Oklahoma vs Kansas 2015 Preview, Live Radio Broadcast: Kansas' D Needs to Toughen Up Against Potent Sooner Offense
ByEven in a transitional phase, Bill Self has his Kansas Jayhawks (9) squad competing in the Big 12 as they host the Oklahoma Sooners (18).
Kansas saw Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid leave for the NBA, but role players like Perry Ellis, Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden Jr. have stepped up to lead Kansas. But their defense has been heavily affected by the loss of their two megastars.
CLICK HERE to listen to the game live via TuneIn. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET in Lawrence, Kan.
According to ESPN, Kansas ranks ninth out of the Big 12's 10 teams in average points allowed per game.
"It's a quick turnaround," Self said in his postgame comments after losing 86-81 to Iowa State. "Now the real fun begins trying to get your team back (after) a deflating loss. We'll have to be good because I think (Oklahoma) and Iowa State are the two best offensive teams in our league, and we saw how we guarded one of the two. We'll have to make some adjustments and hopefully be turned up more defensively on Monday."
If Kansas wants to win their 11th consecutive Big 12 title, they will need their defense to step up. As Self noted, Oklahoma can easily match Kansas' offensive output, so the Jayhawks will need to slow the Sooners' as much as possible.
A key player for Oklahoma will be Ryan Spangler, a versatile forward who came up big in the win over Oklahoma State, scoring 11 points and bringing down 11 rebounds in 35 minutes on the floor.
"I think in the three games that we've won (in conference play), we've come out and hit them first and were tougher for the whole game," Spangler said in his postgame comments. "In the two games we've lost, they hit us first and we weren't able to catch up. That was our goal, to hit them first and maintain it the whole game."