OOKLAHOMAKLAHOMA 2007-08 MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME 16: OKLAHOMA (12-3) vs. KANSAS STATE (10-4) Saturday, Jan. 12 5 p.m. CST Norman, Okla. Lloyd Noble Center (12,000) ESPN Plus
SCHEDULE/RESULTS GAME INFORMATION
O31 ROCKHURST (Ex.) 7 p.m. W, 93-58 Date...... Saturday, Jan. 12 OKLAHOMA SOONERS KANSAS STATE WILDCATS N2 FAYETTEVILLE STATE (Ex.) 7 p.m. W, 91-50 Tip ...... 5:05 p.m. CST 2007-08 Record ...... 12-3 2007-08 Record ...... 10-4 Radio ...... Sooner Radio Network Streak ...... Won 5 Streak ...... Won 1 N8 SAN FRANCISCO 7 p.m. W, 71-55 Flagship ...... KRXO 107.7 FM (OKC); Head Coach ...... Jeff Capel Head Coach ...... Frank Martin N9 DENVER 7 p.m. W, 80-50 (Bob Barry Sr., Mike Houck) Alma Mater ...... Duke ’97 Alma Mater ...... Florida International ’93 N12 ALCORN STATE 7 p.m. W, 99-59 TV ...... ESPN Plus (KAUT 43/Cox 16 in OKC) Career Record ...... 107-59 (6th year) Career Record ...... 10-4 (1st year) N15 vs. Memphis (3) # 8 p.m. L, 53-63 (Bob Carpenter, Paul Splittorff) At Oklahoma ...... 28-18 (2nd year) At Kansas State ...... Same N16 vs. Gardner-Webb # 5:30 p.m. W, 69-55 Series ...... Oklahoma leads 101-88 SID ...... Mike Houck SID ...... Tom Gilbert N21 MOREHEAD STATE 7 p.m. W, 74-42 E-Mail ...... [email protected] E-Mail ...... [email protected] N29 at USC % 10 p.m. L, 55-66 Last Meeting ...... Kansas State won 72-61 on March 3, 2007, in Manhattan, Kan. Web Site...... www.soonersports.com Web Site...... www.k-statesports.com D2 at TCU 7 p.m. W, 90-66 D5 TULSA 7 p.m. W, 81-55 PROJECTED OKLAHOMA STARTERS D8 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 12:30 p.m. L, 62-66 D15 ARKANSAS 2 p.m. W, 83-72 BLAKE GRIFFIN • F NOTES: Named the Dec. 31 Big 12 Player of the Week ... Coming D20 vs. Gonzaga ^ 8 p.m. W, 72-68 23 6-10 • 243 • Fr. • Oklahoma City, Okla. off a career-high 26-point effort ... Averaging 20.7 points and D29 vs. West Virginia & 5 p.m. W, 88-82 2OT Oklahoma Christian School 10.7 rebounds over the last three games ... Leads team in scoring, rebounding and steals ... Ranks second in Big 12 in fi eld goal PTS REB AST MIN J5 RICE 2 p.m. W, 61-49 percentage (.589) and third in rebounding (8.8) ... Has scored in J7 MOUNT ST. MARY’S 6 p.m. W, 81-57 14.7 8.8 1.8 27.5 double fi gures in 13 of 15 games, including the last eight. J12 KANSAS STATE 5 p.m. ESPN Plus J14 at Kansas 8 p.m. ESPN NOTES: Ranks second on team in scoring (12.7) and rebounding J19 TEXAS TECH 3 p.m. ESPN Plus LONGAR LONGAR • C 6-11 • 234 • Sr. • Rochester, Minn. (6.1) in just 24.0 minutes a game ... Has scored in double fi gures J26 at Baylor 3 p.m. ESPN Plus 30 Laurinburg Institute (N.C.) six times in the last seven games (reached 16 points fi ve times J28 OKLAHOMA STATE 8 p.m. ESPN during the stretch) ... Owns a .577 career fi eld goal mark ... PTS REB AST MIN F2 at Texas A&M 3 p.m. ESPN Plus Recorded a season-high 22 points at West Virginia on Dec. 29 (was F6 TEXAS 6 p.m. ESPN2 12.7 6.1 1.3 24.0 scoreless at halftime) ... Born in Sudan and also lived in Egypt. F9 at Colorado 3 p.m. ESPNU F13 IOWA STATE 7 p.m. ESPN Plus TONY CROCKER • G NOTES: Ranks third on team with his 11.4 points a contest ... F16 at Texas Tech 3 p.m. ESPN Plus 5 6-6 • 193 • So. • San Antonio, Texas Shooting .487 from the fi eld and .500 (29-for-58) from 3-point F19 BAYLOR 7 p.m. ESPN Plus The Patterson School (N.C.) range ... Averaging 12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds over the last F23 at Texas 2:30 p.m. ABC PTS REB AST MIN eight games (18-for-34 on 3-pointers) ... Has made at least two F27 at Nebraska 7 p.m. treys in seven games (at least three in six outings) ... Underwent 11.4 4.8 3.0 30.7 M1 TEXAS A&M 1 p.m. ESPN surgery on his left leg Aug. 28 (traumatic compartment syndrome). M5 at Oklahoma State 7 p.m. ESPN Plus M8 MISSOURI 2:30 p.m. ABC DAVID GODBOLD • G NOTES: Has started seven