Texas Basketball vs. Kansas: 5 bold predictions for clash in Lawrence
To cap what is bound to be the most difficult four-game stretch of the regular season schedule, No. 10 Texas basketball will take on the No. 8 ranked Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence on Feb. 6. This will be the first of two meetings between Texas and Kansas this season.
The second of these two matchups between Texas and Kansas on the hardwood during the regular season will come on March 4 in regular season finale for the Longhorns at the Moody Center in Austin.
Not only does Texas have a shot to extend its winning streak to three games if it can top Kansas on Feb. 5, but it can also stay atop the Big 12 standings.
Moreover, the aforementioned difficult four-game stretch that interim head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns are about to finish up mostly brought positive results thus far. Texas went 2-1 through the first three games of this stretch. The two wins came over the No. 11 Baylor Bears at home on Jan. 30 and the No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats on the road in Manhattan on Feb. 4.
The sole loss of this four-game stretch came at the hands of the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers on the road in Knoxville last weekend.
While Texas is largely trending up of late, Kansas is headed in a different direction. Self and the Jayhawks have lost four of the last six games, including a convincing 68-53 defeat at the hands of the No. 13 Iowa State Cyclones on the road in Ames on Feb. 4.
Bold predictions as Timmy Allen and Texas basketball get set to face Jalen Wilson and Kansas
With all of this in mind, here’s a look at five bold predictions as Texas hits the road to face Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence on Feb. 6, with the tip-off time set for 8 p.m. CT.
Texas doubles up Kansas in points in the paint
Kansas is one of the worst teams in the Big 12 this season in terms of its ability to score and defend in the paint. The lack of a true post presence has hurt Self and the Jayhawks throughout the regular season thus far.
In the last 10 games, Kansas is scoring just under 28 points in the paint per game, which is good for the bottom 25th percentile in all of college hoops. Kansas is also allowing more than 31 points in the paint per game in the last 10 outings, which is good for the bottom 45th percentile in college hoops.
These issues for Kansas defending the post have so much to do with the fact that the 6-foot-8 senior forward Jalen Wilson has played the majority of the minutes at the five for the Jayhawks this season, according to Kenpom.
Wilson is anything but a true five. He’s more of a lengthy point forward that has the range to score from anywhere on the offensive end while bringing a pretty solid level of switchability to the table defending positions between the one and the three on defense. However, when Wilson is matched up against a true big man at the four or the five that can score with his back to the basket or by bullying him near the rim, Kansas definitely suffers.
If this is a game where Texas can get big outings from the likes of senior big men Dylan Disu and Christian Bishop, this could be a long night in the post for Kansas.