Kansas State eyes another upset at No. 20 Oklahoma
For the second consecutive game, Kansas State will play the No. 20th-ranked team on the road. The Wildcats, who knocked off Iowa State on Saturday, are looking for a similar result Wednesday when they face No. 20 Oklahoma. The Sooners are also hoping to maintain momentum after they beat then-No. 25 TCU at home Saturday. Kansas State coach Bruce Weber is looking for consistency out of his team. "That's what I've talked about," Weber told reporters Monday. "'You got yourself back in the race, tied for third place in the league from last place. Now, where are you going to go?' "Oklahoma is really good." As Weber mentioned, the game is crucial for both teams in the conference race. The Wildcats (12-4) and Sooners (13-3) are in a group with two other teams -- Iowa State and Baylor -- tied at 2-2 in league play behind Texas Tech and Kansas. "We're in a pretty good spot," Oklahoma junior forward Kristian Doolittle said. "We feel like we let a few games slip, but we're 2-2. Looking at the rest of the conference, everyone else is around the same." Doolittle has been a big reason the Sooners have exceeded expectations to this point. Oklahoma was picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 before the season. After a solid freshman season, Doolittle was suspended to start last season and never became much of a factor. But this season, especially in the past month as he has regularly filled in on the inside for the injured Jamuni McNeace, Doolittle has found a much bigger role. In Big 12 play, Doolittle is averaging 15.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals, shooting 53.7 percent from the field. He has scored in double figures in five of the past six games after not hitting that mark at all in 22 games a season ago. McNeace returned to the starting lineup Saturday, although Doolittle also remained a starter. Doolittle's defense has also been a big factor. "This year, their defensive numbers are as good as anybody in the country, and they scheme a lot," Weber said of the Sooners. "They do some different things that people don't do, so you've got to be able to read it, you've got to be able to attack it, and you've got to take what they give you." Kansas State senior forward Dean Wade struggled Saturday against the Cyclones in his first game since suffering a foot injury in mid-December, but Weber said it was important the Wildcats got him going. "It'll be interesting how Oklahoma deals with him and I hope he can take a step where he can get a couple shots down," Weber said. "We've got to find, maybe, a way to get him an easy one or two and get him to the free-throw line. Wade is averaging 12.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. The Sooners are one of three Big 12 teams who are undefeated at home this season. They have won 21 of their last 23 games at Lloyd Noble Center. The home team has won the past seven games in the Sooners-Wildcats series. --Field Level Media |