OU Hosts 2015 National Runner-Up Wisconsin

Wisconsin

^7/6 Oklahoma

Nov. 29 | 1:30 p.m. CT | Norman, Okla.

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SUNDAY'S GAME BASICS

The No. 7/6 Sooners host the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday, Nov. 29, inside the Lloyd Noble Center at 1:30 p.m. OU, which went 24-11 last season (12-6 Big 12; T/2nd place) and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Badgers, coached by Bo Ryan, went 36-4 last season and advanced to the NCAA national title game (lost to Duke 68-63). They are 4-2 this season.

Sunday's contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM “The Franchise” in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland and Scott Thompson announcing. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2 with Jon Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla calling the action.

TICKETS

Tickets are available starting at $25 at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and online here. Lloyd Noble Center's north and east ticket windows will open at noon on Sunday.

PROMOTIONS

The Sooners will host "Space Jam Day" Sunday at the LNC vs. Wisconsin. The first 1,000 students will receive Boom Squad tank tops. Additionally, all fans in attendance will be handed a free rally towel at the door. Peter Rabbit will perform at halftime.

GAMEDAY STORYLINES

• Wisconsin leads the all-time series between the two schools, 4-3 (series is tied 1-1 in Norman). The teams last met on Nov. 28, 2014 at the Battle 4 Atlantis (Bahamas), where UW prevailed 69-56 in the championship final.

• Through three games this season, Oklahoma is holding its opponents to .340 shooting (72 of 212) from the field (ranks 10th in the country), including .241 (19 of 79) from 3-point range (ranks 6th nationally). OU's 35.7 defensive rebounds per game ranks fourth nationally (No. 6 in total rebounds with 48.7 rpg). In 2014-15, OU ranked 11th nationally by holding opponents to a collective .386 season field goal mark. It was the lowest OU opponent figure since the 1960-61 season.

• OU returns 75 percent of its scoring, 69 percent of its rebounding and 83 percent of its assists from last season's NCAA Sweet 16 squad. Picked to finish second in the Big 12 by league coaches, the Sooners return four starters, including 2015 Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield (averaging 25.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.7 spg).

• Oklahoma is ranked No. 7 in the AP and No. 6 in the USA Today Coaches top-25 polls. The No. 7 AP ranking is the highest for the Sooners since the conclusion of the 2008-09 season (finished No. 7).

SCOUTING THE BADGERS

• Wisconsin went 36-4 last season, setting a school record for most wins. As a No. 1 seed, UW earned the school's fourth trip to the NCAA Final Four where it eventually lost to Duke 68-63 in the title game.

• UW returns just 38 percent of its minutes played from last season, but welcomes back a pair of Wooden Award candidates in juniors Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig. Hayes, who was ninth in the AP Preseason All-American voting, has scored in double figures in all six games, averaging 14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 4.2 apg.

• Junior Bronson Koenig entered the season with a single-game career high of 19 points. He has already topped that twice in 6 games this season, leading UW with 17.3 ppg. On Sunday vs. VCU, Koenig scored a game-high 22 points, including the game-winning basket with 5.9 seconds remaining.

• With back-to-back double-doubles in the 2K Classic in New York, Ethan Happ became the first UW freshman to post consecutive double-doubles since Mike Wilkinson in the 2001-02 season.

• No team in the nation has more freshmen than Wisconsin (8) and a quartet of the Badgers' newcomers are having an immediate impact. Ethan Happ, Alex Illikainen, Khalil Iverson and Charlie Thomas are combining to average 23.9 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. Freshmen have played 32.9 percent of UW's minutes.

• The winningest coach in Wisconsin history (361-127, .740), Bo Ryan currently ranks ninth in conference history with 172 career Big Ten wins. With a career record of 172-68 (.717), Ryan owns the highest Big Ten winning percentage in conference history.

• UW is 38-9 (.809) away from home over the last two seasons (21-3 last season), owning the most road/neutral wins and the best win percentage away from home among major conference teams.