games this year, including the last fi ve M13-16 Big 12 Championship * TBA ESPN/Plus 15 6-5 • 221 • Sr. • Oklahoma City, Okla. ... Leads current team members with 103 career games played M20-23 NCAA First/Second Rounds TBA CBS Douglass High School and 55 starts ... Ranks third on team with 35 assists (2.3 average) ... Averaging 7.8 points over the last nine games after averaging M27-30 NCAA Regionals TBA CBS PTS REB AST MIN A5&7 NCAA Final Four TBA CBS 4.5 over the fi rst six ... Posted an 18-point, seven-rebound game 6.5 3.2 2.3 24.3 at West Virginia Dec. 29 ... Is 11-for-13 on free throws at home. # 2K Sports College Hoops Classic (New York, N.Y.) % Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series AUSTIN JOHNSON • G NOTES: Has started 13 of 15 games this year and 49 of 70 in his ^ O’Reilly All-College Classic (Oklahoma City) 20 6-3 • 165 • Jr. • Amarillo, Texas career ... Averaged 5.8 points over fi rst six games but is averaging & Charleston, W.Va. Palo Duro High School 11.2 points over the last nine ... Has scored in double fi gures in * Kansas City, Mo. six of last nine games (had nine points in two of the other three) PTS REB AST MIN ... Recorded 12 points and a career-high six steals two games ago SSN is Sooner Sports Network 9.1 2.9 2.7 29.0 versus Rice ... Ranks second on team with 20 treys (.364). ESPN Plus is Big 12 regional television All times Central and subject to change PROJECTED KANSAS STATE STARTERS No. Name Position Height Weight Class Points Rebounds Assists Minutes OU ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS 4 Andre Gilbert F 6-7 205 Jr. 5.2 3.2 2.1 19.5 Men’s Basketball Contact: Mike Houck 12 Bill Walker F 6-6 220 Fr. 15.3 6.9 1.7 25.9 Offi ce: (405) 325-8231 30 Michael Beasley F 6-10 235 Fr. 24.3 13.3 1.4 30.1 Cell: (405) 249-5892 2 Blake Young G 6-2 195 Sr. 6.6 2.9 1.5 26.4 E-Mail: [email protected] 5 Clent Stewart G 6-4 195 Sr. 8.0 3.5 3.2 27.7
OU vs. KANSAS STATE 1 2007-08 OKLAHOMA MEN’S BASKETBALL
HEAD COACH JEFF CAPEL GAME PREVIEW Off to its best start in three years, Oklahoma (12-3) begins Big 12 “NOTE” WORTHY eff Capel was named the 13th men’s basketball head Conference play when its hosts Kansas State (10-4) Saturday at 5 p.m. Oklahoma holds a 101-88 series lead over Jcoach at Oklahoma on April CST inside Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners, who have won fi ve straight Kansas State and is 58-23 against the Wildcats 11, 2006. At 32, Capel, who went games and are 8-1 at home this year, are coming off an 81-57 win over in Norman. It has won its last fi ve games 16-15 (.516) in his debut season Mount St. Mary’s on Monday. Kansas State defeated Savannah State the against K-State in Norman. at OU and compiled a 79-41 same night by an 85-25 score, and set an NCAA record for fewest points Four of OU’s last seven wins against Kansas (.658) record over the previous allowed in a half since the shot clock was introduced in 1986 (Savannah four years as head coach at State scored four points after halftime). State have been by one or two points. OU is shooting .479 from the fi eld on the Virginia Commonwealth, is the Saturday’s contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 sixth-youngest men’s basketball year. The last Oklahoma team to shoot a FM in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Sirius channel 143) with coach in NCAA Division I. higher percentage for an entire season was Bob Barry Sr. and Mike Houck announcing. The game will be televised the 1988-89 squad (.491). Capel’s VCU squads posted a 50-22 (.694) combined record in by ESPN Plus (KAUT 43/Cox 16 in Oklahoma City; KJRH 2/Cox 9 or 709 Colonial Athletic Association play and a 47-11 overall home in Tulsa) and ESPN Full Court with Bob Carpenter and Paul Splittorff OU’s three leading scorers (Blake Griffi n, record for a staunch .811 winning percentage. calling