Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Alcorn State on November 23, 2025 , Win , 72, to, 53
Final
Men's Basketball
72
vs Alcorn State
53
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners And Jayhawks Engage In Top-5 Battle
January 18, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2002
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GAME INFORMATION
Ranked 5th in this week's AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, Oklahoma (14-1 overall, 3-0 Big 12) travels to play at Kansas (14-2, 3-0) Saturday at noon CST inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are ranked fourth in both major polls. 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 Mike Houck (analyst) calling the action. The game will be nationally televised by ABC (KOCO Channel 5 in OKC) with Ron Franklin (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) announcing.
OKLAHOMA PROJECTED STARTERS F 13 Aaron McGhee (6-8, 250, Sr.) C 21 Jabahri Brown (6-10, 210, So.) G 2 Ebi Ere (6-5, 215, Jr.) G 4 Quannas White (6-1, 190, Jr.) G 10 Hollis Price (6-1, 165, Jr.)KANSAS PROJECTED STARTERS F 0 Drew Gooden (6-10, 230, Jr.) F 4 Nick Collison (6-9, 250, Jr.) G 10 Kirk Hinrich (6-3, 185, Jr.) G 11 Aaron Miles (6-1, 175, Fr.) G 13 Jeff Boschee (6-1, 185, Sr.)
OKLAHOMA UPDATE
As of Friday, Oklahoma hasn't lost in 64 days and carries a No. 5 national ranking (both polls) into the weekend. The Sooners' only loss this year came at Michigan State on Nov. 14. OU's 13-game winning streak is its longest since claiming its first 14 contests of the 1987-88 campaign.
The Sooners, who lead the nation in scoring margin (+22.1), are coming off 78-51 road victory over Nebraska on Wednesday. Oklahoma limited the Huskers to .246 field goal shooting and to their lowest point total in the Bob Devaney Sports Center (which opened prior to the 1976-77 season). OU has beaten its three Big 12 foes by an average of 26.3 points per contest.
Junior guard Hollis Price is averaging 17.8 points in his four games since returning from an eye injury that kept him out of OU's Dec. 29 win against Texas Southern. Price scored a season-high 27 points last Saturday against Texas Tech on 6-for-7 three-point shooting and leads the team with his 17.1 points per game on the year. He also averages 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals. The All-Big 12 candidate has drained a team-high 33 treys (2.5 per game) and is shooting .449 from long range and .861 from the foul line.
Ebi Ere, the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year and reigning league rookie of the week, ranks second on the team by averaging 16.7 points per game. The junior guard averaged 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in two games last week and has scored in double digits in 11 of the last 12 games. Ere is averaging 18.1 points over the stretch. He is also averaging 6.3 rebounds (third most on the team) and 2.0 assists on the year. Ere owns an .855 (47-for-55) free throw percentage to rank fifth in the league.
Over the last 13 games, senior forward Aaron McGhee is averaging 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds. He has four double-doubles on the year and has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 13 outings. McGhee tied a season high with 22 points against Texas A&M in the Big 12 opener and ranks third on the squad in scoring (13.6 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.5 rpg).
Sophomore center Jabahri Brown has played in nine games as a Sooner and is averaging 5.9 points, a team-high 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals in 24.7 minutes per game.
ABOUT KANSAS
One of the top offensive teams in the nation, Kansas is averaging 90.8 points per game and is shooting .505 from the field and .390 from three-point range in compiling a 14-2 record. The Jayhawks are 6-0 at home where they have won by an average of 23.5 points. In its three Big 12 games, Kansas has won at Colorado (97-85), versus Nebraska (96-57) and at sixth-ranked Oklahoma State (79-61). KU leads the Big 12 in scoring offense, field goal percentage, rebounds per game (44.9), rebounding margin (+10.2), assists per game (19.8) and steals per game (11.2).
Kansas starts one senior (guard Jeff Boschee), three juniors (forwards Nick Collison and Drew Gooden, and guard Kirk Hinrich) and one freshman (guard Aaron Miles). Gooden leads the Big 12 in scoring (20.5 ppg) and rebounding (11.9 rpg), and also averages 1.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Collison averages 14.9 points and 8.1 rebounds and is shooting .637 from the field. Hinrich ranks third on the team with his 13.9 points per contest and averages 4.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.8 steals. Boschee is the Jayhawks' top three-point threat as he has made 43 treys on 103 attempts for a .417 mark. He is averaging 13.6 points per game. Reserve freshman forward Wayne Simien also averages double figures in points (10.3 ppg) and is shooting .582 from the floor. Miles has started all 16 games at point guard and leads the squad with 6.1 assists per outing.
