Sooner Women's Basketball Exhibition Tonight vs OCC - 6 PM @ LNC

[OUBeliever56A]

The 2024-2025 Oklahoma Sooner Women's Basketball Team will be on display for the first time this season as Coach Jennie Baranczyk sends them out for a trial run against Oklahoma Christian College at 6 PM in the Lloyd Noble Center on Tuesday evening. The game tonight is free admission for the Sooner fans. The game is also on the SEC N+ network (ESPN+).

The Sooners are the two time-dfending Big 12 Regular Season Champs in Women's Basketball. From that squad the Sooners return 13 of 14 players with three newcomers added to the team this year. Actually, on 12 of those returners played in 2023-2024 as Liz Scott, a starting post player, sufferend a shoulder injury prior to the season started and did not play last season. So, in effect the Sooners have four new players added to last seasons 23-10 team.

Here are the Sooner players by position:

Guards:
#1 Nevaeh Tot - Red-SR - 5'3" - returning starter
#2 Reyna Scott - JR - 5'10"
#3 Zya Vann - FR - 5'9" - incoing freshman from Bethany, OK - She is Skylar's younger sister
#15 Lexy Keys - Red-SR - 5'7" - returning starter
#20 Audrey Joens - Red-Sr -5'9"

Guard-Forward:
#12 Payton Verhulst - SR - 6'1" - returning starter

Forwards:
#4 Caya Smith - FR - 6'1" - incoming freshman from OKC (Putnam City)
#6 Sahara Williams - SOPH - 5'11" - returning starter

Forward-Center:
#5 Kiesten Johnson - JR - 6'4"
#24 Skylar Vann - Red-SR - 6'0" - returning starter
#34 Liz Scott - Red-SR - 6'2" - former starter

Center:
#0 Beatrice Culliton - JR - 6'3"
#25 Landry Allen - SOPH - 6'3"
#52 Raegan Beers - JR - 6'4" - incoming transfer from Oregon State - starter at Oregon State

The Sooners have added a very valuable piece of the puzzle for the first season in the SEC. Raegan Beers is a 3rd Team All-AMerican center that will be a scoring presence inside and a defensive plus inside for the Sooners. She was also the PAC-12 Freshman of the Year the previous year. She is a 'wide body' in a very positive way inside for the Sooners. Something we have not really seen for Coach Branczyk in her first two years. It will be interesting to see how she fits into the offense and into the defense inside for the Sooners.

The other three 'new faces' for the Sooners this year are Liz Scott, Zya Vann and Caya Smith. A returning former start is Liz Scott, who has been an inside presence for the Sooners for several years. At 6'2" she has played well as a starter and a backup player. She can be a good backup for Beers inside and can provide experience in the paint. Caya Smith comes from Putnam City and should be a potential impact player as a freshman on the outside at forward. I think she will arrive tonight as a player who can move, score and handle the ball at 6'1" from outside the paint. This is another piece that the Sooners have needed. She might have the same type of game that Ana Llanusa showed at OU, but on a taller frame. By the time that the SEC play starts, we may see Caya Smith in the starting lineup. Zya Vann should arrive at OU with a knowledge of how to tplay the game at this level from her big sister Skylar. that is invaulable to Zya. Zya Vann is a guard who will play outside who I think will seem to be an experience freshman instead of a new freshman. She will at the very least, provide valuable depth to the lineup and she will get her minutes to play I believe.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the returning starting five tonight. The starters of Tot and Keyes at Guard, Verhulst and Williams at Forward and Skylar Vann at Center will be juggled I believe. I wonder who moves to a "starter-off-the-bench". All of these players had their moments to shine last season. It is a bit surprising to think that a couple of them may not end up starting this season by the time the SEC schedule gets here. I personally want to see the inside-out game with Beers and the shooters at the 3-point line and how the opponents try to defend that in the half court offense. It could be very effective if Beers can pass the ball as well as I hope she does. The Sooners should get much better shots in the half court game this year. Beers should also help on the boards defensively and help the Sooners get out on the break meaning more quick and easy buckets if more consistently.

The bench players from last season are Reyna Scott and Audrey Joens at Guard and Beatrice Culliton, Kiersten Johnson and Landry Allen at Foward-Center. All five got their time playing last season. All had their roles and contributed well last season.

I have no idea how Coach Jennie is going to fit all these 14 bodies into the game plan. The fast-paced Sooners should never be tired on the floor with their depth and quality of play available to Coach Jennie. The scorekeepers will be busy logging the substitute pattern.

I am excited to see how the new puzzle for Coach Baranczyk starts to fit together. The combinations are endless as they can go smaller and go fast or go bigger and still go fast but can also play with the bigger teams in the SEC. As a team, I think the Sooners played a bit above their talent last year which is meant as a big compliment. With the added talent and the year of experience, that trait only lifts the possibilities for this team in the new season. They have been selected as the 4th best SEC team in the pre-season polls and are the 10th ranked team in the pre-season polls. As Texas learned last season, beware of the Sooners. I think that the LSU and South Carolina teams may also be surprised by this bunch.

Here is the preview article by the OU Athletics Communications about tonight's exhibition match.

https://soonersports.com/news/2024/10/2 ... sday-night

Good luck tonight to the Sooners and I hope there is a big crowd there tonight.

Boomer Sooner!