It’s the Battle of the Massive 12.
The Kansas Jayhawks will face the Cincinnati Bearcats as we speak, beginning at 2 pm ET, and it’s the matchup everybody has been ready for. The final time KU and Cincy confronted off the Bearcats took dwelling a 20-point dub towards the Jayhawks within the convention match. However this season, the tables have barely turned for the them within the Massive 12, as they’re at the moment 0-3 in convention play and trying to bounce again from their dropping streak.
In the meantime, KU is at the moment 2-1 within the Massive 12—good for fourth within the convention—and maintain the No. 11 rating within the nation. This would be the first time the 2 packages will go face to face in Cincy since ’64.
If there’s one factor that you must find out about each squads, it’s that they don’t play with regards to protection, particularly the Bearcats, who can snag offensive boards with ease.
“Our half-court, man-to-man protection has been probably the most dependable factor we’ve had going all 12 months lengthy,” mentioned head coach Wes Miller after the loss to Baylor. “I even felt tonight that after we locked in on all 5, we felt there could be a breakthrough. Give them credit score—they received a handful of baskets in transition and our protection had an absence of effort to get again.”
They’ll must carry that very same power and extra towards KU, because the Jayhawks’ protection is so elite, they’ve been locking down opponents. Add in the truth that they’ve additionally received the twenty fourth best offense in response to KenPom, and also you’re a significantly dominant workforce that may present out on each ends of the ground.
“We have been nice defensively,” head coach Invoice Self advised the media after defeating Arizona State. “Who would have thought we shot the ball worse the second half from 2? We shot it worse from 3 and mainly held them to 11, then they get the layup there on the proper on the very finish. However that was distinctive.”
It’s going to be a showdown. To get you hyped for the sport, we’ve received an unique faculty assortment for Kansas and Cincinnati gear. Lock in.