the action. Longar Longar and Tony Crocker) are shooting In 2003-04, VCU’s CAA Tournament championship game a combined .547 from the fi eld on the year. victory over George Mason catapulted the Rams to the NCAA OKLAHOMA UPDATE The Sooners are holding opponents to a Tournament for the fi rst time since 1996. VCU lost in the fi rst The Sooners are slotted 26th in this week’s AP poll, their highest .379 season fi eld goal mark. The last time round to Wake Forest, but not before putting a major scare opponents shot worse for an entire campaign into the fourth-seeded Demon Deacons, 79-78. Capel’s 2004- ranking since the fi nal poll of the 2005-06 season (24th). was 47 years ago (.377 in 1960-61). 05 squad, which fi nished 19-13, competed in the National OU’s 12 regular season non-conference wins are tied for its most Invitation Tournament, marking just the third time in program since the 1994-95 season (it also won 12 in 1999-00 and 2004-05). During OU’s current fi ve-game winning history that VCU made consecutive postseason appearances. Oklahoma’s fi ve-game winning streak is the longest of the Capel era streak, Blake Griffi n (.628) and Longar Longar (it won four in a row on two occasions last year). The Rams won at least 18 games each of Capel’s four seasons (.620) are shooting a combined .624 from the in Richmond with the 2003-04 squad registering a Capel-era- OU has scored at least 80 points seven times this season, after doing fi eld. They are averaging a combined 32.0 best 23-8 record. His fi rst team fi nished 18-10 in 2002-03 as it four times all of last year. points per game during the streak. Capel tied a school record for wins by a fi rst-year head coach. Through Wednesday’s games, OU is ranked 31st in the CollegeRPI. Last season, VCU fi nished 19-10 overall. com ratings percentage index. OU is averaging 74.6 points per game. Only once in the last fi ve years has it averaged that many points per contest for a whole In the summer of 2005, Capel served as an assistant coach on the gold-medal-winning USA Men’s World University Games season (75.2 in 2004-05 when it shared the Big 12 regular season title). Team that fi nished 8-0 in Turkey in August. Villanova’s Jay Oklahoma has held eight of its 15 opponents to fewer than 60 points this year. It entered the week ranked 34th nationally in Wright was the head coach while Seton Hall’s Bobby Gonzalez scoring defense (60.6 ppg) and 14th in fi eld goal percentage defense (.376). served as the other assistant. The squad featured, among Freshman Blake Griffi n was named the Dec. 31 Big 12 Player of the Week after registering 18 points and a career-high 16 others, Midwest City (Okla.) High School and Duke University rebounds in OU’s 88-82 double-overtime win at West Virginia. He followed with 18 points and nine boards last Saturday against standout Shelden Williams. Rice and a career-high 26 points and seven boards two days later versus Mount St. Mary’s. Capel began his coaching career as an assistant at Old Griffi n is assembling one of the best freshman campaigns in school history and leads the Sooners in scoring (14.7 ppg), Dominion in 2000 before moving to VCU as an assistant for rebounding (8.8 rpg), steals (1.3 spg) and fi eld goal percentage (.589). Griffi n has scored in double fi gures in 13 of 15 games, the 2001-02 season. In 2002, he became the youngest NCAA including each of the last eight. He ranks third in the league with fi ve double-doubles. Division I head coach at age 27. Griffi n is averaging 17.6 points and 10.4 rebounds during OU’s fi ve-game winning streak. He has attempted 30 free throws A four-year starter for Hall-of-Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski over the last two outings. On the year, he is shooting almost as well from the fi eld (.589) as he is from the foul line (.600). at Duke from the 1993-94 through 1996-97 campaigns, Capel Senior center Longar Longar, who led OU in scoring in four straight games prior to last Saturday’s Rice contest, played with earned Atlantic Coast Conference honors each of his seasons in a shoulder sprain the last two games (averaged 8.