The Oklahoma Sooners will travel to Lubbock, Texas probably today in preparation for their game against Texas Tech on Saturday at 6 PM. Here is the staff writers article about the upcoming game.
https://soonersports.com/news/2023/1/6/ ... n-saturday
Saturday's game against the Red Raiders will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Shawn Kenney and Bryndon Manzer on the call. Fans may also listen on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Varsity Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing.
The Sooners and the Red Raiders enter the game with 0-2 records with OU losing to Texas and Iowa State. Tech has lost to TCU and Kansas State. OU has lost two games by 4 points while Tech has lost their two games by 9 points. The four teams that OU and TT has lost to are 4-1 in the conference.
Texas Tech is another team that plays with 3 guards most of the time. But Texas is a but different in that Tech has two bigs which lead the scoring and are strong rebounders. Obanor is a 6"8" forward that scores 15.8 PPG and 6.2 rebounds. Batcho, a 6'11" forward that scores 12.3 PPG and averages 8.4 rebounds. 28 points and 15 rebounds is strong play inside by Tech. the three guards Harmon, Isaacs and Tyson averages 33 PPG with good assist numbers. four other guards and 1 forward are the first players off the bench and score 18 PPG and 9 rebounds. Texas Tech scores 80.1 PPG and allows 62.7 PPG.
OU is averaging 68.4 PPG and they are allowing 61.5 PPG. Once again, OU needs to hold Texas Tech under 70 points. When OU has allowed 70 points or more, they are 0-3. In the other two losses, OU did not score over 60 points.
I think the Sooners can match up with the guards even if Hill is a 3rd front line player on the court for OU. Hill has proven he can play good defense on a big guard this year. When OU goes to three guards and Hill is the 2nd forward, it will be interesting to see if he can handle Obanor or Batcho with their size. Ou ,ay have to keep the Tanner brothers and or Godwin on the court most of the game as 2 of the 5 Sooners playing.
As of today, the NET rankings of the two teams are similar. Tech holds a #44 NET ranking with OU's being #61. Those are the two lowest rankings in the Big 12.
Oklahoma needs to overcome the home court advantage that Tech enjoys in Lubbock as well as the inside game for Tech to be successful tomorrow night. Oklahoma really needs to pick up a win over the Red Raiders. Oklahoma needs to be 1-2 when they play their next game against Kansas in Lawrence, KS on Tuesday. \
Good luck to the Sooners tomorrow night!
Boomer Sooner!
Men's Basketball - Sooners in Need of a Win against Texas Tech!
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OUBeliever56A
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soonerTroll2
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Holy Heck! The Sooners are going to win their first conference game. 
Outstanding.
Outstanding.
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soonerTroll2
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White River
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Sooners get the win in overtime. They had a 13-point lead in the second half but gave it up down the stretch. However, they righted the ship in overtime to get the victory.
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gcruse7
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Gutsy win. Granted, they blew a big lead, but Uzan hit 2 big free throws to send the game to overtime. They they made the plays that they needed to in OT to secure a needed road win and first conference win!
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Jim Elliot
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OU Guy
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After football these conf refs need investigated. Its getting out of hand and is happening in all sports now. Flat out cheating by refs luckily our kids overcame them. Imagine how bad it will be at Kansas on Tue
In Brent I Trust 
Solid win and huge step forward when crunch time again made its appearance. I’m hoping Sherfield can start to keep his steadiness and not go into hyper-hero, endgame mode - now that several of his teammates have really found their stride.
The foul count was indeed way out of balance, but watching the game I honestly did not see a blatant bias.
The foul count was indeed way out of balance, but watching the game I honestly did not see a blatant bias.
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OUBeliever56A
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Okay, here are the 'qualifiers' to the doubtful fans about Saturday's overtime win over Texas Tech 68-63 for the Sooners first conference win.
* Tech did play without 2 starters due to injuries and one non-starter did not play either. The Sooners did get a break due to that. The players that were out reduced the inside size for the Red Raiders.
* The Sooners did let a 13-point lead vanish and had to get two clutch free throws from FR Milos Uzan to tie the game and move to Overtime.
* Grant Sherfield has hit a "scouting report" a "fatigue point" or just a bit of a slump in the last two games.
* The Sooners were on the wrong end of a 20 of 12 called fouls and a 5 for 6 free shots by the Sooners to a 19 of 25 free shots by the Red Raiders. Some cite a noted officiating difference that is purposeful on the conference's part. I will leave that to the fans who want to discuss it.
Here are the reasons that the Sooners won a game that they might have lost.
* Jalen Hill played a great game. Not only does he routinely get the toughest defensive assignment each game, but against Tech he scored 18 points, pulled down 9 rebounds and shut-down former teammate De'vion Williams after Williams single handily brought Texas Tech from a double-digit loss to the Sooners. Hill placed an exclamation point on his day with the final 8 Sooner points in overtime to seal the win.
