Big Test for OU Mens BB Team on the Road at Auburn Tonight, 8 PM

[OUBeliever56A]

The Oklahoma Sooners Men's Basketball Team will be in Auburn, AL for a big SEC matchup with the #1 Team in the country at 8 PM on the SEC Network. Auburn comes into the game at 20-1 and 8-0 in SEC Play. They just play very good basketball. It is a tall order for Oklahoma Sooners currently with a 16-5 overall and 3-5 SEC Play record to go into Auburn and come away with a close game, let alone a victory. Think of it a going to Lawrence on steroids or going to Waco on steriods. It will be a challenge for the hot and cold Sooners.

Tuesday's game will be televised by SEC Network with John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Daymeon Fishback (analyst) announcing. It will air 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 (play-by-play) and Kevin Henry (analyst) on the call.

Here is the OU Athletics Communications group's article about the game with Auburn tonight.

https://soonersports.com/news/2025/2/3/ ... sday-night

Tonight's game is a game where Oklahoma needs to have their A+++ game on display and to show their excellent shooting. Through Sunday, Oklahoma is the only team nationally to rank in the top 30 in field goal percentage (18th; .490), 3-point field goal percentage (26th; .379) and free throw percentage (8th; .791). Tonight, they have to shoot better than their averages. Auburn, itself, shoots the ball very well. They shoot .486 from thef field, .377 from "three's" and .745 from the free throw line. Ou probably needs an off-night on shooting from Auburn to give OU a chance at winning.

Rebounding has to have a focus tonight also for Oklahoma. Auburn is long, lean and jump like crazy. They are physical and deep as well. Auburn pulls down 12+ offensive rebounds a game for probably 20 "2nd-chance" points a game (guessing on the points). OU has to hold their own on the defensive boards are Auburn will jut grind away to a win. Auburn has 131 more rebounds this season than does OU in the same number of games. Everyone for the Sooners needs to crash the boards on defense.

Even OU's turnovers is good at 12.2 but Auburn turns it over only 9.3 times a game. They also have more assists but less steals than does Oklahoma.

Here are their starters and three main reserves:
G 6'4" - #2 Jones - 27 min/G - 10.3 Pts/G and 2.9 Reb/G. Jones is a good assists ans steals players and shoots "three's" over 40%.
G 6'6" - #13 Kelly - 26 min/G - 10.7 Pts/G and 3.4 Reb/G. Kelly is a good steals player and even better from "three's" at 42.9%.
G/F 6'7" - #10 Baker-Mazara - 25 min/G - 13.0 Pts/G and 3.6 Reb/G. He is another good assist, steals and "three" shooter at 39.8%.
C 6'10" - #4 Broome - 28 min/G - 18.3 Pts/G and 11.2 Reb/G. Broome is a assist and block player he can make a "three" here and there.
C 6'11" - #44 Cardwell - 20 min/G - 5.6 Pts/G and 5.1 Reb/G. Cardwell is just huge. He adds assists and blocks and is there on defense.

G 6'1" - #0 Pettiford - 21.0 min/G - 11.5Pts.G and 1.7 Reb/G. Pettiford is another assists, steals and "three" player at 40.6%.
F 6'7" - #31 Johnson - 23.3 min/G - 9.5 Pts/G and 5.1 Reb/G. Johnson is an inside player who relieves Cardwell I think.
F 6'6" - #5 Moore - 10.0 min/G - 0.9 Pts and 1.9 Reb/G.
No one else have played in more than 15 games and only #3 Howard, a Forward at 6'6" scores 5.6 Pts/G and 1.3 Reb/G.

Matching up with Auburm will be tough at the start of the game. Godwin/Wague probably guard Cardwell and Broome respectively. That puts Goodine or Fears guarding Baker-Mazara who has good size. Then one of Goodine/Fears and Miles matchup with Jones and Kelly. Auburn plays alot of minutes with at least 6'10". 6'7" and 6'7" on the floor. And at times they are bigger than that. The crowd at Auburn is a big factor also. They support the Tigers well. It only sits about 9500 fans, but it iis full and loud.

As I have said above, Aubiurn has to have an off night and Oklahoma has to play above their head for the game to be close or for OU to have a chance for a win. It would be sizeable upset if OU was victorious on Tuesday night. But those things do happen or it would not have the name of "upset".

