Big 12 Tournament: Baylor's Troubles with Elite Teams Will End vs. Kansas
The No. 11 Baylor Bears will end their struggles against elite teams this season and upset the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks in the semifinal of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday night.
The last time that the Jayhawks lost in the Big 12 tournament was in 2009, when the Bears defeated them in the quarterfinal. Kansas has also never beaten Baylor in the history of the Big 12 tournament.
The Bears are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now, and are coming off an impressive victory over Kansas State on Wednesday.
Top NBA prospect and star Baylor forward Perry Jones had the game of his life in the Bears' quarterfinal win over the Wildcats, and he will be determined to dominate against the Jayhawks after he had one of the worst games of his collegiate career against Kansas back in early February.
Jones' 31 points versus the Wildcats was a career high, and he also grabbed 11 rebounds. However, several of his teammates stepped up as well. Guards Brady Heslip and Pierre Jackson had 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Baylor's well-rounded attack will be out to prove they can hang with elite teams on Friday, and there's no better opponent against whom to make that case than the Jayhawks.
Kansas is a very talented and deep team, but they don't have anyone who can match Jones' athleticism. His ability to both dominate inside as well as step out to the three-point line and knock down outside shots will cause problems for the Kansas defense throughout the game, and will aslo open opportunities for his teammates.
With Baylor using their superior athleticism to get out into transition and avoid playing a half-court game, they will defeat Kansas in a statement win that will give them a ton of confidence heading into March Madness.
With Jones leading the way, Baylor will defeat Kansas and prove to the nation that they are fully capable of taking down the elite teams in college basketball.
