Oklahoma Sooners Basketball: Bedlam (Pt. 1) Preview and Game Thread

How to watch

Another prime-time game for the Sooners, as they will be hosting the Cowboys in Norman at 8:00 PM CT, and will be shown on ESPN. If you can’t make it to the game, join us on here to comment on the game thread in the comment section below.

Worst season for Kruger?

This season will snap the record of Kruger improving the team’s record each season while at Oklahoma. Since his 15-16 start, Kruger has been able to produce and succeed more than the previous season. The 29-8 record from last season would have been difficult to improve upon considering the loss of input, Jordan Woodard’s injury and the lack of experience on this team. However, this season will very likely be Kruger’s worst season with the Sooners.

With only 10 regular season games left, OU only has eight wins. The Sooners have five road games remaining, and four of those games are against teams who have already defeated them this season. However, we can always take pleasure in beating the little brother, and OU has a 136-95 record against that school north of us.

Little brother growing up?

Going into Big 12 play, the Cowboys were 10-2. However, they lost their first six games of Big 12 play, ruining their hot start at the beginning of the season. OSU is starting to turn things around once again, winning three straight games against Texas Tech, TCU and Arkansas. OSU put up 99 points in this contest, which makes sense considering they are 4th in the country for points per game. They are also 4th in the country in free throws made per game, 2nd in the country in first half points and 8th in the country in offensive rebounds per game. The Cowboys’ offensive attack may be lethal against the Sooners.

Leaders

Although OU has playmakers, it apparent that this season is not at all what last year was. Relying heavily on one-on-one play was how the Sooners made their way to the Final Four, and this season that same technique has not worked. This team has lacked ball movement and does not seem to get many assists each game. Although Woodard is still the leader in points, his play since his injury has been very inconsistent. Rashard Odomes, Kameron McGusty and Kristian Doolittle have stolen the spotlight from the veterans, and game after game show why they were brought onto the team.

On the other hand, Oklahoma State has playmakers. Phillip Forte just broke the school record for 3-pointers made. Jawun Evans is potentially one of the best point guards in the Big 12, averaging 18.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and two steals per game. Jeffrey Carroll is contributing with 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. This trio may be able to attack this OU defense and put up many points.

Prediction

The Sooners are on the wrong track once again. They are also running into an Oklahoma State team that is definitely beatable, but if OU’s last performance was any indicator of how the rest of this season will go, it’s not a good sign. However, the quality wins for Oklahoma State are few, and this may be why they have a much better record than Oklahoma. OU will be ready to go after being embarrassed on Saturday.

Oklahoma 78 Oklahoma State 74