Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Auburn on February 24, 2026 , Win , 91, to, 79
Final
Men's Basketball
91
vs Auburn
79
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Meets Gonzaga in All-College
December 19, 2007 | Men's Basketball
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GAME PREVIEW
Playing in its 32nd All-College Classic, Oklahoma (8-3) heads to Oklahoma City to face No. 18/20 Gonzaga (9-2) on Thursday at 8 p.m. CST at the Ford Center. The Sooners and Bulldogs will meet following the 6 p.m. Oklahoma State vs. Oral Roberts contest. OU is coming off an 83-72 home win over Arkansas on Saturday, while Gonzaga posted a 77-57 home victory over Northern Colorado on Monday.
Thursday's game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KOKC-AM 1520 in Oklahoma City; KMOD-FM 97.5 in Tulsa; Sirius channel 125) with Bob Barry Sr. and Mike Houck announcing. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2 (Cox 28/721 in OKC; Cox 26/721 in Tulsa) with Ron Franklin and Fran Fraschilla calling the action.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Thursday's games are available at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Ford Center box office (405-235-8288).
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"NOTE" WORTHY
• Oklahoma and Gonzaga have never faced each other in men's basketball.
• With a 220-54 record over the past seven-plus seasons, Gonzaga owns the second best winning percentage (.803) this decade (behind Duke's .838).
• This marks OU's 25th straight year to compete in the All-College Classic. The Sooners are 50-12 all-time in the event and have won 13 of their last 14 games.
• OU's five starters (Tony Crocker, Blake Griffin, Austin Johnson, Omar Leary and Longar Longar) are shooting a combined .527 from the field on the year.
• Oklahoma held opponents to 59.6 points a game last year, the lowest figure since the 1977-78 season (a span of 29 years). Through 11 games this year, OU is surrendering 59.0 points a contest and ranks 15th nationally by allowing foes to shoot just .368 from the field.
• OU is averaging 74.3 points per game. Only once in the last five years has it averaged that many points per contest for a whole season (75.2 in 2004-05).
• The Sooners have used seven different starting lineups in their 11 games.
• Tony Crocker ranks second in the Big 12 with his .500 3-point shooting (23-for-46). He has made at least three treys in a game five times (he is 20-for-30 in those contests).
• OU has attempted 10 fewer field goals than its opponents this year (609 to 619) but has made 64 more of them (292 to 228).
• Austin Johnson is averaging 12.6 points and 4.2 boards while going 21-for-41 (.512) from the field and 10-for-22 (.455) from 3-point range over the last five games.
• OU has recorded 26 consecutive winning seasons, more than any other Big 12 program. Kansas ranks second (24) and Oklahoma State ranks third (19).
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OKLAHOMA UPDATE
The Sooners rebounded from a 66-62 loss to Stephen F. Austin by downing Arkansas on Saturday in Norman, 83-72. Oklahoma scored 25 points more than the Razorbacks were allowing on the season, and used its sixth .500-or-better field goal performance of the year to claim the victory. OU shot .500 from the floor, .440 from 3-point range (11-for-25) and .800 from the free throw line (16-for-20). Jeff Capel's squad overcame 24 Arkansas offensive rebounds and held the Razorbacks to .414 field goal and .217 3-point shooting (.333 and .077 respective marks after halftime). Committing a season-low eight turnovers against the Hogs' pressure defense, the Sooners made the most of Arkansas' 10 turnovers by converting them into 20 points.
Senior center Longar Longar logged 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and four blocked shots against the Razorbacks to continue his recent streak of quality play. The 6-11, 234-pounder was 7-for-9 from the field on Saturday and triggered OU's decisive second-half run with a strong defensive presence. Over the last four games, Longar is averaging 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots to up his respective season averages to 12.4, 6.9 and 1.0. He is 14-for-18 from the field over the last two games and is shooting .541 on the year. Frontcourt mate Blake Griffin is assembling one of the best freshman campaigns in school history and leads the Sooners in scoring (13.0 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg), steals (1.5 apg) and field goal percentage (.578). The forward has scored in double figures in nine of 11 games and ranks 15th in the Big 12 in scoring, fourth in rebounding and fourth in field goal percentage. Griffin recorded three double-doubles in his first six games but has gone five straight without one.
