2015 Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals
#6 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs #3 Oklahoma Sooners
Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
Thursday, March 12, 2015, 9:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPNU
Opening Line: Oklahoma -3 1/2
Current Line: Oklahoma -5
Opening Total: 133
Current Total: 133
Opening Money Line: Oklahoma -180 / Oklahoma State +155
Current Money Line: Oklahoma -205 / Oklahoma State +175
The Big 12 tournament should be wide open with any of the 8 teams that are left capable of winning the tournament. Today, the quarterfinals take place. Only two games separated first place from fifth place in the conference.
The last quarterfinal of the day matches the #3 seeded Oklahoma Sooners against bedlam rival the #6 seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Sooners are 21-9 and tied for second with Iowa State at 12-6 behind 13-5 Kansas. Oklahoma is projected to be a #3 or #4 seed in the NCAA tournament. Oklahoma State is 18-12 overall and tied for sixth at 8-10 with Kansas State and Texas. Despite losing 5 of their last 6 games, the Cowboys are still projected to make the NCAA tournament field. The winner of the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game will play either Iowa State or Texas in the semifinals Friday.
Oklahoma leads the series 133-95 against Oklahoma State including 4-1 in the Big 8/12 tournament. Oklahoma has won 4 straight games against Oklahoma State including both meetings this year. The Sooners won 82-65 in Norman January 17 and 64-56 in Stillwater January 31.
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Oklahoma State is coached by Travis Ford. The Cowboys have road losses at South Carolina, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia 81-72 Saturday, along with home losses to Maryland, Oklahoma, Iowa State and West Virginia. The Cowboys have home wins over Milwaukee, North Texas, Middle Tennessee, Kansas State, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas and TCU, neutral site wins over Oregon State and Tulsa in a tournament in Las Vegas and Missouri in Kansas City, and road wins over Memphis, Texas and Baylor. OSU is 14-13 ATS and the total is 12-13 this season. The Cowboys were 5 point underdogs against West Virginia and the total was 136.
Oklahoma is coached by Lon Kruger. The Sooners have road losses at Creighton, West Virginia, Kansas, Baylor, Kansas State and Iowa State. Oklahoma has neutral site losses to Wisconsin in the Bahamas and Washington in Las Vegas, along with a home loss to Kansas State. Oklahoma has neutral site wins over UCLA and Butler in the Bahamas, home wins over Missouri, Oral Roberts, Weber State, George Mason, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia, Iowa State, Texas, TCU and Kansas 75-73 Saturday, plus road wins over Tulsa, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech and Texas. The Sooners are 14-14 ATS and the total is 11-16 this season. Oklahoma was a 6.5 point favorite against Kansas and the total was 143.
Oklahoma State is outscoring teams 68-62 this season. The Cowboys are shooting 44.2% from the field and 35.6% from 3 point range. The Cowboys make 73.1% of their free throws and are #45 nationally in that category. Opponents are shooting 40% from the field and 33.6% from 3 point range. The Cowboys are #54 nationally in field goal defense. OSU averages 32.7 rebounds per game and opponents average 31.4 per game. Oklahoma State averages 11.5 assists, 12.3 turnovers, 8 steals and 4.9 blocks per game. Opponents average 11.2 assists, 14 turnovers, 6.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.
Guard/forward Le’Bryan Nash averages 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Guard Phil Forte III averages 15.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Anthony Hickey, Jr. averages 9.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2 steals per game. Michael Cobbins averages 6.8 points, 5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Six other players average at least 11 minutes per game.
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Oklahoma is outscoring teams 72-63 this season. The Sooners are shooting 44% from the field and 34.6% from 3 point range. Oklahoma makes 72.7% of their free throws. The Sooners are #50 nationally in free throw shooting. Opponents are shooting 38.4% from the field and 31.4% from 3 point range. Oklahoma is #14 in field goal defense and #46 in three point defense nationally. The Sooners average 38.1 rebounds per game and opponents average 33.9 per game. Oklahoma is #26 in rebounding but #328 in rebounds allowed out of 353 teams. The Sooners average 12.7 assists, 12.3 turnovers, 7.1 steals and 5.2 blocks per game. Opponents average 11.2 assists, 14.1 turnovers, 6.4 steals and 3.7 blocks per game.
Guard Buddy Hield averages 17 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Isaiah Cousins averages 12 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. TaShawn Thomas averages 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. Ryan Spangler averages 10.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. Jordan Woodard averages 9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Dinjiyl Walker, Frank Booker and Khadeem Lattin also get minutes in the rotation. Forward Dante Buford is out for the season because of academics.
Oklahoma State is 4-10 ATS in neutral site games, 1-4 against teams with winning records, 1-5 overall and against Big 12 teams, and 0-5-1 in Thursday games, The over is 9-3 in this series recently. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in this series recently.
Oklahoma is 0-6 ATS overall and against Big 12 teams, 0-5 after failing to cover, 0-4 after a straight up win and against teams with winning records. The Sooners have covered the last 7 games against the Cowboys.
Oklahoma has won 9 of their last 11 games, but this teeam can be puzzling to figure out. Take last week against Iowa State for example. The Sooners held Iowa state to 18 first half points and had a huge 21 point lead early in the second half. However, the Sooners surrendered 59 second half points to the Cyclones and lost 77-70. Still, the Cowboys have struggled recently and I think oklahoma wins a close game against their arch-rivals.
