The No. 2-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (23-4) travel to Baylor to take on the No. 19-ranked Bears (20-7) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Bears beat Texas 78-64 on Saturday. Johnathan Motley was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points on 12-for-13 shooting. The Jayhawks are coming off a 72-63 win against Kansas State on Saturday. Frank Mason III led the game in scoring by posting 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the nation’s top offenses match up. Baylor ranks 13th in the country with 116.3 points per 100 possessions, while Kansas is 10th in that metric (116.9).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Jayhawks winning the first matchup 102-74. Wayne Selden Jr. had a stellar game with 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and five three-pointers.
The Bears are hoping to build on their records of 20-7 Straight Up (SU) and 8-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Bears are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting a stellar .740 from the free throw line. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Baylor in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.6 offensive boards per game. The Bears, sporting the 15th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.52), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Baylor’s defenders rank 13th in Division I in steals with 8.4 per game.
In the other locker room, Kansas has a SU record of 23-4 and an ATS record of 17-8. The Jayhawks rank 14th in the country in scoring, averaging 82.7 points per game. The Jayhawks convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the nation at .423. The Jayhawks are an unselfish team with an average of 15.9 assists per game, ranking 45th in Division I. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Jayhawks on the defensive end. They allowed 75.0 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 68.6.
With the Jayhawks’ last win against Baylor, their SU record is now 8-2 over Baylor in their most recent meetings. With an 8-2 record, the Jayhawks also have the advantage ATS. Kansas held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Baylor never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – Baylor
Notes
The Baylor Bears average 78.9 points per game, ranking 46th in the nation. The Kansas Jayhawks rank 84th in points allowed with 68.6.
Baylor averages 81.8 points per home game (ranked 47th). Kansas allows 70.5 points per away game (ranked 64th).
The Baylor Bears rank 13th for their offensive rating of 116.3. The Kansas Jayhawks have a defensive rating of 97.0 (ranked 42nd).
With 67.8 possessions and 1.163 points per possession, the Baylor Bears perform worse on both metrics than the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas averages 70.7 possessions and 1.169 points per possession.
The Kansas Jayhawks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 11th in the country with an eFG% of 56.1%. The Baylor Bears have split their games this season (4-4) when opponents have a similar or higher eFG%.
Baylor ranks among the best in the nation in assists at second (19.1 assists per game). Kansas is ranked 45th with 15.9 assists per game.
Kansas, the 100th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.0 per game. Baylor does worse, ranked 111th with 4.0.
Baylor is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 19th. Kansas ranks 45th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Baylor forces a turnover rate of 20.3%. When Kansas turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 7-2 record.