Sophomore guard Tony Crocker, the Big 12's second-best 3-point shooter at .500 (23-for-46), canned three more treys against the Razorbacks for his fifth game of three or more this year. After scoring a career-high 24 points at TCU (20 by halftime) and another 22 against Tulsa, Crocker was held to four points (all free throws) against Stephen F. Austin. He rebounded for a 12-point, five-rebound, four-assist performance against Arkansas. Crocker now averages 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-high 2.9 assists per game on the year while shooting .506 overall and .828 from the free throw line. He has started all but one game.
OU's chief ball-handlers, Austin Johnson and Omar Leary enjoyed solid performances against Arkansas. Johnson tied Longar for team-high scoring honors with 17 points (his season high) for his fourth double-digit scoring effort in the last five games (he finished with nine against Stephen F. Austin). He is averaging 12.6 points and 4.2 rebounds over those five outings while shooting .512 from the field and .455 (10-for-22) from 3-point distance. Johnson is now averaging 8.9 points a game on the year while sporting a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. Leary, who came off the bench for the first time in nine games on Saturday, broke a 3-for-16 3-point shooting slump by going 4-for-4 from beyond the arc (all in the first half) versus the Razorbacks. The 5-10 lefty finished with 12 points after combining for four points over the previous two games. Leary averages 7.4 points and 2.2 assists per contest on the year while shooting .500 from the field and .455 (15-for-33) from 3-point territory.
ARKANSAS LEFTOVERS
• The Sooners held Arkansas sophomore guard Patrick Beverley to eight points on 3-for-14 field goal and 0-for-6 3-point shooting. A preseason first-team All-SEC pick, Beverley entered the game averaging a team-high 12.8 points per outing.
• Ahead by three, Oklahoma went on a 7-0 run to go up 75-65 with 2:20 remaining in the game.
• OU used its seventh different starting lineup of the year (Tony Crocker, David Godbold, Taylor Griffin, Austin Johnson and Longar Longar).
• All four of Longar's blocked shots came between the 8:18 and 3:03 marks of the second half. He also took a charge with 1:02 remaining.
• Oklahoma recorded assists on 18 of its 28 field goals.
• Taylor Griffin started in place of his brother, Blake, and finished with four points and team highs of eight rebounds and three steals.
• With a career-high five assists, Godbold led OU in the category for the fourth time this year.
PREVIEWING GONZAGA
Ranked 18th in this week's AP poll and 20th in the coaches version, Gonzaga enters Thursday's game with a 9-2 record and the winner of two straight. Its only setbacks this year came at the hands of Texas Tech (73-63 Nov. 23 in Anchorage, Alaska) and then-No. 8/6 Washington State (51-47 Dec. 5 in Pullman, Wash.). The Bulldogs, who went 23-11 last year and won the West Coast Conference regular season title with an 11-3 record, are shooting .453 from the field, .351 from 3-point range and .709 from the free throw line this season. They are holding opponents to .378 overall and .283 3-point marks.
Sophomore guard Matt Bouldin is averaging a team-high 13.3 points per contest to go along 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Bouldin, a West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team selection last year, did not play in Monday's 77-57 win over Northern Colorado due to injury. He is shooting .400 (14-for-35) from 3-point range and .775 (31-for-40) from the foul line. Austin Daye, a 6-10 freshman forward who was ranked as the 25th-best player in the 2007 recruiting class by Rivals.com, is averaging 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots in 21.1 minutes per game. Daye has attempted a team-high 60 free throws and has made 54 of them (.900). Guard Jeremy Pargo, a 2007 first-team All-WCC pick, contributes 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-high 5.7 assists per outing. The junior, who is the brother of New Orleans Hornets guard Jannero Pargo, handed out 13 assists against Virginia Tech on Nov. 24 and is averaging 8.5 over the past two games. Junior guard Micah Downs, who stands 6-8 and began his career at Kansas, is averaging 10.9 points, 5.6 boards and 2.0 assists per game while shooting .392 from behind the arc. He has made a team-high 20 3-pointers on the season and is averaging 15.3 points over the last four games. Junior forward Josh Heytvelt has missed the entire season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his ankle. The 6-11, 255-pounder averaged 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds in his 25 games last year while shooting .537 from the field.
Mark Few owns a 220-54 (.803) record in his ninth year as a collegiate head coach, all at Gonzaga.
SERIES WITH THE BULLDOGS
Thursday's game will mark the first meeting between Oklahoma and Gonzaga in men's basketball.
