3 takeaways: Slow start dooms Baylor basketball against No. 2 Kansas

The Oklahoma Sooners are averaging 87 points on 48.1 percent shooting and allowing 67.5 points on 37 percent shooting. The Jayhawks did that yesterday, spurred on by a ridiculous opening minutes in which the Jayhawks couldn’t miss from three.

After the Bears scored the opening point on a free throw, the Jayhawks ripped off a 24-3 run over the next 10 minutes that forced Drew to burn two timeouts. Sophomore guard Devonte’ Graham finished with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, four assists, three steals and zero turnovers. He attended high school just 160 miles from Allen Fieldhouse, and Self let a future Big 12 player of the year escape south.

The Kansas Jayhawks hope to build on their impressive 11-game winning streak. If (the Jayhawks are) shooting like this (53.7 percent Saturday) and they take care of the basketball (and) defend, it’s (going to) be hard for anybody to beat them”, Bears coach Scott Drew told reporters.TV: “9 p.m. ET, ESPNABOUT OKLAHOMA (12-0, 1-0 Big 12): “Hield (24.7 points, 49.5 percent shooting) managed to post his sixth consecutive 20-point effort with 22 points versus the Cyclones, but the nation’s fourth-leading scorer went 8-for-23 from the field after averaging 29.8 points on 58.8 percent shooting over his previous five contests.

In particular, Kansas did well against Rico Gathers.

With such a talented top 4, OU doesn’t need every player to score.

Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham, bottom, passes to a teammate past Baylor guard Lester Medford, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016.

Senior forward Perry Ellis added 17 points, while Graham tied a season-high with 15 points for the Jayhawks.

Selden did most of the damage, hitting three 3-pointers, but in truth just about everybody got into the act.

Spangler is OU’s best offensive rebounder (2.75 per game). Mason is third in the league, eighth nationally, with a 4.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

As you might expect, no Sooner makes more 3-pointers than national player of the year candidate Buddy Hield.

“It doesn’t happen a lot of time”, Sooners forward Ryan Spangler said of the 1-2 matchup. He also played some good defense at times against the Baylor front line, which obviously has a size advantage against him.

Watching Kansas play Baylor at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, you may have yawned once or twice.

Hunter Mickelson certainly earned himself another start.

None of this suggests Kansas is no longer the favorite after dominating the conference the past 11 seasons. His block percentage is back to a Witheyesque 14.4 percent.

The Sooners are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Monday games and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. Selden has been everything the Jayhawks have needed him to be this season. He has been outstanding thus far, so it is no surprise with how well the Jayhawks have played to date. Four of five Jayhawks starters grabbed at least five rebounds.

Jamari Traylor played 10 minutes, had a great chasedown block, and had a pair of assists.

The backup big averages 3.1 rebounds in just 10.4 minutes.

Cheick Diallo showed off a bit of everything in his arsenal. Bragg is the more rounded out player and as of right now probably gives KU more off the bench.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has seen his minutes trimmed (understandable given his age) but he was 5-6 on free throws.

It’s only the first week of January, so there just might be plenty of mega college basketball matchups to devour in the months ahead.