Top-10 Battle Awaits OU Today in Morgantown

^10/11 West Virginia

^3/3 Oklahoma

Feb. 20 | 3 p.m. CT | Morgantown, W. Va.

SATURDAY'S GAME BASICS

No. 3/3 Oklahoma plays its second Big 12 road game of the week at No. 10/11 West Virginia Saturday at 3 p.m. CT inside WVU Coliseum. OU, which is 20-5 overall and 8-5 in the Big 12, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Mountaineers are 20-6 this season (9-4 Big 12) and are under the direction of Bob Huggins, who is in his ninth campaign in Morgantown.

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 matchup will be televised by ESPN with Jon Sciambi and Fran Fraschilla calling the action.

GAMEDAY STORYLINES

• SCENE SETTER: No. 3/3 Oklahoma plays its second Big 12 road game of the week at No. 10/11 West Virginia Saturday at 3 p.m. CT inside WVU Coliseum. OU, which is 20-5 overall and 8-5 in the Big 12, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Mountaineers are 20-6 this season (9-4 Big 12) and are under the direction of Bob Huggins, who is in his ninth campaign in Morgantown. OU defeated WVU earlier this season on Jan. 16 in Norman, 70-68.

• SERVING TREYS: Oklahoma currently ranks first nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.436) by hitting 268-614 of its shots from downtown. 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 16 games this year (a school record) and it's 10.7 3-point makes per game ranks fourth nationally. OU's starting five is averaging 45.3 percent from 3-point range (229 for 505, Hield has 103 of those makes).

• STRONG ON BOTH ENDS: The Sooners rank second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally by averaging 82.8 points per game. Oklahoma has scored at least 80 points in 15 of 25 contests this season. On the other end, OU ranks first in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.402), blocked shots (5.4) and defensive rebounds (29.1).

• BUDDY BUCKETS: Senior Buddy Hield is currently averaging 25.2 points per game, which ranks first in the Big 12 and second nationally (first among Power 5 conferences). The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year has scored at least 20 points in 18 games this season and his 48.8 percent (104-213) shooting from downtown ranks third in the country. His 4.16 3FGM per game is tops in the nation. He has eight games of at least 30 points this season (same total as rest of Big 12 combined).

• STEADFAST SOONERS: Oklahoma isn't short on experience or leadership this season. OU's quartet of Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard have each started every game (93 total) for OU the past three seasons, tallying 372 combined starts during that span. With the addition of Khadeem Lattin (25 starts), OU boasts a starting five with 424 combined career starts.

FIVE FAST FACTS ON THE MOUNTAINEERS

• West Virginia is currently alone in second place in the Big 12 standings with a 9-4 record (5-1 at home in conference action). The Mountaineers are 20-6 overall and 12-1 at home this season. They own a 3-4 record versus AP top 25 opponents on the year.

• WVU currently leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (65.6), rebounding (40.0), rebounding margin (+9.3), steals (10.2), turnover margin (+4.5) and offensive rebounds (16.2) per game.

• The Mountaineers have forced their opponents into double-figure turnovers in all but two games this season, including 20 or more eight times. West Virginia leads the nation in steals with 10.2 per game.

• Junior forward Devin Williams has recorded double-doubles in each of the last two games and four of the past six contests. He is averaging team-bests of 14.7 points and 12.0 rebounds over the last six outings.

• WVU has won 20 or more games in a season six times under head coach Bob Huggins. He has 785 career victories - third among active coaches and one win away from matching Lefty Driesell for ninth on the NCAA all-time victory list.

QUICK HITS

• The Sooners (8-5) are currently tied for third in the Big 12 standings with Baylor and Texas. Saturday's opponent, West Virginia, is currently alone in second place (9-4). OU has dropped three of its last four conference games.

• Oklahoma owns a 5-3 record this season against teams ranked in the AP's top 25.

• The Sooners rank second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally by averaging 82.8 points per game. The 82.8 scoring average would mark the third-most among Big 12 schools over the past 15 years.

• OU enters Saturday's contest having scored at least 80 points in 15 of 25 total outings this season (averaging 82.8 points per game, which is ranked 17th nationally). OU is 14-1 this season when scoring 80-plus points.

