University of Oklahoma Athletics
Saturday, February 8
Norman
1:00 PM
University of Oklahoma
vs
West Virginia
Photo by: Ty Russell
Sooners Host No. 13 West Virginia
February 07, 2020 | Men's Basketball
Oklahoma
13 West Virginia
Saturday, Feb. 8 / 1 p.m. CT / Lloyd Noble Center
Oklahoma (14-8, 4-5 Big 12) is coming off a road loss at Texas Tech and aims to defend its home court (OU is 9-1 at home this season).
The Mountaineers boast a defensive-minded squad that is holding opponents to 36.7% shooting (third in the country) and winning the rebounding battle by an average of 9.2 boards (fourth in the country). Despite WVU's 18-4 record, the Mountaineers are 1-3 on the road in conference play.
ON THE AIR
The Saturday afternoon matchup will 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.ESPNU will carry the television broadcast with Clay Matvick and Bryndon Manzer on the call. Fans with proper cable verification can stream the game using the Watch ESPN app.
TICKETS
• Tickets start at $20 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 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.• The OU Athletics Department is pleased to announce a special promotion involving Oklahoma's 10 home athletic events the week of Feb. 8-15. Fans who purchase (or who have already purchased) a ticket for any one of OU's home events this week may show that ticket at each of the other nine home events to gain free admission. More information, and how to gain admision to 10 events for as low as $5 total, can be found here.
• All students who purchased football season tickets have free access to men's basketball games by scanning their OU student ID. Single-game student tickets are also available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the student entrance for $5.
IN THE BONUS
• The first 500 OU students in attendance will receive a free OU arm sleeve.• The Rockin Ropers will entertain the LNC crowd at halftime.
• 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
• Junior forward Brady Manek has been lighting up the Lloyd Noble Center in his last two games inside OU's home building. In his last two games at the LNC, Manek has combined for 61 points (31 vs. TCU; 30 vs. Oklahoma State) and a combined 14 3-pointers (career-high seven in both games). Manek is the Big 12's leading scorer during conference play, scoring 16.7 points per game midway through the league's schedule. He has scored at least 18 points in five of his last six games.• Senior forward Kristian Doolittle has been crashing the boards all season, averaging a near-double-double of 14.1 points and 9.0 rebounds. Doolittle has pulled down double-digit rebounds in his last three games and ranks fourth in the conference in rebounding. Although Doolittle has been held to 7.2 points in his last five games, he is leading the Sooners in rebounding (10.4 boards) and is second on the team in assists (3.6) during that stretch.
• Oklahoma boasts the top scoring trio in the Big 12 and one of the best in the country in junior forward Brady Manek (16.0 points per game), junior guard Austin Reaves (14.6) and senior forward Kristian Doolittle (14.1). All three Sooners rank in the top 11 of the Big 12's scoring race. Oklahoma and Arkansas are the only major-conference schools with three players averaging over 14 points.
OKLAHOMA VS. WEST VIRGINIA: SERIES HISTORY
• Oklahoma holds a narrow 10-9 lead in the all-time series with West Virginia. The Mountaineers have had recent momentum in the series, winning five of the last six matchups.• The Sooners are 5-2 when facing the Mountaineers in Norman, including last year's matchup.
• The two teams split the regular-season meetings last year before facing in the first round of the Big 12 Championship, where the Mountaineers won by one point.
• West Virginia is the only Big 12 team the Sooners haven't faced this season.
QUICK HITS
• Oklahoma is 9-1 at home this season and has won 12 of its last 13 home matchups.• Oklahoma is 19-13 when hosting teams in the AP Top-25 during the Lon Kruger era. OU is 0-2 against ranked opponents this year (No. 1 Baylor and No. 3 Kansas).
• Senior forward Kristian Doolittle is the 47th Sooner to score 1,000 points in an OU uniform, eclipsing the milestone in Saturday's win over Oklahoma State. He joins teammate Brady Manek in the premier circle of Sooner scorers with Manek reaching his 1,000 points on Jan. 18 against TCU. The two will be honored in a short presentation before Saturday's game.
• Manek is averaging 20.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 3-pointers in his last six games. During that stretch, he's shooting 21-of-46 (45.7%%) from 3-point range.
• Manek's 16.7 points per game in the first nine Big 12 games leads the conference.
• Manek ranks second in the Big 12 in 3-pointers per game during conferene play with 3.0. The forward is sinking his treys at a 45.8% clip during Big 12 play, which is also second in the conference.
• Junior guard Austin Reaves is third in scoring among Big 12 newcomers with 14.6 points per game.
• Sometimes the key to victory is as simple as making shots. The Sooners are 12-1 this season when they have a better field goal percentage than their opponents. Their only loss when owning a better field goal percentage was on the road at No. 1 Baylor.
• The Sooners have shown discipline in keeping their opponents off the charity stripe. Oklahoma commits only 13.2 personal fouls per game – the second fewest in the country. OU opponents are shooting an average of 13.5 foul shots per game, compared to OU's 17.7 free throw attempts.
• OU leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage, making 76.3% of its shots from the foul stripe. The Sooners, who shot free throws at a 69.7% rate in 2018-19, rank 30th in the country in 2019-20.
• The Sooners discipline is on display on the offensive end as well. Oklahoma is turning the ball over just 10.6 times per game, which ranks 11th in the nation and fourth among major-conference teams.
• OU is 13-5 when holding its opponents to under 80 points.
• The Sooners are 3-0 in games decided by two or fewer points.
• Oklahoma is 8-1 when it outrebounds its opponent.
BRADY'S BUNCH OF POINTS
• The Sooners almost always have team success on nights that junior forward Brady Manek is rolling. During his career, OU is 39-17 when Manek scores in double figures, 25-8 when he scores at least 15 points, 8-2 when he scores at least 20 and 12-4 when he hit four or more 3-pointers.• Dating back to last season, Manek has scored in double figures in 32 of his last 38 games – including 19 of 22 games this season.
• Manek has come alive in Big 12 play, averaging 16.7 points during league play – ranking first in the Big 12. He's connecting on 45.7% of his 3-pointers during conference play.
• Manek is averaging 20.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 3-pointers in his last six games.
• Manek is the newest member of Oklahoma's 1,000-point club, joining the prestigous group with a career-high 31 points against TCU on Jan. 18. His performance was highlight by shooting 7-of-9 from 3-point range. His 31 points are tied for the most by a Big 12 player this season and are the most by a Sooner since Trae Young.
• He is the only Big 12 player with multiple 30-point games this season.
• Manek enters Saturday's game with 1,094 career points – the 37th most in program history. He has started in 56 straight games for the Sooners.
• The sharpshooter has sunk 173 3-pointers in his career, which is the 10th most in program history.
NEXT UP: IOWA STATE
• Oklahoma remains at home when it hosts Iowa State on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.• OU leads the overall series against ISU, 116-91. The Sooners hold a 65-24 advantage for games played in Norman.
Players Mentioned
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