Tag: Bedlam

Who has the leg up in Oklahoma’s kicker competition heading into fall camp?

Incoming kicker has a leg up in the competition entering fall camp.

The Oklahoma Sooners begin their 2024 season in a little over five weeks. Fall camp is right around the corner, when many position battles will be decided heading into the regular season.

Unlike in the pros, college football doesn’t have a preseason, so everything will be decided on the practice field before OU kicks off its season in Aug. 30.

One area Oklahoma is looking to improve upon is special teams after a tough 2023 in that department. While [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] solidified the punter’s job over the second half of the season, the kicker spot is another situation entirely.

[autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] has been OU’s starting kicker for each of the past two seasons. He’s been perfect on extra points, but he has struggled kicking field goals, especially long ones. In 2022, he went 12-for-18, converting just 66.7% of the time. Last season, Schmit went 15-for-21, hitting at a 71.4% clip. However, he missed two field goals against UCF that could have doomed the Sooners in a two-point win. He also had misses against Iowa State, Texas, Oklahoma State and BYU. Three of those four games were decided by one score. The [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] loss, in particular, was a three-point margin.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and new special teams analyst [autotag]Doug Deakin[/autotag] know the Sooners will have to be sharper on special teams exiting the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and entering the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Every phase of the game and every aspect of the program has to be operating in peak form to win in the SEC; that’s just the way it is in this conference.

Oklahoma went into the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] to get help at kicker this offseason, adding Florida State transfer [autotag]Tyler Keltner[/autotag]. He kicked just one extra point last year for the Seminoles, but was a four-year starter at East Tennessee State, making 75% of his field goals.

The Sooners also added a kicker to their [autotag]recruiting[/autotag] class, [autotag]Liam Evans[/autotag]. The true freshman reportedly has the biggest leg of the group and could represent the future at the position.

The kicker battle has been happening under the surface this offseason. SoonerScoop’s George Stoia shared from the OU Football Coaches Luncheon that Keltner is the favorite to win the job according to Venables.

Venables also mentioned Schmit will compete with Keltner in camp to remain the starter.

Whether Keltner continues to have the leg up or the incumbent Schmit takes back the job, the position can’t be the reason Oklahoma falters in one of the many close games they’re about to play in entering the SEC.

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Bedlam basketball could be returning in 2024, according to Jon Rothstein

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State might not be done facing each other on the basketball court.

With the Oklahoma Sooners moving to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] and the Oklahoma State Cowboys staying in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag], the [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] rivalry between the two rival schools had looked to be lost.

One of the best in-state rivalries in college sports may not survive conference realignment in every sport, but men’s basketball sounds like it’s on track to keep going.

CBS Sports’ college basketball insider Jon Rothstein took to social media Monday morning to let fans know that, while no contracts have been signed yet, Bedlam hoops may be returning in mid-December.

Rothstein had OSU head coach [autotag]Steve Lutz[/autotag] on his podcast “College Hoops Today’ and Lutz told him that the game is on track to be played at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The arena is currently home to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Though it wouldn’t have the same feel as a game at Lloyd Noble or Gallagher-Iba, getting the rivalry back in a sport as popular as men’s basketball is a great start. This could be the domino needed to get Bedlam to return in other sports as well.

The atmosphere in the Paycom Center should be a pretty raucous one, given the debate about which school has run away from playing the game in other sports. By the middle of December, we should have a pretty good feel for how the Sooners and Cowboys are looking on the court as well.

While we’re at it, a Bedlam baseball series at Bricktown Ballpark or a Bedlam softball series at Devon Park would be a must-watch. Women’s basketball could follow suit after men’s hoops and play at Paycom or at the BOK Center.

And of course, a regular season Bedlam football game may be the furthest from returning.

But I for one have no problem if [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Weiberg[/autotag] want to hash out a home-and-home for a future nonconference matchup. Those would automatically become two of the most-anticipated games on the schedules for both the teams and the fanbases.

And who knows, maybe with the expanded 12-team [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag], Bedlam football could be coming back sooner rather than later.

Javian McCollum’s shot might have saved Oklahoma’s season

Javian McCollum might have hit the biggest shot in recent Oklahoma Sooners memory.

No matter what [autotag]Javian McCollum[/autotag] does the rest of his career at Oklahoma, he will forever be engrained in Oklahoma basketball lore.

In Saturday’s game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the final [autotag]Bedlam [/autotag]game at Gallagher-Iba Arena, McCollum ripped the hearts out of the Oklahoma State faithful in cold-blooded fashion.

Oklahoma struggled early in the game and were down eight at halftime. But they put together a big second half. [autotag]Javon Small[/autotag] who is one of the best free throw shooters in the conference missed the front end of a one-and-one with about four seconds left which sent it to overtime.

That’s when the McCollum show started. After a timeout with nearly 13 seconds left, McCollum got the inbounds. It looked like the Sooners were a little confused about what the play was so McCollum made some magic happen. After a couple of hesitation dribbles, he tried to go to the basket but was cut off, dribbled it back out past the three-point line near the corner, sidestepped and buried the three to win Bedlam, silencing the crowd.

