Oklahoma Men at K-State Saturday

GAME INFORMATION
No. 21/22 Oklahoma (18-6 overall, 7-4 Big 12) travels to Manhattan, Kan., to play Kansas State (13-9, 3-8) on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. CST at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Sooners are coming off an 83-60 win over Nebraska on Wednesday while the Wildcats lost 57-42 at Iowa State on Tuesday.

The game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KRXO 107.7 FM in Oklahoma City) with Bob Barry, Sr. (play-by-play) and Mike Houck (analyst) calling the action.

It will be regionally televised by ESPN Plus (KOCB Ch. 34/Cox Cable 11 in OKC) with Fred White (play-by-play) and Paul Splittorff (analyst) announcing.

Radio Affiliates | Live Audio | Live Statistics | Game Notes (PDF)

PROJECTED OKLAHOMA STARTERS (Stats averages)
F 21 Taj Gray (6-9, 235, Jr., 15.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
F 34 Kevin Bookout (6-8, 259, Jr., 12.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.6 apg)
G 2 Jaison Williams (6-3, 181, Sr., 7.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.5 apg)
G 3 Drew Lavender (5-7, 153, So., 9.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 3.7 apg)
G 20 Terrell Everett (6-4, 185, Jr., 11.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.0 apg)

KANSAS STATE PROJECTED STARTERS (Stats averages)
F 15 Jeremiah Massey (6-7, 230, Sr., 17.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)
F 20 Cartier Martin (6-7, 220, So., 10.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
F 55 Tyler Hughes (6-11, 240, So., 2.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.4 apg)
G 5 Clent Stewart (6-4, 195, Fr., 5.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.9 apg)
G 12 Fred Peete (6-4, 200, So., 13.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 apg)

OKLAHOMA UPDATE
The Sooners remained in sole possession of fourth place in the Big 12 by handling Nebraska on Wednesday in Norman, 83-60. The victory snapped OU's three-game losing streak and improved its home record to 12-1 this year. Junior Terrell Everett, who started at point guard, registered team highs of 18 points (on 7-of-10 shooting) and six assists without committing a turnover. Junior forward Kevin Bookout made a career-high six free throws on six attempts and finished with 12 points and a team-leading six rebounds. Guards Drew Lavender and Jaison Williams, who had started a combined 43 games this year entering the night, came off the bench to supply 10 points each. Lavender didn't start for the first time of his 54-game career, but had an immediate impact upon his entrance. The sophomore tied a career high with five steals all in just 11 minutes of playing time in the first half. He added two assists and was 2-for-3 from 3-point range while Williams was 2-for-2 from behind the arc. It was Williams' first double-figure scoring performance since Dec. 28 against Tulsa (span of 14 games). OU made a season-high 17 steals and forced an opponent season-high 26 turnovers. The Sooners scored 37 points off Nebraska turnovers while the Huskers managed just nine points off OU miscues.

NEBRASKA LEFTOVERS
OU's 17 steals were the most ever against a conference opponent under 11th-year head coach Kelvin Sampson and tied as the fourth most overall since he arrived in Norman.
The Sooners led 40-20 at halftime.
The team's leading scorer (15.8) and rebounder (8.9) entering the game, Taj Gray played 15 minutes before fouling out and finished with eight points, one board, two assists and two steals.
The Sooners shot .800 from the free throw line (20-for-25). It was their best performance since the season opener (.821 against Cal State Northridge).
David Godbold and Lawrence McKenzie replaced Drew Lavender and Jaison Williams in the starting lineup. Godbold had four points, four assists and two steals in 28 minutes. It was the most he played in Big 12 competition (previous high was 16 minutes).

ABOUT KANSAS STATE
Kansas State, picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 by league media and ninth by the coaches, has lost its last five games after winning three of its previous four. The Wildcats are coming off a pair of road defeats, 57-42 to Iowa State on Tuesday and 75-72 in overtime to Texas last Saturday. K-State is shooting .435 from the field (ranks 10th in Big 12), .392 from 3-point territory (ranks fourth) and .695 from the free throw line (ranks fourth).