* Milos Uzan, the talented freshman guard, added his own 18 points (including two big 3's) as he keyed the Sooner offense for most of the game taking the ball handling responsibilities from Sherfield.
* Tanner Groves, despite fouling out, Jacob Groves and Sam Godwin provided enough inside to compliment Hill to add 14 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks to help keep the Sooners leading inside the paint. OU had 35 rebounds to the 39 by Tech but they the Sooners held their own.
* CJ Nolan and Bijan Cortes also added good minutes and a clutch 3 pointer and an impressive rebound put-back dunk for the Sooners.
After the Sooners had lost their 13 point lead, the Sooners played clutch in the final minute and half of the game to send the game to overtime.
That is the 'politics' of the win, so-to-say.
The mechanics of the win were interesting to me. I thought we saw a bit of a change in the Sooner offensive plan on Saturday. There was much less of the five guys standing outside the arc and watching someone dribble. The Sooners seemed to plan to attack the paint by penetration with the ball and kick the ball out to shooters or finish at the rim. I thought Uzan executed that well. Sherfield seems to have developed a 'hesitation' before he goes to the paint. Cortes used his speed to get in the paint often. I think the difference was more open shots and less turnovers. The Sooners only had 14 against a decent defense for the Red Raiders.
I think the Sooners are playing good team defense and that will likely give the Sooners a chance to win most every game in the conference. Any game with 70 or less points scored is an advantage for Oklahoma. That is what they are built to do right now. There is beauty in that and there is reason to applaud. Yeah, it is not Billy-ball but it is a way to win. Try to respect what it is and to applaud when you can.
The bottom line is that the Sooners badly needed a win in Lubbock on Saturday. They left Lubbock with an 'earned victory' to move to 1-2 in the conference. The Big 12 conference is a wild conference this season. Where else would a team win by one on the road 70-69, lose at home 116-103 and then win on the road by the score of 56-46. Yes, Texas did that. A win at OU, loss at home to K-State, and a win at Stillwater in three different levels of scoring.
Any win is a good win in the Big 12.
Boomer Sooner!
- - -
Elsewhere in the Big 12 on Saturday here are the results.
Texas won on the road at Oklahoma State 56-46 in a very low scoring game. Neither team shot well in the game. I wonder if OSU could not find the light switch for the arena. Texas moves to 2-1 while OSU dropped to 3-0.
Iowa State picked up a second win in a row on the road at TCU 69-67. I watched some of the game and both teams were trading punches while I watched. I think people should not count out either team in the conference. The Cyclones moved to 3-0 while TCU dropped to 2-1. The win on the road for Iowa State is impressive to me.
The surprising Kansas State Wildcats scored bunches again on the road to defeat Baylor 97-95 in Waco. K-State won two games this week over Texas and Baylor 213-198. K-State is now 3-0 and Baylor sinks to 0-3. Imagine how the Baylor Bears Men's team fans are feeling right now.
Kansas traveled to Morgantown and defeated West Virginia 76-62. Kansas remains unbeaten at 3-0 although the WV win is the only one by double digits. WV also sinks to 0-3.
The Current Standings in the Big 12 are:
1st - 3-0 = Iowa State 12-2, Kansas 14-1, Kansas State 14-1
4th - 2-1 = TCU 13-2 and Texas 13-2
6th - 1-2 = Oklahoma 10-5
7th - 0-3 = Baylor 10-5, Oklahoma State 9-6, Texas Tech 10-5 and West Virginia 10-5
The lowest NET ranking of the Big 12 conference is Texas Tech with a #59 ranking. That is by far the best rankings of any conference.
The big mid-week game of the Big 12 will be the TCU at Texas game in Austin. The Baylor - West Virginia game will move one team to -4 and deep in the cellar. the other three games are top Big 12 teams against teams at the bottom right now. I-State hosts Tech, K-State host OSU and Kansas hosts OU.
One can hope the long road to trip to West Virginia to play on Saturday will fatigue Kansas as they host OU on Tuesday night at 8 PM on ESPN2. Oklahoma will need a big effort against Kansas on Tuesday to leave Lawrence with a win.
Boomer Sooner!
* Tech did play without 2 starters due to injuries and one non-starter did not play either. The Sooners did get a break due to that. The players that were out reduced the inside size for the Red Raiders.
* The Sooners did let a 13-point lead vanish and had to get two clutch free throws from FR Milos Uzan to tie the game and move to Overtime.
* Grant Sherfield has hit a "scouting report" a "fatigue point" or just a bit of a slump in the last two games.
