Sooners Host Tech Wednesday; Look For Win No. 6 In A Row

Feb. 6, 2001

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GAME INFORMATION
Ranked 21st in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, Oklahoma (17-4 overall, 6-3 Big 12) hosts Texas Tech (8-10, 2-5) Wednesday night at 7 CST inside Lloyd Noble Center. The game will air live on the Sooner Basketball Radio Network (flagship KOMA 1520 AM in Oklahoma City) with Bob Barry, Sr. (play-by-play) and Mark Mathew (analyst) calling the action. The contest will also be televised by Sooner Sports Network (KSBI Channel 52 in OKC and KWBT Channel 19 in Tulsa). Dean Blevins (play-by-play), Charlie Spoonhour (analyst) and Renzi Stone (roving reporter) will announce.

OKLAHOMA UPDATE
Owners of a five-game winning streak, including three road victories during the stretch, the Sooners enter the week in fourth place in the Big 12 with a 6-3 record after beginning league play with a 1-3 record. One of the keys to the team's recent success has been the play of junior guard J.R. Raymond. Last week's Big 12 Player of the Week has led the Sooners in scoring in three of the last five games and is averaging 20.6 points over the five-game streak. Of his 200 points this year, 103 (52 percent) have come in the last five outings. Twenty of his 39 three-pointers (51 percent) have also come during that span. He is now averaging 10.0 points per game on the season.

Aaron McGhee is coming off a 22-point performance against Texas A&M Saturday and leads the Sooners in scoring with his 14.6 points per game. The junior forward, who has scored at least 20 points eight times this year, also ranks third on the team with his 4.6 rebounds per contest. McGhee has battled foul trouble virtually all season and averages 23.4 minutes per game. He has committed at least four fouls in eight of the last 10 contests.

Sophomore guard Hollis Price averages 12.9 points and team highs in assists (5.2 apg) and steals (2.0 spg). He has led the team in assists in 18 of 21 games.

A consistent double-digit scorer, senior Nolan Johnson averages 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals. The guard ranks second in the Big 12 with his .868 free throw percentage and has made 38 of 42 foul shots in the last six games (.905).

Kelley Newton was 5-for-8 from three-point range last Wednesday and is now shooting .495 from long range to rank third in the Big 12. The senior guard also ranks fourth with 2.4 treys per game.

TEXAS TECH UPDATE
Since beating the Sooners 60-59 on Jan. 16, Texas Tech has lost three in a row to Colorado (88-71), at Missouri (66-64) and at Baylor (82-74). The Red Raiders' other Big 12 victory as a 68-58 home win over Baylor. They have also lost at home to Kansas (94-82) and at Oklahoma State (65-46) in league play.

Junior center Andy Ellis is averaging a team-high 16.0 points per game on the year while junior guard Jamal Brown leads the squad in Big 12 games with a 14.9 average (12.1 in all games). Ellis also ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg). Brown ranks second in the league with his 7.1 assists per outing and also averages 1.6 steals. Senior forward Cliff Owens is the only Red Raider shooting above .500 (he owns a .564 mark) and averages 12.3 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game.

Head Coach James Dickey is in his 10th year at Texas Tech where he owns a 166-115 (.591) record. He is 4-6 against Oklahoma.

SERIES WITH TEXAS TECH
Oklahoma leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 15-11, and has won five of the last six contests. The Sooners are 9-4 versus the Red Raiders in Norman, although Tech has beaten OU at Lloyd Noble Center in three of the last five contests inside the building. Kelvin Sampson is 6-4 against Tech as OU's head coach.

Three weeks ago, the Red Raiders beat the Sooners by a point (60-59) in Lubbock as Jamal Brown's 10-foot pull-up bank shot with 1.5 seconds left fell gave Tech the victory. OU led just twice in the game - once with 17:25 left in the contest and also when Nolan Johnson's driving basket in the lane put the Sooners in great position with 22.4 seconds remaining. Johnson and Aaron McGhee combined for 29 of OU's 39 second-half points. Johnson finished with a game-high 19 points while McGhee, who was 3-for-4 from three-point range, scored 16. Hollis Price led all players with seven assists and Johnnie Gilbert grabbed a game-high nine boards. Brown scored 15 of his team-high 18 points after halftime and added five assists and three steals. Andy Ellis and Cliff Owens scored 16 and 12 points, respectively, for the Red Raiders. OU's loss snapped a string of five straight wins versus Tech, as well as a four-game winning streak in Lubbock.

