Tag: Brady Manek

Oklahoma gets first win on the road at Texas since 2015, win 72-62

The Sooners walked into the lion’s den and earned their fourth Big 12 road win in four seasons.

Oklahoma walked into the lion’s den and earned their fifth Big 12 road win in four seasons. On the backs of coming-out performances from De’Vion Harmon and Jamal Bieniemy, Oklahoma (11-3, 2-0) defeated Texas (10-4, 0-2) 72-62.

The backcourt for the Sooners has been underwhelming at best so far this season. Bieniemy and Harmon had high expectations coming into the season and lived up to those expectations in Austin, Texas, tonight.

Despite losing his starting spot over the past four games, Harmon has embraced the role, sparking Oklahoma in the second half with nine points, three rebounds, an assist and three of the Sooners’ seven steals.

Bieniemy also seemed to have woken up from his shooting slumber, scoring 11 points on four of six shooting alongside three rebounds and team-high four assists.

Outside of Bieniemy and Harmon, the usual suspects did work offensively. Austin Reaves put up 10 points including a halftime buzzer-beater to give the Sooners a one-point lead before heading to the locker room.

Kristian Doolittle led the team in scoring and rebounding once again with 22 points and eight boards. His scoring abilities proved a mismatch for the Longhorns all night as he knocked down two 3-pointers and was able to shoot well from mid-range.

With three primary performances for the Sooners, Oklahoma as a team played lights-out defensively. The Sooners allowed Texas to make just 28 percent of their shots while hauling in 30 defensive boards to Texas’ nine offensive boards.

The 72-62 win is the first win in Austin for Oklahoma since 2015.

The Sooners are back in action on Saturday when they head up to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Cyclones at 7 p.m. CT.

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3 keys for Oklahoma against Texas

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) takes on Texas (10-3, 0-1) in the Sooners’ first Big 12 road game of the season.

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) takes on Texas (10-3, 0-1) in the Sooners’ first Big 12 road game of the season.

Oklahoma comes off a solid, hard-fought 66-61 win over Kansas State last Saturday and is amidst a three-game winning streak. The Sooners were picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 but so far this season has looked better than expected.

In order to beat Texas on the road, which is never an easy task no matter the opponent in the Big 12, Oklahoma needs to do three things.

KNOCKDOWN OPEN LOOKS

The Sooners have no problems getting open looks at the basket. However, they do have a problem making open shots. Shooting 30.7% from deep as a team is not awful but it is not great, especially with more than capable shooters that Oklahoma has. Making open shots will be huge towards this team’s performance and confidence not only tonight but moving forward as well.

SHARE THE WEALTH

The Sooners have three of their starting five averaging double-digit scoring with Austin Reaves, Kristian Doolittle and Brady Manek all inside the Big 12’s top-10 scoring leaders. De’Vion Harmon, Alondes Williams, and Jamal Bieniemy, the other three scoring options for Oklahoma all average under eight points a game. If the Sooners want to continue their win-streak and perform at a higher level, Bieniemy, Harmon, and Williams all need to knock down looks when given the opportunity.

DEFEND LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING

If there has been one thing that has been consistent over the last three games, it has been the Sooners’ defense. Oklahoma has allowed their opponents over that stretch a combined 185 points. The Sooners kept UTRGV to 41.2%, Kansas State to 34.9% and UCF to 31.3% from the field. If Kruger’s crew can continue their premium defending, Oklahoma will be in good shape.

The Sooners and Longhorns are set to tip-off at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. for full broadcast details, click here.

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When, where, how to watch, how to stream Oklahoma-Texas

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) heads south to square off against Texas (10-3, 0-1) for the first of two installments of the Red River Rivalry.

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) heads south to square off against Texas (10-3, 0-1) for the first of two installments of the Red River Rivalry.

The Sooners, after having an up and down non-conference slate, they settled down against Kansas State in their Big 12 home opener, extending their win streak to three games, beating the Wildcats 66-61.

