Big Monday Provides Oklahoma Last Chance For Conference Road Victory - Its Cattle Wrangling Time!

Despite a seven point loss to the Baylor Bears on Saturday Oklahoma did show some signs of improvement. Tiny Gallon finally looked like the Tiny Gallon we had hoped he would be with 23 points and 15 boards against one of the best frontcourts in the Big 12. The Sooners did a fairly good job in protecting the ball with only 10 turnovers and they pounded the offensive glass to produce second chance points.

Unfortunately, the words, "if only" have become the theme of Oklahoma's 2009-2010 basketball season. If only Willie Warren were healthy. If only someone would have stepped up earlier and taken a leadership role. If only there weren't so many personality issues with the team. If only they had and more consistent inside game. If only...well...I think you get the point. Now we can add to this list that if only the guards would have shot better than 2-17 from three-point range then the Sooners would have scored a win over a ranked opponent on Saturday. 

Now Oklahoma is faced with their final opportunity to get a road victory in conference play and the the opponent is a Texas team that is hurting...literally. Things have gotten so bad in Austin with this basketball team that even if the Sooners somehow found a way to pull off a victory it wouldn't even count as a quality win. That doesn't make the win any less desirable nor the ill will for the Longhorns any lighter. What is does do is make this game a little more winnable.

Texas is 22-7 on the season but just 8-6 in Big 12 play, and somehow despite a 5-7 record since January 18th, are ranked #25 in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll. The Longhorns are 14-2 at home this season with the two losses coming at the hands of Kansas and Baylor. They are 3rd in the Big 12 in scoring offense with 76.9 points per game, 8th in scoring defense with 73.1 points per game allowed, 6th in both field goal percentage (.44%) and three-point percentage (37%). They are last in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (61%). 

Three Longhorns average double digits in scoring, led by senior forward Damion "Benedict Arnold" James. He averages a double-double with 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds (1st in the Big 12) per game. Freshman guard Avery Bradley averages 12.3 points and 2.2 assists per game. He's also second on the team with 42 made three-point shots (.400) but only shoots .500 from the free throw line. Senior center Dexter Pittman is averaging 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game for the season.

Last week Texas lost guard Dogus Balbay for the season with a knee injury and Saturday  freshmen guard J'Covan Brown took a hard fall and was eventually immobilized and carried off the floor. He's officially listed as day to day and could actually play tonight but we'll just have to wait and see. Balbay was averaging four assists per game for the Longhorns and Brown was giving them 9.6 points per game.