These guys again: Sooners enter KU rematch ready to fire

Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger reacts to a play against TCU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Oklahoma won 95-72. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger reacts to a play against TCU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Oklahoma won 95-72. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

As Bill Self’s Jayhawks gear up for Kansas-Oklahoma: The Sequel, on Saturday at OU, they will have to turn much of their focus toward the 3-point line.

That’s not to say KU will rely on the long ball more than usual. It’s just coach Lon Kruger’s Sooners shoot it so well from deep that defending (or failing to defend) those bombs could determine which team leaves Lloyd Noble Center with a claim to first place in the Big 12.

No. 3 Oklahoma (20-3 overall, 8-3 Big 12) is the best 3-point shooting team in the nation (45.1%), just a few spots ahead of the 4th-most successful 3-point shooters, the Jayhawks (42.2%).

The Sooners already set a program record this season by draining 10 or more 3-pointers in 15 games. They lit up KU in the first meeting, connecting on 16 of 33 (48.5%). The Jayhawks fared pretty well, too, making 11 of 22 (50%) in their 109-106, triple-overtime victory at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 4.

Unbelievable: No. 1 Kansas outlasts No. 2 Oklahoma in triple OT

OU’s 11.0 successful 3’s a game ranks 4th in the nation (KU’s 8.3 rank 68th), and when you look solely at the percentages being put up by Oklahoma’s five starters, they’re shooting 47% from beyond the arc.

Oh, and have a peek at the top 3-point shooters in Big 12 games this season (minimum of 1.5 made per game):

– 1st. Buddy Hield, OU: 51 of 107, 47.7%

– 2nd. Jordan Woodard, OU: 27 of 57, 47.4%

– 3rd. Isaiah Cousins, OU: 21 of 45, 46.7%

KU’s Devonté Graham comes in 4th at 45.2% (19 of 42), and Wayne Selden Jr. is just percentage points outside of the top 10, at 11th, with a mark of 33.9% (21 of 62).

Of course, many other factors will play into the outcome. Three turnovers in the final minute of the third overtime vs. Kansas prevented OU from winning the remarkable battle of (at the time) No. 1 versus No. 2. You might recall the Sooners took a 106-104 lead with just less than a minute remaining on a Woodard 3-pointer. But after that, things fell apart for OU:

– 0:45 mark: Khadeem Lattin turns the ball over after a defensive rebound

– 0:19 mark: Buddy Hield turns the ball over on a Frank Mason III steal

– 0:12 mark: another Hield turnover and Mason steal

Turnovers on the road — particularly late in games — will cost you wins. The Jayhawks (20-4, 8-3) surely realize that, as they head to Norman, Okla., with a 2-3 record in Big 12 road games and a -1.73 turnover margin in conference games (worst in the league).

Kansas will need to control the boards, as well, at OU to increase its chances of snapping Oklahoma’s 19-game home winning streak. The Sooners have out-rebounded their opponents in 15 of their 23 games this season and are 15-0 when they win the battle of the boards. KU earned a 60-55 edge in the 55-minute battle at Allen Fieldhouse.

With all of those things in mind, now is as good a time as any to reacquaint yourself with the Sooners. Here are the players the Jayhawks will have to keep in check in order to register their best road win of the season.

OKLAHOMA STARTERS

No. 24 — G Buddy Hield | 6-4, 214, sr.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) defends against a three from Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (24) during the second half, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse.

– Jan. 4 at KU: 46 points, 13/23 FGs, 8/15 3s, 12/14 FTs, 8 rebounds (2 offensive), 7 assists, 5 turnovers in 54 minutes

• OU isn’t joking when it pushes its favorite hashtag: #BuddyBuckets. Hield is the marquee player in college basketball for a reason. The senior guard averages 25.7 points per game and has drained 96 of his 192 3-pointers this year (50%). That’s right. He’s shooting 50% from 3 on the season.

• Hield has scored 30 or more points 8 times this season, an attainable feat when you make 4.2 3-pointers a game.

• The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year will reach 300 career 3-pointers if (when) he makes 2 against KU.

• His 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left on Big Monday this week secured OU’s home win over Texas. Hield scored Oklahoma’s final 12 points.

• Last year in Norman, Hield tipped in a missed shot in the final seconds for a 75-73 win over Kansas.

• Currently the only player in the nation shooting at least 50% from the field (51.8%), 50% from 3 and 90% from the free-throw line (90.2%)…

• … And one last thing. No college basketball player in the last 20 years has gone 50/50/90 and scored at least 20.0 points a game.

No. 10 — G Jordan Woodard | 6-0, 187, jr.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) tries to steal the ball from Oklahoma guard Jordan Woodard (10) during the second half, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse. Also pictured are Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) and Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (24).

– Jan. 4 at KU: 27 points, 9/20 FGs, 6/9 3s, 3/4 FTs, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block, 2 steals, 5 fouls in 50 minutes

• Most teams in the country would love to have Woodard as their top guard. The junior just happens to be OU’s second-best. Woodard averages 13.3 points and 3.9 assists, and has connected on 52 of his 107 3-point attempts (48.6%).

• Woodard can fill it up, just not to the extreme that Hield does. He has seven 20-point games in his career, including one in the triple-OT loss at KU.

• Much like Hield, Woodard makes foes pay when they send him to the foul line: 59 of 69, 85.5%.