Senior forward Jeremiah Massey is one of the Big 12's better frontcourt players, averaging 17.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game to rank seventh and 11th in the league, respectively. He has led K-State in scoring 11 times this year, including in six conference games. Massey has already attempted 151 free throws this season, an average of 6.9 a contest. Sophomore guard Fred Peete, a junior college transfer, contributes 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals a game. He has made a team-high-tying 39 3-pointers and is shooting .444 from behind the arc in league play. Sophomore forward Cartier Martin is averaging 10.2 points, 5.0 boards and 2.0 assists an outing. He has made 30 treys and is shooting .435 from long range. Sophomore guard Lance Harris comes off the bench to supply 8.8 points a game. Thirty-nine of his 70 field goals have been threes. Freshman point guard Clent Stewart, who led Union High School in Tulsa to the Oklahoma 6A state crown last year, is averaging 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and a team-high 3.9 assists. He has started all 22 games.

Jim Wooldridge is in his fifth year as Kansas State's head coach and owns a 64-74 (.464) record there. He is in his 18th year as a college head coach and owns a 293-221 (.570) career mark.

SERIES WITH KANSAS STATE
Oklahoma owns a 98-89 all-time record against Kansas State and is 33-53 in games played in Manhattan. Kelvin Sampson is 9-4 against the K-State as OU's head coach and is 3-3 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Sooners, who have won six straight in the series, have won their last two in Manhattan by a combined three points (both in overtime). OU picked up a 64-63 win in 2001 and came away with a 91-89 triumph in 2003.

In last year's meeting, the Sooners posted a 61-49 victory in Norman despite shooting .362 from the field. Oklahoma forced 21 K-State turnovers while committing just 12 and held a 36-29 rebounding edge. Jason Detrick scored a game-high 24 points with the help of three 3-pointers and the win snapped a four-game losing streak. Jarrett Hart, a member of OU's 1999-2000 team, led the Wildcats with 16 points (he made four 3-pointers). Sooner Kevin Bookout announced before the game that he would miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

LNC WHITEOUT
The OU Athletics Department is encouraging all Sooners fans to wear white to Monday's 8 p.m. home game against Kansas. To help in the effort, Hudiburg, Carl's Jr. and USA Screenprinting will supply every person in Lloyd Noble Center's lower seating bowl with a white OU t-shirt to sport during the game.

SOONERS ON THE ROAD
OU is 3-3 in true road games this year (2-3 in conference play) with wins over Purdue (66-48), Baylor (65-61) and Texas A&M (70-54), and losses to Iowa State (74-66), Oklahoma State (79-67) and Missouri (68-65 in OT). The Sooners are shooting .498 from the field and .390 from 3-point range in their six road games. However, Kelvin Sampson's squad is averaging 15.3 turnovers in those outings compared to 11.7 a game by the home teams. Kevin Bookout (13.0 ppg), Taj Gray (12.8), Drew Lavender (11.0) and Lawrence McKenzie (9.7) are OU's leading scorers in road games while Gray (8.2) and Bookout (8.0) are combining for more than half of OU's rebounds (31.8 rpg) in those contests. Sampson has used the same starting lineup in all six road games (Gray, Bookout, Jaison Williams, Lavender and Terrell Everett).

A WIN OVER KANSAS STATE WOULD...
Give the Sooners their seventh straight victory against the Wildcats and third straight in Manhattan.
Improve Kelvin Sampson's record against the Wildcats to 10-4.
Move OU to within one victory of securing its eighth straight 20-win season.

