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Arkansas, Oklahoma set to collide

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Arkansas, Oklahoma set to collide


TULSA — College of Arkansas freshman guard Anthony Black mentioned the No. 9-ranked Razorbacks aren’t decreasing their expectations within the wake of dropping standout ahead Trevon Brazile to a season-ending knee damage.

“Any time you lose a great participant like that, it sucks and it hurts, as a result of that’s like our brother,” Black mentioned. “A few of us had been fairly emotional after we found out he was damage.

“However we nonetheless belief in our teammates that it’s subsequent man up. I feel we will nonetheless do what we’re making an attempt to do, and for certain I feel we’re nonetheless a top-10 workforce so long as we play as much as how we will play.

“Now we’re simply going to go so much tougher for TB since he can’t play.”

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The Razorbacks (8-1) could make a press release about their resolve towards Oklahoma (7-2) when the groups play at midday immediately within the BOK Middle.

It’s the second consecutive yr Arkansas and Oklahoma are assembly in a impartial website matchup after the unranked Sooners beat the No. 11 Razorbacks 88-66 final season.

The Sooners handed Arkansas its most-lopsided loss final season and it was the most important margin the Razorbacks have misplaced to a non-conference opponent in Eric Musselman’s 4 seasons as coach.

Oklahoma by no means trailed after leaping out to a 13-0 lead, and Musselman was ejected by official Gerry Pollard with 3:30 left after drawing two technical fouls.

Musselman isn’t dwelling on the sport.

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“Whatever the final result [today], I feel final yr’s sport is irrelevant,” Musselman mentioned. “We made an Elite Eight final yr.

“Oklahoma beat us, however we had been in a position to recuperate from that sport, and we had been in a position to make use of it as an enormous a part of our instructing all year long, how that sport unfolded.”

Whereas Arkansas beat No. 1 Gonzaga and reached the NCAA West Regional closing earlier than dropping to Duke in San Francisco to complete 28-9, Oklahoma needed to accept an NIT bid and a 19-16 document after dropping a second-round house sport to St. Bonaventure.

5 Sooners are again who performed towards Arkansas final season, together with returning starters in senior middle Tanner Groves, who scored 16 factors, and senior ahead Jalen Hill, who scored 11.

Junior guard Davonte “Devo” Davis, who led Arkansas with a career-high 26 factors, is the one present Razorback who performed towards Oklahoma final season.

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Arkansas has 10 newcomers — excluding the injured Brazile — and Oklahoma has added place to begin guard Grant Sherfield, a senior switch from Nevada.

“It’s nothing actually we’re drawing on from final yr,” Sooners Coach Porter Moser mentioned. “It’s about what we now have to do that yr to beat them.

“I believed final yr was a fantastic environment. Thought it was a fantastic sport. However final yr was final yr.”

Black, averaging 13.1 factors, 5.4 rebounds and three.6 assists, is one in all three McDonald’s All-Individuals in Arkansas’ freshman class together with guard Nick Smith and ahead Jordan Walsh.

Smith, who missed the primary six video games recovering from a knee damage, is averaging 12.7 factors after scoring a game-high 22 in Arkansas’ 65-58 victory over North Carolina-Greensboro on Tuesday night time. Walsh is averaging 6.3 factors.

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“I feel we’d like him to step up so much, play so much higher than he’s been enjoying,” Black mentioned of Walsh. “He performs actually onerous, and there’s been lots of video games this yr the place he’s actually helped us out so much.

“I simply assume we’d like him to be actually engaged and play with lots of power, as a result of when he does that, he does good issues for our workforce and we simply roll smoother, particularly on the defensive finish.

“He can get us a few stops in a row, a pair run-out dunks. He may also make photographs, get to the rim, so we simply want him to have lots of power and hold enjoying onerous.”

The Razorbacks have the SEC’s second-leading scorer in junior guard Ricky Council, a switch from Wichita State averaging 18.4 factors. Makhi Mitchell, a 6-9 senior switch from Rhode Island, had 13 factors and 14 rebounds towards UNCG.

“They put stress on you in so many areas,” Moser mentioned of the Razorbacks. “They put stress on you in transition. They put stress on you with the best way they will create and play-make.

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“They put stress on you with their athleticism and their potential to attain in bunches and how briskly they will play.

“They put stress on you with their protection. They’re going to press you, they’re going to select you up.

