Despite their two losses, the Oklahoma Sooners are the consensus No.1 team in the rankings as they head into yet another Saturday showdown. The Big 12 has quickly developed into the most competitive conference in college basketball with almost all of the teams ranked somewhere in the Top 25. That means the Sooners' stay as the top team might not last too long as they prepare to face off against No.13 Baylor.
Oklahoma might be No.1, but it has come with some struggle. Five of their six Big 12 games have been decided by five points of less. There is no margin for error for the team as they aim to get the conference title and head into the tournament as the overall No.1 seed. The competition is steep in the conference and Baylor is certainly built to create the upset especially with Oklahoma having to travel on the road for the game.
For Oklahoma, their stay at the top will end this week after the team was upset by No.19 Iowa State. If they can beat Baylor, they still have a shot at remaining No.1, but the chances are slim. Head coach Lon Kruger knows the competition will be steep and knows that every game in the Big 12 matters as Oklahoma sits in a four-way tie for the conference title.
The issue for the Sooners came from the inside, not the outside. Oklahoma went 2 of 15 inside the ar while putting up 17 3s in the game. Buddy Hield and Isaiah Cousins combined for 53 points and 11 of those 3-point shots, but they failed at just about everything else in the game. The Sooners do benefit from veteran leadership that can bring the team back up to where they need to be.
Getting a bounce-back win against Baylor will be tough. The Bears have won 15 straight at home and they will certainly be motivated to upset the No.1 team in the nation. They are coming off a win against Kansas State that went into overtime. Oklahoma will need to finish strong if they want to beat Baylor considering the Bears have had a hard time finishing games. This will certainly be a battle for both teams as the Big 12 is on the line.
