Jay Bilas: Kansas defense has to be 'early, loud and continuous' against Baylor

No matchup on Saturday’s college basketball slate tops No. 4 Kansas hosting No. 13 Baylor in a battle between two of the top teams in the Big 12 Conference.

The Bears rank third in the nation in three-point field goal percentage, which means the Jayhawks’ defense has to step up to defend their home court against one of the most high-powered tempo offenses in the country, according to ESPN’s Jay Bilas.

“I think the key is going to be Kansas’ defense. Baylor’s a very good three point shooting team, but Kansas really has to put great pressure on the ball,” Bilas said ahead of ESPN’s College GameDay. “They’ve got to be very alert. Their talk has to be excellent. They’ve got to be early, loud and continuous throughout the game to stay with Baylor shooters.

“But if they put pressure on the ball, push Baylor a little further out and don’t allow Baylor to shoot it from the catch spot — catch and shoot three’s are really dangerous when you play Baylor. I think Kansas’ defense is what has to make the difference if the Jayhawks want to win here at Allen Fieldhouse.”

Baylor puts up 83.7 points per game on average, good for 12th best in the country and tops in the Big 12. That breaks down to 8.8 made three-pointers per game on a 40.3 percent clip (193-479).

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks are averaging 78.7 points per game and has only scored 83 or more points on four occasions so far through 10 conference games. They’re shooting 35.9 percent from the field as well, which suggests Baylor’s offense would outpace the Jayhawks on paper.

Of course, that’s where Bilas’ defensive point comes in. Baylor’s scoring totals have been down over the past three games, being held to 75.3 points on average. If Kansas can continue that trend, defending its home court will be easier than if they simply try to trade buckets.

The outcome of the matchup will have significant implications on conference’s standings, as Kansas (1 game back) and Baylor (0.5 games) are both near the top of the list heading into Saturday.

Opening tip for Saturday’s lone ranked-on-ranked matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET live on ESPN. The Jayhawks are 7.5-point betting favorites despite the scoring differences, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under total is set at 148.5, which suggests Vegas believes Kansas will dictate the pace of Saturday’s blockbuster matchup.