Tag: Cyclones

Oklahoma (11-5, 2-2) dropped a tough one to No. 6 Kansas (13-3, 3-1) at home, their first home loss of the season, 66-52.

The Sooners were a thorn in the Jayhawks all night long, keeping Kansas relatively quiet from the floor all night. With the slow erosion caused by Udoka Azubuike in the interior, Oklahoma wilted away as time dwindled down.

HARMON IS FOR REAL

Freshman guard, De’Vion Harmon is the real deal. His 13 points kept the Sooners in the game as he fed off the crowd of 10,486. When Oklahoma needed points, the ball somehow found Harmon wide open on multiple occasions ending with the ball finding the bottom of the net nearly 50% of the time.

AZUBUIKE IS A GROWN MAN

Kansas center, Udoka Azubuike would make a great left tackle in the NFL. Never in my life have I seen a human that big and athletic. His legs are as thick as trees and that is not an exaggeration. Azubuike is going to make a lot of money in the NBA if he can develop a consistent jump shot.

THE SOONERS ARE CLOSE

It may be frustrating to watch as a fan but Oklahoma is close. Hanging around Kansas while shooting around 30% is something within itself. This game could have very easily have been a 25-point rout but instead, the Sooners fought until the very end. This team will be fun to watch the moment they overcome the hump.

Oklahoma hosts TCU on Saturday at 1p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ as part of Big 12 NOW.

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The sound was deafening.

Top Daug made his highly anticipated return to Oklahoma’s sidelines in front of 10,486 fans on Tuesday night. The crowd was rowdy well before the  Sooners (11-5, 2-2) and Jayhawks (13-3, 3-1) took the floor.

Lon Kruger’s squad hung tough for the majority of the game before falling away late and losing 66-52.

Oklahoma was ice cold early on, especially leading-scorer Kristian Doolittle who began the game 3-of-11 from the floor in the first half. The Sooners as a whole were only 9-of-32 from the floor and 4-of-7 from the charity stripe.

All night, Oklahoma could not get any 50/50 balls to fall their way with countless baskets rimming out, finishing the game shooting 31 percent from the floor and 8-of-29 (28 percent) from deep.

It became apparent early in the game that Doolittle was the one tasked with limiting mammoth Kansas center Udoka Azubuike. Lon Kruger and Bill Self played a chess match like a couple of prizefighters feeling each other out in the early rounds of a bout. When Self would take Azubukie off, Kruger would match. When Doolittle came in after a breather, Azubuike was never far behind him.

The duo duked it out for the majority of the first half but foul trouble for Doolittle forced Brady Manek and Kur Kuath onto Azubuike for the remainder of the game.

Manek had a tough game from start to finish, but to Azubuike’s credit, he kept it well within the letter of the law. Kuath did a decent job in the matchup, but the few rarely went head to head.

Despite shooting poorly in the first half, Oklahoma trailed 28-27 at the half while holding the Jayhawks to 39% shooting. The Sooners also held their own on the glass in the opening 20 minutes, trailing 26-22 in total rebounds.

One solid constant against Kansas was De’Vion Harmon. The true freshman was a bright spot in his first time back in the starting lineup since the Creighton game on Dec. 17.

Early on, Harmon was found by Reaves on a fast break for an easy layup, bringing the Lloyd Noble Center to their feet. The true freshman did not let his first matchup against the Jayhawks phase him as he finished with 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers in crucial spots to keep the Sooners in striking range.

Oklahoma hits the hardwood on Saturday as they play host to TCU at 1p.m. CT. The game can be found on ESPN Big 12+.

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Oklahoma (11-4, 2-1) faces off against No. 6 Kansas (12-3, 2-1) in a crucial Big 12 matchup for both sides.

The Jayhawks come off a rare home loss against now No. 2 ranked Baylor (13-1, 3-0), losing to the Bears 67-55 and will without a doubt be looking to get back to their winning ways against the Sooners.

As for Oklahoma, they return home after getting a road split, losing their first Big 12 game of the season against Iowa State, 81-68. The loss does not come in a great part of the Sooners’ schedule with a trip to Baylor next Monday and Mississippi State coming to Oklahoma to play next Saturday as part of the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

However, Kansas has failed to leave Norman with a win each of the past two years against less talented Sooner teams.

MAINTAIN POSSESSION

Oklahoma against the Cyclones last Saturday failed to keep possession, turning the ball over 15 times. The Sooners need to hang on to the ball and value their possessions to find good looks which can be hard to find against the Jayhawks.

CONTAIN AZUBUIKE

Much easier said than done, Oklahoma has to find a way for Kansas’ star player, Udoka Azubuike to be either the only player that beats them or keep Azubuike from being a factor. Obviously the prior would be the most realistic as the Sooners, nor any other team in the country has the size and depth to keep Azubuike at bay.

CHEW THE CLOCK

Oklahoma had a ton of empty possessions against Iowa State. One problem that stood out over others was how quickly the Sooners were taking shots in the shot clock. Taking the shot clock down inside 10 seconds as much as possible should bode well for Oklahoma. With that being said, if there’s a good look early in the clock, you best believe the Sooners are going to shoot it.

Oklahoma and No. 6 Kansas can be viewed on ESPN. Tip-off is set for 8p.m. CT.

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Oklahoma (11-4, 2-1) plays host to No. 6 ranked Kansas (12-3, 2-1) as part of ESPN’s ‘Super Tuesday’.

The Sooners look to get their third straight home win against Kansas in Top Daug’s return home to Norman, Okla. Both teams are coming off of conference losses as Oklahoma dropped one against Iowa State on the road, 81-68 and Kansas lost a tough one against now No. 2 ranked Baylor (13-1, 3-0) at home.

With the big matchup, an old face makes his much-awaited return. Following a 15 season hiatus, Top Daug will be patrolling the baselines at the Lloyd Noble Center once again.

Here is how to watch, listen and stream the game if you cannot make the clash of Big 12 foes.

WHERE: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)

WHEN: 8:00 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN

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

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