Roy Williams is in his 14th season as a head coach, all at Kansas. He owns a 369-91 (.802) record to rank third among active Division I coaches in winning percentage. Williams has directed KU to 12 straight 20-win seasons and 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
SERIES WITH KANSAS
Kansas, the only Big 12 program with a winning record against Oklahoma, is 127-61 all-time versus the Sooners. The Jayhawks own a 64-16 advantage in Lawrence and have won eight straight against OU at Allen Fieldhouse. The Sooners' last victory in Lawrence was a 94-89 overtime decision in 1989. Kelvin Sampson is 3-8 against the Jayhawks as OU's head coach and 0-4 at Allen Fieldhouse.
OU and Kansas split their two games last year with the Jayhawks winning in Norman (69-61) and the Sooners winning in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals (62-57). In Norman, Oklahoma shot just .319 from the field as KU won its sixth straight in the series. The game was tied at 40 before Kansas went on a 15-6 run. Hollis Price scored a game-high 18 points while Nolan Johnson and Kelley Newton add 16 each for OU. Aaron McGhee, the team's leading scorer entering the game, was held scoreless. Jeff Boschee led KU with 16 points and was followed by Kenny Gregory (14), Kirk Hinrich (13) and Nick Collison (12).
At the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, the Soooners dug themselves an early 10-point deficit and trailed virtually the entire game before Newton's three-pointer with 1:49 left put OU up for good. Oklahoma shot just .327 from the field but made 20-of-24 free throw attempts. Kansas' .377 field goal mark was a season low and its 57 points marked its second-lowest figure of the season. Newton made five treys and finished with a game-high 17 points while Nolan Johnson added 16. Hinrich led KU with 12 points.
NEBRASKA RECAP
Oklahoma used a 21-0 run over the last 5:09 of the first half and first 4:32 of the second half to break open a 19-19 game in its 78-51 road win against Nebraska on Wednesday night. The Sooners, who held the Huskers to their worst field-goal shooting performance in history (.246), handed Nebraska its worst loss in the Devaney Center, which opened for the 1976-77 season. OU held the Huskers scoreless over a 9:41 span and held them without a field goal for a 12:36 stretch. Ebi Ere led four Sooners in double figures in points with 16. Aaron McGhee and Hollis Price scored 13 each while Jason Detrick added 12. McGhee, who put together one of his best all-around games this year, also collected 10 rebounds to record his fourth double-double and added three assists and three blocked shots. The Sooners shot .429 in the first half but finished the game at .500 after a .559 effort in the second 20 minutes. OU also shot .400 from long range and .800 from the foul line. Nebraska's Brian Conklin scored a team-high 14 points with the help of 4-for-6 three-point shooting while John Robinson scored 10.
NEBRASKA LEFTOVERS
START ME UP
The Sooners' 14-1 record matches their best 15-game start under eighth-year head coach Kelvin Sampson (the 1999-2000 team also started the year 14-1). A win Saturday at Kansas would give OU its best Big 12 start (4-0) since the 1998-99 team began 4-0.
ERE HONORED
Junior guard Ebi Ere was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday after his stellar performances against Connecticut and Texas Tech last week. Ere averaged 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in OU's victories. He scored 24 points and hit the game-winning shot against UConn before recording 25 points (20 in the first half), eight boards and a career-high four steals against the Red Raiders. It was the second league newcomer-of-the-week award for Ere (he also earned the honor Dec. 3). Interestingly, Ere also earned Foxsports.com's national player-of-the-week award for his two games last week.
ROAD RULE
Oklahoma has had its share of success on the road under Kelvin Sampson with a 28-16 (.636) record in its last 44 true away contests. In Big 12 play, OU is 24-11 in its last 35 road contests for a .686 mark. The Sooners have finished 5-3 in three of the last four seasons in conference road play (they were 6-2 in 1998-99).
