Sooner Spirit: Unleashing the Power of University of Oklahoma Athletics

NORMAN – The basketball iteration of the Red River Rivalry arrives in Norman on Wednesday, as the Oklahoma men’s basketball team (13-3, 0-3) welcomes Texas (11-5, 0-3) at 9 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center. Both squads will aim for their inaugural league victory as SEC contenders.

 

The game on Wednesday will be broadcast by SEC Network featuring Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst). Additionally, it will be available 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) providing commentary.

OPENING TIP

• Oklahoma and Texas competed together in the Big 12 for 28 years before transitioning to the SEC on July 1. The Sooners maintain a historical series advantage of 57-48 (29-17 in Norman).
 
• The 9 p.m. CT starting time for Wednesday’s game marks the latest for an Oklahoma home contest since February 22, 1989, when the top-ranked Sooners also started at 9 (specifically 9:10) and triumphed over Kansas State 86-82 at Lloyd Noble Center. Seniors and anticipated first-round NBA Draft picks Stacey King and Mookie Blaylock both played a full 40 minutes, leading OU with 23 and 19 points, respectively.
 
• Texas was selected seventh out of 16 teams in the SEC preseason media ranking, while Oklahoma was placed 15th.
 
• This matchup will showcase a Texas team currently ranked 15th nationally (topping the SEC) in 3-point shooting percentage (.393) against an Oklahoma team that is ranked seventh in the country for 3-point field goal percentage defense (.277).
 
• The game will also spotlight two of the nation’s top freshmen in Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears and Texas guard Tre Johnson. Fears stands eighth among freshmen nationally in scoring with an average of 16.6 points per game, while Johnson comes in third at 18.9. Both have recorded double-digit scoring in all but one of their games.
 
• OU leads the SEC and ranks sixth in the nation with a free throw percentage of .809 for the season. For context, the SEC team with the second-highest free throw percentage is Auburn (.752, ranking 75th nationally). Over their last six matches, the Sooners have been remarkable from the line, shooting .843 (97 out of 115 attempts).
 
• OU has maintained the same starting lineup for the last 13 games: guards Fears, Kobe Elvis, and Duke Miles, alongside forwards Jalon Moore and Sam Godwin.
 
• Including Texas, each of Oklahoma’s next three opponents are also 0-3 in conference matchups. On Saturday, OU will host South Carolina at 3 p.m. and will visit Arkansas the following Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

OU-TEXAS SERIES HISTORY

• Wednesday’s contest will be the 106th clash between OU and Texas, with the Sooners holding a 57-48 advantage in the series. This includes a 29-17 lead in Norman (20-14 at Lloyd Noble Center).
 
• Of the last six OU-Texas encounters in Norman, five have been determined by four points or fewer, with four of the last six decided by either one or two points.
 
• Oklahoma maintained a series advantage of 42-16 (.724) through the end of the 2001-02 season. Since that point, Texas has a 32-15 (.681) series lead.

PICK YOUR POISON

• Oklahoma leads the SEC with six players achieving 20 or more points in at least one game this season: Jalon Moore (eight times), Jeremiah Fears (four times), Kobe Elvis (twice), and Sam Godwin, Brycen Goodine, and Duke Miles (once each).
 

• OU is among just four teams nationally that have had five players (Moore, Fears, Elvis, Goodine, Miles) each score at least 24 points in a game (alongside Belmont, Prairie View A&M, and Washington State), and is one of three teams that have achieved at least three players (Fears, Goodine, Miles) scoring 29-plus points (along with Missouri and Texas).

STACKED SEC

• The SEC stands out nationally with an impressive nine teams ranked in this week’s AP Top 25 (including five in the top eight and six in the top 11): No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 15 Mississippi State, No. 21 Ole Miss, and No. 23 Georgia. Two additional teams (Oklahoma at 27th and Missouri at 34th) are receiving votes.
 

• This season, Oklahoma plays 10 contests (four at home, six away) against the other nine ranked SEC teams, with Texas A&M being the only program that the Sooners will face twice. OU will compete in seven games against teams ranked in this week’s top 11.