The Longhorns dropped an egg on the road at No. 4 Baylor (11-1, 1-0), losing to the Bears 59-44. Texas was picked fourth in the Big 12 pre-season poll behind Kansas, Baylor and Texas Tech who are all the cream of the crop of the league.

Both teams will be looking to find some offensive prowess after both squads come off of poor shooting performances to start conference play. With any win being a good one in the Big 12, there is no doubt that this rivalry game will be well contested.

Here is how to watch, listen and stream the game.

WHERE: Austin, Texas

WHEN: 8:00 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN2

HOW TO LISTEN: Sooner Sports Radio Network—KOKC AM 1520 and KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC, KMOD FM 97.5 and KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa (click here for more options if not in either of those markets)

HOW TO STREAM: WATCH ESPN

Twitter reacts to Top Daug’s return

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) had a late addition to the roster announced last night.

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) had a late addition to the roster announced last night. Top Daug will be making his triumphant return after a 15-year hiatus when the Sooners play host to No. 3 Kansas (11-2, 1-0) on January 14.

With the news, Twitter was ablaze with nostalgic Oklahoma hoops fans.

If I had a time machine, the first place I would go to is Justin’s birthday party.

Okay, I’m kind of mad my mom never invited Top Daug to my birthday parties.

Top Daug announced his comeback the same day as Sam Ehlinger. Coincidence?

Shoutout to the Vegas Sooners for calling this back in 2016.

The amount of late eighties, early nineties swagger in this photo is astounding.

Leaving Billy Tubbs off this list is a crime, but other than that, I see no flaws.

I cannot wait for the Norman spin-off of Parks & Rec to be on Netflix.

Joe C. tweeting dog memes. Welcome to 2020, folks.

Who said great social media posts were reserved for just the football team?

Oklahoma and No.3 Kansas are set to tip-off in primetime at 8p.m. CT on a national broadcast on ESPN2.  Four top-10 teams have been beaten by under-daugs in the past week. Can the Sooners deliver in Top Daug’s return home?

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Oklahoma basketball welcomes back ‘Top Daug’

Top Daug, a former Oklahoma basketball mascot with a cult-like following is officially back.

The people got what they asked for.

Top Daug, a former Oklahoma basketball mascot with a cult-like following is officially back.

The athletic department had fun with the announcement, hinting at Top Daug’s return, beginning this morning with what appeared to be accidental or hacked tweets.

Athletic director, Joe Castiglione addressed the tweets while having a little bit of fun while giving a cryptic message.

They even retweeted some of the “goodest boys”.

Of course, Top Daug needs to follow his friends.

Lastly, the Sooners dropped a major hint towards the big announcement.

 

Top Daug was a brain-child of former Sooners head coach, Billy Tubbs who said Oklahoma would be a “top daug” in the then Big 8 conference. The mascot was a fan favorite throughout the ’80s and ’90s before being retired following the 2004-05 basketball season.

Oklahoma (10-3) plans to re-introduce Top Daug prior to the Sooners’ next home game against Kansas on Tuesday, January 14. The game can be seen on ESPN2 with tip-off set for 8p.m. CT.

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Oklahoma opens Big 12 play with a 66-61 win over Kansas State

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) and Kansas State (7-6, 0-1) opened Big 12 play in the Lloyd Noble Center with a bang.

Oklahoma (10-3, 1-0) and Kansas State (7-6, 0-1) opened Big 12 play in the Lloyd Noble Center with a bang.

The Sooners, after trailing for much of the game clawed their way out of a 10-point deficit, shutting the Wildcats out in the last 3:45 to win 66-61.

“Any conference game is a good win,” Kruger said postgame.

Oklahoma did struggle shooting the ball once again but doubled their efforts defensively, holding K-State to 34.9% from the field.

Kristian Doolittle and Austin Reaves dominated the scoring for the Sooners, tallying 40 of Oklahoma’s 66 points.

