NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Saturday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Arena: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Line: Kansas (-14)
The Oregon State Beavers have to be extremely happy with their 6-1 start to the 2015-16 college basketball season, especially since their lone loss comes to arguably the best mid-major in the country, the Valparaiso Crusaders. Next up for the Beavers, however, is their toughest matchup yet, as they travel to Kansas City, Missouri, to face the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks.
Kansas shook off their early season loss to the Michigan State Spartans with six straight wins, including big wins against the Vanderbilt Commodores and UCLA Bruins. With the eligibility issues over Cheick Diallo resolved, the Jayhawks are, at least in my opinion, the best team in the country. They might not boast the best player in college basketball like the Providence Friars or Spartans, but they definitely have the most all-around talented roster from top to bottom.
Oregon State prides itself on tough defense, but they have yet to face an offense like that of the Jayhawks. Gary Payton II should get his points as always for the Beavers, but Kansas’ underrated defense should be able to shut down the rest of this Oregon State team’s struggling offense. OSU’s stout defense should put one or two of the Kansas stars off their game, but there are too many stars on this Jayhawks’ squad to shut them all down.
I think Oregon State finishes the season as a bubble team and either earns a spot in one of the play-in games to the 2016 NCAA Tournament or a top two-seed in the NIT. Unfortunately, the Beavers are a much better team at home than on the “road”, and Kansas should easily roll over Oregon State as the far superior team.
Prediction: Kansas 72, Oregon State 58
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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