QUICK PREVIEW
Playing its third ranked opponent in four games, No. 25 Oklahoma (13-4, 2-2) plays at No. 12/13 Baylor (13-3, 21-2) on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT in Waco, Texas. The Sooners, who are 1-1 in true road games, are coming off a 72-66 loss at Kansas State on Tuesday, a contest in which they shot a season-low .333 from the field. Baylor lost at Texas Tech on Wednesday, 82-72. The Bears, who are 9-0 at home, allowed the Red Raiders to shoot an opponent-season-high .571 from the field.
ON THE AIR
Saturday’s contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM "The Franchise" in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland and Mike Houck calling the action. The game will be televised by ESPN with Jon Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla announcing.
THE SERIES
Oklahoma owns a 39-10 series advantage against Baylor and has won 34 of the last 39 meetings (including a streak of 30 straight wins that was snapped four years ago). The Sooners possess a 17-5 series lead in games played in Waco. OU is 30-5 against the Bears since the inception of the Big 12 Conference and swept the series last year (74-71 in Waco, 90-76 in Norman).
PREVIEWING BAYLOR
Picked third in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, Baylor (13-3, 1-2) went 12-1 in pre-conference play (lone loss to Syracuse in Maui Invitational title game) but has lost two of its last three. In Big 12 play, the Bears beat TCU at home (88-62) but fell at Iowa State (87-72) and Texas Tech (82-72). On the season, Baylor leads the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.400), rebounding margin (+10.2 per game) and offensive rebounding percentage (.443). It ranks sixth in scoring offense (78.6 ppg), third in scoring defense (66.9 ppg allowed), third in field goal percentage (.485) and eighth in free throw percentage (.680).
Baylor sports a balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging in double figures. Senior forward Cory Jefferson is averaging team highs of 13.2 points and 8.4 rebounds (ranks third in Big 12) on .537 field goal shooting and has six double-doubles. Junior point guard Kenny Chery averages 11.6 points and 5.1 assists per game (fourth most in league) while shooting .897 (35-for-39) from the foul line. Senior guard Brady Heslip contributes 11.1 points a contest while leading the league in 3-pointers per game (2.8) and ranking second in 3-point field goal percentage (.468). Sophomore center Isaiah Austin, a high school teammate of OU’s Je’lon Hornbeak, is averaging 10.3 points, 5.5 boards and a Big 12-leading 2.9 blocks per outing. Sophomore forward Taurean Prince averaged 7.2 points in non-conference play but leads the team with his 15.0 average in Big 12 games (shooting .607 from field).
Scott Drew is in his 11th year as Baylor’s head coach and owns a 191-141 (.575) record at the school.