RECAPPING THE TEXAS A&M CONTEST
The Sooners earned their third straight road win with a 72-63 decision over Texas A&M Saturday. OU scored the game's first five points and opened a 14-6 lead before a 9-0 run gave the Aggies a one-point lead -- their only advantage of the game. The Sooners responded with a 7-0 spurt and took a 33-25 lead to halftime. Oklahoma controlled the second half and led by double digits much of the way. The team's largest lead was 17 points at the 3:14 mark, but A&M closed the game by outscoring OU 12-4. The Sooners' victory was their 15th in 16 all-time games against the Aggies and fifth in six games in College Station. Kelvin Sampson improved to 10-1 against A&M as OU's head coach. Junior forward Aaron McGhee (22 points) paced OU in scoring for the first time since Jan. 9 when he scored 24 in a win over the Aggies in Norman. J.R. Raymond added 17 for OU while Nolan Johnson and Hollis Price contributed 11 and 10, respectively. Price also tallied game highs in assists (five) and steals (three). The Sooners made all 16 of their second-half free throws and finished the day 20-for-23 at the charity stripe. Bernard King led A&M with 18 points. Nick Anderson and Keith Bean added 10 each.

TEXAS A&M LEFTOVERS

Oklahoma's seven turnovers tied a season low (also had seven at Kansas State).

After averaging 8.5 rebounds in OU's last four games, Nolan Johnson had none.

The Sooners were victorious despite being outshot from the field (.465 to .458) and being outrebounded (32-23)

Kelley Newton became the eighth Sooner to lead the team in rebounds this year (he had six).

PATCH HONORS OSU PLANE CRASH VICTIMS
The Sooners began donning a black circular patch with an orange "O" inside it on their jerseys last Wednesday versus Baylor. The patch, which appears on the upper left chest, will be worn for the rest of the season to honor the 10 victims of the Jan. 27 Oklahoma State charter plane crash. OU is also wearing the black jersey bands issued by the Big 12 Conference.

OKLAHOMA'S BIG 12 HISTORY
The Sooners boast a 49-24 (.671) Big 12 regular season record in the league's four-plus years, second only to Kansas' 60-12 (.833) mark. OU finished 9-7 (fifth place) in 1997, 11-5 (tied for second) in both 1998 and 1999, and 12-4 (tied for third) last year. Kelvin Sampson's Big 12 squads have posted a 27-9 league record at home and a 22-15 mark on the road.

ROAD WARRIORS
Oklahoma's 22-15 conference road record since Big 12 play began is the league's second best behind Kansas' 26-10 record. Since the Big 12's inception prior to the 1996-97 season, no other conference team has an aggregate winning road record. Texas ranks third with a 17-19 mark and is followed by Oklahoma State (16-19).

MESSING WITH TEXAS
Since Kelvin Sampson became OU head coach in 1994, the Sooners are 50-8 (.862) in games against teams from Texas. During the same time, OU is 18-4 (.818) in games played in Texas. Oklahoma is 6-0 at Baylor, 4-1 at Texas Tech and Texas A&M, 3-2 at Texas and 1-0 at SMU.

BREAKING 80
In six-plus years under Kelvin Sampson, the Sooners sport an 83-10 (.892) mark when scoring at least 80 points. OU is 8-1 (.889) this year under the circumstance and 22-2 (.917) over the last two seasons.

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND
A third-team All-Big 12 pick last year and last week's Big 12 Player of the Week, junior guard J.R. Raymond has returned to form over the past five games after enduring a lengthy slump. Raymond entered OU's game against Kansas State Jan. 20 averaging just 6.5 points and had totaled just seven points over the Sooners' previous five contests. A switch back to point guard - the position he played the majority of last season when he averaged 13.4 points per game - seemed to jump start the Gastonia, N.C., native, however, as he made five three-pointers and scored a season-high 25 points against the Wildcats. In the Jan. 24 win over Texas, Raymond canned five treys again and finished with a game-high 21 points. In OU's triumph over Nebraska Jan. 27, he made six three-pointers (all in the first half) and scored a game-high 25 points. Last Wednesday at Baylor, Raymond was 3-for-4 from long range and finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He poured in 17 points in OU's win at Texas A&M Saturday

A member of last year's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team, Raymond made 95 three-pointers - the second most in OU single-season history - but had only 19 three-point makes this year prior to OU's last five games. He has led the team in scoring in three of the last five games and is now averaging 10.0 points, 2.3 assists and 2.0 treys per contest.

GUARDS SHOULDERING THE LOAD
In OU's nine Big 12 games, the team's guards have accounted for 65 percent of its points (413 of 631). That figure is even larger over the Sooners' last seven games as the backcourt has scored 70 percent of OU's points (330 of 473).

HANDLING WITH CARE
Oklahoma, which tied a season low with seven turnovers Saturday at Texas A&M, leads the Big 12 in turnovers per game (12.6) and turnover margin (+6.3). OU led the league with 12.8 turnovers per game last year. This year, opponents have committed 133 more miscues. Foes have committed turnovers in 18 of 21 games.

