The Oklahoma Sooner Men's Basketball Team will travel to Stillwater for the first Bedlam game of the year between Oklahoma and Oklahoma state this season. The game will be on ESPNU at 8 PM. 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 Oklahoma State Cowboys are 1-4 in conference and 9-8 overall. Here is the staff writers preview of the Bedlam matchup.
https://soonersports.com/news/2023/1/17 ... stillwater
Oklahoma has the shooting edge over the Cowboys by quite a bit. The Sooners shoot about 6% better from all areas of the court and about 2% better at the free throw line. The Cowboys have put up about 80 more shots but made 19 less than the Sooners. I think the Cowboys is built to play defense first. That is similar to OU, but I think OU should be better shooters than OSU. Oklahoma State does have 6 players that average between 11.5 and 8.1 PPG. So a key might be for the Sooners to not let a Cowboy player have a big game and keep the scoring spread out. If no Cowboy scores 15 points, I think things will go well for OU.
OSU does pull down 11 offensive rebounds a game to only 6 for OU. Those 5 extra second chance points could be important in a tough defensive game played in the 60's. Both teams score 5.7 more points than they allow to their opponents.
The turnovers and steal numbers are very similar. If they stay that way in the game, I think it favors OU.
I think OU may have a bit of a length advantage in the game outside of the 7'1" Cisse for OSU. If Jalen Hill can match up with one of the guards for OSU, I think OU can keep 2 of their 3 'bigs' in the game (Grove brothers and Godwin). But I also think Hill can guard the two 6'9" forwards if needed and OU can go with 1 'big' and the 3 guard lineup with Sherfield, Uzan and one of Noland/Cortes.
I think OU should have a shooter's chance to win the game in Stillwater if they shoot well. I think that is the number to watch along with the TO/Steal numbers. To overcome the home-court advantage for the Cowboys, the Sooners need to be tough on the rebounds on defense and not give OSU many 2nd point chances. Three of the eight Sooners have not played in Bedlam game. It is a bit different. If Sherfield, Uzan and Godwin play well in their first Bedlam game, things will look very good for OU.
Good luck to the men on Wednesday night late.
Boomer Sooner!
OU Men's Basketball - Bedlam in Stillwater: Wed Night - Boomer !
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The Oklahoma Sooner Men's Basketball Team played well in the first half in Stillwater last night in the 8 PM game and led 30 to 24 in the cozy confines of the arena in Stillwater. But something during half time changed and Oklahoma played poorly in the second half as Oklahoma State ran away with the game to win by the score of 72 - 56. OSU outscored the Sooners 48 to 26.
The biggest difference in the two halves was that Sherfield scored 15 in the 1st half and then Sherfield was not able to score at all in the 2nd half. Not a point. It is almost unbelievable that he did not go to the bucket to draw a foul or two or three. But the OSU coaching staff turned some switch from off to on and the defense for OSU was amped up to stop Sherfield and that change earns a A++. the other difference was that OSU got to the foul line 13 times in the second half and made 8. In the first half, OSU got to the free throw line 4 times making all 4. Oklahoma outshot OSU 41.4% to 31.3% in the first half. But in a complete reversal, OSU shot the ball extremely well in the second half as they shot 54.8% from the field compared to 40.7% for OU.
The other differences in the second half were subtle. OSU had 4 more offensive rebounds than OU did. OSU had 5 more turnovers than the Cowboys had and OSU had 3 more steals than OU had. That adds up to 6 more chances to score for OSU in the half. OSU had 11 more 2nd chance points in the game.
OSU outscored Oklahoma 31-16 during the first 10 minutes of the second half as OSU led 55-46. Oklahoma never really dented that lead in the final 10 minutes.
It was a disappointing loss and second half downfall for the Sooners. It was a game that appeared to be winnable in the 1st half. I think Sherfield played very well in the first half and that has to be said. Jacob Groves scored 8 of his 10 points in the second half to try and make up for Sherfield's 0. Hall also scored 6 of his 8 in the 2nd half.
I would say that if there is a way to keep Jacob Groves in the game against a 3 guard lineup that it might help to provide another 'scorer' on the floor. Uzan can score, but it seems like he does not 'try' to score unless he is left with the ball against the shot clock or if he is just wide open. I also thought there was more standing and watching in the second half on the offensive end. But OSU did put down the clamps on the Sooners on the defensive end in the second half.
The Sooners drop to 2-4 in conference and is tied for 7th in the conference with OSU. Oklahoma also jumps from the fire of Bedlam into the flames to host Baylor (3-3) on Saturday at 3 PM in LNC in a DH-Game with the women who play OSU at 6 PM.