* The Sooners were on the wrong end of a 20 of 12 called fouls and a 5 for 6 free shots by the Sooners to a 19 of 25 free shots by the Red Raiders. Some cite a noted officiating difference that is purposeful on the conference's part. I will leave that to the fans who want to discuss it.
Here are the reasons that the Sooners won a game that they might have lost.
* Jalen Hill played a great game. Not only does he routinely get the toughest defensive assignment each game, but against Tech he scored 18 points, pulled down 9 rebounds and shut-down former teammate De'vion Williams after Williams single handily brought Texas Tech from a double-digit loss to the Sooners. Hill placed an exclamation point on his day with the final 8 Sooner points in overtime to seal the win.
* Milos Uzan, the talented freshman guard, added his own 18 points (including two big 3's) as he keyed the Sooner offense for most of the game taking the ball handling responsibilities from Sherfield.
* Tanner Groves, despite fouling out, Jacob Groves and Sam Godwin provided enough inside to compliment Hill to add 14 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks to help keep the Sooners leading inside the paint. OU had 35 rebounds to the 39 by Tech but they the Sooners held their own.
* CJ Nolan and Bijan Cortes also added good minutes and a clutch 3 pointer and an impressive rebound put-back dunk for the Sooners.
After the Sooners had lost their 13 point lead, the Sooners played clutch in the final minute and half of the game to send the game to overtime.
That is the 'politics' of the win, so-to-say.
The mechanics of the win were interesting to me. I thought we saw a bit of a change in the Sooner offensive plan on Saturday. There was much less of the five guys standing outside the arc and watching someone dribble. The Sooners seemed to plan to attack the paint by penetration with the ball and kick the ball out to shooters or finish at the rim. I thought Uzan executed that well. Sherfield seems to have developed a 'hesitation' before he goes to the paint. Cortes used his speed to get in the paint often. I think the difference was more open shots and less turnovers. The Sooners only had 14 against a decent defense for the Red Raiders.
I think the Sooners are playing good team defense and that will likely give the Sooners a chance to win most every game in the conference. Any game with 70 or less points scored is an advantage for Oklahoma. That is what they are built to do right now. There is beauty in that and there is reason to applaud. Yeah, it is not Billy-ball but it is a way to win. Try to respect what it is and to applaud when you can.
The bottom line is that the Sooners badly needed a win in Lubbock on Saturday. They left Lubbock with an 'earned victory' to move to 1-2 in the conference. The Big 12 conference is a wild conference this season. Where else would a team win by one on the road 70-69, lose at home 116-103 and then win on the road by the score of 56-46. Yes, Texas did that. A win at OU, loss at home to K-State, and a win at Stillwater in three different levels of scoring.
Any win is a good win in the Big 12.
Boomer Sooner!
- - -
Elsewhere in the Big 12 on Saturday here are the results.
Texas won on the road at Oklahoma State 56-46 in a very low scoring game. Neither team shot well in the game. I wonder if OSU could not find the light switch for the arena. Texas moves to 2-1 while OSU dropped to 3-0.
Iowa State picked up a second win in a row on the road at TCU 69-67. I watched some of the game and both teams were trading punches while I watched. I think people should not count out either team in the conference. The Cyclones moved to 3-0 while TCU dropped to 2-1. The win on the road for Iowa State is impressive to me.
The surprising Kansas State Wildcats scored bunches again on the road to defeat Baylor 97-95 in Waco. K-State won two games this week over Texas and Baylor 213-198. K-State is now 3-0 and Baylor sinks to 0-3. Imagine how the Baylor Bears Men's team fans are feeling right now.
Kansas traveled to Morgantown and defeated West Virginia 76-62. Kansas remains unbeaten at 3-0 although the WV win is the only one by double digits. WV also sinks to 0-3.
The Current Standings in the Big 12 are:
1st - 3-0 = Iowa State 12-2, Kansas 14-1, Kansas State 14-1
4th - 2-1 = TCU 13-2 and Texas 13-2
6th - 1-2 = Oklahoma 10-5
7th - 0-3 = Baylor 10-5, Oklahoma State 9-6, Texas Tech 10-5 and West Virginia 10-5
The lowest NET ranking of the Big 12 conference is Texas Tech with a #59 ranking. That is by far the best rankings of any conference.
The big mid-week game of the Big 12 will be the TCU at Texas game in Austin. The Baylor - West Virginia game will move one team to -4 and deep in the cellar. the other three games are top Big 12 teams against teams at the bottom right now. I-State hosts Tech, K-State host OSU and Kansas hosts OU.
One can hope the long road to trip to West Virginia to play on Saturday will fatigue Kansas as they host OU on Tuesday night at 8 PM on ESPN2. Oklahoma will need a big effort against Kansas on Tuesday to leave Lawrence with a win.
Boomer Sooner!
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