Baylor, Kansas To Square Off in Battle of Past Two National Champions
It's the biggest game of the year in Waco, Texas, as No. 17 Baylor (14-5, 4-3) and No. 9 Kansas (16-3, 5-2) are set to face off in a battle of the past two national champions.
The Bears are riding high, having won four straight after initially falling to 0-3 in conference play. Those wins weren't always pretty, but a win is a win, and they've put the Bears just two games back of first place.
Kansas, meanwhile, is reeling after losing consecutive games to Kansas State and TCU. The Jayhawks have lost three straight just once since 2013, but are 1 1/2-point underdogs Monday night in Waco.
Under-16: Baylor 13, Kansas 7. Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer took control early on, both hitting three-pointers right in the eye of Jayhwawk defenders. Jalen Bridges has made his presence known everywhere but the points column, racking up two rebounds, two assists and two steals in the early minutes of this game.
Under-12: Baylor 23, Kansas 12. It's early, but Baylor has looked fully in control of this game. LJ Cryer leads all scorers with 10 points; no Kansas player has scored more than five. The Bears have shot 19 field goals to Kansas' 11.
Under-8: Baylor 27, Kansas 16. The Bears' offense has slowed down a bit, but the Jayhawks have failed to capitalize on favorable switches, and so the margin remains at 11. Notably, Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer (combined 17 points) have outscored the entire Kansas team to this point.
Under-4: Baylor 38, Kansas 28. LJ Cryer is doing his best Damian Lillard impression, and it's uncanny. He's shooting 5/7 from beyond the arc, including makes on each of Baylor's past three possessions.
HALFTIME: Baylor 41, Kansas 34. It was a banner first half for the Bears, who lead the offensive rebound battle 9-3 and shot 11 more field goals than the Jayhawks. LJ Cryer leads all scorers with 19 points on 7/10 shooting (5/7 from three).
Under-16: Baylor 45, Kansas 43. After a blazing-hot start from beyond the arc (7/16 in the first half), the Bears are 0/5 from three to start the second half. Kansas, meanwhile, hit three shots in the paint and made three free throws to cut the lead to two.
Under-12: Baylor 61, Kansas 53. After briefly falling behind, Baylor battled back with a 12-3 run to retake control of the game. Langston Love played no small role in the comeback; he's scored five of the Bears' past seven points.
Under-8: Baylor 65, Kansas 55. Bill Self technical foul? And that amidst another rough offensive stretch for the Jayhawks. They're up to 13 turnovers on the night, and trail the Bears 15-5 in offensive rebounding.
Under-4: Baylor 68, Kansas 59. Baylor hasn't made a field goal since 9:57 – over six minutes ago – but have played well enough on the other end that it hasn't mattered. Kansas has made just two of their last 10 shots, including a putback after a missed three-pointer.
FINAL: Baylor __, Kansas __. After leading big for much of the game, Baylor briefly gave up a lead midway through the second half and allowed the Jayhawks to come within five with 1:20 remaining. But Jalen Bridges hit 3/4 free throws down the stretch, and the defense locked down Kansas on the perimeter long enough for the clock to expire.
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