SAMPSON ATOP BIG 12 LADDER
Kelvin Sampson passed former Kansas head coach Roy Williams for most Big 12 regular season victories (95) with OU's 83-60 win over Nebraska on Wednesday. Sampson is 95-44 in conference play since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996-97. The OU head coach already holds the Big 12 record for most combined regular season and conference tournament wins (he is 111-49). Sampson also holds the record for most overall wins by a conference coach since the Big 12 was formed. He is 212-76 since the start of the 1996-97 season.

SOONERS HAVE WON NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF THEIR BIG 12 GAMES
Dating back to the start of Big 12 Conference play during the 1996-97 season, Oklahoma has posted a 95-44 league record for a .683 winning percentage. Only Kansas (115-23; .833) owns a better mark than OU. Texas is tied with OU at 95-44, while Oklahoma State ranks fourth at 93-46 (.669) and Missouri is sixth at 74-65 (.532). Including Big 12 Tournament games, OU owns a 111-49 record (.694), second best in the conference behind Kansas (131-28; .824). The Sooners are 16-5 in the Big 12 Tournament and have won three of the eight titles.

OU'S FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED
The Sooners have shot .500 or better from the field in eight of the last 13 games and have done so in 14 of 24 games on the year. Last season, OU shot .408 from the field its worst mark in 40 years and posted a .500-or-better figure just three times. Among OU's performances this year was a .613 effort against Florida A&M on Dec. 30, its third best mark under 11th-year head coach Kelvin Sampson and best in 234 games. The Sooners are shooting .484 on the season to rank third in the Big 12. OU is on pace for its best season field goal mark since the 1988-89 team finished with a .491 figure.

GRAY ON A ROLL
Unanimous Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Taj Gray has exceeded expectations this year and has been especially hot of late. Over the last seven games, Gray is averaging 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots while shooting .620 from the field. He has scored at least 20 points in four of those contests and had 19 in another. The junior forward ranks second in the Big 12 in double-doubles with 10 (the most in a season during the Kelvin Sampson era is 14 by Eduardo Najera during the 1999-2000 campaign). Gray ranks 12th in the league in scoring, second in rebounding, second in field goal percentage, first in blocked shots, first in offensive rebounds and third in defensive boards. Gray has been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week four times (the record is five by former Texas A&M guard Clifton Cook in 1998-99).

LONG DISTANCE DIALER
Sophomore guard Lawrence McKenzie, who leads the Big 12 in 3-point percentage (.431), has made at least three 3-pointers in eight of the last 13 games and at least four treys in six of the last 13. The Minneapolis, Minn., native, who has drained 56 treys on the year (11 more than he made last season), has made at least two 3-pointers in 16 of his 23 games and at least three in 13 contests. He ranks third in the league in 3-pointers made per game (2.4). Last year, McKenzie shot .321 from beyond the arc.

SEVERAL SOONERS AMONG LEAGUE'S STATISTICAL LEADERS
Taj Gray ranks 12th in the Big 12 in scoring (15.5 ppg), second in rebounding (8.5 rpg), second in field goal percentage (.573), first in blocked shots (2.2 bpg), first in offensive rebounds a game (3.5) and third in defensive boards (5.1). He is also ranks second in the league lead in double-doubles with 10 (Kansas' Wayne Simien has 11). Kevin Bookout ranks ninth in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and first in field goal percentage (.618). Terrell Everett is third in assists (5.0 apg), eighth in steals (1.8 spg) and sixth in free throw percentage (.795) while Lawrence McKenzie leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.431) and ranks third in 3-pointers per game (2.4). Drew Lavender ranks sixth in steals (1.8 spg).

In Big 12 games, Gray ranks 12th in scoring (15.6 ppg), third in rebounding (8.8 rpg), second in field goal percentage (.613), first in blocked shots (2.8 bpg), second in offensive rebounds (3.6) and fifth in defensive rebounds (5.2). Bookout ranks 18th in scoring (13.7 ppg), sixth in rebounding (7.3 rpg), first in field goal percentage (.615) and fourth in offensive rebounds (2.8). Everett ranks second in assists (5.5 apg) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) while Drew Lavender ranks sixth in steals (1.9 spg) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).

