For those new to the site, this “The Student Section Supports” segment takes a look at one specific matchup that has the potential to either be a surprising upset or an extremely tight game between two evenly matched teams. Generally speaking, this segment will steer clear of the top, marquee matchups due to the fact that there will be plenty of press about those games anyway. Here’s what I love about this week’s pick: No one is going to be talking about this game, and they fucking should be. The Big XII could have anywhere from three to seven teams in The Tournament this year and this game has some significance. The Baylor Bears cannot possibly upstage what they did in five overtimes against Texas A&M on Wednesday, but they’ve got a worthy opponent in Oklahoma coming into their place on Saturday. More Big XII love on the other side.

When: Saturday, 4 ET.

OKLAHOMA (13-5): All the nation has really gotten to see of Oklahoma is a tough win over Gonzaga and a beatdown courtesy of Kansas. So how good is this team? I think they’re good enough to make it to The Tournament (could be anything from a 7-10 seed, really) and get at least one win there. According to the ever-referenced kenpom.com, they are 21st in the nation in offensive proficiency and have a SOS of 23, so that’s respectable. Longar Longar is a senior stud who really helps out in many areas of the game and although their prime player—Blake Griffin—is out with an injury right now, he should be back soon.

Could win because…Stacey King’s jersey was just hung in the rafters at the Llody Noble center this past week. What? The game’s on the road? Ah, well…I guess the Sooners’ best indication of potential victory would be their passing game. Yeah! The motherfucking passing game! Good passing teams never get a lot of hype, but the Sooners can certainly distribute the ball, in turn, perhaps fatiguing an already winded Baylor team.

Could lose because…Blake Griffin is a big presence in body and voice on the floor, so that could have an effect. You should know that Griffin is average 16 points/9 boards per game and Oklahoma has been fortunate enough to have only played two games in 13 days since his injury. They are 1-1 in those games.

BAYLOR (16-2): Everyone’s ready to hop on this bandwagon and support the school that has gone through so much in the past half decade. Why not? It’s a great story and I hope to see a lot more of them in the coming months as well. The biggest mojo factor is that Scott Drew, their head coach, is the son of former Valparaiso coach Homer Drew, who had a little March magic of his own.

Could win because…There’s no chance they’re looking ahead at all. (Baylor plays 10-8 Oklahoma State on Monday.) Plus, they’ve got about all the momentum (weary legs aside) to really put together a nice little winning streak here. The Bears have currently won five in a row and are 4-0 in conference play.

Could lose because…Those legs! Sixty-five minutes of basketball could have a short-term effect on a team. Think to yourself: What were Drew’s practices like on Thursday and Friday? Is it safe to assume he went a little easy on his guys after they received a lot of national attention and played their toughest game of the year?

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