QUICK TIPS
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Oklahoma's strong offensive performances over the past nine games are well-documented. But the Sooners' defensive efforts have also been superb during the stretch. OU's last nine opponents are shooting a mere .363 (184-for-507) from the field and just .264 (39-for-148) from beyond the arc. Also, those same foes are averaging 19.8 turnovers per game while OU has averaged 12.3 steals against them.
A CHARITY CASE
The Sooners lead the Big 12 and rank 15th nationally in free throw percentage at .758. OU's top four scorers are shooting at least .774 from the charity stripe and its top two scorers (Hollis Price and Ebi Ere) own respective .861 and .855 season marks. Oklahoma has traditionally been a sound free throw shooting team under Kelvin Sampson as six of his first seven squads finished first or second in the league in the category. Last year, the Sooners paced the Big 12 with a .740 mark.
ERE EARNS NICKNAME
Nicknamed "ESPN" by his teammates because his best performances seem to have come in games televised by the network, junior guard Ebi Ere ranks second on the team with his 16.7 points per game and is averaging 18.1 points over the last 12 contests. The reigning Big 12 Rookie of the Week is averaging 22.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in five games on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN Plus (he had 16 points at Michigan State, 29 at Arkansas, 19 versus Maryland, 24 at Connecticut and 25 against Texas Tech). Ere has posted double-digit point totals in 11 of 12 games and also averages 6.3 rebounds per game to rank third on the squad. Ere was also named the conference's rookie of the week Dec. 3 for his performances against Central Michigan and Arkansas. He was a second-team junior college All-American last year at Barton County (Kan.) Community College when he averaged 25.5 points and 7.6 rebounds.
PRICE IS RIGHT
Junior guard Hollis Price, who has shown no ill-effects from a severed triceps tendon sustained in his right (shooting) arm last March, scored a season-high 27 points against Texas Tech last Saturday and is averaging a team-high 17.1 points per game to go along with his 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals. Twice this year Price has converted six treys in a game. He was 6-for-10 in the season opener against Central Connecticut and 6-for-7 two games ago against the Red Raiders. Price leads the team in field goal percentage (.521), three-point percentage (.449) and free throw percentage (.861).
The New Orleans, La., native spent most of the offseason rehabilitating his arm after an injury during OU's NCAA Tournament game against Indiana State last spring. He collided with ISU's Kelyn Block and had a piece of Block's tooth embedded in the arm. Price underwent three surgeries within the span of a week to irrigate the wound, remove the tooth and repair the severed tendon. He missed his first career game this year (Dec. 29 against Texas Southern) after getting poked in the eye during practice.
McGHEE PLAYING LIKE A SENIOR
Aaron McGhee, OU's 6-8, 250-pound senior forward who was a first-team junior college All-American in 1999-2000, struggled in the Sooners' first two games but has performed very well during OU's 13-game winning streak. McGhee, who averaged 12.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season, averaged just 6.5 points and 3.0 boards in the Sooners' first two games this year. In OU's 13 games since, however, McGhee is averaging 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds. He has posted his lone four career double-doubles this year against Central Michigan (19 points and 11 rebounds), St. Bonaventure (19 points and a career-high 19 boards), Maryland (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Nebraska (13 points and 10 boards).
McGhee, who scored a season-high-tying 22 points last Saturday against Texas A&M, has upped his season averages to 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per outing. He is shooting .438 from the field, .258 from long range and .774 from the foul line.
DETRICK DELIGHTFUL OFF THE BENCH
Junior college transfer Jason Detrick has been superb off the bench this year. The 6-5, 210-pound guard is averaging 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 20.7 minutes per contest. Detrick has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games and is averaging 12.8 points over the span. In his first six games this year, he shot just .313 from the field. In nine games since, he is shooting .524.
SELVY RESURFACES
Senior forward Daryan Selvy has been more aggressive the past eight games than he had been the previous several, and the effort has paid off statistically. In OU's first seven games, Selvy averaged 5.7 points and 0.7 assists, and shot .391 from the field. Over the last eight games, though, he has averaged 10.9 points, 1.9 assists, and has shot .611 (33-for-54) from the floor. Against Texas Southern on Dec. 29, Selvy scored 15 points in 16 minutes on 7-of-10 shooting and registered a career-high five steals. He tied a career-high with 18 points against Texas A&M Jan. 5 and is now averaging 8.5 points, 5.1 boards, 1.3 assists and a team-high 1.9 steals while shooting .510 from the field.