McCollum broke down the feeling of hitting that shot after the game.

“The feeling was great,” McCollum said. “To know that my teammates and coaches trust me in that moment. But as I said, we had a couple of big plays before that. Waldo (Rivaldo Soares) hit a big three, Otega had an and one and Los (Milos Uzan) came down and hit an and one. It was a whole bunch adding up to it, I just hit the shot.”

That win helped the Sooners sweep the Cowboys in their final year in the Big 12 conference. It’s the first time they’ve done that since the 2018-2019 season.

That also gets Oklahoma to 19 wins and puts them in prime position to make the [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag]. A loss could have greatly affected their chances of making the tournament. So, McCollum’s shot could have saved the season and that’s why he’ll live in the lure of not only Oklahoma basketball but in the history of the Bedlam rivalry.

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma’s 84-82 overtime thrilling win to complete Bedlam sweep

Three takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners buzzer beater overtime win over Oklahoma State.

Saturday could have been a bad day for the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team. For 90% of the game, things weren’t looking great for the Sooners. But somehow, with time dwindling in the second half, Oklahoma fought back to force overtime.

In the extra period, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State went back and forth. As the seconds ticked of the clock and the teams exchanged and-ones, OU found a two-point lead with 1:51 left.

John-Michael-Wright’ rained down a 3-pointer, put Oklahoma State back in front 82-81 with just seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Porter Moser tried to draw up something to get Javian McCollum to the rim. The Cowboys’ defense was stout and McCollum was forced into a step-back three, which he buried as time expired, sealing the season sweep in Bedlam.

They avoided a devastating blow to their NCAA Tournament chances with the win.

It was massive and will go down in Oklahoma basketball history because of the shot and what the win means to the Bedlam rivalry. With that said, here are three takeaways from Oklahoma’s victory over Oklahoma State.

Sooners No. 9 in The Oklahoman’s Big 12 basketball power rankings

The Sooners still have a lot to prove as the end of the season winds down, coming in at No. 9 in The Oklahoman’s latest Big 12 rankings.

The Oklahoma Sooners are entering the stretch run of the Big 12 basketball season. With five games left to play, the Sooners are one game under .500 in Big 12 play and 18-8 overall.

They’re in a good position to make the NCAA tournament. The Sooners are at No. 39 in NET Rating, which is a strong indicator that they’ll earn a berth in March Madness.

But they’ve still got a lot to prove if they want to grab a top-eight seed. In The Oklahoman’s latest Big 12 basketball power rankings from Jacob Unruh, the Sooners come in at No. 9.

Will a week off help the Sooners regain their footing? Rivaldo Soares getting healthy would be a big boost, especially with two tough road games on the schedule. – Unruh, The Oklahoman

One has to hope the time off gives [autotag]Rivaldo Soares[/autotag] and [autotag]John Hugley[/autotag] a chance to get closer to game. The two bench pieces have been key to the Sooners success this season.

While things haven’t gone smoothly over the last week, they can reset the narrative a bit with a win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Can the Sooners pull off the Bedlam sweep this Saturday before a stretch that features top 10 programs Iowa State and Houston?

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Oklahoma Sooners hope to get two key reserves back soon

The Oklahoma Sooners were without two of their key role players but Moser hopes they can return soon.

The Oklahoma Sooners were without two of their key role players in their loss to the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday. [autotag]Rivaldo Soares[/autotag] and [autotag]John Hugley[/autotag] both missed the game due to injury.

Hugley has missed the last two due to a knee injury and Soares rolled his ankle late in the second half vs. the Baylor Bears which forced him to miss the loss to Kansas as well. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Sooners.

Soares has arguably been the team’s best player in the last six games. He’s averaged 12.8 points per game on 65.8% from the field and 53.3% from 3 during that stretch.

Those two being out probably played a role in the team wearing out late in the game. Porter Moser talked about the impact it had on the team.

“It hurt,” Moser said. “I’m not going to say it’s an excuse for the game but those two guys are two of our better defensive rebounders. We didn’t have any defensive rebounds from our two 5s that played (Sam Godwin and Luke Northweather). We didn’t have one defensive rebound against that. So, it hurt with that.”

Moser said earlier last week he hopes to get both guys back sooner rather than later. Soares warmed up with the team before the game but ultimately didn’t play. It sounds like he’s closer to being able to play than Hugley is.

Now, the Sooners have a full week to get at least one and hopefully both back before playing their final [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] game as [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] foes in Stillwater on Saturday.

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BEDLAM: Best photos from Oklahoma’s win over Oklahoma State

The Oklahoma Sooners pulled out a tough win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys and here are some of the best photos from Bedlam

Just win. That’s the name of the game in a rivalry. It wasn’t pretty on Saturday night, but the Oklahoma Sooners came away with an important win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first leg of Bedlam.

It may have started ugly, but the Sooners were up to the task to hold Oklahoma State to 30% shooting from the field and just 16% from three.

The Sooners rebounded from a rough first ten minutes to shoot 45.7% for the game and 39.1% from three. Sometimes it’s not about how you start but how you finish. And with the Sooners trailing late, they finished strong with a 9-0 run to take control and pull out the win.