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in those two outings). Despite the lower totals the Durham. The guard, who wore No. 5, averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 past two games, he is averaging 15.2 points over the last six contests. rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 3-pointers during his career and Longar scored a game-high 22 points against West Virginia (all after halftime) on Dec. 29. started in the 1994 national title game against Arkansas. In each of the last seven games, Longar has scored more points after halftime than in the fi rst 20 minutes. He is averaging He ranks 22nd in career scoring at Duke (1,601 points), 16th in 3.9 points in the fi rst half of those six contests and 11.4 after the break. Over the last six games, Longar is shooting .758 from minutes played (3,774), sixth in 3-pointers (220), seventh in 3- the fi eld after halftime (25-for-33). He has amassed double-digit point totals after intermission in four of those six outings (17 point attempts (553), seventh in 3-point fi eld goal percentage against Stephen F. Austin, 10 against Arkansas, 11 versus Gonzaga and 22 at West Virginia). (.398) and 10th in assists (433). Sophomore guard Tony Crocker, OU’s best 3-point shooter at .500 (29-for-58), is one make shy of qualifying in the Big 12 in- Capel, who graduated from Duke with a bachelor of arts dividual rankings (he would rank second). He has made at least three treys in a game six times and is 23-for-35 in those contests. degree in history, and his wife, Kanika, wed in 2003. They have Crocker, who scored a career-high 26 points at TCU on Dec. 2 (he netted 20 points in the fi rst half with the help of 6-for-7 a daughter, Cameron, who was born in April. 3-point shooting), ranks third on the team in scoring and rebounding (11.4 and 4.8 averages) and fi rst in assists (3.0). Junior guard Austin Johnson is averaging 11.4 points over the last nine outings (he has scored at least nine points in eight of CAPEL YEAR BY YEAR those nine games) while shooting .400 (16-for-40) from 3-point distance. Johnson is now averaging 9.1 points a game on the year and sports a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Year School Record Pct. In OU’s last three games, Johnson is averaging 9.7 points, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals. He tied a career high with nine assists at 2002-03 Virginia Commonwealth 18-10 .643 West Virginia and set a career high with six steals last Saturday against Rice (he had 10 steals on the year entering the Rice game). 2003-04 * Virginia Commonwealth 23-8 .742 Capel announced Thursday that sophomore forward Keith Clark is academically ineligible and will not be enrolled at OU for 2004-05 ^ Virginia Commonwealth 19-13 .594 the spring semester. Clark averaged 5.4 points (eighth on the team) and 2.0 rebounds in his 14 games (15.3 minutes per contest). 2005-06 Virginia Commonwealth 19-10 .655 2006-07 Oklahoma 16-15 .516 MOUNT ST. MARY’S LEFTOVERS 2007-08 Oklahoma 12-3 .800 Freshman guard Tony Neysmith, the No. 100 high school recruit in the country last year by Rivals.com, saw his fi rst action Totals 107-59 .645 since Dec. 5. He played 14 minutes and registered his fi rst career fi eld goal while also contributing two steals. After combining for 37 turnovers against West Virginia (20) and Rice (17), OU was back down to a more modest 12 on Monday. * NCAA Tournament ^ National Invitation Tournament Oklahoma’s 39 free throw attempts (it made 25) were its most since Dec. 2, 2003 (45 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff).