BROWN IS OU'S MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Is it coincidental that OU seems to be playing some of its best basketball in recent memory since Jabahri Brown became eligible nine games ago? Maybe, but then again maybe not. Brown, OU's 6-10, 210-pound sophomore center who transferred from Rose State College in Midwest City, is averaging 5.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals for the Sooners. He also averages 6.8 altered shots per game (the stat is kept by the OU basketball staff). A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Brown began his playing career at Florida International in 1999-2000 and signed with OU last November while a student at Rose State. He practiced with the Sooners last spring and this past fall. The athletic Brown has helped supply a defensive presence Coach Sampson has been seeking in the middle for several years. Brown averaged 8.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game as a freshman at Florida International.
GILBERT LIKELY DONE FOR SEASON
Sophomore Johnnie Gilbert has likely played his last game of the season for the Sooners. The forward played in the team's first six games (started in five) and averaged 4.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots, but injuries have forced him to the sideline. Gilbert has a rotator cuff injury in his left (shooting) shoulder and he is also battling bursitis in his right hip.
YOUTH IS SERVED
Of Oklahoma's 10 regular players who have seen action in the team's first 15 games, only one has multiple years of Division I experience at Oklahoma - junior guard Hollis Price. Seniors Aaron McGhee and Daryan Selvy are in their second seasons at OU after transferring from junior college, as is true sophomore Johnnie Gilbert. Junior Jozsef Szendrei and freshman Blake Johnston redshirted last year and are in their first full season of Division I competition. Juniors Jason Detrick, Ebi Ere and Quannas White are all in their first season at OU after spending two years at the junior college level. Sophomore Jabahri Brown is in his first year at Oklahoma after playing his freshman year at Florida International.
SOONER SUCCESS UNDER SAMPSON
BOOK IT
Kelvin Sampson: The OU Basketball Story is now in bookstores. Written by Dallas Morning News' Steve Richardson and released in October, the book chronicles the Oklahoma head coach's journey from his childhood days in North Carolina to coaching stints at Michigan State, Montana Tech and Washington State, and to his current position at OU. The 269-page book is filled with interviews and accounts of former players, coaches and associates. Retail price is $18.95.
OU BOASTS NATION'S FOURTH-LONGEST POSTSEASON STREAK
Oklahoma has made 20 consecutive postseason appearances (16 NCAA and four NIT), the fourth-longest streak among Division I programs. Only North Carolina (35 years), Georgetown (27) and Indiana (24) own longer postseason streaks. The last time Oklahoma did not compete in the postseason was in 1980-81.
MODEL OF CONSISTENCY
Oklahoma has registered a winning record in 24 of its last 25 seasons. No other Big 12 team can boast as many winning campaigns since the 1975-76 season as the Sooners. Entering the current campaign, OU had posted a 557-246 (.694) record over the past 25 years.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
The 26-year-old Lloyd Noble Center is in the midst of a $17.8 million renovation and expansion project with the majority of the facelift to the existing arena recently completed. The renovation included a new ceiling, new and brighter "sports lighting" and the addition of retractable floor seating that has moved fans closer to the playing surface.
The expansion portion of the project will result in arguably the top collegiate basketball practice, training and office facility in the country. The OU men's and women's teams have each begun working out in new practice gyms and will soon have at their disposal new locker rooms, player lounges, film rooms, training rooms, meeting rooms, a hydrotherapy room, an X-ray and examination room, a weight room and coaching offices. The new 70,000-square-foot facility will also include a banquet room and a legacy lobby.
Oklahoma posted a 13-1 record at Lloyd Noble Center last season and is 98-16 (.860) in seven-plus seasons inside the building under Kelvin Sampson.
Porter Moser Postgame vs. OSU
Saturday, December 13
Xzayvier Brown, Dayton Forsythe, Nijel Pack Postgame vs. OSU
Saturday, December 13
MBB Highlights: OU 85, OSU 76
Saturday, December 13
MBB Highlights: OU 86, Wake Forest 68
Tuesday, December 02
