OU Men Prepare For Bedlam Rematch

GAME INFORMATION
In a rematch of the Sooners' 67-57 win on Jan. 24 at Lloyd Noble Center, Oklahoma (17-4 overall, 6-2 Big 12) plays at Oklahoma State (17-3, 7-2) on Monday at 8 p.m. CST inside Stillwater's Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The game, part of the Bedlam Series presented by Bank of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Ford Dealers, will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KOKC 1520 AM in Oklahoma City) with Bob Barry, Sr. (play-by-play) and Mike Houck (analyst) calling the action.

It will be televised nationally by ESPN (Cox Cable 29 in OKC) with Ron Franklin (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (analyst) and Stacey Dales-Schuman (courtside) announcing.

Game Notes (PDF) | The Bedlam Series

PROJECTED OKLAHOMA STARTERS (Stats averages)
F 21 Taj Gray (6-9, 235, Jr., 15.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.5 apg)
F 34 Kevin Bookout (6-8, 259, Jr., 12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.6 apg)
G 2 Jaison Williams (6-3, 181, Sr., 7.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.5 apg)
G 3 Drew Lavender (5-7, 153, So., 9.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 4.0 apg)
G 20 Terrell Everett (6-4, 185, Jr., 11.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.1 apg)

PROJECTED OKLAHOMA STATE STARTERS (Stats averages)
F 14 Joey Graham (6-7, 225, Sr., 18.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.0 apg)
F 23 Ivan McFarlin (6-8, 240, Sr., 12.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 apg)
G 15 John Lucas (5-11, 165, Sr., 17.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.6 apg)
G 20 Daniel Bobik (6-5, 210, Sr., 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G 24 JamesOn Curry (6-3, 190, Fr., 7.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.3 apg)

See how the Sooners stack up against OSU in the Bedlam Series presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers!

OKLAHOMA UPDATE
After winning 10 straight games and climbing to No. 13 in the AP poll, the Sooners have lost two of their last three the most recent an 88-81 home setback to Texas Tech on Saturday night. The defeat snapped their 14-game home winning streak and, with a 6-2 Big 12 record, dropped them to a third place tie with Texas Tech behind Kansas (8-0) and Oklahoma State (7-2). Against the Red Raiders on Saturday, the Sooners committed 20 turnovers, their most since the fourth game of the season, and watched Tech shoot .571 from the field and make 29-of-34 free throw attempts (.853). Taj Gray battled his way to 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds for his league-leading 10th double-double of the year. Eight of his rebounds were offensive. He also blocked two shots but had a career-high seven turnovers. Lawrence McKenzie, in his first start since Nov. 27, was 5-for-10 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points. It was the third time in Big 12 play that he made three triples in a game. Drew Lavender had 13 points, seven assists, three steals and no turnovers while Terrell Everett contributed 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. Tech's Jarrius Jackson led all scorers with 32 points.

TEXAS TECH LEFTOVERS
OU trailed by nine at halftime, its largest deficit at intermission this year. It fell behind by 19 in the second half for its largest overall deficit of the season.
Taj Gray logged his third consecutive double-double and his fourth straight game of 20 or more points. Over the last four games he is averaging 21.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots.
Texas Tech's 88 points were the most surrendered by OU at home since a 96-81 loss to Nebraska on Jan. 20, 1999.
Lawrence McKenzie's five 3-point effort gave him his 11th game this year of at least three treys.
One game after not making a field goal against Texas A&M, Kevin Bookout was 2-for-6 from the field and finished with four points. He did not log a rebound for just the second time of his career.
Freshmen David Godbold (16 minutes) and Longar Longar (10 minutes) saw their most extensive action of the Big 12 season.
Half of OU's 34 rebounds were offensive.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE
Ranked No. 10 in last week's AP poll and 11th in the ESPN/USA Today version, Oklahoma State began the year 9-0 and is 8-3 since. The Cowboys' losses were to Gonzaga (78-75 in Oklahoma City), Texas (75-61 in Austin) and Oklahoma (67-57 in Norman). Coming off an 81-63 win at Baylor, they are 10-0 at home, 6-2 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites. OSU is shooting .508 from the field, .422 from beyond the arc and .763 from the free throw line.