“I was in a good rhythm,” Reaves said.

18 of his 21 points came in the second half.

“Doo kept us in the game for the first thirty minutes of the game, and if it weren’t for that, we might’ve been down 15 late. Doo kept us in it, we kept battling and our team came away with a good win.”

Oklahoma dominated the boards early holding a four rebound advantage at the half before the Wildcats began grabbing boards in the Sooners 2-3 zone.

Doolittle’s aggressiveness early allowed the Sooners to hang within striking range all afternoon.

Although not great shooting performances, the young backcourt featuring freshman De’Vion Harmon and sophomore Jamal Bieniemy were outstanding defensively.

With three steals between them, Bieniemy and Harmon allowed themselves to stay out of the way of the offense while still contributing by locking down their assignments.

Kruger pulled out a 2-3 zone inside the last five minutes to shut out Kansas State in the last 3:45.

“Jamal had one or two deflections in the middle of the zone when they were trying to get it into the middle and De’Vion had one or two,” Kruger said.

“So we just came up with some big steals there and it led to good things on the other end.”

Another huge factor was Oklahoma’s ability to get to the foul line. The Sooners were 23-29 from the charity stripe to K-State’s five of nine.

Oklahoma’s next game is Wednesday at Texas. The game can be viewed on ESPN2 at 8p.m. CT.

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With non-conference play over, Oklahoma looks forward to tough Big 12 slate

Making it through the first two months of play with just three losses, the Sooners face the toughest Power 5 conference in the nation.

Making it through the first two months of play with just three losses and a No. 45 NET ranking, the Sooners face the toughest Power 5 conference in the nation.

The Big 12 is never a walk in the park. With Kansas being the team to beat every year, the other nine teams in the conference have built tough, reputable programs in the shadows of Lawrence, Kansas. Over the past two seasons, 13 of 20 teams made the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma has made the Big Dance each of the past two seasons, missing the 2016-17 season after making four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2013-16.

The Sooners come into conference play with three of the top-10 scorers in the Big 12 in Kristian Doolittle (No. 6, 16.7 ppg), Austin Reaves (No. 7, 16.3 ppg) and Brady Manek (No. 8, 15.4 ppg). The trio will be key to Oklahoma’s success the rest of the way, but they cannot do it alone.

An unexpected role player has appeared over the suspected fourth and fifth options last Monday against Texas Rio Grande Valley. Kur Kuath started in place of Doolittle who was benched for a “situation”, per Lon Kruger. Kuath dazzled the crowd, slamming home dunk after dunk to start the game against UT-Rio Grande Valley. Finishing with a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds, Kuath still played within himself.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played, so it was a good experience,” Kuath told reporters on Thursday.

With Kuath’s emergence, both De’Vion Harmon and Jamal Bieniemy have yet to exceed expectations this season. The guard duo has combined for an average of 12.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 rebounds a game so far this season. Although underwhelming in the box score, Coach Kruger sees plenty to be happy about.

“Jamal’s (Bieniemy) come along, doing really well—I think he’ll make more shots,” Kruger said on Thursday. “De’Vion, I think is playing his best basketball right now. He’s really energizing us coming off the bench and has handled that really well. Great attitude and great work ethic,”

With six guys being somewhat consistent on a nightly basis, the Sooners should be competitive every night when facing a Big 12 opponent.

“It’s going to be tough,” Manek said Thursday after practice. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the bottom or the top of the Big 12, you’re coming to play every day.”

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3 keys for Oklahoma against Kansas State

Oklahoma (9-3) and Kansas State (7-5) face-off to kickoff Big 12 play on Saturday. Here are three keys for the Sooners against the Wildcats.

Oklahoma (9-3) and Kansas State (7-5) face-off to kickoff Big 12 play on Saturday. The two clubs have been voted No. 8 and No. 9 in the Big 12 pre-season poll, giving both teams plenty of fuel to add to their respective fire.

