Monday night in CBB will see the Baylor Bears travel to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the Kansas Jayhawks. The game is scheduled for a 9:30 pm tipoff and will be televised live on ESPN. Currently Kansas is favored by 7 points with the total being set at 137.5 for this game. Sole possession of first place in the Big 12 will be on the line when No. 4 Baylor travels to Allen Fieldhouse to take on 10th-ranked Kansas as part of ESPN’s Big Monday.

Free Analysis: This bout marks the 19th meeting between Baylor and Kansas, with the Jayhawks laying claim to a commanding 16-2 lead in the series. Kansas has won the last two contests. Baylor's head coach Scott Drew is 1-8 all-time against the Jayhawks. This matchup will feature the only two teams in the Big 12 that are ranked in the top-3 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Coach Scott Drew has had some good teams in his nine years in Waco, but this is shaping up to be his finest. Drew may not have a very good record against the Jayhawks, but his team is just one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. Baylor's 17-0 (4-0) start has set new program records for best start and longest winning streak, plus the Bears have the second- widest scoring margin in the conference as they are outscoring their opponents by an average of 18.2 ppg. Baylor has a deep attack as five players average double figures in scoring. The Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, Perry Jones III leads the team with 13.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Quincy Acy and Pierre Jackson are both contributing 12.3 ppg. Acy is an exciting high-flyer as 51 percent of his career field goals have been dunks. Brady Heslip is a threat from long range as he has knocked down 50 shots from beyond the arc coming into this game. Overall the bears are 29th in scoring (77.8 ppg) and 16th in FG% (49%), but offense is not their only streghth as they play great defense as well. The Bears size has posed plenty of trouble for opponents, with three of the last four teams the Bears have faced shooting below 40 percent. Baylor ranks 11th in the nation in field-goal defense (37.2 %) and 29th in points allowed 59.6 ppg. Kansas might be the toughest opponent yet for the Bears. The Jayhawks will be protecting their 15-game home winning streak and their identical 4-0 league record. Head coach Bill Self led his team to its seventh straight win on Saturday as it took down Iowa State, 82-73. Like the visitors, Kansas has an array of weapons at the offensive end. Thomas Robinson is the team's top scorer (17.2 ppg) and the Big 12's top rebounder (12.2 rpg). The junior forward recorded his second straight and 12th double- double of the season his last time out with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Tyshawn Taylor has been a huge factor to the Jayhawks' success as well. Taylor now averages 15.5 ppg after a career-high 28-point performance his last time out. Also like the Visitors, the Jayhwaks have been very stout at the defensive end as they have allowed just 59.2 ppg (26th) on 36.6% shooting (6th).  This game has all the makings of a classic as it will feature two great head coaches, two talented and athletic lineups, the national spotlight, and a sold-out rowdy KU crowd.

Free Pick: This should be a classic game and one that i feel will be high scoring. Kansas does play very good defense (549.2 ppg) But I don't expect that to phase this Bear offense that is 29th in the nation in scoring (76.8 ppg), while coming off a game in which they hung a 106 points on a Oklahoma State team that is 33rd in the nation in defensive FG%, allowing just 39.1% shooting and 65.5 ppg. The Bears have allowed just 59.6 ppg on the year, but in their last 2 games they have allowed 69 ppg and they should have some problems tonight vs a Kansas team that is 43rd in scoring (75.9 ppg) and 29th in shooting (47.9%), plus they have hit 80+ points in their last 2 games. Both eam will look to run some in this one, knowing that it is much harder to score vs both of these half court defenses. Let's also note that BAYLOR is 26-13 OVER in road games versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game after 15+ games since 1997, while KANSAS is 16-5 OVER in home games vs. good free throw shooting teams - making >=72% of their attempts after 15+ games since 1997. I smell a shootout here. 

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