“They’re going to be lengthy and athletic and so they play onerous. All these issues a top-10 workforce does.”

Sherfield is averaging 17.1 factors and 4.4 assists and taking pictures 55.6% on three-pointers (25 of 45) and 87.9% on free throws (29 of 33).

Musselman, Nevada’s coach for 4 seasons earlier than coming to Arkansas, mentioned he nonetheless likes to observe the Wolf Pack, so he’s aware of Sherfield’s sport.

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“He’s a dynamic scorer,” Musselman mentioned. “He can actually shoot the three — 11 made threes in his final two video games.”

Sherfield hit 6 of 8 threes and scored 21 factors in Oklahoma’s 70-66 loss at Villanova final Saturday and hit 5 of 6 threes and scored 24 factors when the Sooners beat Missouri-Kansas Metropolis 75-63 on Tuesday night time.

“He’s received a very good off-the-dribble pull-up,” Musselman mentioned. “So he’s a very powerful cowl.”

Right now might be Arkansas’ fourth impartial website sport after the Razorbacks went 2-1 on the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii.

“It’s going to be an enormous sport,” Black mentioned. “I feel we’re able to rise to the event and are available out and play with lots of power in entrance of lots of people.”

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Oklahoma

Report Card: Late run not enough, Oklahoma falls 77-73 to Texas

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Report Card: Late run not enough, Oklahoma falls 77-73 to Texas


Report Card: Late run not enough, Oklahoma falls 77-73 to Texas

The Sooners showed remarkable fight, clawing back from a 23-point deficit in the second half to cut the game to just two points at one stage. Unfortunately, their late surge couldn’t erase the damage done in a disastrous first half.

In what was a must-win game for Oklahoma, they ultimately fell short, losing 77-73 to Texas. Jalon Moore led the charge in the comeback effort with an incredible second half, scoring 26 of his 29 points after the break. However, the loss drops Oklahoma to 13-4 (0-4 SEC) on the season, a troubling position for a team with postseason aspirations.

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The biggest obstacle for the Sooners as they chipped away at the lead was Texas’ Jordan Pope. He poured in 27 points, 19 of which came in the second half, never allowing Oklahoma to complete the comeback.

Here’s a look at the Report Card from Oklahoma’s fourth straight SEC loss:

First Half: F-minus

At halftime, the Sooners trailed 43-27 after a first half so poor that even their remarkable second-half resurgence — where they shot an impressive 70% from the field — wasn’t enough to climb all the way back.

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Oklahoma’s first-half struggles were glaring. They shot just 11-29 (37.9%) from the field and a dismal 1-8 (12.5%) from beyond the arc while turning the ball over eight times. Adding to their woes, they went a troubling 8-18 on layup attempts, missing numerous close-range opportunities.

In the SEC, the math is simple: if you turn the ball over eight times in one half and shoot 12.5% from deep, you’re not beating anybody. Oklahoma learned that the hard way.

Second Half: B-plus

Oklahoma’s performance over 16 minutes in the second half was nothing short of remarkable. They shot a scorching 14-20 (70.0%) from the field and 4-8 (50.0%) from behind the arc, nearly completing an improbable comeback.

Moore led the charge with a second-half masterpiece, scoring 26 points on a flawless 8-8 shooting from the field, 3-3 from deep, and 7-7 at the free-throw line. Yet, even with Moore’s brilliance, it wasn’t enough to secure a win.

The second-half rally’s downfall? Turnovers. Much like the Texas A&M game, Oklahoma’s inability to take care of the ball derailed their comeback. Late-game turnovers from Jeremiah Fears and Duke Miles sealed the Sooners’ fate, leaving them unable to capitalize on their second-half momentum.

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Starting Five: C-plus

Starting with the positives: Moore delivered another standout performance, finishing with 29 points and eight rebounds while shooting 9-13 from the field, 3-5 from behind the arc, and 8-9 at the free-throw line. Fears contributed 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals, but also had six turnovers. He shot 7-13 from the field, 1-3 from deep, and 5-8 from the charity stripe.

Porter Moser experimented with a new starting lineup, inserting Brycen Goodine into the first group. Goodine played 30 minutes but struggled offensively, recording just 2 points and three rebounds on 1-6 shooting from the field and 0-3 from three-point range.

