Sooners Back at Home, Host Tribe Monday

NORMAN – Off to its sixth 3-0 start in the Lon Kruger era, Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) returns to Norman for a pair of home games beginning with William & Mary (4-0, 0-0 Colonial) on Monday at 6 p.m. CT.

The Sooners are coming off neutral-site wins over Minnesota and Oregon State. OU is the only Big 12 school with multiple wins over major conference teams and with multiple wins away from home.

Also entering the game undefeated, William & Mary boasts a trio of road wins over High Point, American and Wofford.

The Tribe is shooting over 50% from the field this season and is led by a pair of dominant big men. Nathan Knight, a 6-10 forward, is averaging 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while 7 foot center Andy Van Vliet is producing 17.3 points and 9.5 boards.

ON THE AIR

Chad McKee, Bryndon Manzer and Jessica Coody have the call on Fox Sports Oklahoma. Fans with proper cable authentication can stream the game through the Fox Sports Go app.

The matchup will also air on the Sooner Radio Network (107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing.

TICKETS

Ticket prices start as low as $10 and can purchased at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and SoonerSports.com/Tickets. Lloyd Noble Center's north and east ticket windows will open at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

All students who purchased football season tickets have free access to men's basketball games by scanning their OU student ID. Students who did not purchase football tickets can claim men's basketball season tickets for just $60 on SoonerSports.com/students. Single-game tickets are also available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the student entrance for $5.

IN THE BONUS

• Both Monday's matchup against the Tribe and Thursday's showdown with Maryland Eastern Shore are campus round of the Hall of Fame Classic. Following the two home rounds, the Sooners will travel to Kansas City to face Stanford and Butler or Missouri in the championship rounds.

• OU had one of its best home-opener student sections against UTSA and are looking for another strong support from students in the revamped student section. The most noticeable differences include the removal of concrete in portions of the northern wall and installation of stairs which allow students easier access to floor seating. OU Athletics is offering more floor seats to students by relocating the band to behind the basket in section LN4.

• OU students will receive free OU arm sleeves on a first come, first serve basis

• Fans are encouraged to #ArriveSooner to avoid delays into the gates with enhanced screenings. OU's clear bag policy will also be in effect. For more gameday tips at Lloyd Noble Center, visit the LNC's information page.

THREE POINTERS

• OU's only senior, Kristian Doolittle is picking up where he left off at the end of last season. The reigning Big 12 Most Improved Player and honorable mention selection to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team, Doolittle is averaging 14.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists through two games. The forward is coming off a 19-point, 16-rebound (career high) performance against Oregon State on Tuesday. Dating back to last season, Doolittle is averaging 16.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in his last 11 games and has registered six double-doubles in that span.

• The Sooners have won their first three matchups by a combined 35 points but have been outscored by a total of five points in the first half of games. Oklahoma entered the halftime break tied against UTSA, down six to Minnesota and up one over Oregon State. The Sooners have shot 56.0% during the three second halves - including 16-of-31 (51.6%) from 3-point range - and are outscoring opponents by an average of 13.3 points. Defensively, OU is holding opponents to 35.2% shooting from the field and 23.3% (10-of-43) from 3-point range after halftime. Austin Reaves is averaging 11.7 second-half points.

• Junior guard Austin Reaves has led the Sooners' scoring efforts during his first three games in the Crimson and Cream. A transfer from Wichita State, Reaves sat out the 2018-19 season but has quickly made up for lost time. Through three games he is averaging 17.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. A proven shooter, Reaves led the American Athletic Conference in 3-point percentage during conference play in 2017-18 by shooting at a .451 clip (37-for-82). After connecting on only two of his 12 3-point attempts in his first two games, Reaves went 5-of-9 from deep in Tuesday's win over Oregon State.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST WILLIAM & MARY

• Monday will be the first ever meeting between Oklahoma and William & Mary. Oklahoma is 6-0 all-time against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Kristian Doolittle Lead

Kristian Doolittle has produced double-doubles in both games he's played in this season, including a 19-point, 16-rebound performance against Oregon State.

LOOKING BACK AT OU'S WIN OVER OREGON STATE

• Oklahoma improved to 3-0 with its second straight win over a major-conference foe away from home. The Sooners topped Oregon State, 77-69, on Tuesday at Moda Center in Portland, Ore., as part of the Phil Knight Invitational.

• The Sooners were led by senior forward Kristian Doolittle's monster double-double of 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to go with four assists. Doolittle is just the third OU player in the Big 12 era to total at least 19 points, 16 rebounds and four assists, joining Eduardo Najera and Blake Griffin (twice).

• After starting the game shooting 1-of-6 from the field, Doolittle closed the first half by scoring OU's final nine points of the frame. He made five of his final eight shots.

• Doolittle also sunk a pair of 3-pointers on two attempts. The forward failed to register a deep ball last season and he had totaled only two 3-pointers over his previous 59 games.

