Sooners Back Home to Host Mountaineers Today

^11/10 West Virginia

^2/2 Oklahoma

Jan. 16 | 3 p.m. CT | Norman, Okla.

SATURDAY'S GAME BASICS

No. 2 Oklahoma returns to Big 12 action when No. 11 West Virginia travels to Norman for a 3 p.m. CT contest inside Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday. OU, which is 14-1 overall and 3-1 in conference, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Mountaineers are 15-1 this season (4-0 Big 12) and are under the direction of Bob Huggins, now in his ninth campaign in Morgantown.

Saturday will mark the fourth contest this season against a top 11 opponent (at the time of competition) for the Sooners. Oklahoma has faced No. 9 Villanova (Dec. 7), No. 11 Iowa State (Jan. 2) and No. 1 Kansas (Jan. 4). OU is 2-1 in those games.

ON THE AIR

Saturday'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 Big 12 battle will be televised by ESPN2 with Dave Flemming and Miles Simon calling the action.

TICKETS

The game is sold out. A limited number of restricted admission (standing room only) tickets will be sold at the door Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. OU student tickets (for non-student season ticket holders) will also be available for $5 at the door on Saturday, while supplies last (doors open to public at 1:30 p.m.). OU students with season tickets may simply swipe their Sooner One Cards at the door to enter.

GAMEDAY STORYLINES

• SCENE SETTER: No. 2 Oklahoma returns to Big 12 action when No. 11 West Virginia travels to Norman for a 3 p.m. CT contest inside Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday. OU, which is 14-1 overall and 3-1 in conference, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Mountaineers are 15-1 this season (4-0 Big 12) and are under the direction of Bob Huggins, now in his ninth campaign in Morgantown. WVU currently sits in the top spot in the Big 12 standings, while Oklahoma is tied for second.

• SERVING TREYS: Oklahoma currently ranks second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.461) by hitting 160-347 of its shots from downtown this season. Oklahoma's all-time record for 3-point field goal percentage in a campaign is .414 (1986-87). OU has connected on at least 10 treys in 10 games this year. OU's starting five is averaging a combined 49.1 percent shooting from long distance. Jordan Woodard and Buddy Hield are currently ranked No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in 3FG% nationally.

• ON THE OFFENSIVE: The Sooners enter Saturday's game ranked in the top 15 in both scoring offense (87.3 points per game, third) and scoring margin (+16.2, 13th) by holding opponents to just 71.1 points per contest. Oklahoma has scored at least 80 points in 12 of 14 contests this season.

• BUDDY BUCKETS: Senior Buddy Hield is currently averaging 26.6 points per game, which ranks first in the Big 12 and second nationally (first among Power 5 Conferences). He has scored at least 20 points in nine straight games and his 51.8 percent (59-114) shooting from downtown ranks fourth in the country. His 3.93 3FGM per game is tops in the nation. The Bahamas native has six games of at least 30 points this season, including five such games in the last nine contests.

• STEADFAST SOONERS: Oklahoma isn't short on experience or leadership this season. OU's quartet of Cousins, Hield, Spangler and Woodard have each started every game (83 total) for OU the past three seasons, tallying 332 combined starts during that span. With the addition of Khadeem Lattin (15 starts), OU boasts a starting five with 374 combined career starts.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA

• West Virginia's 15-1 start is its best since the 1981-82 team started 24-1. Last year, WVU started 14-1 and finished 25-10.

• West Virginia is ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll and is No. 10 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll. This week marks the highest ranking in each poll for the Mountaineers this season.

• With 780 career wins, Bob Huggins is in 10th place on the NCAA Division I all-time winningest coaches list. Huggins' record now stands at 780-313 in his 34th season as a head coach. He needs six wins to tie Lefty Driesell for ninth place. Huggins is the third-winningest active Division I coach behind Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim.

• WVU leads the country in steals and forced turnovers. WVU ranks second in offensive rebounds per game and turnover margin. WVU is forcing its opponents to turn it over on 27.6 percent of their possessions. WVU averages 25.3 points off turnovers and 20.0 points per game from second chance points.

• WVU has forced 30 or more turnovers in three games this season. WVU has had at least seven steals in every game and has forced 14 or more turnovers in every game.

• This year, the Mountaineers have forced more turnovers (334) than opponents made field goals (316).

