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Limiting turnovers figures to be a significant theme for each Kansas State and Oklahoma heading into their Tuesday assembly in Norman, Okla.
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Both the No. 12 Wildcats and the Sooners are coming off their worst turnover video games of the season in losses Saturday.
Kansas State gave the ball away 23 occasions in a 71-63 upset loss at Texas Tech, whereas Oklahoma gave up the ball 24 occasions in a 78-55 loss to then-No. 9 Kansas.
“I have to be better,” Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell stated. “This team is not a team that could turn the ball over and get stops in transition and make up for mistakes. So I probably had about 20 or 30 turnovers now in the last four to five games. I’m really gonna work on that.”
Nowell has 29 turnovers over the Wildcats’ final 5 video games.
Wildcats coach Jerome Tang stated the problem with turnovers lately has challenged his workforce’s toughness.
“It’s just about being mentally and physically tough and delivering passes with two people on you,” Tang stated.
After beginning 6-1 in Big 12 play, Kansas State has dropped 4 of its previous six.
The Wildcats (19-6, 7-5) are averaging 15.5 turnovers per sport in that stretch.
“Your defense has to travel,” Tang stated. “That’s how you win road games, by being a really good defensive team. … But there is no defense for live-ball turnovers.”
Kansas State is led by Keyontae Johnson, who’s averaging 17.6 factors and seven.6 rebounds per sport. Nowell is averaging 16.9 factors, 7.6 assists, and a pair of.3 steals.
While the Wildcats have struggled currently after a scorching begin in convention play, the Sooners have struggled all through.
Oklahoma (12-13, 2-10) has dropped 4 consecutive video games and 7 consecutive Big 12 video games. The Sooners’ solely win in that stretch was 93-69 over then-No. 2 Alabama on Jan. 28.
Oklahoma’s latest struggles have led to loads of changes from Sooners coach Porter Moser, who moved freshman Otega Oweh into the beginning lineup two video games in the past and elevated Joe Bamisile again into the rotation after Bamisile performed sparingly early in convention play.
“I’m constantly trying to tinker to find things,” Moser stated. “With playing Joe and Otega, you’re going to live with some things. … I’m constantly trying to find ways to win right now.”
Oweh has averaged 10.5 factors in a median of twenty-two minutes since shifting into the beginning lineup. He had scored 10 factors in a sport simply as soon as this season earlier than making his first profession begin final Wednesday at Baylor.
Bamisile was scoreless towards Kansas however added loads of power off the bench within the loss.
Grant Sherfield leads the Sooners with 16.5 factors per sport. Jalen Hill is the one different participant averaging in double figures, with 10.2 factors per sport.
Tuesday’s assembly is the primary of two this season between the groups.
The Sooners swept the sequence final season and have crushed the Wildcats three consecutive seasons in Norman.