College basketball is officially entering conference play as many eyes shift to the Big 12 where a number of teams sit inside in the Top 25. With the conference looking as competitive as ever, the matchup between No.23 Baylor and No.2 Kansas could be one to watch. The Bears will take their two losses and head head to one of the hardest places in all of basketball to play as the two teams face off in Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas begins Big 12 with the conference title on the line. The team has a shot to win their 12th straight conference title, something only UCLA has been able to match. Part of that that streak as been because of Allen Fieldhouse and the difficulty away teams find in winning games there. They hope that remains the case when Baylor comes to town. Kansas has never lost to Baylor in their 12 matchups on that court.
Kansas has been thriving on offense. They have been scoring an average of 87.2 points per game ranking them fifth in the country. They are thriving from beyond the arc shooting 45.0 percent thanks to players like Wayne Shelden Jr and Frank Mason III. Then there is Perry Ellis who is having a nice season in his return to Kansas. He is averaging 15.1 points per game to lead the team. The last time these teams played was in the Big 12 tournament where Kansas got the win. The Jayhawks swept Baylor last year, winning all three matchups.
Baylor is no slouch and will give Kansas a run for their money. The team is averaging 81.8 points per game while dominating the glass with an average of 11.3 rebounds per game. They sit as one of five teams in the Big 12 currently in the Top 25 ranking. They have just two losses on the season to then-No.25 Oregon and No.20 Texas A&M. The key player for Baylor in this game will be Taurean Prince. He is currently leading the Bears with 15.5 points per game, but he is coming off a game where he went just 2 of 12 for six points. He only managed two points in the game against Kansas in the Big 12 tournament and he will be thinking of that on Saturday.