2 OU vs. KANSAS STATE 2007-08 OKLAHOMA MEN’S BASKETBALL
2007-08 BIG 12 STANDINGS Blake Griffi n recorded career highs of 12 free throw makes and 18 (Through Friday, Jan. 11) attempts, making him 18-for-30 over the last two games. STATS COMPARISON OU shot .532 from the fi eld, marking the eighth time this year and Big 12 Overall the fi fth time in the last eight games that it has shot at least .500. Team W L Pct. W L Pct. The Sooners went 6-for-12 from 3-point range to give them fi ve CATEGORY Kansas 0 0 .000 15 0 1.000 performances of .500 or better this year. Overall Record 12-3 10-4 Texas A&M 0 0 .000 14 1 .933 OU fi nished the game on a 53-29 run (the score was tied at 28). Points Per Game 74.6 81.2 Texas 0 0 .000 13 2 .867 Opp. Points Per Game 60.3 67.0 Baylor 0 0 .000 12 2 .857 PREVIEWING KANSAS STATE Rebounds Per Game 37.3 45.1 Nebraska 0 0 .000 11 2 .846 Opp. Rebounds Per Game 33.0 34.9 Kansas State (10-4) is 8-1 at home this year and 2-3 at neutral sites. Field Goal Pct. .479 .441 Oklahoma 0 0 .000 12 3 .800 Saturday will mark its fi rst true road game of the season. Kansas State 0 0 .000 10 4 .714 Opp. Field Goal Pct. .379 .388 The Wildcats rank third in the Big 12 by averaging 81.2 points per Iowa State 0 0 .000 10 5 .667 game, second in rebounding margin at +10.2 and fi rst in offensive 3-Point Pct. .376 .296 Missouri 0 0 .000 10 5 .667 rebounds per game at 17.4 (Kansas ranks second at 12.6). Opp. 3-Point Pct. .294 .350 Free Throw Pct. .680 .676 Oklahoma State 0 0 .000 9 5 .643 Despite holding Savannah State to 25 points on Monday, Kansas Texas Tech 0 0 .000 9 5 .643 State ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring defense (67.0 ppg). Personal Fouls Per Game 15.8 20.3 Colorado 0 0 .000 8 6 .571 K-State has won fi ve of its last six games with the only loss during Assists Per Game 15.3 17.3 the stretch coming to Xavier (103-77) on Dec. 31 in Cincinnati. Turnovers Per Game 13.6 17.6 Freshman forward Michael Beasley ranks fi fth in the nation in Blocked Shots Per Game 4.2 4.6 scoring (24.3 ppg) and fi rst in rebounding (13.3 rpg). He is shooting Steals Per Game 7.5 8.3 .560 from the fi eld and has registered 13 double-doubles in the team’s 14 games. Beasley was held to fi ve points two games ago against Xavier on 1-for-6 fi eld goal shooting. He scored 40 points against Winston-Salem State on Dec. 22 and grabbed a Big 12-record 24 rebounds against Sacramento State on Nov. 9 in the season opener. Redshirt-freshman Bill Walker ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding with his 12.7 and 6.1 respective aver- ages. Over the last three games, he is averaging 23.3 points and 8.0 boards. He scored 31 points against Xavier. A third freshman, guard Jacob Pullen, ranks third on the Wildcats in scoring with a 9.6 average and fi rst in assists (3.3 per OKLAHOMA QUICK FACTS outing) and steals (1.4). He scored in double fi gures in eight of the season’s fi rst 10 games, but has failed to do it in the last four. Senior guard Clent Stewart, a graduate of Union High School in Tulsa, is averaging 8.0 points and 3.2 assists per contest. Offi cial Name: University of Oklahoma Senior forward David Hoskins, who was a second-team All-Big 12 pick last year and ranked second on the Wildcats with his Location: Norman, Okla. 14.5 points per game, underwent knee surgery on Nov. 8 and has not played this season. Founded: 1890 Frank Martin is in his fi rst season as Kansas State’s head coach. He was a K-State assistant under Bob Huggins last year when Enrollment: 29,721 the Wildcats fi nished 23-12 overall, 10-6 in the Big 12 (fourth place) and advanced to the NIT second round. Nickname: Sooners SERIES WITH THE WILDCATS Colors: Crimson and Cream President: David L. Boren Oklahoma owns a 101-88 all-time series lead against Kansas State and holds a 58-23 advantage in Norman. The Sooners, who are 9-3 versus the Wildcats since the inception of the Big 12 (5-1 in Norman), have won eight of the last nine in the series and Athletics Director: Joe Castiglione seven of the last eight at Lloyd Noble Center. The last K-State