• West Virginia currently ranks second in the country in scoring margin (+21.9). WVU is averaging 85.2 points per game compared to opponents' 63.4.

• Devin Williams shows 24 double-doubles for his career. He has 27 career double-figure rebounding performances. Williams started the season with five consecutive double-doubles. The last WVU player to start the season with five straight double-doubles was Rod Thorn in 1960-61.

• Williams leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per contest, followed by Jaysean Paige (13.4), Jevon Carter (12.6) and Daxter Miles Jr. (11.5). Williams also leads the team in rebounding with 8.8 boards per contests.

QUICK HITS

• OU has made at least 10 treys in 10 games this season. In 35 contests last year, the Sooners registered just seven games of double-digit 3-point makes.

• OU enters Saturday's contest having scored at least 80 points in nine of the last 10 games and in 13 of 15 total contests this season (averaging 87.3 ppg).

• Four of Oklahoma's five starters are averaging better than 41% from 3-point range. Collectively, the group is averaging .491 (140-285) from deep (Khadeem Lattin hasn't attempted a 3). As a team, OU is shooting .461.

• Through 15 games this season, Jordan Woodard is averaging 15.3 points and 3.7 rebounds. He's shooting .474 (74-156) from the floor and .551 (38-69) from 3-point range. Comparatively, last season Woodard averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting .361 (90-249) from the field and .254 (17-67) from long distance. Woodard has scored at least 14 points nine times this year (each of the last five games) after doing it three times in 35 games last year.

• Ryan Spangler's 10.3 rebounds per game ranks 18th in the nation (second in the Big 12). Spangler currently ranks second the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.584). Spangler has registered at least 7 rebounds in 14 of 15 games this year (13 straight contests).

• The Sooners currently have the first- (Khadeem Lattin, 2.2) and third-best (Akolda Manyang, 1.6) shot blockers in the Big 12.

#BUDDYBUCKETS

• On the season, Buddy Hield is averaging 26.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.7 minutes per game. He's shooting .524 (129-246) from the field, .518 (59-114) from 3-point range and .901 (82-91) from the charity stripe.

• His 26.6 points per game average ranks first among Big 12 players this season and second nationally (first among Power 5 conf. players). His 51.8 3FG% ranks fourth in the country. His 3.93 3FGM per game ranks first in nation.

• Hield has scored at least 20 points in 13 of 15 games this season after doing it 13 times in 35 games last season.

• Hield has scored 20 or more points in nine straight games, the first Sooner to accomplish that feat since Stacey King (1988-89 season, did it 11 straight times). In conference play, Hield is averaging 31.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

• Hield has six games this season scoring at least 30 points, including five times in the past nine outings. The rest of the Big 12 has combined for seven 30-point individual outings on the year. Hield joins Blake Griffin (2008-09) as the only Sooner with six or more 30-point games in the last 20 years (Griffin had six in 35 games in 2008-09).

• The senior is currently the only player in the country averaging greater than 50.0 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from 3, 90.0 percent from the foul line and scoring greater than 14.0 ppg.

• If the season ended today, Hield would be one of only three players in Big 12 history to average at least 25.0 points and 5.0 rebounds (Michael Beasley, 07-08, and Kevin Durant, 06-07).

• If the season ended today, Hield would be the only player in Big 12 history to average at least 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in a season (currently averaging 26.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists).

• Hield's 26.6 ppg would be the highest season average in Big 12 history (Michael Beasley owns record, 26.2).

CALLING ON ALL RESERVES

• The Sooners are getting more production from their bench than a season ago. Through 15 games in 2015-16, OU's reserves (excluding walk-ons) are averaging 61.8 minutes played (out of possible 200), 15.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Last season, Oklahoma's reserves (excluding walk-ons) averaged 42.5 minutes played (out of possible 200), 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest (35 total games).

UP NEXT

• Oklahoma hits the road to take on the Iowa State Cyclones this Monday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m. CT (ESPN). It will mark the second 'Big Monday' contest of the season for the Sooners (Kansas on Jan. 4). It will also mark the second meeting of the season for the two teams (Oklahoma prevailed 87-83 in the first matchup in Norman on Jan. 2).

• Oklahoma leads the all-time series over Iowa State, 114-84. Iowa State holds a 48-38 advantage in Ames.