• Sunday will mark the eighth overall meeting between the Sooners and Badgers. Wisconsin leads the all-time series 4-3 (series is tied 1-1 in Norman). The teams last met on Nov. 28, 2014 at the Battle 4 Atlantis (Bahamas), where UW prevailed 69-56 in the championship final.

INCARNATE WORD REVISITED

• Oklahoma (3-0) remained perfect on the season with a 96-63 victory over Incarnate Word (2-2) last Tuesday. The Sooners improved to 2-0 inside the Lloyd Noble Center. It also marked the second consecutive win over a team from the Southland Conference (McNeese State on 11/20). Oklahoma improved to 25-4 against teams from the SLC.

• The 96 points marked the highest total for the Sooners this season (previous high was 85 vs. McNeese State). It was a balanced effort, as 13 Sooners scored in the ballgame. OU led by as many as 43 points in the contest.

• Oklahoma started and remained hot on the evening, shooting 59.3 percent (35 of 59) from the floor and 37.5 percent (6 of 16) from long distance. On the year, the Sooners are shooting 49.7 percent (95 of 191) from the field and 41.8 percent (28 of 67) from downtown.

• OU kept up its habit of strong defense this season, as UIW shot a mere 33.8 percent (23 of 68) from the field, including 25.0 percent (7 of 28) from downtown.

• For the third consecutive game, Buddy Hield led all scorers with 22 points (7 of 12 FG, 2 of 4 3FG) and added six rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in just 22 minutes.

• Ryan Spangler earned his 19th career double-double with 12 points (5 of 7 FG, 1 of 2 3FG) and 10 rebounds. The senior added three assists and two blocks. Spangler has shot at least 50 percent from the field in 22 of the last 23 games (58 of 71 career games at OU). His 19 career double-doubles ranks third among active Big 12 players.

• Also scoring in double figures for OU was Jordan Woodard with 10 points (4 of 8 FG). He added two assists and one steal. On the year, the junior owns a 4-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.

• Akolda Manyang posted nine points (including a personal 7-0 run) and added two rebounds and three blocks in just his second game as a Sooner.

CHASE FOR 1K, HIELD MOVING ON UP

• Seniors Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler are both on the cusp of scoring 1,000 points in their respective careers. Cousins needs 106 points while Spangler needs 313 to be added to the current 41-member list at OU.

• With Buddy Hield's 76 combined points this season, the senior has become the school's 13th all-time leading scorer with 1,442 career points. He passed Harvey Grant (1,391 career points) and Steven Pledger (1,392) this year. Additionally, Hield's 213 3-point FG makes ranks fifth all-time at OU.

HIELD'S HOT START

• OU guard Buddy Hield is off to a hot start to begin his senior season. The Bahamas native, who was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 23 (third career honor), is averaging 25.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 26.7 minutes. He is shooting 56.8 percent (25 of 44) from the field and a scorching 57.9 percent (11 of 19) from long distance.

• His 25.3 points per game average ranks first among Big 12 players this season and fifth nationally. His 3.7 3FGM per game ranks 14th in the nation and his 57.9 3FG% ranks 16th in the country.

• Through three games, he's averaging .95 points per minute on the floor.

SOONERS REMAIN DEFENSIVE

• In 2014-15, OU ranked 11th nationally by holding opponents to a collective .386 season field goal mark. It was the lowest OU opponent figure since the 1960-61 season.

• Through three games this season, Oklahoma is holding its opponents to .340 shooting (72 of 212) from the field (ranks 6th in the country), including .241 (19 of 79) from 3-point range (ranks 8th nationally). OU's 35.7 defensive rebounds per game ranks fourth in the country (No. 6 in total rebounds with 48.7 rpg).

UP NEXT

The Sooners wrap up their current four-game home stand with a contest versus Central Arkansas on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. inside the Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 1-0. It will mark the third game this season for OU against a team from the Southland Conference (McNeese State, Incarnate Word).