win in Norman came during the 1995-96 season (75-60). Four of Arena: Lloyd Noble Center (12,000) OU’s last seven wins in the series have come by one or two points. First Year of Basketball: 1907-08 NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24 LAST YEAR AGAINST KANSAS STATE NIT Appearances: 7 In the teams’ lone meeting last year, Kansas State won a 72-61 decision over Oklahoma in the March 3 regular season fi nale All-Time Record: 1,457-927 (.611) in Manhattan to snap an eight-game losing streak to the Sooners. Wildcats senior guard Cartier Martin scored a career-high Regular Season Conference Championships: 13 (1928, 30 points on 10-for-16 fi eld goal and 5-for-8 3-point shooting. OU outscored K-State 39-31 in the second half, but a 19-point 1929, 1939, 1942, 1944, 1947, 1949, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1988, halftime defi cit (41-22) was too much to overcome. The Wildcats became just the second team on the year to shoot better than 1989, 2005) .500 from the fi eld (.532) against the Sooners (OU shot .442). Nate Carter and Tony Crocker led Oklahoma with 14 points each, Conference Tournament Championships: 7 (1979, while David Godbold added 12. 1985, 1988, 1990, 2001, 2002, 2003) Head Coach: Jeff Capel (Duke ‘97) Career Record: 107-59 (sixth year) OKLAHOMA NUMERICAL ROSTER Oklahoma Record: 28-18 (second year) No. Name Position Height Weight Class Hometown (Last School) Postseason Appearances: 2 (2004 NCAA, 2005 NIT) 1 Ryan Wright ^ F 6-9 229 Jr. Mississauga, Ontario (UCLA) Assistant Coaches: Ben Betts (Roanoke College ’90), Mark 2 Tony Neysmith G 6-5 203 Fr. Norcross, Ga. (Norcross HS) Cline (Wake Forest ’88), Oronde Taliaferro (Wayne State ’94) 4 Dau Jok G 6-1 176 So. Olathe, Kan. (Iowa Central CC) 5 Tony Crocker G 6-6 193 So. San Antonio, Texas (The Patterson School [N.C.]) Director of Operations: Bryan Goodman (Barat College ’96) 11 Omar Leary G 5-10 163 Jr. Portland, Ore. (Northeastern [Colo.] JC) Strength and Conditioning Coach: Darby Rich 15 David Godbold G 6-5 221 Sr. Oklahoma City, Okla. (Douglass HS) Video Coordinator: Dionne Phelps 20 Austin Johnson G 6-3 165 Jr. Amarillo, Texas (Palo Duro HS) Graduate Assistants: Yanni Hufnagel, Ryan McDermott 23 Blake Griffi n F 6-10 243 Fr. Oklahoma City, Okla. (Oklahoma Christian School) Athletics Trainer: Alex Brown 30 Longar Longar C 6-11 234 Sr. Rochester, Minn. (Laurinburg Institute [N.C.]) Team Physician: Dr. Brock Schnebel 32 Taylor Griffi n F 6-7 230 Jr. Oklahoma City, Okla. (Oklahoma Christian School) 34 Cade Davis G 6-5 203 Fr. Elk City, Okla. (Elk City HS) Offi cial Web Site: SoonerSports.com 45 Beau Gerber F 6-8 224 So. Winfi eld, Kan. (Winfi eld HS) Tickets: (800) 456-4668 or (405) 325-2424 ^ Sitting out the 2007-08 season after transferring from UCLA
OU vs. KANSAS STATE 3 2007-08 OKLAHOMA MEN’S BASKETBALL
AP TOP 25 POLL OPENING STATEMENT WEEK 9 Despite losing three of its last four conference-opening games, Oklahoma is 7-4 in Big HOME SWEET HOME 12 openers. The Sooners have opened Big 12 play at home four times in the league’s The Sooners have won 51 of School Record previous 11 years and own a 4-0 record in those contests (two wins each against their last 58 home games (.879) 1. North Carolina (46) 15-0 Colorado and Texas A&M). They are 8-3 in Big 12 home openers and have never begun and 106 of their last 118 (.898) 2. Memphis (25) 13-0 Big 12 Conference action against Kansas State. since the start of the 2000-01 3. Kansas (1) 14-0 campaign. Here’s a year-by- 4. Washington State 13-0 OU’S BIG 12 HISTORY year look at OU’s Lloyd Noble Center records over the past 5. UCLA 14-1 Oklahoma boasts a 117-59 (.665) record in Big 12 Conference regular season games, seven seasons... 6. Michigan State 13-1 third best in the league (Kansas is 145-31 while Texas is 123-53). No other team has 7. Georgetown 11-1 won more than 107 conference contests. The Sooners earned a regular season league Year Record Pct. 8. Tennessee 12-1 title in 2005 and also won Big 12 Tournament crowns in 2001, 2002 and 2003. 