Tag: Myrtle Beach Invitational

Oklahoma Basketball: Tanner Groves named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

After averaging 18 points per game in the Sooners’ two wins, Oklahoma senior center Tanner Groves was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

After averaging 18 points per game and 60 percent shooting in the Sooners’ first two games, senior forward and center Tanner Groves was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in the 2021-22 season’s first men’s basketball honors.

Groves finished with 15 points in Oklahoma’s 77-59 season-opening win over Northwestern State and then scored 21 points in a 96-44 OU victory over UTSA.

The Spokane, Wash., product knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in both contests and shot 15-of-25 overall in the two games combined. He also pulled down 14 rebounds in the two games.

“It just felt great to get back out there. It was awesome. I love being a Sooner.  I love putting on the uniform and getting to play in front of these fans. It’s awesome and it felt great to just be back out there and playing basketball again in front of fans,” Groves said after the Oklahoma win over Northwestern State.

Oklahoma head men’s basketball coach Porter Moser liked that Groves was aggressive in the Sooners’ first two games as compared to OU’s exhibition win over Rogers State when he only attempted three shots.

“I thought Tanner had good energy. I thought that he got back to having that confident bounce with him,” Moser said after the win against Northwestern State.

Through their first two games, the Sooners are averaging 86.5 points per game on 56.8 percent field goal shooting. Oklahoma is shooting 39.2 percent from three-point range as a team.

Senior guard Umoja Gibson and junior small forward Jalen Hill are the Sooners’ other two players averaging double-figures in the scoring column thus far. Gibson is averaging 11.5 points per game, while Hill is averaging 10.5.

Oklahoma next plays on Thursday night at 6 p.m. versus East Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Invitational from Conway, S.C.

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