Baylor is deceiving at 3-3 in the conference. they somehow lost to TCU and Kansas State at home in Waco by a total of 3 points in the second and third games in conference. They lost their first conference game to I-State on the road by 15. They have rebounded though by winning 3 in-a-row over WV, OSU and Tech by 28 points in total. In fact, they recently beat OSU by 16 points in Waco.
To finish out the first half of the Big 12 schedule, the Sooners have these game left:
- Baylor at home on Saturday on the 21st.
- TCU in Ft. Worth on Tuesday the 24th.
- Alabama at home in LNC on the 28th.
- Oklahoma State again in LNC on Feb 1st.
Oklahoma might be favored in one of those 4 games and that team just beat them by 16. So the four-game stretch is a big challenge. If at all possible the Sooners need to go 2-1 in the 3 conference games and hope for a win over Bama. If the Sooners can reach the mid-way point of conference play at 4-5, they still have a chance for post-season. But OU does play K-State twice in the second half of the conference games and do not play OSU. That means that OU will play 7 games against the top 6 teams in the conference to finish conference play. But the Sooners do have 6 of the final 9 games at home.
That road is steep and uphill all the way for the Sooners the rest of the way.
Good luck to the Sooners on Saturday in LNC against Baylor.
Boomer Sooner!
The biggest difference in the two halves was that Sherfield scored 15 in the 1st half and then Sherfield was not able to score at all in the 2nd half. Not a point. It is almost unbelievable that he did not go to the bucket to draw a foul or two or three. But the OSU coaching staff turned some switch from off to on and the defense for OSU was amped up to stop Sherfield and that change earns a A++. the other difference was that OSU got to the foul line 13 times in the second half and made 8. In the first half, OSU got to the free throw line 4 times making all 4. Oklahoma outshot OSU 41.4% to 31.3% in the first half. But in a complete reversal, OSU shot the ball extremely well in the second half as they shot 54.8% from the field compared to 40.7% for OU.
The other differences in the second half were subtle. OSU had 4 more offensive rebounds than OU did. OSU had 5 more turnovers than the Cowboys had and OSU had 3 more steals than OU had. That adds up to 6 more chances to score for OSU in the half. OSU had 11 more 2nd chance points in the game.
OSU outscored Oklahoma 31-16 during the first 10 minutes of the second half as OSU led 55-46. Oklahoma never really dented that lead in the final 10 minutes.
It was a disappointing loss and second half downfall for the Sooners. It was a game that appeared to be winnable in the 1st half. I think Sherfield played very well in the first half and that has to be said. Jacob Groves scored 8 of his 10 points in the second half to try and make up for Sherfield's 0. Hall also scored 6 of his 8 in the 2nd half.
I would say that if there is a way to keep Jacob Groves in the game against a 3 guard lineup that it might help to provide another 'scorer' on the floor. Uzan can score, but it seems like he does not 'try' to score unless he is left with the ball against the shot clock or if he is just wide open. I also thought there was more standing and watching in the second half on the offensive end. But OSU did put down the clamps on the Sooners on the defensive end in the second half.
The Sooners drop to 2-4 in conference and is tied for 7th in the conference with OSU. Oklahoma also jumps from the fire of Bedlam into the flames to host Baylor (3-3) on Saturday at 3 PM in LNC in a DH-Game with the women who play OSU at 6 PM.
Baylor is deceiving at 3-3 in the conference. they somehow lost to TCU and Kansas State at home in Waco by a total of 3 points in the second and third games in conference. They lost their first conference game to I-State on the road by 15. They have rebounded though by winning 3 in-a-row over WV, OSU and Tech by 28 points in total. In fact, they recently beat OSU by 16 points in Waco.
To finish out the first half of the Big 12 schedule, the Sooners have these game left:
- Baylor at home on Saturday on the 21st.
- TCU in Ft. Worth on Tuesday the 24th.
- Alabama at home in LNC on the 28th.
- Oklahoma State again in LNC on Feb 1st.
Oklahoma might be favored in one of those 4 games and that team just beat them by 16. So the four-game stretch is a big challenge. If at all possible the Sooners need to go 2-1 in the 3 conference games and hope for a win over Bama. If the Sooners can reach the mid-way point of conference play at 4-5, they still have a chance for post-season. But OU does play K-State twice in the second half of the conference games and do not play OSU. That means that OU will play 7 games against the top 6 teams in the conference to finish conference play. But the Sooners do have 6 of the final 9 games at home.
That road is steep and uphill all the way for the Sooners the rest of the way.
Good luck to the Sooners on Saturday in LNC against Baylor.
Boomer Sooner!
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