2000-01 13-1 .929 2001-02 16-0 1.000 9. Duke 11-1 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 2002-03 15-1 .938 10. Indiana 12-1 2003-04 14-3 .824 11. Texas A&M 14-1 Last year, Oklahoma’s strength under fi rst-year head coach Jeff Capel was its defense. 2004-05 14-1 .933 12. Texas 13-2 The Sooners held opponents to 59.6 points a game (the lowest average in 29 years) 2005-06 14-1 .933 13. Vanderbilt 15-0 and to .406 fi eld goal shooting (the second lowest fi gure over the past 46 seasons). 2006-07 12-4 .750 14. Butler 13-1 With the offense much improved this year, the defense has been as good, if not 2007-08 8-1 .889 15. Marquette 11-2 better... Totals 106-12 .898 16. Mississippi 13-0 OU is surrendering just 60.3 points per game (59.3 in regulation) and is allowing 17. Dayton 12-1 opponents to shoot .379 from the fi eld and .294 from 3-point land (the school record 18. Clemson 12-2 is .292). The last time the Sooners held opponents to a worse fi eld goal mark for an entire season was 47 years ago (.377 in 19. VIllanova 11-2 1960-61). 20. Pittsburgh 12-2 Only one opponent (Arkansas scored 72) has scored more than 68 points in regulation this season, and eight of OU’s 15 foes 21. Wisconsin 12-2 have been held under 60 points. 22. Rhode Island 14-1 Second-ranked Memphis, which averaged 78.9 points last year and is averaging 83.7 points this season, was held to 63 points 23. Stanford 12-2 Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden. 24. Xavier 12-3 Oklahoma has forced 12 of its 15 opponents into at least as many turnovers as it has committed. Foes are averaging 15.5 turnovers per contest (OU is averaging 13.6). 25. Miami (Fla.) 13-1 All 15 opponents have shot under .500 from the fi eld, 14 have shot under .460 and eight have fi nished with a mark less than .400. Gardner-Webb, which won at Kentucky by 16 points when it shot .531 from the fi eld, was held to a .279 performance ESPN/USA TODAY TOP 25 POLL against OU in New York on Nov. 16 while Rice shot .291 last Saturday. WEEK 8 HOT HANDS School Record With the exception of the Memphis and USC games when they combined for a .362 fi eld goal mark, the Sooners have displayed 1. North Carolina (23) 15-0 solid shooting this year. On the season, Oklahoma sports a .479 mark from the fi eld (its highest since 1988-89) and a .376 fi gure 2. Memphis (6) 13-0 from 3-point range (last year OU shot .435 and .326, respectively). It has shot .500 or better from the fl oor in eight of 15 games, 3. Kansas (2) 14-0 including fi ve of the last eight. OU’s three leading scorers are shooting a combined .547 from the fl oor. Forward Blake Griffi n 4. Washington State 13-0 owns a team-high .589 fi eld goal mark and is followed by center Longar Longar (.553) and guard Tony Crocker (.487). 5. UCLA 14-1 The guard trio of Crocker, Austin Johnson and Omar Leary has combined to shoot .435 from 3-point range. Crocker is shooting 6. Michigan State 13-1 .500 from behind the arc (29-for-58), Leary is shooting .439 (18-for-41) and Johnson is shooting .364 (20-for-55). Taylor Griffi n 7. Duke 11-1 owns a .462 mark from long range but has attempted considerably fewer shots (he is 6-for-13). 8. Georgetown 11-1 9. Tennessee 12-1 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND LOSING 10. Texas A&M 14-1 The following notes compare Oklahoma’s stats in its 12 wins and three losses this year... 11. Indiana 12-1 In its 12 wins this year, OU is outrebounding its opponents by 6.5 a game. In its three losses, it is getting outboarded by 4.3. 12. Vanderbilt 15-0 Oklahoma is shooting .505 from the fi eld, .409 from 3-point range and .684 from the free throw line in its wins. In its losses, it 13. Texas 13-2 is shooting .378, .250 and .653, respectively. 14. Butler 13-1 OU’s assist-to-turnover ratio in its victories is +1.3 (202 assists and 160 turnovers). The ratio in losses is -1.6 (27 and 44). 15. Mississippi 13-0 Tony Crocker is averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting .540 in the Sooners’ wins. In losses, those 16. Marquette 11-2 numbers fall to 4.0 points, 3.7 boards, 1.3 assists and .176 (3-for-17), respectively. Crocker is also shooting .571 from 3-point range 17. Villanova 11-2 in OU's victories (28-for-49), but just .111 in defeats (1-for-9). 