Oklahoma basketball: Road doesn't get easier for Sooners in tough Big 12 stretch

After a 4-2 start to the Big 12 season, Oklahoma is in the middle of that rough stretch. Including Saturday's loss in Lawrence, Kan., the Sooners play five straight games against the top-four teams in the Big 12  —  two of which are also top-25 programs in the country.

Three of those games are on the road. The Sooners' two home games are against No. 11 Kansas State and No. 3 Kansas  — the programs that have handed OU its only Big 12 losses this season.

After that Texas Tech game, Sooner coaches were saying that a good way to come out of the seven-game stretch would be with a 3-4 record. So far, they're 1-2, with the only win coming against struggling Texas.

With the way the rest of Oklahoma's schedule is laid out, the Sooners could still be NCAA Tournament contenders, thanks to a strong start to the season. For a team looking to make the tournament, though, this tough stretch is the ideal measuring stick for the selection committee.

Here's a look at the Sooners' next four games:

At Baylor (6 p.m. Wednesday): The Sooners are back on the road in Waco, Texas, to face the Bears, who are currently alone in second place in the Big 12. ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla recently told The Oklahoman that with the way Kansas and Baylor are playing, the two teams will likely take the Big 12's top two spots, leaving a handful of teams fighting for third place. The Bears most likely take the victory.