against Iowa State. This will be Oklahoma's toughest test yet though, as they will be taking on a Kansas team that might be the most talented in the nation, in Allen Fieldhouse which is one of the best environments in basketball.
It is impossible to talk about this Oklahoma team without first mentioning Buddy Hield, as the former Big 12 player of the year is having another stellar season. Hield leads the team with his 24.7 points per game and he has done it very efficiently as he is shooting 50 percent from the field and 49 percent from three. Hield though, did have a down game against Iowa State in the conference opener as he shot just 8-23 from the field so he is looking to bounce back.
Another player to watch for the Sooners is senior forward Ryan Spangler as he is averaging a double-double on the season with his 11.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Spangler is coming off a big time game against Iowa State as he had 20 points and 12 rebounds on a day when Oklahoma's guards struggled to shoot. Spangler is a presence down low at 6 foot-8 but he is also capable of stretching the floor as he is making 45 percent of his threes so far this season.
This game features tremendous matchups all over the place including the backcourts and Perry Ellis vs. Spangler so this should be one of the games of the year. Kansas has won or shared 11 consecutive Big 12 titles but Oklahoma is one of the teams this year that has a legitimate chance of ending that run. It all starts with an upset on the road for them on Monday night though and that will be a very tough task.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 9 P.M. Eastern time on ESPN and to watch the live broadcast go here. For the Kansas radio broadcast go here and for the Oklahoma radio broadcast go here.