OU IN THE ALL-COLLEGE CLASSIC
This year's All-College Classic marks the 32nd such event for Oklahoma and the 25th straight. The Sooners own a 50-12 (.806) all-time record in the All-College and have claimed 19 championships. They have won 13 of their last 14 games in the event. This marks the seventh year that the All-College features a "classic" or non-tournament format. OU bettered Tulsa (58-48) last year, lost to West Virginia (92-68) two years ago, and beat Tulsa (70-64) in 2004-05, Princeton (58-55) in 2003-04, Michigan State (60-58) in 2002-03 and Texas Southern (97-55) in 2001-02.
Gonzaga competed in the All-College Classic during the 2004-05 season, beating Oklahoma State by a 78-75 score.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Last year, Oklahoma's strength under first-year head coach Jeff Capel was its defense. The Sooners held opponents to 59.6 points a game (the lowest average in 29 years) and to .406 field goal shooting (the second lowest figure over the past 46 seasons). Through 11 games in 2007-08, OU's defense has been just as good, if not better...
• OU is surrendering just 59.0 points per game (ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 31st nationally) and is allowing opponents to shoot .368 from the field (ranks third in the league and 15th nationally) and .293 from 3-point land (ranks second in the Big 12).
• Only one opponent (Arkansas scored 72) has scored more than 66 points this season and six of OU's 11 foes have been held under 60 points.
• Second-ranked Memphis, which averaged 78.9 points last year and is averaging 82.3 points this season, was held to 63 points Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
• Through 11 games, Oklahoma has forced nine of its opponents into at least as many turnovers as it has committed. Foes are averaging 15.5 turnovers per contest (OU is averaging 13.6).
• All 11 opponents have shot under .460 from the field and seven have finished with a mark less than .400. Gardner-Webb, which won at Kentucky by 16 points when it shot .531 from the field, was held to a .279 performance against OU in New York.
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HOT HANDS
With the exception of the Memphis and USC games when they combined for a .362 field goal mark, the Sooners have displayed solid shooting this year. On the season, Oklahoma sports a .479 mark from the field and a .379 figure from 3-point range (last year OU shot .435 and .326, respectively). It has shot .500 or better from the floor in six of 11 games. OU's five starters are all shooting at least .479 from the floor. Forward Blake Griffin owns a team-high .578 field goal mark and is followed by center Longar Longar (.541), guard Tony Crocker (.506), guard Omar Leary (.500) and guard Austin Johnson (.479). Combined, the quintet owns a .527 field goal mark.
The starting guard trio of Crocker, Johnson and Leary has combined to shoot .448 from 3-point range (52-for-116). Crocker is shooting .500 from behind the arc (23-for-46) to rank second in the Big 12, Leary is shooting .455 (15-for-33) and Johnson is shooting .378 (14-for-37). Taylor Griffin owns a .417 mark from long range but has attempted considerably fewer shots (he is 5-for-12). Seven Sooners have made at least five treys each.
FOR STARTERS
Saturday's starting lineup of Tony Crocker, David Godbold, Taylor Griffin, Austin Johnson and Longar Longar was the seventh different one used by head coach Jeff Capel in 11 games. Nine different Sooners have started this season, with Crocker and Blake Griffin getting the nod a team-high 10 times each. In the three games prior to the Arkansas contest, Capel used the same starting five of Crocker, Blake Griffin, Johnson, Omar Leary and Longar.
GET THE ROCK TO T-CROCK
Guard Tony Crocker, who has had a highly productive sophomore season, was especially impressive in two recent games. Averaging 10.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest through OU's first seven outings, Crocker averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in OU's wins at TCU (Dec. 2) and versus Tulsa (Dec. 5). The San Antonio, Texas, product shot .714 from the floor (15-for-21) in the two games and a torrid .818 from behind the 3-point arc (9-for-11). Here is a recap...
• Crocker, who entered the game at TCU with a career high of 19 points (versus Villanova last December), scored 20 in the first half against the Frogs when he was 6-for-7 from 3-point range. He finished the game with 24 points (he did not attempt a 3-pointer in the second half) and a career-high-tying nine rebounds.
• Against Tulsa, Crocker scored 22 points (with the help of 3-for-4 shooting from long range) despite not scoring until 10:06 remained in the first half and exiting the game for the final time with 6:19 left in the second. He added three boards, a game-high five assists and committed no turnovers.
