Oklahoma Sooners Basketball at Kansas State: Preview, Thread & How to Watch

After whipping the Kansas Jayhawks on Tuesday, the rejuvenated Oklahoma Sooners are playing some of their best basketball down the regular season stretch. Having won four of the last five games, OU will look to finish on a high note with what would probably be its most impressive win of the season against the No. 18 Kansas State Wildcats. Should the ‘Cats win (coupled with a Texas Tech loss), K-State would claim its first outright conference title in 42 years.

Oklahoma (19-11, 7-10 Big 12) at Kansas State (23-7, 13-4 Big 12): 5 p.m. CT at Bramlage Coliseum (Manhattan, KS)

TV: ESPN2

Commentary: Rich Hollenberg and Robbie Hummel

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Radio: Sooner Radio Network (107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing

Line: Kansas State -7 (as of 1:30 p.m. CT)

About Kansas State

• The Wildcats have quietly turned in an impressive season after stumbling out of the Big 12 gate. Following the 0-2 start in conference play, Kansas State has won 13 of its last 15 league contests, placing itself in a position to win the Big 12 regular season title outright for the first time in 42 years. Even with a Texas Tech win, Kansas State will still clinch a share of the crown with a win.
• In the first meeting on Jan. 16, Kansas State outclassed Oklahoma from start to finish. The Sooners couldn’t take care of the ball consistently, leading to 16 turnovers and numerous easy Wildcat buckets on the other end. K-State’s stars were stars, too. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr. and senior forward Dean Wade, the team’s top two scorers, combined for 45 points on 19-33 shooting.
• Speaking of seniors, it’s Senior Night in Manhattan. Kansas State has not dropped its final home game of the year since doing so against Baylor in the 2013-14 season. With history on its side, it’ll prove to be a tall task for the Sooners to walk out of Bramlage Coliseum with the ‘W’.

Storylines

• Since he’s been at Oklahoma, Lon Kruger, a Kansas State alum, has gone 6-9 against the Wildcats and hasn’t beaten KSU in Manhattan since January 28, 2012. The Sooners will look to exorcise some demons and put an end to their current six-game losing streak in Bramlage Coliseum.
• When Oklahoma defeated Kansas on Tuesday, that not only boosted the Sooners’ tournament resume, that ended the Jayhawks’ chances of winning a 15th consecutive claim to the Big 12 Title. Today, OU has another chance to play spoiler, as K-State is in position to not only tie for the conference crown with a win, but also to win it outright should Texas Tech fall to Iowa State.
• The win over KU was a major turning point in the Sooners’ bid for the NCAA Tournament, because the upset victory all but solidified their spot in the Big Dance later this month. The question now is where that spot will fall. Coming into Saturday, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm projects Oklahoma as a No. 9 seed in his bracketology report, as does ESPN’s Joe Lunardi in his latest update. Also, OU is No. 39 in the NCAA NET rankings in games played through March 8. If Oklahoma can manage at least one more win before Selection Sunday, whether it comes today or in the Big 12 Tournament, that No. 9 seeding appears to be a safe bet.

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