The Sooners are a near 10-point underdog to the Horned Frogs. The very fact that OU is entering as an underdog to TCU, a team that finished 12-21 last season, depicts exactly how this season is going. Oklahoma is currently on a 4-game losing skid, and are coming off a 26-point loss to the highly-touted Baylor Bears. After losing five of their six games by ten points or less, it may be time to come to the harsh reality of this years' Sooners team: They simply aren't good enough. They have been able to hang with teams for most of the game, but the inexperienced play rears its' ugly head in the final minutes of games. This is a team that will be great in the years to come, but right now we simply have to sit and wait. Let's hope they can surprise us in a few games, and stay competitive throughout the year.
How to watch
The Sooners second Big 12 game will be in Fort Worth, and tip-off will be at 8:00 PM CT. This game may be a bit frustrating, so we encourage you to express those frustrations in the comment section below.
Season Recap
Entering this matchup, the Sooners bare six losses while the Horned Frogs have managed to drop only two games up until this point. TCU's best wins come against a disappointing Washington team, and the Horned Frogs beat the Huskies in back-to-back matchups. Oklahoma's best victory is against a Clemson Tigers team that has gone on to win every single game since losing to the Sooners. However, a better way to learn about these teams is to look deeper into their last loss.
Entering TCU's last game, they had not played many high-quality opponents. Their lone loss occurred at SMU, and that was a 15-point deficit. So the expectations for the Horned Frogs were relatively low when the Jayhawks came into town. TCU had a different plan in mind. They battled KU until the last whistle, and only lost by six points to one of the best teams in the country. Jamie Dixon and his Horned Frogs let the nation know that they are legit, and a team to be reckoned with. The Sooners had a different story going into their last matchup.
As the Baylor Bears traveled north to Norman, OU prepared for what could be a turnaround game in the season. With already five losses, Oklahoma could not afford to lose this one and desperately needed to make a statement. All those plans collapsed. The better Baylor Bears team stomped the Sooners, who were without their best player Jordan Woodard for the second game in a row. It was a historic beatdown, and one that Lon Kruger and his boys are still feeling the after-shock.
As TCU conveyed who they were as a team by only losing by six to the goliath of the Big 12, Oklahoma displayed who they were by not being able to be competitive with a team that they swept last year.
How they play
The Baylor Bears are currently 18th in the country in assists per game. TCU is 12th. This is a very scary stat, as the Sooners could not maintain the Baylor attack and gave up 15 assists in their last game. TCU will be more of the same, and maybe worse. TCU is also like Baylor in the fact that they can crash the boards well and protect the rim. The Horned Frogs are averaging five blocked shots a game, and are 20th in the country in offensive rebounds per game (11.8). This does not bode well for the undersized Sooners team, who is getting bullied under the rim this season. TCU is also putting up quite a few points in the second-half this year, averaging 44.2 points and ranked 15th in the country for second-half points per game. OU has been known to either give up leads or let games slip away in the second half all season. This TCU team is armed for all of the Sooners weaknesses.
Oklahoma's 3-point shooting percentage is great this season, but that's because they are not shooting many at all. The Sooners are only chucking up 19.6 3-point attempts per game, which makes them 237th in the country for amount of 3-point shots a game. They are 28th in the country in 3-point shooting percentage, with making 39.6 percent of their 3-point attempts. OU has always done a decent job of making teams turn the ball over, stealing the ball 8.1 times a game. Oklahoma will need to create turnovers in this matchup in order to have a chance at a victory.
Who to watch
Oklahoma's best player, Senior guard Jordan Woodard, has sat out the past two games after starting every game since being a Sooner. It seems that Woodard may not be as reliable this season, and Oklahoma will need to find another person to step up to lead this team. That could be the sophomore guard Christian James. James is averaging 12.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He is surrounded by many athletic and energetic players in Khadeem Lattin, Rashard Odomes and Kristian Doolittle. These guys will need to find ways to get James open, as well as knock down some buckets themselves.
TCU does not have a superstar on their squad. However, their love of sharing the basketball has allowed four different players to average double-digits in scoring. Kenrich Williams, although not being the leading scorer, is averaging a double-double on the season. This is scary for the Sooners, as they will need to be able to maintain Williams on both sides of the floor. OU will face a balanced attack in the Horned Frogs, and every defender has to play their part because all of TCU's lineup will be capable of having a great game.
Prediction
Oklahoma's on their worst losing streak since Kruger's first season with the Sooners, when they lost six straight games. Jamie Dixon has helped revive a dead TCU basketball program and is putting their name on the map with only two losses so far this season. With Woodard seemingly not being stable, OU is going to struggle immensely. TCU will pull this one out, and OU's losing-streak will continue.
Oklahoma 63 TCU 70
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