Five Things to Watch: OU vs. K-State

Feb. 15, 2012

By Andrew Gilman | SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. -- Five things to watch when Kansas State visits Oklahoma Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Lloyd Noble Center:

1. Can Ellenberg Get Going?
Sophomore Aaryn Ellenberg was sensational her last game against Kansas State, totaling a season-high 31 points in the upset road win on Jan. 17. The Sooners are at their best when the sophomore guard can get to the basket and create her own shot. If Ellenberg can do that, OU will be in good shape against the Wildcats. She was just 2-for-10 against Connecticut in only 21 minutes of action Monday night, so look for Ellenberg to be inspired against Kansas State.

2. Big 12 Positioning
The Sooners are 16-8 overall but are 8-4 in the Big 12. A win against Kansas State and the Sooners will be tied with Texas A&M, who beat Missouri Tuesday, for second place in the conference with a game still to play against the Aggies next Tuesday. OU is is one-game up on Kansas State in the conference. Avoiding a No. 4 seed in the conference tournament will be important if the Sooners want to avoid Baylor until the finals.

3. Freshman Maturity
While the Sooners don't start any freshmen, three are coming off the bench and getting quality minutes. Their development will be key as OU winds down the Big 12 schedule. Sharane Campbell is playing 21.6 minutes per game in the conference. Harden is playing 12.3 minutes and Kaylon Williams is playing 18.2 minutes. All three played more than 20 minutes against UConn on Monday

4. Sooner Rebounding
By the looks of things, OU should be able to dominate Kansas State on the glass Wednesday night. The Sooners are second in the conference in defensive rebounds per game. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are last in the conference in total rebounds and ninth out of 10 teams in defensive rebounds per game. OU is led by Joanna McFarland's 7.6 rebounds per game.

5. Locking Down Chambers
Kansas State guard Brittany Chambers may be the best shooter in the conference. She is first in the Big 12 in 3-pointers made per game, getting nearly three each time out. She is scoring 15.3 points per game as well -- that's sixth best in the conference. Look for the Sooners to focus on Chambers. If they can slow her down, Jalana Childs (13.6 ppg, No. 11 in Big 12 scoring) is the only other player on the team who ranks among the league's top 25 in scoring average.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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