MBB to Battle Central Arkansas Tonight

Central Arkansas

^6/8 Oklahoma

Dec. 3 | 7 p.m. CT | Norman, Okla.

Live Stats

On the Air

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS

The No. 6/8 Sooners host the Central Arkansas Bears on Thursday, Dec. 3, inside the Lloyd Noble Center at 7 p.m. CT. 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 Bears, coached by Russ Pennell, are 1-5 this season (0-4 away, 1-1 neutral).

ON THE AIR

Thursday'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 by Sooner Sports TV (FSOK+, SW+) with Bob Carpenter and Kevin Henry calling the action.

TICKETS

Tickets are available starting at $5 at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and online here. Lloyd Noble Center's north and east ticket windows will open at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

GAMEDAY STORYLINES

• The No. 6/8 Sooners host the Central Arkansas Bears on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 1-0. Thursday's contest will mark the third Sooner opponent from the Southland Conference this season (McNeese State, Incarnate Word). OU is 25-4 all-time against SLC members.

• With a win over Central Arkansas on Thursday, the Sooners would improve to 5-0 to begin the season for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign (began that year 12-0).

• Through four games this season, Oklahoma ranks first in the country by holding its opponents to .314 shooting (88 of 280) from the field, including .232 (43 of 66) from 3-point range (ranks 6th nationally). OU's 34.8 defensive rebounds per game ranks second nationally (No. 4 in total rebounds with 47.5 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 22.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg).

• Oklahoma is ranked No. 6 in the AP and No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches top-25 polls. The No. 6 AP ranking is the highest for the Sooners since the 2008-09 season (finished No. 7, ranked as high as No. 2 that season).

SCOUTING THE BEARS

• Thursday will mark the second overall meeting between Oklahoma and Central Arkansas. The two teams previously met in Norman on Dec. 30, 2010 (OU won 76-73 inside the Lloyd Noble Center).

• Central Arkansas is located in Conway, Ark., and has an enrollment of 11,698. It is a member of the Southland Conference.

• The Bears are led by second year head coach Russ Pennell, who is 3-32 overall at UCA (1-5 this season). Pennell previously coached at Grand Canyon (2009-2013) and Arizona (interim head coach, 2008-09). He owns a 96-90 career record as a head coach.

• The Bears have three players averaging double figures in scoring: Jordan Howard (16.8 ppg), Derreck Brooks (13.0) and Justin Foreman (11.7). Brooks also leads the team in rebounding with 5.5 boards per game.

• Central Arkansas' lone win came against UTSA on Nov. 23 (98-84). It has been defeated by Massachusetts on Nov. 19 (62-89), Rutgers on Nov. 21 (84-87), Howard on Nov. 25 (54-73) and Little Rock on Nov. 1 (73-79).

• UCA finished the 2014-15 season with a 2-27 record (2-16 in conference).

• Central Arkansas is the third opponent for the Sooners this season hailing from the Southland Conference (McNeese State and Incarnate Word). Overall against the conference, the Sooners are 25-4 (2-0 this season).

WISCONSIN REVISITED

• Oklahoma (4-0) remained perfect on the season with a 65-48 home victory over Wisconsin (4-3) on Nov. 29, tying the all-time series at 4-4. The Sooners remained undefeated at the Lloyd Noble Center this season (3-0) and improved to 137-126 against current Big Ten teams (they have never played Rutgers or Northwestern).

• The Sooners registered a season-low five turnovers against the Badgers after committing double-digit miscues in each of their first three contests of the season.

• Oklahoma once again shared the offensive load with at least three Sooners scoring in double figures (Ryan Spangler 20, Isaiah Cousins 14, Buddy Hield 12) for the fourth time this season.

• The Sooners continued their opening-half dominance this season by outscoring the Badgers 34-19 in the first. It marked the fourth consecutive contest that OU led its opponent entering halftime. The Sooners are averaging 42.3 first half points on the season and have held their opponents to 26.8 points in the opening 20 minutes.

• OU's defense limited the Badgers to 23.5 percent (16 of 68) shooting from the field, including 21.2 percent (7 of 33) from downtown. UW entered the game averaging 45.0 percent shooting from the field and 32.9 percent from downtown.

• Oklahoma outscored Wisconsin 34 to 10 in the paint. It marked the second time this season the Sooners have registered at least a 24-point edge on the inside (25 points vs. Incarnate Word on 11/24).

• Spangler recorded a season-high 20 points (7-9 FG, 2-3 3FG, 4-4 FT) and a game-high 14 rebounds to earn his 20th career double-double. The senior started the game hot, posting 12 points, (5 of 6 FG) including 2 of 3 makes from long distance, in the game's first 20 minutes. He currently ranks third in career double-doubles among active Big 12 players.

• Cousins finished with 14 points on 6 of 14 shooting, including 2 of 4 from downtown. On the season, the senior is averaging 12.5 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 28.0 minutes.

• Hield registered 12 points (5 of 16 FG) and five rebounds on the afternoon. On the season, the senior is averaging 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest.

• With eight rebounds on Sunday, Lattin has now pulled down five-or-more rebounds in three consecutive contests for the Sooners.

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 92 points while Spangler needs 293 to be added to the current 41-member list at OU.

• With Buddy Hield's 88 combined points this season, the senior has become the school's 13th all-time leading scorer with 1,454 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 (see below for rankings).

• Hield needs just nine more points to pass Chucky Barnett into 12th place on OU's all-time scoring list.

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 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 28.0 minutes. He is shooting 50.0 percent (30-60) from the field and a scorching 52.4 percent (11-21) from long distance.

• His 22.0 points per game average ranks first among Big 12 players this season and 18th nationally. Hield's 52.4 3FG% ranks 22nd in the country.

SOONERS REMAIN DEFENSIVE

• Through four games this season, Oklahoma is holding its opponents to .314 shooting (88-280) from the field (ranks first in the country), including .232 (26 of 112) from 3-point range (ranks 6th nationally). OU's 34.7 defensive rebounds per game ranks second in the country (No. 4 in total rebounds with 47.5 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.

UP NEXT - PEARL HARBOR GAME

• The Sooners travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, to help pay tribute to the almost 2,400 lives lost during the sudden attack of United State military installations on the Hawaiian Islands on Dec. 7, 1941. Oklahoma will play Villanova on Monday, Dec. 7, on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam near Honolulu.

• This year will mark the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which catapulted the U.S. into World War II.

• The Sooners and Wildcats will tip off at 6 p.m. CT (2 p.m. local time) and be followed by Navy vs. Oregon (also on Fox Sports 1).

• Last season, Villanova finished with a 33-3 overall record and won the Big East regular season title with a 16-2 conference mark. The Wildcats were a No. 1 seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

• Oklahoma owns a 1-2 overall mark against Villanova, winning in the 1988 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game (78-59 in Birmingham, Ala.) and losing regular season contests in 2005-06 (85-74 at Villanova) and 2006-07 (67-51 in Norman).

• The game will be televised by Fox Sports 1 (Gus Johnson, Bill Raftery and Jenny Taft with the call). The contest will be played inside Bloch Arena and will be part of a four-day remembrance by Fox Sports, with the network also covering activities and events associated with Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the National Football League.

• The Pearl Harbor game will be the first of two trips to Hawaii this season for the Sooners. OU will play in the eight-team Diamond Head Classic Dec. 22, 23 and 25 in Honolulu.