• On the defensive end, OU ranks first in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.402), blocked shots (5.4) and defensive rebounds (29.1).

• OU ranks second in the Big 12 in rebounds per game (40.0). It ranks 14th nationally in defensive rebounds per contest (29.2). The Sooners are led on the boards by Ryan Spangler (9.7) and Khadeem Lattin (5.8). Oklahoma has outrebounded its opponent in 15 of 25 games this season (15-0 in such games).

• In the last nine games, Isaiah Cousins is playing the best ball of his career. In that span, the senior is averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.0 steal in 35.7 minutes. He's shooting .528 (57-108) from the field and .538 (21-39) from the 3-point line.

• Through 25 games this season, Jordan Woodard is averaging 13.6 points per contest, shooting .425 (107-252) from the floor and .467 (56-120) from 3-point range. Comparatively, last season Woodard averaged 9.3 points, while shooting .361 (90-249) from the field and .254 (17-67) from long distance.

• Ryan Spangler's 9.7 rebounds per game ranks second in the Big 12 (29th nationally). The senior has 10 double-doubles on the season, including three in the last six games. Spangler currently ranks third the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.537). The Oklahoma native has led OU in rebounding in 19 of 25 games this season.

SOONERS CONTINUE TO LEAD NATION IN TREYS

• Oklahoma currently ranks first in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (.436). OU's all-time record for 3-point field goal percentage in a season is .414 (1986-87). The Big 12's record is .426 by Oklahoma State (2004-05).

• OU's average of 10.7 3-point makes per game ranks fourth nationally. The Big 12 record for 3-point makes per game currently stands at 9.9 by Iowa State in 2012-13.

• OU has made at least 10 treys in 16 games this season (which marks a school record). In 35 contests last year, the Sooners registered just seven games of double-digit 3-point makes.

• Buddy Hield (.488), Jordan Woodard (.467) and Isaiah Cousins (.448) currently rank as the first-, second- and third-best 3-point shooters in the Big 12.

• Collectively, Oklahoma's starting five is averaging 45.3 percent from 3-point range (229 for 505). OU's starting guards of Cousins, Hield and Woodard are shooting a collective 47.3 percent (207 for 438) from downtown.

THE LATEST ON #BUDDYBUCKETS

• On the season, Buddy Hield is averaging 25.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes per game. He's shooting .505 (203-402) from the field, .488 (104-213) from 3-point range (which ranks No. 3 in the nation) and .890 (121-136) from the charity stripe.

• Hield's 59 3-pointers in conference play already ranks fifth all-time in Big 12 history (Keiton Page, OSU, has record with 64, 2011-12).

• His 4.16 3FGM per game ranks first in nation. He has made at least five 3-pointers in a game 10 times this year. His 104 3-pointers made this season are the most in college basketball.

• He currently ranks fifth in Big 12 history in 3FGM in a career (306) and eighth all-time in points scored (1,997). Hield needs just five more points to move into sixth place on the Big 12's all-time scoring list (Richard Roby and Cory Higgins of Colorado both have 2,001 career points).

• Hield has scored at least 20 points in 18 of 25 games this season after doing it 13 times in 35 games last season.

• He has 13 games this year of at least 25 points. In his first three seasons, he combined for six games of at least 25 points.

• Hield has eight games this season scoring at least 30 points (same number as the rest of the players in the Big 12 combined). It's the most 30-point games by a Sooner in a season since Jeff Webster in the 1993-94 season (10). The eight-game total is the third most in Big 12 history (Michael Beasley-13, 2007-08, Kevin Durant-11, 2006-07).

• Hield has shot at least 50 percent from 3-point range in eight of the last 13 games and in 13 of the last 19 outings.

UP NEXT

• The Sooners return home to the Lloyd Noble Center to host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT (ESPNU).

• It will mark the second meeting between the in-state foes this season. OU downed the Cowboys in Stillwater on Jan. 13, 74-72. Oklahoma owns a 135-95 advantage in the all-time series, including an 83-26 mark in Norman.