• The most actively aggressive perimeter defender for OU, Woodard averages 1.8 steals a game.

• Maybe — but just maybe — Woodard is cooling off on 3-pointers. In OU’s last 4 games, he has hit just 3 of 17 (17.6%). Then again, that could also mean he’s about to explode.

No. 11 — G Isaiah Cousins | 6-4, 200, sr.

Oklahoma guard Isaiah Cousins (11) shoots between Texas Tech guard Toddrick Gotcher, left, and Oklahoma's Dante Buford, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016. Oklahoma won 91-67. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

– Jan. 4 at KU: 4 points, 2/14 FGs, 0/3 3s, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 1 block, 1 steal in 39 minutes

• Talk about an embarrassment of riches. The second or third player you think of when you talk about the Sooners, Cousins averages 13.6 points and 4.6 assists and has hit 44 of his 94 attempts from 3-point range (46.8%).

• Cousins has scored in double figures in 8 of the last 9 games for OU and has three double-doubles on the season.

• Set a career high with 10 assists against Villanova (now ranked No. 1 in the nation) in December.

• With the Sooners in trouble on the road in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, Cousins nailed a jumper in the final seconds of a 77-75 win at LSU.

• Put up 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists vs. Texas earlier this week.

• Over the last 7 games, Cousins is averaging 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals, while shooting 57.5% from the floor and an eye-popping 64.3% (18 of 28) from long range.

No. 00 — F Ryan Spangler | 6-8, 234, sr.

photo by: Nick Krug

Oklahoma forward Ryan Spangler (00) grimaces after picking up a foul during the second half, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse.

– Jan. 4 at KU: 14 points, 6/11 FGs, 2/4 3s, 18 rebounds (3 offensive), 0 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 4 fouls in 51 minutes

• For the love of all things 3, even OU’s rugged interior forward Ryan Spangler ventures outside occasionally. The senior averages 11.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and has hit 22 of his 62 tries from downtown (35.5%).

• As you might expect from a veteran bruiser, Spangler is even better inside the arc: 66.1% on 2-point shots. As a result, he has shot at least 50% from the field in 36 of his last 43 games.

• Nearly averaging a double-double, Spangler has 10 on the season and 27 in his career, including one at KU last month.

• Spangler has 42 double-digit rebound games in his career.

• The big man averages 2.5 offensive boards a game and, per hoop-math.com, has 18 put-backs on the season.

No. 12 — F Khadeem Lattin | 6-9, 208, soph.

Kansas State guard Justin Edwards (14) shoots in front of Oklahoma forward Khadeem Lattin (12) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016. Oklahoma won 86-76. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

– Jan. 4 at KU: 10 points, 5/9 FGs, 0/1 FTs, 14 rebounds (5 offensive), 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 6 blocks, 1 steal in 46 minutes

• Sophomore forward Khadeem Lattin’s numbers (6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds) might not blow anyone away, but his presence inside has proven crucial in OU’s outstanding season.

• The athletic big man gave KU issues around the rim and that showed up not only with his 6 blocked shots and 5 offensive rebounds, but also in his plus/minus for the triple-OT affair. Lattin registered a +5, best on the team in OU’s 3-point loss.

• In Big 12 play, no one blocks shots as well as Lattin. The 6-foot-9 rim protector denies 3.4 attempts a game. On the year, he has blocked 6 or more shots 4 times, including against KU.

• Lattin averages 2.2 offensive boards a game, and has 18 put-backs, including a game-winning tip vs. West Virginia.

• Went scoreless and block-less in 16 minutes vs. Texas earlier this week. In fact, Lattin didn’t block a shot two days before that, in a loss at K-State, either. Have teams figured out how to avoid him? Or is he due for a big day against KU? It’s hard to imagine him failing to swat away at least a couple with the national spotlight of this rematch.

OKLAHOMA BENCH

No. 2 — G Dinjiyl Walker | 6-1, 203, sr.

– Jan. 4 at KU: 3 points, 1/5 FGs, 0/1 3s, 1/1 FTs, 4 rebounds (2 offensive), 0 assists, 1 turnover in 16 minutes off the bench

• Senior OU guard Dinjiyl Walker is the best 3-point shooter off the bench. Walker averages 3.7 points in 13.3 minutes a game and has hit 19 of 53 from deep (35.8%).

• In Big 12 play, Walker has been more accurate on 3’s: 9 of 22 (40.9%).

*No. 21 — F Dante Buford | 6-7, 221, RS-fr.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Cheick Diallo (13) tips a rebound out over Oklahoma forward Dante Buford (21) during the first half, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 at Allen Fieldhouse. Also pictured are Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (24) and guard Jordan Woodard, right.

– Jan. 4 at KU: 1 point, 0/4 FGs, 0/1 3s, 1/2 FTs, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, 2 blocks in 10 minutes off the bench

• A reserve freshman forward, Dante Buford averages 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 11.5 minutes.

• Buford’s biggest game to date came at Iowa State, when he scored 14 points. Wouldn’t you know it with this team, it was the 3-ball that got him to that total. Buford went 4-for-4 from long distance at Hilton Coliseum, but OU lost 82-77.

• In the rest of OU’s games combined, though, Buford is 5 of 19 on 3-pointers (26.3%).