Keys to the Game and Scouting Look: Texas

Saturday at 7:00 PM on SEC Network, Porter Moser will coach the biggest game of his Oklahoma career to date.

After a crucial 96-84 victory over No. 15 Missouri, led by Jeremiah Fears’ career-high 31 points, the Sooners (18-12, 5-12) still have work to do. That work? Securing a win in Austin against Texas — something Moser has never done in his four-year tenure at Oklahoma.

This game is not just a rivalry clash; it features two head coaches fighting for their jobs, two bubble teams both in desperate need of a win, and two lottery picks in Fears vs. Texas’ leading scorer, Tre Johnson. Plus, there’s the added factor of Moser being winless in the Red River Rivalry.

If the Sooners can pull off the win, their tournament chances will be in a strong position heading into conference tournament week. If they lose, they’ll need to win two games in Nashville next week, a tall order.

Take a look at Rodney Terry’s Longhorns, who are coming off an overtime victory over Mississippi State (87-82), which kept their tournament hopes alive, and what Oklahoma must do to secure the biggest win of the season.

Last time these two teams faced, Texas won 77-73. They outscored Oklahoma 43-27 in the first half, but the Sooners outscored them 46-34 in the second half. Unfortunatley for Oklahoma, the 29 points from Jalon Moore, 20 from Fears, and the spark provided by Dayton Forsythe wasnt enough to overcome the deficit they put themselves in.

The Longhorns are led by their true freshman star Johnson, who, like Fears, is projected to be a lottery pick. He averages 20.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. In their most recent game against No., 25 Mississippu Stae on the road, Johnson scored 23 points on an impressive 6-9 shooting frombehind the arc.

It was Tramon Mark who led the team in scoring, though. Mark totaled 24 points on an impressive 4-6 shooting from deep. Part of the reason Texas secured that win was because of their hot shooting ffrom downtown, 11-23 (47.8%), and Johnson and Mark accounted for 10 of those 11 makes.

On the season, Mark averages just 9.9 points and 3.6 rebounds, but Tuesday night’s game against the Bulldogs proves he can get hot. Another scorer that can get hot is Jordan Pope, who averages 10.6 points. It was Pope who led the way for Texas in Janurary when they played Oklahoma.

Pope scored 27 points on 9-17 shootiung from the field in that game, which took place on January 15th. Since then, he has scored in double figures just twice. Arthur Kaluma is another scorer to watch, he averages 12.7 points and 8.0 rebounds. Another name of note will be Kadin Shedrick, the 6’11 big who averages 8.5 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Here’s a look at where the Lonhorns rank nationally across various statistical categories.

It’s pretty simple: Oklahoma goes as Fears goes. And fortunately for the Sooners, he’s been going strong lately. Over his last five games, Fears has averaged 22.2 points, six assists, and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 47.2% from the field. Four of those games have come against top-25 opponents.

He’s been scoring at a high level, but just as important, he’s managed the game exceptionally well, which is something Oklahoma will need on Saturday. On Wednesday night, he committed just one turnover, and the Sooners had only nine as a team. If he can control the game as effectively as he did then, it’ll go a long way in helping Oklahoma navigate this road test.

Both teams rely heavily on their true freshman, future lottery picks, and the battle between Fears and Johnson will be a must-watch. It could be the deciding factor in who comes out on top.

Without Sam Godwin, who went down with a knee injury in the first half against Missouri, the Sooners will need a few players to step up in the frontcourt. That starts with Mohamed Wague, who totaled 12 points and five rebounds in a season-high 18 minutes on Wednesday night. He shot 4-for-4 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

It’s not just Wague — Oklahoma will also need Luke Northweather to step up. He hit a big step-back three-pointer against Missouri but hasn’t played double-digit minutes since February 8. The Sooners could use the production they got from him in the non-conference slate.

Beyond those two, expect to see a small-ball look with Jalon Moore at the five and Glenn Taylor Jr. at the four, which should lead to increased minutes for Taylor. The Sooners will need Wague, who averages over eight fouls per 40 minutes, and Moore, likely their two primary options at center, to stay out of foul trouble.

The Sooners have been red-hot from deep, shooting 38-for-90 (42.2%) over their last four games. A key contributor to that surge has been Kobe Elvis, who is averaging 8.5 points during that stretch. After a rough spell, he has started to find his rhythm off the bench.

Elvis has been especially sharp from behind the arc, hitting 9 of his last 14 attempts (64.2%). Pair that with Brycen Goodine — one of the best shooters in the SEC — and the Sooners have two guards in great form from deep, along with several others.

For Oklahoma, maintaining this recent three-point success will be crucial. Knocking down shots from deep is a great way to build a lead on the road and quiet the opposing crowd. If players like Elvis and Goodine stay hot, the Sooners have a strong chance of keeping their shooting momentum going.

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