McGHEE EXPERIENCING ROLLERCOASTER SEASON
OU's leading scorer and third-leading rebounder, Aaron McGhee has experienced a solid season, for sure. However, the junior forward has had a several dips this year, as well. McGhee has recorded totals of 20, 22 (twice), 24, 26, 27, 28 and 32 points so far this year, but has also logged games of zero, three, four, five, six (twice), eight and nine (twice) points. On the year, McGhee is shooting .502 from the field, .485 from the three-point line and .773 from the foul line.

McGhee was a first-team junior college All-American last year at Vincennes (Ind.) University. He was named the MVP of the national junior college tournament when he averaged 34.5 points.

STEADY AS HE GOES
Senior Nolan Johnson, who ranks third on the team with his 12.0 scoring average, has been one of OU's most consistent players this season. Johnson hit his stride in late December and continued to score in bunches in early January, but then struggled from the field the OU's three games prior to last Wednesday. In those three contests, the guard went 1-for-7 against Kansas State, 1-for-7 versus Texas and 2-for-8 against Nebraska for a combined .182 percentage (4-for-22). Johnson broke out of that slump, however, by making 7-of-12 shots and finishing with a team-high 17 points against Baylor. He was 2-for-4 from the floor at Texas A&M Saturday and had 11 points.

Not including a zero-point performance against Texas A&M Jan. 9 when he did not attempt a field goal and played just 10 minutes due to a sprained right knee, Johnson is averaging 14.5 points in the team's last 12 games. He is averaging 6.8 boards and 6.0 free throw makes during OU's five-game win streak.

NEWTON IS OU'S MAD BOMBER
Senior guard Kelley Newton, who canned 5-of-8 three-point tries last Wednesday at Baylor, is enjoying a stellar season from beyond the three-point arc. Newton, who ranks third in the Big 12 in three-point percentage (.495) and fourth in three-pointers per game (2.4), has made at least one three-pointer in 17 of 21 games and at least two treys in 15 contests. He has raised his career three-point percentage to .442 (99-for-224). The Kansas City, Kan., native drained eight treys (tying Texas A&M's Bernard King for the most by a Big 12 player this year) on 11 tries versus Coppin State Dec. 16 en route to a career-high 26 points. He was also 6-for-9 from downtown while scoring 20 points Dec. 30 versus SMU in the All-College Tournament final.

Newton, who has started 10 games but has come off the bench the last six, has reached double digits in points 11 times this year. He ranks fifth on the squad with his 9.4 points per game.

PRICE IS RIGHT
Sophomore point guard Hollis Price ranks second on the squad in scoring with his 12.9 points per game (13.4 in Big 12 play). Price leads the team in assists (5.2 apg) and steals (2.0 spg) and also boasts a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio to rank fourth in the Big 12. Additionally, he has been OU's leading assist man in 18 of 21 games.

A member of last year's Big 12 All-Freshman Team, Price has earned MVP honors in two tournaments this year. He won the Sooner Invitational MVP trophy after averaging 11.0 points, 8.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and just 1.5 turnovers in wins over Alcorn State and La Salle. At the Big Island Invitational, Price took home another trophy after averaging 21.0 points, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting .719 (23-for-32) from the field and .615 (8-for-13) from three-point land in victories against Montana State, Tulane and Oregon State.

HESKETT RETURNING TO FORM
Tim Heskett, a fifth-year senior who was OU's career leader in three-point percentage entering the year with his .420 mark, has seen his season percentage rise of late after a dismal start to the year. The Lexington, S.C., product made just 12 of his first 49 three-point tries this year for a .245 mark. Over the last 11 games, however, Heskett has gone 11-for-25 from long range (.440). He is now shooting .311 from beyond the arc on the season. Heskett ranks second in OU history in both three-point makes (206) and three-point attempts (510).

CHART TOPPING...AGAIN
It should come as no surprise that Oklahoma leads the Big 12 Conference in free throw percentage with its .743 season mark. Under Kelvin Sampson, the Sooners have finished first or second in the conference in free throw shooting every season except 1998-99. Three Sooners rank in the top 12 in the league in free throw shooting. Nolan Johnson (.868) ranks second, Hollis Price (.776) ranks 10th and Aaron McGhee (.773) is 12th.

WHO WILL IT BE?
Six different Sooners have led the team in scoring this season. Nolan Johnson, Aaron McGhee and J.R. Raymond have done it five times while Hollis Price has done it four times. Kelley Newton and Daryan Selvy have paced the team once each. Eight different Sooners have also led the team in rebounding this year.

