Former Oklahoma guard Javian McCollum has concussion, won’t play against Sooners for GT

A former Oklahoma basketball player won’t make his return to Norman on Tuesday.

Georgia Tech guard Javian McCollum, who was OU’s starting point guard in the 2023-24 season, will not play in his grudge match against the Sooners. 

McCollum did not travel with the Yellow Jackets to Norman and currently has a concussion, a source told Oklahoma Sooners on SI.

Oklahoma Hosts Georgia Tech in ACC-SEC Challenge Looking to Improve to 8-0

McCollum started 30 games for Oklahoma a year ago after transferring to the program from Siena. The point guard led OU in scoring in his lone season in Norman, averaging 13.3 points per game.

Now in Atlanta, McCollum played in Georgia Tech’s first five games of the 2024-25 season, averaging 12.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. McCollum suffered a concussion in the Yellow Jackets’ 81-58 loss to No. 18 Cincinnati on Nov. 23 and hasn’t played since.

McCollum didn’t participate in the Yellow Jackets’ wins over Charleston Southern and Central Arkansas and will again miss out against his former team on Tuesday.

OU Basketball: Oklahoma Included in AP Top 25; Where are the Sooners Ranked?

The Sooners’ game against Georgia Tech is part of the ACC-SEC Challenge, an annual in-season series, starting in 2022, that pits teams from those conferences against one another.

OU enters Tuesday’s game 7-0 after beating Providence, Arizona and Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis midseason tournament in the Bahamas. 

Tuesday’s game against Georgia Tech is one of three non-conference games against power opponents remaining for the Sooners. OU will battle Oklahoma State and Michigan — both at neutral sites — in addition to home games against Alcorn State, Central Arkansas and Prairie View A&M.

OU begins its first conference season in the Southeastern Conference on Jan. 4 when the Sooners host No. 10 Alabama.