• Junior guard Austin Reaves got over his season's slow shooting start by going 5-of-9 from 3-point range to score 17 points. He had entered the game shooting 2-of-12 from deep in his first two games.

• Oklahoma led by one (33-32) at the half but outscored the Beavers, 44-37, in the second frame. The Sooners shot 11-of-22 (50%) after halftime, including 7-of-11 (63.6%) from 3-point range.

QUICK HITS

• A win would give Oklahoma its fifth 4-0 start under Lon Kruger. A victory would also be OU's 14th straight home win over a non-conference foe.

• Oklahoma is the only Big 12 school with multiple wins over major conferene teams (Power Five + Big East). The Sooners are 2-0 against major conference teams while the rest of the Big 12 is a combined 2-3.

• The Sooners are also 2-0 outside of Norman and are the only Big 12 team with multiple wins away from home. Despite OU's games occurring on neutral courts, they were both played in enemy territory. Oklahoma defeated Minnesota in Sioux Falls, S.D. (15 miles from the Minnesota border) and Oregon State in Portland, Ore.

• OU leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage, making 79.7% of their shots from the foul stripe. The Sooners shot their free throws at a 69.7% rate in 2018-19.

• Oklahoma is holding its opponents to 7.0 3-pointers a game as they shoot 25.9% from behind the arc.

• The Sooners are turning the ball over just 10.7 times per game - the sixth-least nationally among major-conference teams.

• Sophomore guard Jamal Bieniemy has reached double figures in scoring in his past two games (15 vs. Minnesota, 13 vs. Oregon State). It is just the second time in his career that he's scored at least 10 points in consecutive games.

DOOLITTLE DOOING MORE

• The only senior on the Sooner roster, forward Kristian Doolittle continues to show progress in his game throughout his career in Norman. Doolittle has produced a double-double in both of his games this season, including a 19-point, 16-rebound performance against Oregon State on Nov. 12. He is averaging 14.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists through two games.

• Dating back to last season, Doolittle is averaging 16.2 points and 9.7 rebounds in his last 11 games. He has registered six double-doubles in that span, highlighted by 24 points and 11 rebounds against Kansas on March 5 and 19 points with 15 boards versus Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament on March 22.

• Winner of the Big 12's inaugural Most Improved Player award last season, Doolittle led the Sooners throughout conference play in 2018-19 with team-high Big 12 averages of 13.9 points and 7.8 rebounds to go with 2.1 assists. He was the only Big 12 player to average at least 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in league competition.

• Doolittle's performance in conference play came after averaging only 2.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 2017-18 and 7.2 points and 5.8 boards the non-conference stretch of 2018-19. He closed the regular season by reaching 14 points in nine of the final 10 games, highlighted by a 24-point, 11-rebound performance against Kansas and a 19-point, 15-rebound outing against Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament.

• An All-Big 12 Third Team selection in 2018-19, Doolittle finished the season with averages of 11.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 29.1 minutes. He led the team in rebounds and ranked third in points and second in field goal percentage (.502).

• Opposing conference coaches expect Doolittle to continue improving, naming him an honorable mention selection on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

NON-CONFERENCE DOMINANCE

• Oklahoma has been dominant in non-conference play in recent seasons, boasting a combined 25-3 record in its last 28 non-league regular-season games. In non-conference play since 2017-18, Oklahoma is 11-3 against major conference schools (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) and 14-3 in games played away from Norman.

• Oklahoma is 25-2 in games played in November and December since the start of the 2017-18 season.

• The Sooners have won 13 straight home non-conference matchups (10 straight at Lloyd Noble Center). OU's last non-conference home loss came in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge to Florida on Jan. 28, 2017.

• Oklahoma has won 137 of its last 144 non-conference games in Norman and is 45-4 at Lloyd Noble Center against non-conference opponents under Kruger.

• OU was the only school in the country with a win over a team from every major conference during the 2018-19 regular season.

UP NEXT: MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

• Oklahoma continues its short homestand with another campus round of the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. The Sooners host Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT. The non-conference showdown will air on Fox Sports Oklahoma.

• The Sooners have faced the Hawks three previous times, all since 2009. Oklahoma is 3-0 all-time against Maryland Eastern Shore and has won all three matchups by at least 24 points. Thursday is OU's first matchup against the Hawks during the Lon Kruger era.

• In the first meeting between the two schools (Jan. 5, 2009), Blake Griffin stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points (9-of-14 shooting), 16 rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists in just 22 minutes. Griffin went on to be named the national player of the year that season and was selected as the number one overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

• Thursday's matchup is Oklahoma's last home matchup for exactly one month. The Sooners won't play again in Norman until Saturday, Dec. 21 when they host UCF. The William & Mary and Maryland Eastern shore games are OU's only two home games in a 45-day stretch (Nov. 6 through Dec. 20). OU is one of only three major-conference teams to play seven of its first 10 games coming away from home, joined by Seton Hall and Wake Forest.