Seven of Oklahoma State's top eight scorers are seniors. Forward Joey Graham averages a league-leading 18.4 points a game and ranks second on the squad with his 7.1 rebounds an outing. He is shooting .571 from the field, .519 from 3-point range and .860 from the free throw line. Point guard John Lucas averages 17.7 points and a team-high 4.6 assists a contest. He has made a team-high 60 3-pointers (3.0 per game). Forward Ivan McFarlin averages 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting .589 from the field. He averages 14.0 points and 8.4 boards in league play. Guards Stephen Graham and Daniel Bobik average 7.8 points and 3.7 boards, and 7.0 points and 3.5 assists, respectively.

Eddie Sutton is in his 15th year as Oklahoma State's head coach and owns a 342-131 (.723) record in Stillwater. He is in his 35th season overall and owns a 772-295 (.724) career mark

SERIES WITH OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma owns a 119-86 all-time record against Oklahoma State and is 40-55 in games played in Stillwater. Kelvin Sampson is 10-13 against OSU as OU's head coach and is 2-8 at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Sampson's victories in Stillwater occurred on Jan. 12, 1999 (54-43), and on March 4, 2000 (59-56).

TWO WEEKS AGO AGAINST THE COWBOYS
The Sooners posted a convincing 67-57 home victory over then-No. 9 Oklahoma State on Monday, Jan. 24, a game in which they bolted to a 19-2 advantage and led by as many as 20 (51-31) in the second half. Junior forwards Kevin Bookout (23 points, six rebounds) and Taj Gray (22 points and eight rebounds) combined for 45 points and 14 boards while shooting 21-for-29 from the field (.724). The duo scored OU's first 19 points and made their first 11 field goal attempts combined. Gray added a career-high five assists, two blocks and two steals. Drew Lavender flouished at the point with eight points, a season-high-tying seven assists and two steals. Jaison Williams made a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points while Terrell Everett chipped in with six points, four rebounds and four assists. OU shot .537 from the field and registered assists on 21 of its 29 baskets. The Sooners, who never trailed for the seventh time in the last 10 games, also committed just eight turnovers, their second fewest of the year. The win was the Sooners' 13th straight at home and the 250th for Kelvin Sampson at OU.

A WIN OVER OKLAHOMA STATE WOULD...
Give the Sooners their first victory in Stillwater since the 1999-2000 season (OU won 59-56). It would also mark OU's first regular season sweep of the Cowboys since the 1998-99 campaign.
Improve Oklahoma to 4-1 in true road games this year. OU has won at Purdue (66-48), at Baylor (65-61) and at Texas A&M (70-54) while losing at Iowa State (74-66).

SAMPSON CLIMBING BIG 12 LADDER
Kelvin Sampson tied former Kansas head coach Roy Williams for most Big 12 regular season victories (94) when OU beat Texas A&M last Wednesday. Sampson is 94-42 in league play since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996-97. The OU head coach already held the Big 12 record for most combined regular season and conference tournament wins (he is 110-47). Sampson also holds the record for most overall wins by a league coach since the Big 12 was formed. He is 211-74 since the start of the 1996-97 season.

SEVERAL SOONERS AMONG LEAGUE'S STATISTICAL LEADERS
Taj Gray ranks ninth in the Big 12 in scoring (15.7 ppg), second in rebounding (8.9 rpg), third in field goal percentage (.570), first in blocked shots (2.1 bpg) and first in offensive rebounds a game (3.5). He also leads the league in double-doubles with 10. Kevin Bookout ranks 11th in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and first in field goal percentage (.621). Terrell Everett ranks second in assists (5.1 apg) and eighth in steals (1.8 spg) while Lawrence McKenzie leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.460) and ranks third in 3-pointers per game (2.6).

In Big 12 games, Gray ranks 10th in scoring (16.4 ppg), first in rebounding (9.9 rpg), second in field goal percentage (.616), first in blocked shots (2.9 bpg) and second in offensive rebounds (3.9). Bookout ranks 15th in scoring (14.5 ppg), seventh in rebounding (7.6 rpg), first in field goal percentage (.622) and third in offensive rebounds (3.1). Everett ranks second in assists (6.0 apg) while Drew Lavender ranks sixth in steals (2.0 spg) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4).