The Sooners couldn’t afford to drop a game to last place Oklahoma State, especially with the slate of teams coming up. The Sooners will play four top 15 teams in their next five games, starting with No. 13 Baylor on Tuesday night. Then they’ll take on No. 4 Kansas at home before going to Stillwater for the second leg in Bedlam. After facing Oklahoma State again, the Sooners will play at No. 13 Iowa State and then host No. 5 Houston before finishing the season with Cincinnati and Texas.

Oklahoma’s likely done enough to make the NCAA tournament. They look like they’re heading toward a top-eight seed, but in order to stay in that projection, they had to beat Oklahoma State.

Here are the best photos from Oklahoma’s win in Bedlam.

Oklahoma outlasts Oklahoma State in first round of Bedlam 66-62

Oklahoma staves off an upset attempt from their Bedlam rivals and win 66-62.

Since taking the head coaching job at Oklahoma, Bedlam has been unkind to Porter Moser. He entered Saturday’s matchup just 1-4 against the Cowboys. For stretches of Saturday’s rock fight of a basketball game, it looked like Oklahoma State could give him a fifth loss.

Yet, when things settled, the Oklahoma Sooners came out on top with a 66-62 win.

Mike Boynton and his Oklahoma State Cowboys entered the day 10-13 overall, and their 2-8 record in conference play was dead last in the Big 12. However, from the opening eight minutes Oklahoma had its hands full.

When the first media timeout rolled around, the teams were tied 4-4, and both were shooting under 20 percent.

Oklahoma’s defense was rock solid in the first half, and they never allowed the Cowboys to shoot better than 25%. A big-time three from Le’Tre Darthard, who had a team-high +7 and was 3 of 4 from three, helped Oklahoma into the break with a 31-26 lead. Otega Oweh finished the first half with three fouls and OU’s eight turnovers helped keep the Cowboys in the game.

Things didn’t improve at the start of the second half, as three technicals and a flagrant foul by John Hugley IV allowed Oklahoma State to hang around. The Sooners never shot the ball well enough to pull away, and Oklahoma State was rock solid from the free-throw line, going 21 of 28 compared to Oklahoma’s 15 of 24.

After Oklahoma fell behind 56-52, the Sooners went on a 9-0 run to push out to a five-point lead with a few minutes remaining. The Sooners finished strong and closed out a game they couldn’t afford to lose.

Jalon Moore was stellar, contributing 15 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks. He was the only Sooner in double figures. Rivaldo Soares and Milos Uzan both had eight. Hugley and Javian McCollum added seven points a piece

Oklahoma’s attention turns to a massive trip to Waco, Texas, on Tuesday to take on the Baylor Bears. The Sooners are now 18-6 on the season and 6-5 in Big 12 play.

Oklahoma State will have the week off and not play until next Saturday when they host No. 21 BYU.

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How to watch, key players for Oklahoma Sooners vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Sooners are back in action for round one of Bedlam against the Oklahoma State Cowboys and this is how you can watch the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners got a massive must-win game vs. the BYU Cougars on Tuesday. Now, they face their in-state rival in round one of [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] against the [autotag]Oklahoma State Cowboys[/autotag].

This is another one you just have to win. Not because you are still reeling but because this is a home game against the last-place team in the conference. This is just a game simply Oklahoma cannot lose.

Also, this is the last few times you get to play Oklahoma State for the foreseeable future so you want to get bragging rights.

So, let’s take a look at how you can watch the game as well as some key players for both teams.

Javian McCollum continues to trust his preparation to get him out of his slump

Javian McCollum has been struggling recently but a big game vs. BYU hopes to get him back on track.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team returned to their winning ways with a huge win over the BYU Cougars. It was a complete team win, with the bench contributing 23 points to the victory.

The defense was stellar as they held one of the nation’s best offenses to 66 points and one of the best three-point shooting teams to eight makes on 30.8% shooting.

A big key for the Sooners was the play of their two guards [autotag]Javian McCollum[/autotag] and [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag]. It was one of their better performances in recent memory. They combined for 36 points on 47.8% shooting from the field.

McCollum spoke about his recent struggles and how he was able to bounce back vs. the Cougars. “My teammates kept me positive even though my shot hasn’t been falling the way that I’ve wanted it to fall,” McCollum said. “My teammates are here uplifting me, keeping me in high spirits. I’m really not worried about that. I know it’s eventually going to fall. I’m always in the gym. At the end of the day, the goal is to win, get big wins, get these Quad 1 wins out of the way and get to the tournament.”

The Sooners last made the tournament in the 2020-2021 season, which was [autotag]Lon Kruger[/autotag]’s final season as head coach. They are currently sitting in a great spot to make the NCAA tournament this season. They sit at 17-6 with eight regular season games remaining. Ideally, 20 wins gets you in the tournament. Although, as we saw in that 2020-2021 season, you can get it with 16 wins. The Sooners schedule has certainly been tough enough to carry them to March Madness.

But they need to keep stacking wins, and that starts this Saturday with the final home [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag] game as [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] foes. Oklahoma will play Oklahoma State twice in the next six games. The other four games are top 15 matchups with Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, and Houston.

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