Tag: kansas jayhawks

Oklahoma runs out of gas in the second half as they fall to No. 6 Kansas 67-57

No. 25 Oklahoma falls 67-57 against No. 6 Kansas as the Jayhawks sweep the season series.

No. 25 Oklahoma entered Saturday with a chance to earn their third win against a top-25 opponent. Instead, they came up short as Bill Self and his sixth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks completed the season sweep of the Oklahoma Sooners 67-57.

Oklahoma entered the day with severe doubt that two trusted rotation members would play. [autotag]Rivaldo Soares[/autotag] twisted his ankle in the second half of the Sooners’ 79-62 loss at Baylor on Tuesday after leading the team in scoring with 17 points.

[autotag]John Hugley[/autotag] IV injured his knee against Oklahoma State last Saturday and didn’t even travel for OU’s game vs. the Bears.

Soares tested his ankle pregame but ended up not playing, and he and Hugley were sorely missed.

Oklahoma started Javian McCollum, Milos Uzan, Otega Oweh, Sam Godwin, and Jalen Moore. They raced out to a double-digit first-half lead behind hot shooting and terrific defense on Kansas forward Kevin McCullar Jr., who was returning from an injury. Jalon Moore led the way with 13 of his team-high 17 points. Milos Uzan was aggressive and added 8 points, while McCollum contributed six.

Kansas pushed back towards the end of the half to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 5 at the break. OU entered the locker room up 34-29 after an excellent all-around first half minus 3/8 free throw shooting in the first half.

The second half started, and Kansas began to find themselves.

Kansa and OU played a close game with the game tied on a number of occasions before Hunter Dickinson found McCullar for a three-pointer that gave KU its first lead since 5-4. Kansas would go on a 14-4 run and would not look back.

Oklahoma continued to fight, but their first-half shooting cooled dramatically as they shot 3 of 19 from the field in the second half. The Sooners’ inability to stop Kansas in the half-court, specifically Hunter Dickinson, doomed the them despite having a five-point halftime lead.

Javian McCollum was 3 of 6 from three and finished with 15 points.

Hunter Dickinson posted a 20-point, 16-rebound double-double to set the tone for the Jayhawks. Freshman Johnny Furphy added 15 points on 5/8 shooting with three makes from distance to help his team.

For Oklahoma, the Sooners will have the week off and not play until next Saturday when they make their final Big 12 visit to Stillwater in basketball to wrap up the Bedlam season series.

Kansas will host Texas next Saturday back home in Allen Fieldhouse.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Titans hiring Scott Fuchs as assistant OL coach

The Titans are reportedly hiring Kansas OL coach Scott Fuchs as their assistant OL coach.

The Tennessee Titans still had a few positions left to fill on their coaching staff after confirming several hires during the week, one of which was assistant offensive line coach.

Well, the team is apparently filling that job with Kansas offensive line coach, Scott Fuchs, according to John Brice of Football Scoop, and as confirmed by Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky.

Fuchs was hired by Kansas in 2021 and has 30 years of experience coaching in college. This will be his first foray into the pros, though. Fuchs also has experience as a defensive line coach (Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 1999).

Fuchs coached seven All-Big 12 selections during his time at Kansas and the Jayhawks had the fourth-most rushing yards and fourth-fewest sacks allowed in the conference in 2023, per his bio on the school’s official website.

During his stint at Buffalo in 2020, the program ranked second in the nation in rushing yards per game and gave up just one sack, tied for the fewest in the country.

He was also nominated for the Broyles award that year, which is given to the top assistant coach in college football.

And, in 2019 and 2020, the Bulls’ offensive line was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the best offensive line in the country.

Fuchs will work under esteemed offensive line coach, Bill Callahan.

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How to watch, key players for No. 21 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks

Here is how you can watch Oklahoma’s upcoming game against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Oklahoma Sooners are fresh off a blowout loss at the hands of the Baylor Bears on the road. Now, they return home against the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag].

The Jayhawks are also fresh off a blowout of their own losing earlier in the week by 29 points. This will mark the second time the Sooners have played Kansas this year and both games will follow a Jayhawks loss.

The Sooners could also be without [autotag]John Hugley IV[/autotag] and [autotag]Rivaldo Soares[/autotag] who are two of their key bench players. But if you aren’t able to make it out to the Lloyd Noble Center, let’s take a look at how you can watch the game and some key players.

Oklahoma Sooners dominated by Baylor Bears 79-62

Baylor drills Oklahoma 79-62 as Oklahoma also loses Rivaldo Soares to an ankle injury.

Oklahoma’s season has been rock solid for the most part. They entered Tuesday night well on pace for 20 wins and well-positioned for a return to the NCAA Tournament. After they went undefeated last week, the Sooners knew they would have a significant jump in competition this week, with games against Baylor and Kansas on deck.

