Oklahoma
Joe Lunardi offers critical update on NCAA Tournament fate of Oklahoma, Michigan State
Oklahoma and Michigan State will be sweating it out on Selection Sunday. According to ESPN bracketology expert Joe Lunardi, the Sooners and Spartans are among the “last four in” on the NCAA Tournament bubble following Saturday’s early conference tournament results.
OU and MSU will be rooting hard for North Carolina and Colorado to win their respective conference championships. Both NC State and Oregon, who will face the Tar Heels and Buffaloes, are among the “next four out” according to Lunardi but would steal an automatic bid with wins.
Oklahoma is coming off of a 20-12 finish but has dropped six of its past eight games to end the year. The Sooners have quality victories against quad 1 teams such as Iowa State and Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, Michigan State ended its season 19-14 after falling to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans have not missed an NCAA Tournament since 1997, and their 25-season streak is the longest active in college basketball.
OU has not made an NCAA Tournament since Porter Moser took over in the 2021-22 season. The Sooners began the season 13-1 but had a rough close to the year in Big 12 play that has now thrown their March Madness hopes in question.
If Oklahoma and Michigan State are indeed among the last four teams to make the NCAA Tournament, they would both compete in a play-in game to set the field at 64. Both will find out their fates when the field is announced at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Two people are dead, and three others are injured after an overnight shooting at a party in southwest Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City Police are investigating after a fight broke out at a party, leading to a shooting.
Authorities said police responded to Dos Cinco Mexican Restaurant and Bar near SW 25th Street and S Hudson Ave after a fight broke out during an event at the business.
The fight escalated into gunfire, and five people were shot. OKCPD said the victims were transported to the hospital by EMSA and private vehicles.
One victim was pronounced deceased after arriving at the hospital, and a second victim later died at the hospital.
Detectives said they were working to determine what led to the shooting and identify everyone involved.
Dos Cinco Restaurant released a statement following the shooting, extending its condolences to everyone affected by the shooting.
Last night our community experienced a heartbreaking tragedy, and our hearts are heavy as we process the events that unfolded.
What began as a normal evening was tragically cut short when an altercation escalated into an act of gun violence, resulting in the loss of two lives. We extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the families, loved ones, and everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy. No family should ever have to endure such a devastating loss.
The safety of our guests and staff has always been a top priority. Our security team conducted security screenings at the entrance however, despite those measures, firearms were somehow brought into the establishment by both parties. We are committed to understanding by how this occurred and to doing everything possible to help prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.
Dos Cinco has provided ALL surveillance footage to the Oklahoma City Police Department and will continue to fully cooperate with detectives throughout their investigation. Out of respect for the victims, their families, and the ongoing investigation, Dos Cinco will remain closed until further notice. We ask our community to keep everyone impacted in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.
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The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card in Oklahoma City, including a pair to the main event fighters.
After UFC Fight Night 281, four fighters picked up an extra $100,000 for their performances at Paycom Center. Additionally, two fighters got $25,000 extra checks for finishes that weren’t bonus-winners.
Check out the list of winners below.
Dricus Du Plessis (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) put on a masterful performance with a unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (21-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC), whose return to middleweight ended in failure – and him saying he didn’t want to be a sore loser, then listing about six reasons why he was being precisely that. Du Plessis frequently made Usman look slow, though the broadcast team starting in the third round lauded him for his grit. DDP’s scorecards included a 50-45, which Usman took particular exception with as part of his “I’m not a sore loser” sore loser time on the microphone with Daniel Cormier, who seemed unsure if he should feel sorry for him or be embarrassed for his assertion that he somehow was in a competitive fight.
Performance of the Night: Felipe Franco ($100,000)
Felipe Franco (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) turned in a performance to remember for his first win in the UFC when he took out Levi Rodrigues (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO. Back at 205 pounds after a loss in his UFC debut at heavyweight, Franco mounted Rodrigues and pounded him out in the second frame.
Performance of the Night: Tommy McMillen ($100,000)
Tommy McMillen (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) looked like a star has been born when he set a new promotional record for significant strikes in a three-round featherweight fight. And thought he took a few licks himself from Alberto Montes (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), he put him away with about 90 seconds left in the fight after a torrid of standup punishment.
Finish bonus: R.J. Harris ($25,000)
R.J. Harris (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had a stellar debut in the UFC at heavyweight when he drilled Alvin Hines (7-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with an uppercut in the first round that took him off his feet. Harris was on him in the bat of an eye and a few punches later had a stoppage in 100 seconds.
Finish bonus: Dione Barbosa ($25,000)
Dione Barbosa (10-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) made things look easy against Alice Melisano (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Knowing her easiest path to victory was on the canvas, she took the UFC newcomer and “TUF” grad down right away, then worked her way to an eventual rear-naked choke finish in the opening round. Barbosa was the second biggest betting favorite on the card at 7-1.
The Oklahoma Sooners surprised the college football world with their breakthrough 2025 season. The Sooners made the College Football Playoff after a 6-7 season in 2024.
The Sooners navigated one of the toughest schedules in college football and still finished the regular season with a 10-2 record. With another offseason of development and the return of several key contributors, expectations are high around Norman heading into 2026. However, that optimism has not carried over to the national conversation.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projects the Sooners will finish with a 7-5 record this season. Despite that projection, FPI still ranks Oklahoma as the No. 12 team in the country. That disrespect likely comes from the up-and-down tenure under head coach Brent Venables. So far, he’s had two double-digit-win seasons, while also having two losing seasons. Oklahoma hadn’t had a losing season since 1998 until Venables took over before the 2022 season.
On3’s Ari Wasserman said that Oklahoma has been overlooked nationally on his show with Andy Staples.
Oklahoma has already shown it can compete at the highest level after making the College Football Playoff in its first season as an SEC member. Now, the challenge is proving that last season was not just a one-year breakthrough.
With a talented roster, an elite defense, and key players returning, the Sooners have the opportunity to exceed national expectations and establish themselves as a consistent contender in the SEC.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
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