Here are three keys for the Sooners as they open up conference play.

CONSTANT MOTION

The Sooners need to keep the ball in motion around the court to keep the Wildcats on their toes. Against UT-Rio Grande Valley, Oklahoma moved the ball efficiently for a season-high 21 assists as a team. If the Sooners can swing the ball around the arc, good shots are bound to make themselves appear.

ROLE PLAY

Oklahoma needs more than three guys to play well not just to beat Kansas State, but to beat anyone in the Big 12. Starters De’Vion Harmon and Jamal Bieniemy need to realize their role just as much as guys like Kur Kuath and Alondes Williams. Either make shots or get out of the way of someone who will. With Kristian Doolittle, Austin Reaves and Brady Manek all in the top-10 of Big 12 scorers, everyone else needs to buy into their role.

PLAY CLEAN

Yes, both teams were predicted towards the bottom of the conference but the Sooners have more talent. If Oklahoma can keep the Wildcats off the foul line and force misses from the three-point line, the Sooners should be in good shape come the final four minutes.

The Sooners tip-off against Kansas State at 12:00p.m. CT on ESPN+.

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When, where, how to watch, how to stream Oklahoma-Kansas State

Oklahoma (9-3) opens Big 12 play, hosting Kansas State (7-5) at the Lloyd Noble Center. Here is everything you need to know about the game.

Oklahoma (9-3) opens Big 12 play by hosting Kansas State (7-5) at the Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners come off a slow start to the season, capping off non-conference play with two drastically different wins over UCF and Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The Sooners and Wildcats can be seen on ESPN+ Big 12 NOW, the Big 12 conference’s streaming service that launches this past fall.

Both Kansas State and Oklahoma have been predicted to be bottom feeders of the Big 12 with the two teams coming in at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively in the pre-season Big 12 poll.

After making a run in the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats are in a rebuilding year. As for the Sooners, they are also in their rebuilding year but much further along in the process thanks to Kristian Doolittle, Brady Manek and Austin Reaves all being in the top-10 in Big 12 scoring.

Here is how to watch, listen and stream the Big 12 opener.

WHERE: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)

WHEN: 12:00 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN+ Big 12 NOW

HOW TO LISTEN: Sooner Sports Radio Network—KOKC AM 1520 and KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC, KMOD FM 97.5 and KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa (click here for more options if not in either of those markets)

HOW TO STREAM: ESPN+ Big 12 NOW

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3 takeaways from Oklahoma’s 91-72 win over UTRGV

Oklahoma (9-3) got a much-needed dominant win over Texas Rio Grande Valley (4-9), 91-72.

Oklahoma (9-3) got a much-needed dominant win over Texas Rio Grande Valley (4-9), 91-72. The game was a final tune-up before Big 12 play begins on January 4.

DUNK-FEST

The Sooners were throwing them down early and often which was a big thanks to Kur Kuath who got the start in place of Kristian Doolittle who violated team rules. Kuath had 10 points at the half and was five of seven from the floor, including a beautiful backboard alley-oop from Austin Reaves.

“I heard him scream backboard,” Reaves said postgame. “If my big man’s going to run, I’m going to award him for it.”

Reaves was the main facilitator for big dunks with one for Kuath and another for Brady Manek.

THE BASKETS DO NOT HAVE LIDS

After poor shooting performances for the majority of the first half of the season, Oklahoma came out hot against the Vaqueroes 61.8% in the first half and 50.8% for the game.

With three starters in double digits, the Sooners looked like they finally hit their scoring groove.

MUCH A DOO ABOUT NOTHING

Oklahoma looked to be more cohesive and played more fluidly without Doolittle in the lineup. Without their best player, the Sooners shared the ball more and played with a quicker tempo, running the floor against UTRGV constantly. Coach Kruger confirmed postgame that Doolittle will play Saturday against Kansas State.

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