OU HAS WON NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF ITS BIG 12 GAMES
Dating back to the start of Big 12 Conference play during the 1996-97 season, Oklahoma has posted a 94-42 league record for a .691 winning percentage. Only Kansas (114-22; .838) owns a better mark than OU. Texas ranks third at 93-43 (.684), Oklahoma State is fourth at 91-46 (.664) and Missouri is fifth at 72-65 (.526). Including Big 12 Tournament games, OU owns a 110-47 record (.701), second best in the conference behind Kansas (129-27; .827). The Sooners are 16-5 in the Big 12 Tournament and have won three of the eight tourney titles.

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 four games, Gray has posted three double-doubles and is averaging 21.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots while shooting .630 from the field. He has scored at least 20 points in each of the four contests. The junior forward leads the Big 12 with 10 double-doubles (the most in a season during the Kelvin Sampson era is 14 by Eduardo Najera during the 1999-2000 campaign). Gray ranks ninth in the Big 12 in scoring, second in rebounding, third in field goal percentage, first in blocked shots and first in offensive rebounds. He is nearly averaging a double-double in league games with his 16.4 and 9.9 scoring and rebounding figures, and also averages 2.9 blocks in Big 12 action. 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 (.460), has made at least three 3-pointers in seven of the last 10 games and at least four treys in six of the last 10. The Minneapolis, Minn., native, who has drained 52 treys on the year (seven more than he made last season), has made at least two 3-pointers in 15 of his 20 games and at least three in 11 contests. He ranks third in the league in 3-pointers made per game (2.6). Last year, McKenzie shot .321 from beyond the arc.

OU ON POSITIVE END OF 3-POINT DISPARITY
Oklahoma has made 139 3-pointers this season (an average of 6.6 a game) and is shooting .363 from beyond the arc. Opponents, by comparison, have canned just 64 treys (3.0 a game) and are shooting .267 from long range. Only two opponents (Baylor and Oklahoma State) have made more treys than OU in a game this year. Lawrence McKenzie is making 2.6 threes a game and leads the Big 12 Conference with his .460 season percentage. Jaison Williams, Drew Lavender and Terrell Everett have made 34, 27 and 15 treys this year, respectively.

WHY DON'T WE STEAL AWAY
OU recorded a season-high 16 steals against Florida A&M on Dec. 30 and now leads the Big 12 with its 9.0 steals a game. The Sooners have recorded more steals than their opponents in 13 of the last 17 games.

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 21 games and is averaging 11.7 points (ranks third on team), 4.5 rebounds (ranks third) and a team-high 5.1 assists a game. Everett has led OU (or tied for the team lead) in assists in 12 of the last 15 games. He is averaging 6.4 assists over the last eight outings and ranks second in the Big 12 (league games) with 6.0 assists a game. Everett has scored in double figures 16 times this year and netted a career-high 20 points against Texas A&M last Wednesday. He has made 30 of his last 32 free throw attempts.

BOOKOUT, GRAY RANK FIRST AND THIRD IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Oklahoma's leader in field goal percentage his first two seasons, junior forward Kevin Bookout is shooting a stout .621 from the field this season to lead the Big 12 Conference. Junior newcomer Taj Gray, meanwhile, ranks second in the league with his .570 season mark. The 6-8, 259-pound Bookout has shot .500 or better in 17 of his 20 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. He also made nine of his 10 field goal attempts against Washington on Nov. 26, was 5-for-5 against Cal State Northridge in the season opener and was 6-for-6 in the second half at Purdue on Dec. 8. 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 last Wednesday, is shooting .630 over the last four games (34-for-54).

OU'S FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED
The Sooners have shot .500 or better from the field in six of the last 10 games and have done so in 12 of 21 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 .482 on the season to rank fourth in the Big 12.

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 883 of the squad's 1,586 points, or 56 percent this season. Junior forwards Taj Gray (15.7 ppg) and Kevin Bookout (12.8 ppg) are the main reasons OU's frontcourt production has increased from 32 percent of the team's points last year to 44 percent this year. Gray and Bookout rank first and second on the squad in scoring.

