Saturday afternoon on the college hardwood, we have a contest between the Oklahoma Sooners and Baylor Bears to break down. This is a semifinal game in the Crown Tournament at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sooners took out the Colorado Buffaloes by a score of 90-86 in OT to get here, and they are now at 20-15 on the year. The Baylor defense stepped up in a big way as they knocked off the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the semifinals by a score of 67-48. They are now at 17-16 on the year. These are former Big 12 foes, and the Bears have won nine of the last 10 games in this series. Will that streak continue?<\/p>\n
Odds: Oklahoma -1; Over\/Under 159<\/strong><\/p>\n Oklahoma enters this semifinal at 20\u201315 after a thrilling 90\u201386 overtime win over Colorado<\/a>, a game that showcased their offensive firepower and late\u2011game toughness. The Sooners average 82.9 points, shoot 46.7%, and rely on Nijel Pack<\/a>, who leads with 16.6 points and 3.1 assists. Xzayvier Brown<\/a> adds scoring and pace, while Tae Davis<\/a> and Derrion Reid<\/a> provide size and versatility. Oklahoma rebounds well at 35.8 boards per game and gets to the line consistently. Their offense thrives when they push tempo and attack early in possessions. The Sooners must maintain that rhythm against a Baylor defense that just delivered one of its best performances of the season.<\/p>\n Pack and Brown form a dynamic backcourt that can score at all three levels. Davis gives Oklahoma a strong interior presence, while Reid adds athleticism and defensive length. Oklahoma shoots 36.4% from three, giving them spacing that forces opponents into difficult rotations. Turnovers remain manageable at 9.9 per game, one of the better marks nationally. Their offensive balance allows them to adjust quickly when opponents take away primary options. Oklahoma\u2019s challenge will be generating clean looks against a Baylor defense that has tightened significantly. If the Sooners stay patient and avoid rushed possessions, they can keep pressure on throughout the night.<\/p>\n For Oklahoma to advance, they must defend the arc and limit Baylor\u2019s transition opportunities. Baylor averages 82.1 points and thrives when games become fast and physical. Oklahoma must also win the rebounding battle, as Baylor\u2019s frontcourt is aggressive on the glass. Pack and Brown must control tempo, while Davis must help contain Baylor\u2019s interior scoring. The Sooners should also attack early in the shot clock, as Baylor\u2019s half\u2011court defense improves as possessions extend. If Oklahoma maintains offensive efficiency and avoids defensive lapses, they can challenge Baylor\u2019s recent dominance in this series.<\/p>\n Baylor enters this semifinal at 17\u201316, but their recent form has been impressive. The Bears delivered a dominant 67\u201348 win over Minnesota<\/a>, holding the Golden Gophers to one of their lowest outputs of the season. Baylor averages 82.1 points, shoots 47.9%, and leans on Cameron Carr<\/a>, who leads with 19.0 points and 5.6 rebounds. Tounde Yessoufou<\/a> adds explosive scoring, while Obi Agbim<\/a> and Isaac Williams<\/a> provide playmaking and perimeter balance. Baylor\u2019s offense is built on pace, athleticism, and attacking the rim. Their defensive improvement has been the biggest storyline of the tournament, and they must continue that trend against an Oklahoma team that thrives in high\u2011tempo games.<\/p>\n Carr<\/a> and Yessoufou<\/a> form one of the most dangerous scoring duos in the field. Agbim gives Baylor another creator, while Williams adds steady decision\u2011making and perimeter shooting. Daniel Skillings<\/a> and Caden Powell<\/a> provide rebounding and interior toughness. Baylor shoots 56.4% on two\u2011pointers, and their ability to finish through contact creates consistent pressure. Turnovers sit at 11.3 per game, and their transition scoring has improved during the tournament. Baylor\u2019s depth and athleticism allow them to maintain pace for long stretches. If they continue to defend with intensity, they can control the flow of this matchup.<\/p>\n For Baylor to advance, they must limit Oklahoma\u2019s perimeter rhythm and force the Sooners into contested jumpers. Oklahoma shoots well from deep, so Baylor must close out aggressively. The Bears also need to win the rebounding battle, as Oklahoma attacks the glass with multiple players. Carr and Yessoufou must set the tone early, while Baylor\u2019s guards must pressure Oklahoma\u2019s ball handlers. Baylor should push the pace whenever possible, as Oklahoma\u2019s defense struggles in transition. If the Bears can show off their two-way play, they can extend their dominance in this series and reach the tournament final.<\/p>\n Oklahoma enters this matchup with a real opportunity to flip the script in a series that has leaned heavily toward Baylor. The Sooners showed resilience in their overtime win against Colorado. Baylor\u2019s defense has improved, but Oklahoma\u2019s pace control and late\u2011game composure give them a slight edge. This matchup should stay tight, yet Oklahoma\u2019s ability to generate steady offense without relying on streaky shooting makes them more reliable in a possession\u2011by\u2011possession game. With the Sooners trending upward and facing a familiar opponent, Oklahoma -1 fits the projected flow.<\/p>\n The total trends lower because both teams have shown a willingness to slow the tempo in high\u2011leverage games. Oklahoma\u2019s recent outings have featured longer possessions, and Baylor\u2019s defensive surge naturally reduces scoring bursts. That combination limits the chances of transition and forces more half\u2011court execution. Both teams also defend the paint well, which will naturally increase the number of contested jumpers. With neither side likely to push the pace for 40 minutes, Under 159 aligns with the expected rhythm.<\/p>\n The most likely script features a game where Oklahoma gradually asserts control through steadier offense and consistent defensive pressure. Baylor will have moments, but the Sooners\u2019 ability to manage tempo should prevent extended scoring runs. Expect a competitive matchup with stretches of slowed pace, deliberate sets, and limited transition scoring. Oklahoma\u2019s composure in tight games gives them a slight advantage in late\u2011game situations. With the pace trending slower and both defenses capable of dictating stretches, Oklahoma -1 and Under 159 match the most probable outcome of this semifinal.<\/p>\n Final Predictions: Oklahoma -1 & Under 159<\/strong><\/p>\n Featured Image: William Purnell-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Saturday afternoon on the college hardwood, we have a contest between the Oklahoma Sooners and Baylor Bears to break down. This is a semifinal game in the Crown Tournament at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sooners took out the Colorado Buffaloes by a score of 90-86 in OT to get here, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5785,"featured_media":186303,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,49087,773,50440,3],"tags":[884,2980,826,1350,1436,50079],"class_list":["post-186023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-basketball-betting","category-college-basketball","category-ncaa-predictions","category-news","tag-baylor-bears","tag-big-12-basketball","tag-march-madness","tag-oklahoma-sooners","tag-sec-basketball","tag-tounde-yessoufou"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5785"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186023"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186304,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186023\/revisions\/186304"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Oklahoma Sooners<\/h3>\n
Baylor Bears<\/h3>\n
Predictions<\/h3>\n