The Kansas Jayhawks will look to rebound from their tough loss at Missouri on Wednesday night when they travel to Waco, TX to take on the Baylor Bears. The Jayhawks easy won 92-74 the Bears back on January 16th inside Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks are 9-0 vs Baylor. The Jayhawks also have an impressive record in Waco against the Bears with 7 wins to only 1 loss. However, this is the most talented team the Bears have had in some time and they certainly will be eager to get another shot at the Big 12′s most dominate program after getting blown out in their first meeting of the season.
Coach Self talks about the upcoming match-up against Baylor – as well as the tough loss at Missouri.
Baylor:
The Bears will enter the game as the #6th ranked team in the country with a record of 21-2 and 8-2 in Big 12 play. The Bears average 76.8 points per game this season and 75.7 point per game in Big 12 play. The Bears shoot the ball at a 48.6% clip this season and haven’t dipped much in Big 12 play where they shoot 48%. The Bears also shoot well from three point range, where they shoot 39.8% overall and 37.7% in Big 12 play. The Bears snag 37.3 rebounds per game overall and 34.7 in Big 12 play. Their 11.9 offensive rebounds per game overall hasn’t dipped at all in Big 12 play. The Bears average 15.6 assists per game overall and are even better in Big 12 play where they average 16.1 assists per game.
Baylor has four players that average 12 or more points per game this season. Sophomore forward Perry Jones III leads the Bears at 14.8 points per game to go along with his 7.9 rebounds per game. Junior guard Pierre Jackson is second in scoring at 12.7 points per game, and leads the Bears in assists at 5.9 per game. Senior forward Quincy Acy and freshman forward Quincy Miller both have the same first name and both average 12.4 points per game. Acy is also the second best rebounder for the Bears at 7.0 rebounds per game to go along with his team leading 52 blocked shots. Miller comes in third in rebounding at 5.3 per game. Sophomore guard Brady Heslip is the Bears top three point shooter with 58 made 3′s this season.
Defensively the Bears allow opponents to score 63.1 points per game overall and 68.7 per game in Big 12 play. Opponents shoot 39.6% from the floor against the Bears overall and are shooting 43.4% in Big 12 play against the Bears. The Bears have been successful in keeping opponents off the glass by only giving up 31.9 rebounds per game overall and only 30.7 per game in Big 12 play.
Kansas:
Kansas will enter the game 18-5 overall and 8-2 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks average 75.4 points per game overall and 74.6 per game in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks shoot 48.6% overall from the floor and 49.3% in Big 12 play. Kansas does rank 161st in the country in three point shooting percentage at 34.5% overall and 33.1% in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks average 37.1 rebounds per game overall and 35.2 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks have remained consistent in assists per game at 15.8 per game overall and 15.4 per game in Big 12 play.
Kansas is led by the best player in the nation this season in junior forward Thomas Robinson. Robinson is the only player in the Big 12 to average a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds per game, including a 25 point 13 rebound performance at Missouri. Senior Tyshawn Taylor leads the Jayhawks in assists with 5.2 per game, and has led the Jayhawks in scoring during Big 12 play at 19 per game making his overall point per game average 16.9. Junior guard Travis Releford is third on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game, but Releford is up to 11.3 points per game in Big 12 play. Junior guard Elijah Johnson leads the team in steals and is tied with Taylor in made three point shot attempts with 37. Johnson’s 3.6 assists per game ranks second behind Taylor’s 5.3 per game. Junior Jeff Withey, who played a big role in the first meeting against Baylor, leads the Jayhawks in blocked shots at 3.0 per game, and he has scored in double figures in six of his last seven game.
Defensively the Jayhawks only allow opponents to score 61.3 points per game overall and 63.1 per game in Big 12 play. Opponents shoot 38.3% from the field overall against the Jayhawks and 39.4% in Big 12 play. Kansas has remained impressive in keeping opponents off the glass only allowing 31.1 rebounds per game overall and 31.9 in Big 12 play.
Kansas will return home Saturday at 3:00 pm to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