Two other starters, Miles and Sam Godwin, saw limited action in the second half, playing five and six minutes, respectively. Miles scored 4 points with six turnovers on 2-2 shooting and finished with a -22 plus-minus. Godwin managed just 1 point and two rebounds, posting a team-worst -25 plus-minus.

This starting five failed to generate strong starts in either half. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Moser experiment with another new lineup when the Sooners face South Carolina on Saturday.

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Bench: B-minus

The player dragging the bench grade down is Kobe Elvis, who, in his first game off the bench this season, scored 7 points on 3-6 shooting (1-3 from three) in just 13 minutes. Elvis saw limited action in the second half, logging only three minutes.

Dayton Forsythe and Glenn Taylor were instrumental in sparking Oklahoma’s 17-3 run. Forsythe, who played all 10 of his minutes in the second half, didn’t score or attempt a shot but contributed one assist, one rebound, and had a team-high plus-minus of +14.

Taylor provided 7 points, four steals, and three assists in 24 minutes, shooting 2-6 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc. His energy on both ends was crucial during the run.

Mohamed Wague, Oklahoma’s best option at the five, played 17 minutes before fouling out. He finished with 3 points, seven rebounds, and a block on 1-2 shooting.

The bench provided a much-needed spark for Oklahoma, and players like Forsythe, Taylor, and Wague have made a strong case for increased playing time moving forward.

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How to watch Texas vs. Oklahoma basketball: Free live stream

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How to watch Texas vs. Oklahoma basketball: Free live stream


NORMAN, Okla. — The Red River Rivalry transitions to the hardwood when Oklahoma hosts Texas today, Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 p.m. Eastern on the SEC Network.

Several streaming services will broadcast the game live, and you can watch on Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and Sling (promotional offers).

Both teams enter this game still looking for their first win in the SEC, holding 0-3 conference records. Oklahoma held the No. 17 spot in the AP Top 25 poll last week, but dropped out of the Top 25 after back-to-back losses to No. 11 Texas A&M and No. 23 Georgia.

Overall, the Sooners are 13-3, while the Longhorns are 11-5. Both teams also enter the first of two games against each other this season on three-game losing streaks. We’ll see which team can start to turn their fortune tonight.

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Here’s more details on how you can watch:

  • What: NCAA men’s basketball: Oklahoma vs. Texas
  • When: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025
  • Time: 10 p.m. Eastern
  • Where: Lloyd Noble Center | Norman, Okla.
  • Channel: SEC Network
  • Best Streaming Options: Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial), Sling (promotional offers)

Channel finder if you have cable: You can access the channel by using the channel finders online: Verizon Fios, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.



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Oklahoma City Turnover Disparity has Cemented its West-Leading Position

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Oklahoma City Turnover Disparity has Cemented its West-Leading Position


Since a historic season for Oklahoma City a year ago, this team has fortified itself on several fronts just under 40 games into the 2024-25 season.

From rounding out its defense with veteran Alex Caruso, bringing on Isaiah Hartenstein to provide some rebounding padding to letting the young guns grow and blossom into their game, the Thunder has many strengths.Another massive strength of theirs this season has given them many opportunities to come back from deficits and come out on top in tight games.

There are two ways to create more opportunities for shots on the basket outside of solid team defense. The first—rebounding. Without staying afloat on the defensive boards, that is a recipe for disaster and hands the opponent easy shots on goal after the rebound and deflates a defense if it’s repeated. The second—generating turnovers.

That is what Oklahoma CIty is excelling at this season. Their rebounding troubles a year ago eventually seeped in to its playoff performance and was a large part in its ultimate exit against the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder is still in the bottom half of the league in rebounds per game this season, but that’s a massive improvement from its bottom-four placement a year ago.

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With that improved, the Thunder already gain an upper hand. But coupled with how often this team generates turnovers defensively along with greatly limiting its own turnovers has landed them in the top five of field goals attempted per game.

Through 39 games, Oklahoma City has tallied just 474 turnovers to place second in the NBA in that category. Inversely, the Thunder comfortably lead the league in steals with 451 on the season, or 11.6 per game. Naturally, Oklahoma City leads the league in both points off turnovers and opponent points off turnovers.

It’s a game-changer to have this success in taking care of the ball while also the whole team acting as a ball hound. If the Thunder sustains this, it’s difficult to see anyone in the Western Conference besting them as of now.

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.



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