Sooner Women BB host Kansas on Saturday @ 6PM on Saturday in LNC
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 10:53 am
In a doubleheader day @ LNC, the Oklahoma Sooner Women's Basketball Team host the Kansas Jayhawks in a 6 PM tip-off tomorrow night at the Lloyd Noble Center. Both teams are coming off important wins in their last games. The Sooners defeated Texas in Austin in a very big win by 4 points with OU playing perhaps their best game of the season. Kansas defeated the Iowa State Cyclones at home in Lawrence by 2 points on a last second layup.
OU is in 2nd Place with a 6-1 conference record while Kansas is 3-5 in 9th place. But somehow, the Jayhawks have a Net Ranking of 44 while Oklahoma is at 46 after their win over Texas. So, someone thinks that Kansas has a shot at inning in Norman tomorrow.
Kansas starts four guards and a center. It is a very experienced group with four super-seniors and a freshman. The freshman, Nichols, is a 6'0" guard that is averaging 14.1 PPG and grabs 3.2 rebounds. She is having a good freshman season. The other three guards are 5'7" Mayberry, 5'8" Franklin and 5'11" Kersgieter. The three of them score 32 points a game. I have always thought Kersgieter played with intensity and was a thorn in the other teams side. all three can play. OU will have to match up with them effectively. They do like to post guards against smaller guards so Tot and Keys has to be ready for that. The fifth starter is the 6'6" center, Jackson. She has talent but is not very quick or fleet footed. She plays 25 minutes a game with the other 4 starters average at least 29.
The Jayhawks only play one other player over 12 minutes a game. Cobbins has played 21 minutes a game and averages 4.1 PPG and 3.9 rebounds as a 6'0" G/F. Kansas does use two players as the post player behind Jackson in 6'4" Papadopoulou and 6'3" Telegdy. Together they scores 3 points and get 4 rebounds in 15 total minutes. Gill, a 5'10 F/C plays 12 minutes a game and averages 2.5 points and 1.4 boards.
I hope the Sooners have focused on the recovery from their superior effort on Wednesday. It takes time to build that body back to game shape after extended minutes and travel. I am sure the training staff has focused on that and that they took either Thursday or Friday light at practice.
The Sooners can probably run enough to force Kansas to play the 6'6" Jackson less. I have always been worried about Jackson inside, but that has not developed against the Sooners. The Sooners have held her under 14 points the last two seasons. I hope the Sooners are able to do that this season. I think the game outcome revolves around the guard play and who matches up with the freshman Nichols. Maybe Verhulst and Williams draw that assignment. Vann and the Sooner triple towers off the bench will hold their own, probably inside. Tucker may play an important role off the bench to play against Nichols or the hot guard at the time. Of course, it all starts with the shooting, if the Sooners shots are going through the net, most everything else will flow well.
Good luck to the Sooners.
Boomer Sooner!
OU is in 2nd Place with a 6-1 conference record while Kansas is 3-5 in 9th place. But somehow, the Jayhawks have a Net Ranking of 44 while Oklahoma is at 46 after their win over Texas. So, someone thinks that Kansas has a shot at inning in Norman tomorrow.
Kansas starts four guards and a center. It is a very experienced group with four super-seniors and a freshman. The freshman, Nichols, is a 6'0" guard that is averaging 14.1 PPG and grabs 3.2 rebounds. She is having a good freshman season. The other three guards are 5'7" Mayberry, 5'8" Franklin and 5'11" Kersgieter. The three of them score 32 points a game. I have always thought Kersgieter played with intensity and was a thorn in the other teams side. all three can play. OU will have to match up with them effectively. They do like to post guards against smaller guards so Tot and Keys has to be ready for that. The fifth starter is the 6'6" center, Jackson. She has talent but is not very quick or fleet footed. She plays 25 minutes a game with the other 4 starters average at least 29.
The Jayhawks only play one other player over 12 minutes a game. Cobbins has played 21 minutes a game and averages 4.1 PPG and 3.9 rebounds as a 6'0" G/F. Kansas does use two players as the post player behind Jackson in 6'4" Papadopoulou and 6'3" Telegdy. Together they scores 3 points and get 4 rebounds in 15 total minutes. Gill, a 5'10 F/C plays 12 minutes a game and averages 2.5 points and 1.4 boards.
I hope the Sooners have focused on the recovery from their superior effort on Wednesday. It takes time to build that body back to game shape after extended minutes and travel. I am sure the training staff has focused on that and that they took either Thursday or Friday light at practice.
The Sooners can probably run enough to force Kansas to play the 6'6" Jackson less. I have always been worried about Jackson inside, but that has not developed against the Sooners. The Sooners have held her under 14 points the last two seasons. I hope the Sooners are able to do that this season. I think the game outcome revolves around the guard play and who matches up with the freshman Nichols. Maybe Verhulst and Williams draw that assignment. Vann and the Sooner triple towers off the bench will hold their own, probably inside. Tucker may play an important role off the bench to play against Nichols or the hot guard at the time. Of course, it all starts with the shooting, if the Sooners shots are going through the net, most everything else will flow well.
Good luck to the Sooners.
Boomer Sooner!