After his Saturday performance of 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in the win over Arkansas, Crocker is now averaging 12.1 points (ranks third on team), 4.4 rebounds (ranks third), 2.9 assists (ranks first) while shooting .506 from the field, .500 from 3-point land (ranks second in Big 12) and .828 from the free throw line.
JOHNSON INCREASES PRODUCTION
Junior guard Austin Johnson came within one point (he scored nine points against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 8) from having a current streak of five consecutive double-figures scoring games. Johnson entered the Nov. 29 USC game averaging 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists an outing and was shooting .433 from the field and .267 (4-for-15) from long range. That all changed with OU's game against the 22nd-ranked Trojans in Los Angeles...
• Playing with strep throat, Johnson came off the bench against USC and finished with a team-high 13 points. He was 3-for-4 from 3-point range and added three assists without a turnover.
• At TCU on Dec. 2, Johnson scored another 13 points (he was 5-for-8 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3-point distance) while grabbing a career-high eight rebounds and handing out four assists.
• Johnson netted 11 points against Tulsa on Dec. 5 on 3-for-3 field goal shooting (made his only 3-point attempt) and 4-for-5 free throw shooting.
• After a nine-point game against Stephen F. Austin, Johnson rebounded for a season-high 17-point effort against Arkansas this past Saturday. He made two more 3-pointers and was 5-for-6 from the free throw line.
The 6-3, 165-pounder is averaging 12.6 points and 4.2 rebounds over the last five games while going 21-for-41 from the floor and 10-for-22 from 3-point distance. He is now averaging 8.9 points, 3.1 boards and 2.3 assists on the season while shooting .479 from the field and .378 from deep.
GRIFFIN: A BREATH OF FROSH AIR
• Freshman forward Blake Griffin is averaging team highs of 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds this season in 25.6 minutes a game. The last OU freshman to average as many points per contest for a season was Jeff Webster in 1990-91 (18.3 ppg). The last OU freshman to average at least 7.8 boards per game was Wayman Tisdale in 1982-83 (10.3 rpg).
• Griffin has led OU in scoring four times in 11 games and has paced the squad in rebounding in six contests. He is shooting a team-high .578 from the field (ranks fourth in Big 12) and leads the team with his 1.5 steals per outing. He has also registered six games of multiple assists (averages 1.6).
• Griffin's 18 points Nov. 8 against San Francisco were the most by an OU freshman in a collegiate debut in 22 years (center Stacey King netted 22 off the bench in the first game of the 1985-86 season against UC Santa Barbara).
• Also against San Francisco, guard Cade Davis (six points in 27 minutes) and Griffin became just the second OU freshman pair to start a season opener in the last 24 years. Prior to 2003-04 when guards Drew Lavender and Lawrence McKenzie did it, a freshman tandem had not started the opening game of a season since guard Tim McCalister and forward Darryl Kennedy in 1983-84.
DEPTH CHARGE
After the 2006-07 season saw only eight Sooners play regular minutes for the majority of the year, Jeff Capel appears to have the luxury of a deeper bench in 2007-08. Through 11 regular season games, OU's top nine scorers average between 12.3 and 28.4 minutes a contest (a 10th player, Tony Neysmith, averages 7.6 minutes). Seven players average at least 18.8 minutes per game. Eight players average at least 5.0 points an outing, with three of them (Blake Griffin, Longar Longar and Tony Crocker) averaging double figures. Tony Crocker averages a team-high 29.1 minutes.
"SOONER HOOPS WITH JEFF CAPEL" NOW AIRING
Hosted by Bob Carpenter, the 2007-08 version of the "Sooner Hoops with Jeff Capel" television show began airing on Dec. 6. The 30-minute program, which is taped at OU's SoonerVision studio, will be seen across the state and on regional and national stations this year. In Oklahoma City, the show will air on Cox Cable Channel 7 on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., on KWTV Channel 9 on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and on KAUT Channel 43 on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. In Tulsa, it will be shown on Cox Cable Channel 7 on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and KQCW Channel 19 on Saturdays at 3:30 p.m.
"Sooner Hoops with Jeff Capel" will also air this year in the Enid, Guymon, Lawton, Ponca City and Woodward markets inside the state of Oklahoma, as well as in Sherman, Texas, and Kansas City, Mo. It will be carried regionally by FSN Southwest and nationally by CSTV (beginning Jan. 12) and Fox College Sports. Check local listings for air dates and stations.
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