GUARDS TIGHTEN DEFENSIVE SCREWS
Oklahoma's guards have done a solid job of defending the 3-point line this season as the team leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.267). Only one opponent (Baylor) has made more than five 3-pointers against OU this year. Conversely, the Sooners have made at least five treys in 18 of 21 games.

BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE
The Sooners have registered 349 assists through 21 contests for an average of 16.6 a game. An assist has been credited on 59 percent of OU's field goals. Last year's team averaged 12.1 assists and 53 percent of its baskets were assisted. OU leads the Big 12 (league games) with its 16.9 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 eight games of three-or-more rejections and is averaging 2.1 swats an outing to lead the Big 12 (he is averaging a Big 12-high 2.9 blocks per conference game). The Sooners are averaging 4.3 blocks a contest as a team. Freshman Longar Longar has 16 blocked shots in his 17 games. Senior Johnnie Gilbert, who has 10 blocked shots this year, ranks fourth on OU's career list with 119.

PREACHING PROTECTION
Dating back to the start of the 2003-04 season, OU has committed more turnovers than its foe just 10 times in its last 52 games (18 percent of its games).

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 120-13 (.902) when reaching 80 points. The Sooners have won 37 of their last 40 and 53 of their last 57 when scoring 80 or more.

TOUGH SLATE
Oklahoma will play four games this year against teams in the Jan. 31 AP poll's top 13 and will play eight games against teams in the top 25. OU has already faced No. 4 Duke (lost), No. 10 Oklahoma State (won), No. 13 Washington (lost), No. 20 Texas (won) and No. 23 Connecticut (won). It will play once against No. 6 Kansas and once more each against Oklahoma State and Texas.

NEBRASKA GAME TIME CHANGED
Because ESPN2 has picked up OU's Feb. 16 game against Nebraska, the contest will now start at 8 p.m. CST. The game will be blacked out in Oklahoma on ESPN2 and air on the Sooner Sports Network.

OKLAHOMA TIP INS
Seven of OU's last 10 regular season games are being televised by national networks.
Entering last Wednesday's Texas A&M game, Kevin Bookout averaged 18.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in Big 12 play. Over the last two games he has averaged 2.5 points and 1.0 rebound.
OU's starting frontcourt of Bookout (.622) and Taj Gray (.616) is shooting a combined .619 from the field in Big 12 play. They rank first and second, respectively, in the league in field goal percentage.
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 while Terrell Everett has garnered the rookie honor once.
Oklahoma has outrebounded its opponent in 15 of 21 games this year and is 13-2 in those contests. The last two times OU has outboarded its opponent it has lost (at Iowa State and versus Texas Tech).
Only Baylor and Oklahoma State have made more 3-pointers than OU in its 21 games this year. OU leads the Big 12 by giving up just 3.0 treys per game (the next lowest figure is 5.6 surrendered per contest by OSU).
Lawrence McKenzie has made at least three 3-pointers in seven of the last 10 games and at least four treys in six of the last 10. He has made multiple 3-pointers in 15 of his 20 games this year, including 13 of the last 16.
The Sooners have made 75 more 3-pointers than their opponents this season (average of 3.6 a game).
Everett has led the team in assists in 12 of the last 15 games. He is averaging 5.1 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 30 of his last 32 free throw attempts (.938) 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 12 of its 21 games this year. The Sooners shot .408 last year but own a .482 mark this season.
Bookout went 13-for-14 from the field against Colorado Jan. 8 (Big 12's best field goal percentage game this season) and has shot .500 or better in 17 of his 19 games (he leads the Big 12 with a .621 season figure). His 9-for-10 shooting performance against Washington ranks as the league's second best this year in terms of field goal percentage.
Freshman center Longar Longar is 22-for-28 from the field this season (.786). His first six field goals were dunks and he has 13 slams on the year.
OU has won 62 of its last 67 home games (.925).

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 94-42 (.691) regular season Big 12 Conference record.
OU has recorded a 144-21 (.873) record at Lloyd Noble Center and has won 62 of its last 67 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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