The first of those daunting games saw them travel to Waco, Texas, on Tuesday night for the first time since Baylor opened their shiny new basketball arena. Things weren’t bad to start as the Sooners and Bears traded baskets and raced out to a 20-20 stalemate in the first half.

Javian McCollum, Sam Godwin, and Milos Uzan were the stars of the first half. According to the ESPN2 broadcast, Jalon Moore had been battling the flu before the game. To rub salt in the wound, John Hugley was announced as out because of a knee injury. Moore was taking longer than regular breaks, likely due to fatigue, so freshman Luke Northweather was first off the bench.

Rivaldo Soares continued his excellent run, leading the Sooners with 17 points.

With the score 20-20, Baylor went on a 20-7 run to close out the half, sparked by their suffocating defense and Baylor’s flurry of three-point jumpers. Jayden Nunn was the biggest culprit, with three triples during the Bears’ flurry, and added another two points to end the half.

Nunn and Baylor guard RayJ Dennis were dominant, and the Sooners had no answer as the duo combined for 26 of Baylor’s 40 first-half points.

The second half didn’t get any better. In fact, things got worse. The Sooners came out lifeless as Baylor pushed out to a 21-point lead, the largest deficit the Sooners have faced all year. Rivaldo Soares injured his ankle and had to leave the game with just five minutes remaining.

Baylor continued raining down three-pointers, making a total of 11, which would be the most the Sooners have allowed from distance all season long. Baylor finished the game shooting over 50 percent.

Oklahoma turned the ball over 12 times, which Baylor turned into 22 points. The Sooners could only turn five Bears turnovers into just six points. That was the story of the game for the Sooners.

All eyes now turn to the health of Rivaldo Soares, one of the most indispensable players on Oklahoma’s roster. His ascension has been a revelation, and he’s comfortably been the Sooners’ most important player for a month now.

OU will welcome Kansas to the Lloyd Noble Center at 3 p.m. Saturday for the final time as Big 12 foes. Both teams are banged up, but someone must win this game. Oklahoma will seek revenge for last month’s loss to the Jayhawks in Lawrence.

Baylor will head out to take on West Virginia on the road this Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Duke remains steady at No. 9 in latest AP Poll

After two relatively stress free wins last week, Duke remains at No. 9 in latest AP Poll.

After winning both of their games last week in an attempt to bounce back from the loss to their Tobacco Road rivals, Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils remained at No. 9 in the latest AP Poll released Monday afternoon.

Duke dispatched Notre Dame at home 71-53 to complete a season sweep of the Fighting Irish. They followed up with an 80-65 home win over a Boston College team led by All-ACC big man Quinten Post.

As the calendar inches closer and closer to March, Duke is trying to round itself into form and begin playing their best basketball at the right time.

At the top of the AP Poll, Connecticut and Purdue serve as the two best teams in the nation, respectively. UNC‘s home loss to Clemson for just the second time ever cost them their spot at No. 3. That now goes to the Houston Cougars, who moved up since Kansas lost against their in-state rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats on the road.

Marquette and Arizona are your fourth- and fifth-ranked teams as both saw themselves rise three spots from last week’s poll.

Kansas is now sixth, while Hubert Davis’ team is now seventh. All-American candidate Dalton Knecht and the Tennessee Volunteers are now eight after Texas A&M drilled them on Saturday evening.

T. J. Otzelberger and the Iowa State Cyclones round out the top 10, giving the Big 12 three schools in the top 10.

Tony Bennett and the Virginia Cavaliers join the Blue Devils and Tarheels as the only ACC teams represented in the top 25.

Duke, Virginia, and UNC are in a tense battle for ACC supremacy, with the Tar Heels holding onto a one-game lead over UVA and a 1.5-game lead over Duke. UVA and UNC are set to play each other toward the end of February, while Duke is set to host both Virginia and UNC in March as their final two home games to close out this ACC regular season.

Vikings 2024 NFL draft scouting report: Kansas EDGE Austin Booker

After transferring from Minnesota to Kansas, Austin Booker broke out at edge rusher. Will he be drafted high despite only playing 505 snaps?

Welcome to SKOL Search!

This series will be your guide to the 2024 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.

The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at quarterback, running back, defensive line and edge rusher. We will also focus on wide receiver since it’s a loaded class and an increased chance to get a Stefon Diggs-type steal in the later rounds.

The Vikings are slated to have 9 picks going into the NFL draft and they need to make the most out of them.

Watch: Flory Bidunga is dominant on both ends of the court in this highlight

Flory Bidunga shows off his elite athleticism.

Kansas basketball is getting a special player in Flory Bidunga, one who has some truly special and unique athleticism.

The five-star center, committed to the Jayhawks since August has the ability to control the paint on both ends of the court. Combine this with his understanding of the court and spacing and Bidunga is a match-up nightmare in the making for Kansas.

Bidunga showed that off this week for Kokomo High School (Kokomo, Indiana), first off with a block that was dominant and then finishing off the sequence with a dominant block.