Good luck to the Sooners tonight.

Boomer Sooner!

[Triple Option]

If you can't get it on TV, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv5HUrkQD2o

[SwampSooner]

Ugly Game. AU 98-OU 70. Not much to say. It was obvious why Auburn is #1. OU fought hard but just couldn't keep up.

A couple of things I didn't understand. The mouthy Auburn guard fouled Fears and then a double technical was called. I understand the double technical cancelling out shooting free throws, but why didn't they shoot the free throws for the 1st foul? I believe it should have been a one-and-one.

Also, a bit earlier Fears put his arm on the mouthy guards chest and the mouthy guard crumpled to the floor (obvious flop). They stopped the game and reviewed the tape deciding Fears did not foul him. Why no warning for flopping?

[BudaSooner]

Ugly Game. AU 98-OU 70. Not much to say. It was obvious why Auburn is #1. OU fought hard but just couldn't keep up.

A couple of things I didn't understand. The mouthy Auburn guard fouled Fears and then a double technical was called. I understand the double technical cancelling out shooting free throws, but why didn't they shoot the free throws for the 1st foul? I believe it should have been a one-and-one.

Also, a bit earlier Fears put his arm on the mouthy guards chest and the mouthy guard crumpled to the floor (obvious flop). They stopped the game and reviewed the tape deciding Fears did not foul him. Why no warning for flopping?

Easy answer: home court advantage, seems to be the norm in the SEC.

[OUBeliever56A]

The Oklahoma Men's Basketball Team dropped their game against the #1 Suburn Tigers in Auburn, GA by 29 points, 98-70. Auburn led by 10 at halftime 44-34. Auburn was just the better team on the floor last night. Auburn outshot, out-rebounded, out-blocked and out-handled the ball and won in every statictical category except # of free throws made and free throw % in the game. It was a thorough win by Auburn as they should their quickness, length, size as their crowd joined into the win in every way.

Here is the post-game article written by the Associated Press.

https://soonersports.com/news/2025/2/4/ ... o-1-auburn

The Sooners did play hard and did try to make a game of it but eventually just could not compete with Auburn. Dayton Forsythe led the Sooners in scoring with 13 points, Jalon Moore scored 11 with Jermeiah Fears and Kobe Ellis scoring 10 in the game. Duke Mailes added 7, Luke Northweather added 6, Brycen Goodine added 5, Mohamed Wague added 4 and Sam Godwin and Jacob Fredson-Cole scored 2 points. Glenn Taylor, Jr did not score.

Northweather led the Sooners in rebounding with 6, followed by Goodine with 5, and Wague had 3. No one esle had more than 2 rebounds.

OU shot 33.3% from the field compared to 52.5% for Auburn. OU shot 30.4% from "three" on 7 of 23 shots as Auburn shot 30.8% on 8 of 26 shooting. The Sooners shot 93.1% from the charity stripe (27 of 29) as Auburn shot 78.8% (26 of 33).

Auburn won the battle of the boards 38 to 28. Auburn recorded 11 blocks in the game while OU did not tally a block.

Auburn won the points off of turnovers with 22 points on 15 OU turnovers as OU scored 9 on 7 Auburn turnovers. Auburn also scored more points inthe paint, hadmore second chance points, more points on fast breaks and more bench points.

In an odd stat, OU scored more points frome the free throw line with 27 than they did from the three-point territory (21) and from inside the 3-point line (22). It is hard to win a game with free throw shooting leading the way.

Forsythe seems to be making a run a getting a start for OU with his play in the last 3 games. He has a certain toughness that the Sooners may need on the floor. Of course, Moore and Fears will likely continue to start along with a center (Godwin or Wague). Who the 5th starter becomes, is a guess as it could be Miles, Goodine or maybe even Glee Taylor, Jr.

Oklahoma drops to 16-6 and to 3-6 in SEC play. Auburn improved to 21-1 and 9-0 in SEC play.

OU returns home to host No. 4/4 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4) on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.

Boomer Sooner!

[cushcreekmont]

We shall see about the "SEC home court advantage." Most teams get a few calls at home in every league.

I worry that OU is getting negative benefit-of-the-doubt because it is a newcomer to the SEC. On the other hand, this OU men's BB team is not very good. The team needs to play better and win at home (losing after an 18 point lead against aggie tells other teams and refs that OU is quite beatable at home).