18. Pittsburgh 12-2 Blake Griffi n is averaging 16.5 points and shooting .621 in OU’s victories, but just 7.3 points and .409 in its losses. 19. Clemson 12-2 20. Rhode Island 14-1 FOR STARTERS 21. Wisconsin 12-2 Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel has used nine different starting lineups in the team’s 15 games this year. Monday’s lineup of 22. Dayton 12-1 Tony Crocker, David Godbold, Blake Griffi n, Austin Johnson and Longar Longar has been used three times on the season, all within 23. Stanford 12-2 the last four games. The lineup that has been used the most often (four times) is Crocker, Griffi n, Johnson, Omar Leary and 24. Arizona 10-4 Longar. Nine different Sooners have started this season, with Crocker and Griffi n getting the nod a team-high 14 times each. 25. Xavier 12-3
OU opponents in bold
4 OU vs. KANSAS STATE 2007-08 OKLAHOMA MEN’S BASKETBALL OU OPPONENT SEASON TRACKER JOHNSON INCREASES PRODUCTION (Through Wednesday, Jan. 9) With ankle injuries that plagued him for much of his fi rst two seasons now history, BIG 12’S Overall Conf. AP/Coaches guard Austin Johnson has fl ourished the last six weeks. The junior has scored at least CONSECUTIVE Opponent Record Record Rank nine points in eight of the last nine games and has reached double fi gures in six of WINNING SEASONS San Francisco 4-11 0-0 them. Johnson entered the Nov. 29 USC game averaging 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and Oklahoma 26 Denver 6-9 2-2 2.3 assists an outing and was shooting .433 from the fi eld and .267 (4-for-15) from Kansas 24 Alcorn State 2-13 1-1 long range. That all changed with OU’s game against the 22nd-ranked Trojans in Los Oklahoma State 19 Angeles... Memphis 14-0 1-0 2/2 Texas 9 Gardner-Webb 7-9 1-1 Playing with strep throat, Johnson came off the bench against USC and fi nished Kansas State 3 Morehead State 4-9 2-4 with a team-high 13 points. He was 3-for-4 from 3-point range and added three Texas A&M 3 USC 9-5 0-2 assists without a turnover. Nebraska 2 TCU 8-6 0-1 At TCU on Dec. 2, Johnson scored another 13 points (he was 5-for-8 from the fi eld Missouri 1 Tulsa 8-4 0-0 and 3-for-5 from 3-point distance) while grabbing a career-high eight rebounds and Texas Tech 1 Stephen F. Austin 12-1 0-0 handing out four assists. Baylor 0 Arkansas 11-3 0-0 Johnson netted 11 points against Tulsa on Dec. 5 on 3-for-3 fi eld goal shooting Colorado 0 Gonzaga 11-4 0-0 (made his only 3-point attempt) and 4-for-5 free throw shooting. Iowa State 0 West Virginia 11-3 1-1 After a nine-point game against Stephen F. Austin, Johnson rebounded for a season- Rice 3-11 0-1 high 17-point effort against Arkansas Dec. 15. He made two more 3-pointers and was Mount St. Mary’s 7-8 3-1 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Kansas State 10-4 0-0 Gonzaga held Johnson to nine points on Dec. 20, but the junior was the defensive star in the game’s fi nal minutes by shutting Kansas 15-0 0-0 3/3 down Bulldogs’ point guard Jeremy Pargo. Pargo had scored 28 points prior to head coach Jeff Capel’s decision to have Johnson Texas Tech 9-5 0-0 guard him. Baylor 12-2 0-0 Johnson scored 13 points at then-No. 23 West Virginia Dec. 29, went 3-for-5 from 3-point range and tied a career high with Oklahoma State 9-5 0-0 nine assists. Texas A&M 14-1 0-0 11/10 He followed with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and a career-high six steals last Saturday against Rice. Texas 13-2 0-0 10/13 The 6-3, 165-pounder is averaging 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists over the last nine games while going 16-for-40 Colorado 8-6 0-0 (.421) from 3-point range. He is now averaging 9.1 points, 2.9 boards and 2.6 assists on the year while shooting .364 from deep. Iowa State 10-5 0-0 Over his fi rst two seasons, Johnson averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting .315 from behind arc. Nebraska 11-2 0-0 Missouri 10-5 0-0 GRIFFIN: A BREATH OF FROSH AIR