After trailing 12-0 to open the contest, the Oklahoma Sooners turned on the switch and defeated New Zealand Select by a score of 133-91 in Auckland. Freshman sensation Trae Young led the way with 21 points on 8-15 shooting, while fellow freshman Brady Manek contributed 17 points on 7-11 shooting. Khadeem Lattin was also solid, adding 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals.
One thing that stood out about Oklahoma’s performance was the tempo they played with. The Sooners were seemingly off and running after every single rebound, and Young seemed to be quite comfortable leading the charge. Another thing that stands out is the quality depth that Oklahoma has this season. There are 12 scholarship players on the roster, and all should get plenty of time on the floor in 2017-18. Having that deep of a bench in college basketball is quite rare, and it’s something that can really be used as an advantage during the postseason.
The Sooners will be in action again on Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. CT against the Sutherland Sharks in Sydney, Australia. As was the case with the first game, the contest will be streamed on Facebook Live.
You can watch (or re-watch) the first game in its entirety right here:
Tune in live as the Sooners open their foreign tour against New Zealand Select in Auckland!
Posted by Oklahoma Sooners Men's Basketball on Saturday, August 5, 2017