GRIFFIN NO LONGER WITH TEAM
Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced Jan. 29 that he and junior Ronnie Griffin have mutually agreed that Griffin will no longer continue as a member of the OU team. Griffin, who had missed the Sooners' last three games for violating team rules, averaged 4.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per contest this year. The Louisville, Ky., native played in 13 games (started in eight) and posted a .575 field goal percentage. Griffin played last year at Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Twenty of J.R. Raymond's 39 treys this year (51 percent) have come in the last five games.

Aaron McGhee has committed at least four fouls in 14 of 21 games, including eight of the last 10.

In eight games versus Alcorn State, Montana State, North Texas, Southwest Texas, Iowa State, Texas A&M (twice) and Nebraska, McGhee has averaged 25.1 points. In OU's other 13 games this year, he is averaging 8.2 points.

The Sooners are averaging 11.3 more field goal attempts per game than their opponents.

OU opponents are averaging 6.3 more turnovers per game than the Sooners. The Sooners have committed more turnovers in just three games (Oregon State, SMU and Baylor).

OU has shot .500 from the field seven times this year but not once in its last eight games.

Six different Sooners have led the team in scoring while eight have paced the squad in rebounding.

Johnson, McGhee and Hollis Price have started all 21 games.

Tim Heskett has committed just one turnover in 91 minutes of conference action.

Six of Nolan Johnson's 12 free throw misses have come in two games. Not including his combined 10-for-16 performances against Kansas and Nebraska, he is shooting .920 from the line.

Daryan Selvy's field goal percentage has dropped from .614 to .435 over the last 10 outings.

Opponents are averaging 8.1 more free throw attempts per game than the Sooners in league play.

Entering this contest, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson has utilized eight different starting lineups.

OU is 3-0 in overtime this year and 10-6 in overtime under Coach Sampson.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
In the annual preseason Big 12 media poll released Nov. 2, Oklahoma was picked to finish second in the league behind Kansas. Among the teams the Sooners were predicted to finish ahead of were Missouri (third), Texas (fourth), Iowa State (fifth) and Oklahoma State (sixth). OU was also picked second in the league race by conference coaches.

SAMPSON SIGNS PAIR OF RECRUITS
Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced Nov. 7 that center Jabahri Brown and wing Matt Gipson have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at OU next season.

"Jabahri and Matt are two young men who give us a great follow-up to last year's outstanding recruiting class," said Sampson. "We really wanted to get better inside and be more athletic. We accomplished both goals by signing these two talented players."

A native of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, the 6-11 Brown transferred to Rose State College in Midwest City, Okla., following his freshman year at Florida International University last season. Brown will transfer to OU at the end of the current semester and will be eligible to play for the Sooners following the conclusion of the fall 2001 semester when he will have sophomore status. He averaged 8.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots and 1.6 steals in 24.3 minutes per game last season as a true freshman at Florida International.

Gipson is a 6-9 wing player from Burkburnett High School in Burkburnett, Texas, who averaged 21.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a junior last year. Compared in style by some to former Utah standout Keith Van Horn, Gipson helped his squad to a 24-11 record while earning unanimous all-district and all-region honors. Fastbreak Recruiting rates him as the fifth-best senior in the Midwest.

OU BOASTS NATION'S FOURTH-LONGEST POSTSEASON STREAK
Oklahoma has made 19 consecutive postseason appearances (15 NCAA and four NIT), the fourth-longest streak among Division I programs. Only North Carolina (34 years), Georgetown (26) and Indiana (23) own longer postseason streaks. The last time Oklahoma did not compete in the postseason was in 1980-81. The four longest current postseason streaks are as follows:

MODEL OF CONSISTENCY
Oklahoma has registered a winning record in 23 of its last 24 seasons. No other Big 12 team can boast as many winning campaigns since the 1975-76 season as the Sooners. OU has posted a 531-239 (.690) record over the past 24 years.

HEAD COACH KELVIN SAMPSON
Now in his 18th year as a collegiate head coach, Kelvin Sampson is in his seventh year at the Oklahoma helm. He has averaged 21.7 wins per season at OU and is one of two Big 12 coaches -- Kansas' Roy Williams is the other -- to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament each of the last six seasons.

Sampson began his head coaching career in 1980 at Montana Tech when he was hired as the program's interim head coach. He recorded a 73-45 mark in four seasons and was inducted into the school's sports hall of fame three years ago.

In 1988, Sampson was named head coach at Washington State and compiled an even 103-103 record over seven years, including two 20-win campaigns.

Hired by Oklahoma on April 25, 1994, he has guided the Sooners to a 147-66 (.690) record and an 84-16 (.840) home mark. Two of his OU squads (1997-98 and 1999-00) have played in the Big 12 Tournament championship game. In 1998-99, he directed OU to an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance.

Sampson was named the 1995 national coach of the year by the Associated Press, the USBWA and Basketball Times.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Host Tech Wednesday; Look For Win No. 6 In A Row

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