After having nearly a week off, the Oklahoma Sooners once again take to the hardwood. This time the match-up pits brothers Jordan Woodard and James Woodard against each other as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane travels to Norman, Oklahoma.
at
72.2 |
PPG |
86.7 |
43.2 |
FG% |
47.9 |
63.6 |
FT% |
71.9 |
34.2 |
3PT% |
36.1 |
The Opponent
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane is under the direction of second year coach, Danny Manning. In his debut season, Manning coached this squad to a 17-16 record to earn a spot in the CBI Tournament. With 4-of-the-5 top scorers returning this season, expectations have inflated once again. But, a few key departures leave big shoes to fill. Tulsa boasts a 3-6 record heading into the contest.
It is likely that Tulsa will start four sophomores and a lone senior, much like the Sooners. Leading the way is James Woodard as he currently averages 13.4 points per game to go along side 5.7 rebounds, both team highs. There is hope that the frontcourt develops into a formidable force in order to keep wing players, such as Woodard, out on the wings. Through nine games, that hope has yet to come to fruition even with a handful of JUCO transfers.
Down low will be Rashad Smith who suffered a season ending just four games in last year. Before that point, the kid averaged double digits in scoring and looked well on his way to being the teams best player. Now that Smith is making his return, the Golden Hurricane has a real threat in the blocks. Behind 12.9 points per game and 5.4 rebounds, this is a player looking to leave a mark on the program.
Pete Swilling Jr. is one of two seniors on scholarship at the university. What Swilling lacks in ball handling skills, he makes up for in scoring potential while possessing the ability to stretch a defense. At the close of the season, this sharp shooter connected on nearly 41% of his shots from beyond the arc. However, a significant drop-off in efficiency has occurred since that point as he is hitting at a rate of just over 30% so far this season.
The Series
Saturday's match-up between the two programs marks the first since the 2008-09 season. Currently Oklahoma owns a 28-11 record against their in-state opponent, Tulsa, and have won 12 of the last 13.
The Game
The game will tip off at approximately 4:05 PM CST on Saturday, December 14th. Action will be aired on FS Oklahoma as well as FOX College Sports Atlantic.