(Nice court awareness from the teammate to assist off the backboard on that one).

Without lumbering, Nidunga moved up and down the court almost effortlessly. He made both plays seem rather ordinary which, for the five-star, is truly normal:

 

Just some outstanding athleticism and agility for the 6-foot-9, 210-pound center.

Bidunga is ranked the No. 1 center in the nation by ESPN and is a five-star recruit. He is the ninth-best player in the 2024 recruiting class.

Eagles DB coach D.K. McDonald expected to be named Kansas Jayhawks new co-defensive coordinator

D.K. McDonald departing Eagles to accept DC job at Kansas

The Eagles are losing another staffer, as defensive backs coach D.K. McDonald is expected to go to Kansas to become the Jayhawks new co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

Before arriving in Philadelphia, he’d spent the previous five seasons at Iowa State, where he served as the pass game coordinator and worked with the defensive backs.

McDonald is replacing former co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Jordan Peterson who left to assume a position on the Texas A&M staff.

Kansas is coming off of back-to-back bowl game appearances under head coach Lance Leipold.

Jalon Moore’s evolution is pivotal to remainder of Sooners season

Jalon Moore has morphed into Oklahoma’s most important and consistent player.

Last year was a disaster of a season for No. 23 Oklahoma. They were abysmal, inconsistent, flawed, and simply not a good basketball team. Porter Moser knew things had to change, and in college basketball, for better or worse, your team can change entirely over months due to the NCAA transfer portal.

As players from last year’s team departed for professional opportunities, sought fresh starts elsewhere, or committed themselves to the Crimson and Cream, Oklahoma had holes to fill.

The most pressing needs were for athleticism, shooting, and playmaking. And so, Porter Moser and his staff attacked the portal with the desperation of a team down five points with under a minute left.

They pressed the portal hard and landed many players who filled their needs.

Javian McCollum came in with plenty of buzz as a sleeper NBA draft selection should he have a big year in Norman after transferring from Siena. He’s on his way to doing just that.

Le’Tre Darthard was a valuable member of a Utah Valley team that played postseason basketball last year. John Hugley IV transferred from Pittsburgh looking to reclaim the form that landed him on an All-ACC team.

Rivaldo Soares was looking for a more prominent role than he had at Oregon State. Jalon Moore started 15 games for Georgia Tech last year, where he averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. He was a part of their rotation, but it always felt like he had more to give.

College basketball media even believed it. The pressure was off of him, too. In Norman, he’d get a fresh start, an expanded role, and thus the opportunity to flourish.

Moore has done just that, and Tuesday night’s performance against Kansas State culminated in a season’s worth of growth for Moore.

Against the Wildcats, Moore had a career-high 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting with nine rebounds. He was pivotal in the first half and equally impactful in the second, especially when Kansas State pushed to tighten things up.

He plays hard every game, even when he shoots poorly, and his motor doesn’t stop. His length allows him to guard positions 1-4 without real trouble. His performance earned him KenPom Game MVP, highlighting his efficiency and positive contributions to his team’s win.

Oklahoma is far from out of the woods, though. A massive road game against UCF is on tap for Saturday. The Knights have already knocked off Texas and Kansas at home. The Sooners need this game, and for them to win, they’ll need more of Moore.

Moore has been the constant, while Otega Oweh, Milos Uzan, and Javian McCollum have been inconsistent from game to game. The steady stream of high energy and winning plays Moore makes nightly could be the essential piece Oklahoma needs to weather the slide they’ve been in and elevate their play as we inch closer to March.

He won’t end up on any All-Big 12 teams because his numbers won’t reflect that, but there’s been no player more valuable to Oklahoma’s success this season than Jalon Moore.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Sooners latest to offer three-star 2025 prospect Tyler Williams

Oklahoma is the latest to offer three-star wide reciever Tyler Williams of Sumner High School.

The Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff continues to travel the country, stopping at high schools all over to evaluate and offer prospects for the 2025 and 2026 classes. On Wednesday morning, their most recent offer went out to three-star prospect Tyler Williams of Sumner High in Riverview, Florida.

Williams is a two-way star for his high school team, playing offense at wide receiver and free safety for his team’s defense. It’s not particularly clear if the Sooners are recruiting him for wide receiver like most schools offering Williams, though recruiting services seem to think his college position is wide receiver.

At wideout, Williams is an excellent prospect. He has solid size at 6-foot-1 and is just a shade under 200 pounds. He’s a three-sport athlete, so athleticism is not lacking either.

On the hardwood, he averaged 8.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG a game. He also runs track, where he was a regional qualifier in the high jump, posting a personal-best 6-1.5 effort in the event.

On tape, he is a do-it-all wide receiver. He had a highlight reel block, won on a seam route from the slot, repeatedly won outside the numbers, and was able to high-point the ball at his apex. He scored on a couple of screens as well, and for good measure, he returned a punt and kick for a touchdown.

Tyler Williams’ Recruiting Profile

Film

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