OU ON POSITIVE END OF 3-POINT DISPARITY
Oklahoma has made 153 3-pointers this season (an average of 6.4 a game) and is shooting .362 from beyond the arc. Opponents, by comparison, have canned just 83 treys (3.5 a game) and are shooting .285 from long range. Only four opponents (Baylor, Oklahoma State twice and Nebraska) have made more treys than OU in a game this year. Lawrence McKenzie is making 2.4 threes a game and leads the Big 12 Conference with his .431 season percentage. Jaison Williams, Drew Lavender and Terrell Everett have made 39, 31 and 16 treys this year, respectively.

WHY DON'T WE STEAL AWAY
Oklahoma recorded a season-high 17 steals against Nebraska on Wednesday and now ranks second in the Big 12 with its 9.21 steals a game (Iowa State averages 9.23). The 17 thefts versus the Huskers were the most for OU against a conference opponent under 11th-year head coach Kelvin Sampson. Drew Lavender had five steals in 11 minutes of play in the first half in that game to match a single-game career high. The Sooners have recorded more steals than their opponents in 15 of the last 20 outings.

EVERETT HAS SUPPLIED HELPING HAND
Junior college transfer Terrell Everett has been steady at the wing and point guard spots this year. The 6-4, 185-pound lefty has started all 24 games and is averaging 11.9 points (ranks third on team), 4.3 rebounds (ranks third) and a team-high 5.0 assists a game. Everett has led OU (or tied for the team lead) in assists in 14 of the last 18 games. He is averaging 5.7 assists over the last 11 outings and ranks second in the Big 12 (league games) with 5.5 assists a game. Everett has scored in double figures 19 times this year and netted a career-high 20 points against Texas A&M Feb. 2 and 18 on Wednesday versus Nebraska. He has made 34 of his last 36 free throw attempts (.944) dating back to Dec. 28.

BOOKOUT, GRAY RANK FIRST AND SECOND IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Oklahoma's leader in field goal percentage his first two seasons, junior forward Kevin Bookout is shooting a stout .618 from the field this season to lead the Big 12 Conference and ranks seventh nationally. Junior newcomer Taj Gray, meanwhile, ranks second in the league with his .573 season mark. The 6-8, 259-pound Bookout has shot .500 or better in 20 of his 23 games this year. The Jan. 24 Big 12 Player of the Week has earned the honor twice this year the first time on Jan. 10 after a 13-for-14 field goal performance against Colorado in which he scored 27 points. It ranks as the third best field goal percentage performance in the country this year. Bookout also made nine of his 10 field goal attempts against Washington on Nov. 26. He shot .587 as a freshman to lead the Big 12 and posted a .516 mark last year in 13 games. Gray, who had an 8-for-9 performance against Texas A&M Feb. 2, is shooting .620 over the last seven games (49-for-79).

SOONERS SHOWCASING MORE SCORING BALANCE IN 2004-05
Oklahoma's guards accounted for 68 percent of the team's points last season. That figure is down this year, however, as the Sooners have showcased a potent inside attack. OU's guards have scored 995 of the squad's 1,801 points, or 55 percent this season. Junior forwards Taj Gray (15.5 ppg) and Kevin Bookout (12.7 ppg) are the main reasons OU's frontcourt production has increased from 32 percent of the team's points last year to 45 percent this year. Gray and Bookout rank first and second on the squad in scoring.

GUARDS TIGHTEN DEFENSIVE SCREWS
Oklahoma's guards have done an admirable job of defending the 3-point line this season as the team leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.285). Only four opponents (Baylor, Oklahoma State twice and Nebraska) have made more than five 3-pointers against OU this year. Conversely, the Sooners have made at least five treys in 20 of 24 games.

BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE
The Sooners have registered 385 assists through 24 contests for an average of 16.0 a game. An assist has been credited on 58 percent of OU's field goals. Last year's team averaged 12.1 assists and 53 percent of its baskets were assisted. OU ranks fourth in the Big 12 (league games) with its 15.6 assists per game.

NOT AFRAID OF REJECTION
Junior forward Taj Gray (6-9) has been intimidating in the paint with his shot-blocking ability. Gray has registered 10 games of three-or-more rejections and is averaging 2.2 swats an outing to lead the Big 12 (he is averaging a Big 12-high 2.8 blocks per conference game). No Oklahoma player has ever led the Big 12 Conference in blocked shots per game at the end of a season. The Sooners are averaging 4.5 blocks a contest as a team to rank third in the league. Freshman Longar Longar has 16 blocks in his 20 games while Johnnie Gilbert has 13. Gilbert ranks fourth on OU's career list with 124 rejections.

PREACHING PROTECTION
Dating back to the start of the 2003-04 season, OU has committed more turnovers than its foe just 12 times in its last 55 games. It has happened in the Sooners' last four losses, however. OU is 15-1 this year when committing the same number of or fewer turnovers than its opponent.

BREAKING 80
The Sooners have been tough to beat under Kelvin Sampson when they score at least 80 points in a game. Since Sampson arrived in Norman prior to the 1994-95 season, OU is 121-13 (.903) when reaching 80 points. The Sooners have won 38 of their last 41 and 54 of their last 58 when scoring 80 or more.

OKLAHOMA TIP INS
Seven of OU's last 10 regular season games are being televised by national networks.
OU's starting frontcourt of Kevin Bookout (.615) and Taj Gray (.613) is shooting a combined .614 from the field in Big 12 play. They rank first and second, respectively, in the league in field goal percentage.
Bookout (.590) and Gray (.600) are shooting worse from the free throw line in Big 12 play than from the field.
Three Sooners have been honored a total of seven times by the Big 12 Conference this season. Bookout has been named Big 12 Player of the Week twice. Gray has earned Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors four times (the record is five) while Terrell Everett has garnered the rookie honor once.
Oklahoma has outrebounded its opponent in 17 of 24 games this year and is 14-3 in those contests.
Only Baylor, Oklahoma State (twice) and Nebraska have made more 3-pointers than OU in its 24 games this year. OU leads the Big 12 by giving up just 3.5 treys per game (the next lowest figure is 5.4 surrendered a game by OSU).
The Sooners have made 70 more 3-pointers than their opponents this season.
Everett has led the team in assists in 14 of the last 18 games. He is averaging 5.0 assists per game on the year. Tyrone Foster (5.6 in 1995-96) is the last Sooner to average as many assists over a season.
Everett has made 34 of his last 36 free throw attempts (.944) after starting the year 32-for-47 (.681).
OU shot .500 or better from the field three times all of last season, but has done it in 14 of its 24 games this year. The Sooners shot .408 last year but own a .484 mark this season.
Bookout went 13-for-14 from the field against Colorado Jan. 8 (third best field goal percentage game in the nation this season) and has shot .500 or better in 20 of his 23 games.
Freshman center Longar Longar is 25-for-32 from the field this season (.781). His first six field goals were dunks and he has 14 slams on the year.
The Sooners have won 63 of their last 68 home games (.926).

UNDER KELVIN SAMPSON...
OU has made 10 straight postseason showings (nine NCAA and one NIT).
OU has advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 (1999), Final Four (2002) and Elite Eight (2003).
OU has posted a 95-44 (.683) regular season Big 12 Conference record.
OU has recorded a 145-21 (.873) record at Lloyd Noble Center and has won 63 of its last 68 home games.
OU has won at least 20 games each of the last seven years.
OU has averaged 26 victories over the past five seasons.
OU has won three of the past four Big 12 Tournaments and has made five title game appearances in the last seven events.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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