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After winning a pair of games away from home against Minnesota and Oregon State, the Oklahoma Sooners return home to face a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponent — the undefeated William & Mary Tribe.
Battle of unbeatens tonight at the LNC!#YouBelongHere @OU_MBBall pic.twitter.com/c4BfgAtkqT
— Oklahoma Sooners (@OU_Athletics) November 18, 2019
Oklahoma (3-0) vs. William & Mary (4-0): 6:00 p.m. CT at the Lloyd Noble Center
TV: FSOK
Commentary: Chad McKee, Bryndon Manzer and Jessica Coody
Live Stream: FoxSportsGo
Radio: Sooner Radio Network (107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing
Line: Oklahoma -16 (as of 4:45 p.m. CT)
About William & Mary
- Founded in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II, the College of William & Mary is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, trailing only Harvard.
- W&M is 4-0 on the season with wins over High Point, American, Wofford and Hampton.
- Dane Fischer is in his first season as the head coach of the Tribe, succeeding program all-time wins leader Tony Shaver (2003-19), who was dismissed after this past season. Fischer previously served as an assistant at George Mason (2015-19), Bucknell (2008-15), Rider (2005-08) and Williams (2003-05).
- The team is led in scoring by forwards Nathan Knight (18.5 PPG) and Andy Van Vliet (17.3 PPG), with each shooting over 50 percent from the field through four contests. The 6’10, 253-pound Knight leads the team in rebounds with 11.8 per game, with the 7’0”, 231-pound Van Vliet averaging 9.5 of his own.
- William & Mary currently ranks 200th nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s team efficiency ratings, sitting at No. 143 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 259 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Three Things
- Balanced attack: Through three games, all five of Oklahoma’s presumed starters (Kristian Doolittle, Brady Manek, Austin Reaves, Jamal Bieniemy and De’Vion Harmon) have scored at least 15 points in an individual outing. This type of balance, of course, is a very good sign after witnessing this program’s struggles in this area over the past few seasons. Additionally, each bench contributor (Alondes Williams, Kur Kuath, Jalen Hill and Victor Iwuakor) have demonstrated a capability to produce big plays when the team needs them most, which is impressive for a group with so many fresh faces (or a fairly fresh face in Kuath’s case).
- Just outside: While the Sooners aren’t currently ranked in the top 25, the team is currently 31st in the AP Poll and 26th in the Coaches Poll. With two games against less-than-elite competition (W&M and Maryland Eastern Shore), this team will presumably be undefeated when the polls are released next week. With that in mind, OU could very well make an appearance in the next Coaches Poll.
- Hall of Fame Classic: Both today’s matchup against W&M and Thursday’s game with Maryland Eastern Shore make up the campus round of the Hall of Fame Classic. Following the two home rounds, the Sooners will travel to the Sprint Center in Kansas City to face Stanford (next Monday), followed by Butler or Missouri in the championship rounds (next Tuesday).
Prediction
Oklahoma 89, William & Mary 70