Oklahoma’s chance for redemption arrives on Tuesday night.
Three days after the Sooners' disappointing loss to Texas A&M, OU will host No. 7 Baylor at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday at Lloyd Noble Center. It is arguably the toughest test of the year for the Sooners as the Bears bring one of the most athletic teams in the nation to Norman. And the Bears enter Tuesday’s game on a two-game losing streak (back to back losses to Kansas and Missouri) so it’s safe to say Baylor will bring its A game.
If the Sooners want to prove they are on the right track, their battle with the Bears is a prime opportunity.
Key to OU win: Keeping the Bears out of transition. Baylor uses steals (8.9 per game) and blocked shots (6.3 per game) to get out into transition and score easy baskets. The Sooners have to protect the ball and take quality shots.
Key to Baylor win: Forcing OU into bad offensive possessions. Whenever teams get the Sooners out of their rhythm, OU tends struggle to get good shots, turning instead to forced jumpers and turnovers when they try to do too much.
Stat line that will tell the tale: Baylor assists. If the Bears finish the game with a high number of assists that means Baylor got into transition to get easy buckets or guards Pierre Jackson and A.J. Walton consistently broke OU’s defense down to set up their teammates.
Sooners X factor: Cameron Clark. In a game full of athletes, Clark is second to none. If the sophomore uses his athleticism to challenge Baylor’s defense, it could create better shots for himself and his teammates.
Bears X factor: Brady Heslip. A sophomore transfer from Boston College, Heslip keeps defenses honest with his deep perimeter shooting. He’s 53 of 113 three-point attempts (46.9%) this season.
