Sooners Travel South of Red River for Showdown

^25/25 Texas

^3/4 Oklahoma

Feb. 27 | 1 p.m. CT | Austin, Texas

CBS

SATURDAY'S GAME BASICS

No. 3/4 Oklahoma travels south of the Red River to take on the No. 25/25 Texas Longhorns in Austin on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT inside the Frank Erwin Center. OU, which is 22-5 overall and 10-5 in the Big 12, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Longhorns are 18-10 this season (9-6 Big 12) and are under the direction of Shaka Smart, who is in his first campaign in Austin.

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 Red River Rivalry matchup will be televised by CBS with Verne Lundquist and Jim Spanarkel calling the action.

GAMEDAY STORYLINES

• SCENE SETTER: No. 3/4 Oklahoma travels south of the Red River to take on the No. 25/25 Texas Longhorns in Austin on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT inside Frank Erwin Center. OU, which is 22-5 overall and 10-5 in the Big 12, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Longhorns are 18-10 this season (9-6 Big 12) and are under the direction of Shaka Smart, who is in his first campaign in Austin. In the first meeting between the two rivals this season (Feb. 8), Oklahoma prevailed, 63-60, behind a last-second game-winning trey from Buddy Hield. OU is currently tied for second in the Big 12 standings, while UT is tied for fourth.

• RIVALRY WEEK: Oklahoma recently downed its in-state foe, Oklahoma State, on Wednesday for the seventh consecutive time. Next up, its Red River rival, Texas, on Saturday in Austin. The Sooners have won 12 straight (seven vs. OSU, five vs. Texas) against their rivals in recent years. The Sooners, winners of two straight, have won in each of the past two seasons in Austin.

• SERVING TREYS: OU currently ranks second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.431) by hitting 286-663 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 17 games this year (a school record) and it's 10.6 3-point makes per game ranks fourth nationally (first in Big 12). OU's starting five is averaging 44.6 percent from 3-point range (243 for 545, Hield has 111 of those makes).

• BUDDY BUCKETS: Senior Buddy Hield is currently averaging 25.1 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 19 games this season and his 48.3 percent (111-230) shooting from downtown ranks third in the country. His 4.11 3FGM per game is tops in the nation. The Bahamas native has eight games of at least 30 points this season (one less than 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 (95 total) for OU the past three seasons, tallying 380 combined starts during that span. With the addition of Khadeem Lattin (27 starts), OU boasts a starting five with 434 combined career starts.

FIVE FAST FACTS ON THE LONGHORNS

• Texas is 3-0 this year at home against AP Top 20 opponents entering Saturday's game, including a 2-0 mark against AP Top 10 opponents in Austin. This includes victories against No. 3 North Carolina, No. 10 West Virginia and No. 17 Iowa State.

• Following a disappointing 58-57 loss at TCU on Jan. 9, the Longhorns have won nine of their last 13 games entering Saturday's contest.

• Junior guard Isaiah Taylor is averaging 17.3 points over his last three contests and has shot 57 percent or better in the past two games. He has missed just three free throws over the past six outings, going 32-of-35 (.914) from the charity stripe.

• Guard Eric Davis Jr. has scored in double figures six times in Big 12 play, including the past three contests. The Longhorns three freshmen - Davis, Tevin Mack and Kerwin Roach - have combined for 23 double-digit scoring efforts this season.

• Texas had just six turnovers in its last game at Kansas State, the eighth time in 15 conference games the Longhorns have posted single-digit miscues. UT has the fewest turnovers in the Big 12 both overall (294) and in conference play (144).

QUICK HITS

• Oklahoma owns a 6-3 record this season against teams ranked in the AP's top 25. Oklahoma has two wins vs. top-10 opponents (then-No. 9 Villanova on Dec. 7 and then-No. 10 West Virginia on Feb. 20).

• The Sooners rank third in the Big 12 and 19th nationally by averaging 82.1 points per game.

• OU enters Saturday's contest having scored at least 80 points in 15 of 27 total outings this season (averaging 82.1 points per game, which is ranked 19th 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 (.398), blocked shots (5.6) and defensive rebounds (29.1).

• OU ranks first in the Big 12 in rebounds per game (40.2). It ranks 11th nationally in defensive rebounds per contest (29.1). The Sooners are led on the boards by Ryan Spangler (9.7) and Khadeem Lattin (5.9). Oklahoma has outrebounded its opponent in 17 of 27 games this season (16-1 in such games).

• In the last 11 games, Isaiah Cousins is playing the best ball of his career. In that span, the senior is averaging 15.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.2 minutes. He's shooting .496 (65-131) from the field and .490 (24-49) from the 3-point line.

• Through 27 games this season, Jordan Woodard is averaging 13.1 points per contest, shooting .414 (111-268) from the floor and .444 (56-126) 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 (33rd nationally). The senior has 11 double-doubles on the season (second-most in conference). Spangler currently ranks third the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.559). The Oklahoma native has led OU in rebounding in 20 of 27 games this season.

STILL A NATIONAL LEADER IN TREYS

• Oklahoma currently ranks second in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (.431). 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 10.6 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 17 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 (.483), Jordan Woodard (.444) and Isaiah Cousins (.435) currently rank as the first-, second- and third-best 3-point shooters in the Big 12.

• Collectively, Oklahoma's starting five is averaging 44.6 percent from 3-point range (243-545). OU's starting guards of Cousins, Hield and Woodard are shooting a collective 46.1 percent (217 for 471) from downtown.

THE LATEST ON #BUDDYBUCKETS

• On the season, Buddy Hield is averaging 25.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes per game. He's shooting .495 (217-438) from the field, .483 (111-230) from 3-point range (which ranks No. 3 in the nation) and .892 (132-148) from the charity stripe. His 5.5 rebounds per game total is best among Big 12 guards.

• Hield's 66 3-pointers made in Big 12 play mark the most in a conference season in Big 12 history.

• His 4.11 3FGM per game ranks first in nation. He has made at least five 3-pointers in a game 11 times this year. His 111 3-pointers made this season are the most in college basketball.

• He currently ranks fifth in Big 12 history in 3FGM in a career (313) and sixth all-time in points scored (2,043). Hield needs just 55 more points to move into fifth place on the Big 12's all-time scoring list (Nick Collison of KU currently stands fifth with 2,097 career points).

• Hield has scored at least 20 points in 19 of 27 games this season after doing it 13 times in 35 games last season.

• He has 14 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 (one less number than 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 five 20-point halves this season (two of which have come in the first half, three in the second).

UP NEXT

• OU hosts Baylor on 'Senior Night' this Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma will also honor former Sooner great Blake Griffin's jersey at halftime of the contest.

• Oklahoma downed Baylor in Waco earlier this season, 82-72, on Jan. 23. The Sooners own a 43-12 overall advantage in the all-time series, including a 21-4 mark in Norman.