Sooners Host Longhorns in Big Monday Clash

Texas

^1/2 Oklahoma

Feb. 8 | 8 p.m. CT | Norman, Okla.

BIG MONDAY'S GAME BASICS

No. 1/2 Oklahoma returns to the Lloyd Noble Center to host the Texas Longhorns on ESPN's 'Big Monday' at 8 p.m. CT. OU, which is 19-3 overall and 7-3 in the Big 12, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Longhorns are 16-7 this season (7-3 Big 12) and are under the direction of Shaka Smart, who is in his first campaign in Austin.

ON THE AIR

Monday'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 matchup will be televised by ESPN with Brent Musburger and Fran Fraschilla 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 Monday beginning at 6:30 p.m. OU student tickets (for non-student season ticket holders) will also be available for $5 at the door on Monday beginning at 7:30 p.m., while supplies last (doors open to public at 6:30 p.m.). OU students with season tickets may simply swipe their Sooner One Cards at the door to enter.

PROMOTIONS

The first 1,000 OU students to enter Monday's game will receive an OU bucket hat.

GAMEDAY STORYLINES

• SCENE SETTER: No. 1/2 Oklahoma returns to the Lloyd Noble Center to host the Texas Longhorns on ESPN's 'Big Monday' at 8 p.m. CT. OU, which is 19-3 overall and 7-3 in the Big 12, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Longhorns are 16-7 this season (7-3 Big 12) and are under the direction of Shaka Smart, who is in his first campaign in Austin. OU and UT are both currently tied for second in the Big 12 standings. OU has won four straight in the series.

• SERVING TREYS: Oklahoma currently ranks first nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.453) by hitting 243-537 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 15 games this year (a school record) and it's 11.0 3-point makes per game ranks fourth nationally. OU's starting five is averaging 47.5 percent from 3-point range (207 for 436).

• STRONG ON BOTH ENDS: The Sooners rank in the nation's top 20 in both scoring offense with 85.0 points per game (fourth) and scoring margin (+13.1, 19th) by holding opponents to just 72.0 points per contest. Oklahoma has scored at least 80 points in 15 of 22 contests this season. On the other end, OU is 3rd in Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.400).

• BUDDY BUCKETS: Senior Buddy Hield is currently averaging 25.6 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 16 games this season and his 51.1 percent (93-182) shooting from downtown ranks first in the country. His 4.23 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 (90 total) for OU the past three seasons, tallying 360 combined starts during that span. With the addition of Khadeem Lattin (22 starts), OU boasts a starting five with 409 combined career starts.

NOTES ON THE LONGHORNS

• Texas enters Monday's matchup with the Sooners with a 16-7 overall record, including a 7-3 mark in the Big 12 (tied for second with OU and Kansas). The Longhorns are 12-1 at home, 3-3 on the road and 1-3 on neutral sites this season. In conference action, they are 5-0 at home and 2-3 away from Austin.

• UT is led by Shaka Smart, who is in his first season with the Longhorns. Prior to Austin, Smart coached at VCU, where he compiled a 163-56 overall record.

• Texas is led in scoring by Isaiah Taylor with 15.3 points per game. Taylor also leads the club in assists (5.1 apg). Also averaging double-figure scoring for UT are Cameron Ridley (12.7) and Javan Felix (10.9). Ridley has missed the last 12 games due to injury.

• Outside of Ridley, reserve Connor Lammert has led the Longhorns in rebounding with 5.7 boards per contest.

• The Horns have won seven of their last eight games entering Monday's contest in Norman. This stretch includes a home OT victory against No. 17/18 Iowa State and a pair of impressive road wins at No. 6/7 West Virginia and No. 15/13 Baylor.

• Texas is 4-1 this year against AP Top 20 opponents, including a 2-1 mark in true road games against AP Top 15 teams. The Horns also are 2-1 this season against AP Top 10 teams with wins against No. 3 North Carolina and at No. 6 West Virginia.

• The Sooners own a 52-35 advantage over UT in the all-time series, including a 26-11 mark in Norman. The Longhorns haven't won in Norman since Feb. 14, 2012 (69-58), which was Lon Kruger's first season at OU.

QUICK HITS

• Oklahoma has already played six teams this season ranked in the AP's top 20 (4-2 in those contests).

• The Sooners have won 18 consecutive home games (11-0 this season) inside Lloyd Noble Center.

• OU (19-3) currently owns the best overall winning percentage (.864) in the Big 12. The Sooners (7-3) are currently tied for second in the Big 12 standings with Kansas and Texas.

• The Sooners rank in the top 20 in both scoring offense with 85.0 points per game (fourth) and scoring margin (+13.1, 19th) by holding opponents to just 72.0 points per contest.

• OU enters Saturday's contest having scored at least 80 points in 15 of 22 total contests this season (averaging 85.0 points per game, which is ranked fourth nationally). OU is 14-1 this season when scoring 80-plus points.

• The Sooners currently rank third in the conference in field goal percentage defense (.400). OU is currently first in the Big 12 and eighth in the country in blocked shots per game (6.0).

• OU ranks first in the Big 12 in rebounds per game (40.5). It ranks seventh nationally in defensive rebounds per contest (29.8). The Sooners are led on the boards by Ryan Spangler (9.8) and Khadeem Lattin (6.0). Oklahoma has outrebounded its opponent in 15 of 22 games this season (15-0 when doing so).

SHOOTING LIGHTS OUT FROM DOWNTOWN

• Oklahoma currently ranks first in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (.453). 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 (OSU, 2004-05).

• OU's average of 11.0 3-point makes per game ranks fourth nationally. The 11.0 avg. would mark the 12th-most in NCAA history if the season ended today (Big 12 record stands at 9.9 by Iowa State in 2012-13).

• OU has made at least 10 treys in 15 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 (.511), Jordan Woodard (.490) and Isaiah Cousins (.461) currently rank as the first-, second- and third-best 3-point shooters in the Big 12.

• Collectively, Oklahoma's starting five is averaging 47.5 percent from 3-point range (207 for 436).

• Oklahoma is currently shooting better from downtown (.453) than five teams in the Big 12 are shooting overall from the field (Texas-.439, Oklahoma State-.439, Texas Tech-.437, Kansas State-.433, TCU-.410).

#BUDDYBUCKETS

• On the season, Buddy Hield is averaging 25.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.1 minutes per game. He's shooting .524 (185-353) from the field, .511 (93-182) from 3-point range (which ranks No. 1 in the nation) and .902 (101-112) from the charity stripe.

• In 10 Big 12 games, Hield is averaging 25.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting .537 from the field (87-162), .495 from 3-point range (48-97) and .900 from the free throw line (36-40). He is averaging 4.8 3-point makes in league play.

• The senior is currently the only player in the country averaging greater than 50.0 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the foul line (min. 20 FT attempts).

• The senior's 4.23 3FGM per game ranks first in nation. He has made at least five 3-pointers in a game nine times this year.

• Hield has scored at least 20 points in 16 of 22 games this season after doing it 13 times in 35 games last season.

• He has 12 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 shot at least 50 percent from 3-point range in eight of the last 10 games (54 for 103; .524) and in 13 of the last 16 outings.

• 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).

UP NEXT

• The Sooners will host the Kansas Jayhawks this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center. The game is announced as a sellout. It will mark the second meeting this season between the two teams (KU outlasted OU in triple-OT on Jan. 4 in Lawrence, 109-106).

• The Jayhawks are the only team in the Big 12 to hold an all-time series advantage over the Sooners (143-66). KU has a 48-42 advantage in games played in Norman.

Sooners Host Longhorns in Big Monday Clash