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Oklahoma St. hosts surging No. 5 Kansas Saturday
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Published: 3/1/2014  at  5:08:00 AM
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KANSAS JAYHAWKS (22-6)

at OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS (18-10)

Gallagher-Iba Arena - Stillwater, OK
Tip-off: Saturday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: Kansas -1, Total: 149.5

No. 5 Kansas has a chance to clinch the Big 12 outright on Saturday night if it is able to complete the season sweep against an Oklahoma State team that is getting things to back to normal with Marcus Smart back on the team.

The Cowboys were thought to be the top team that could end the Jayhawks nine-year run at the top of the Big 12, but have had a lot of distractions off the court. From Michael Cobbins getting injured to Stevie Clark getting kicked off the team and the recent Marcus Smart suspension, it has been a tough season for Oklahoma State, which is 10-14 ATS overall, including 5-10 ATS in conference play. However the Cowboys are 11-3 SU at home where they carry a profitable 6-4 ATS mark thanks to a lopsided +22.2 PPG margin over visiting schools. Kansas (14-13-1 ATS overall) has won four in a row (2-2 ATS) to clinch at least a share of its 10th straight conference title. The club is 13-2 SU (9-5-1 ATS) in Big 12 play, but is just 4-5 ATS in true road games. These two teams played in Lawrence on Jan. 18, with the 5-point favorite Jayhawks hanging on for the 80-78 victory. In that game, KU built a 17-point lead at the half, only to see OSU cut it to one-point with 7.4 seconds left. The Jayhawks shot 56% from the field, while holding the Cowboys to just 39% FG. However, Oklahoma State was able to stay close by hitting 12-of-28 threes. PG Naadir Tharpe had a big game for the Jayhawks, finishing with 21 points and six assists. Kansas is a dominant 10-3 SU (but only 6-7 ATS) in this series since 2006, including a thrilling 68-67 win in Stillwater last season thanks to Tharpe's game-winning jumper with 16.5 seconds left in the second overtime.

Can Kansas extend its win streak in a tough environment? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The StatFox Experts have been rolling in college basketball Best Bets this season with a stellar 59% ATS (236-165-13) mark, including a hefty 61% ATS (204-131-7) record since Nov. 23. StatFox Brian is at 68% ATS (54-25-3) in Best Bets for the season, 85% ATS (22-4-2) since Jan. 17 and 72% ATS (47-18-2) since Nov. 26. StatFox Dave is 60% ATS (50-33-1) for Best Bets this season and 65% ATS (33-18) since Dec. 18, while StatFox Scott is 58% ATS (46-34-3) for the season and 6-2-1 ATS since Feb. 16. StatFox Gary is 56% ATS (45-36-2) on Best Bets for the season, and 59% ATS (39-27) since Nov. 29, while StatFox Zach is 53% ATS (41-37-4) on Best Bets this season, including 54% ATS (35-30-3) since Nov. 22.

Kansas is one of the most efficient offenses in the country, ranking 4th in shooting (50.1% FG), while also scoring 79.8 PPG (23rd in the nation). A large reason of the efficient offense is the Jayhawks' ability to share the ball and get the easiest shot, ranking 22nd in the country with 15.8 APG. In the win against the Cowboys, C Joel Embiid (11.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG) was absolutely dominant. The freshman center had nearly had a triple-double in that game, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks. He did a terrific job of affecting the Cowboys' ability to attack the rim, making things very difficult for the athletic Oklahoma State guards to score in the paint. Coming into the season, freshman SG Andrew Wiggins (16.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG) was getting all the talk as the next star in basketball, and rightfully so. Wiggins has been on a tear as of late, averaging 18.0 PPG in the past four games. While he is a very talented offensive player, it is on the defensive end that makes Wiggins truly special. He has the ability to guard the 1-4 positions, and will be a big part of the Jayhawks defensive game plan against Marcus Smart. Another freshman, SG Wayne Selden Jr. (10.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.7 APG) has continued to emerge as a talented offensive player, with the ability to score both off the bounce and the spot up three-point shot. The Jayhawks have already clinched a share of the Big 12, so it will be interesting how focused this team is against an Oklahoma State team that appears to be getting back on the right track.

The OSU offense has been consistent for most of the season, averaging 81.1 PPG (16th in Div. I) and shooting 47.0% from the field (52nd in nation). Kansas will have a big advantage in size, and will make it difficult for the Cowboys (36.3 RPG, 99th in Div. I) to battle on the boards. PG Marcus Smart (17.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.6 APG) has been back for two games for Oklahoma State, and the Cowboys have won both of those games by 22 points. He has come back as a player that is focused on taking his team deep into the tournament, and has dominated all over the court. Besides the scoring (16.5 PPG), he has averaged 8.5 APG and 5.5 SPG in those two games. Not only is Smart playing well, but his return has inspired his teammates to start playing better. SG Markel Brown (16.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG), SF LeBryan Nash (14.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG) and SG Phil Forte (13.3 PPG, 46% threes) all are guys that are capable of having big games, and thrive with the talents of Smart. Forte, a former high school teammate of Smart, is a lethal when he spots up for the three-pointer; and the continuity these two have developed through the years makes them difficult to stop. Nash is the guy that can take this team to the next level. He is such a talented athlete that can be a nightmare for opposing forwards to guard, but he is too inconsistent. In the game in Lawrence, he scored the first four points for the Cowboys, but then picked up two fouls and could never get things back on track. This was recognized as one of the biggest games in the season, and while it has lost some of its luster, an Oklahoma State win would have the Cowboys rolling as the tournament rolls around.


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