Next Man Up In Big Monday Matchup

Monday, February 1

Lubbock, Texas

8:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Photo by: Ty Russell

January 31, 2021 | Men's Basketball

ESPN at 8 CT Listen Live Live Stats Game Notes Three Straight Top-10 Wins Home Tickets Going Fast

By: Ben Coldagelli

^9/14Oklahoma

^13/11 Texas Tech

Monday, Feb. 1 / 8 p.m. CT / United Supermarkets Arena / Lubbock, Texas

Tickets / ESPN / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

NORMAN – Facing one of the toughest stretches in program history, No. 9/14 Oklahoma (11-4, 6-3 Big 12) has responded to adversity with a five game winning streak and three consecutive wins over top-10 teams. Just two days after taking down No. 9 Alabama in Norman, the Sooners are back in the national spotlight against No. 13/11 Texas Tech (12-5, 4-4 Big 12) on ESPN's Big Monday.

The Sooners and Red Raiders are both coming off big wins in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge against the top two teams in the SEC standings.

Tech is being led by junior guard Mac McClung (17.5 points), who has scored at least 22 points in each of his last four games.

Oklahoma will be without its leading scorer in Austin Reaves (15.8 points), but has seen a strong offense surge from fellow guard De'Vion Harmon (13.1 points). The shorthanded Sooners will look for another big night from across their roster with a next man up mentality.

ON THE AIR

• The Big Monday matchup tips at 8 p.m. CT and will air on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing.

• Bob Wischusen and Fran Fraschilla have the call on ESPN.

THREE POINTERS

• The Sooners enter the Big Monday matchup on a historic streak that may have a chance to continue against Texas Tech. Oklahoma is coming off a win over No. 9 Alabama on Saturday - its fourth victory against a top-10 opponent in January. Oklahoma is just the third team (and first since 1974) to win four games against top-10 teams in one calendar month. The Sooners have also won three consecutive games against top-10 teams, joining Michigan (2014) and Iowa (1987) as the only teams in NCAA history to beat top-10 teams in back-to-back-to-back regular-season games. Should the Red Raiders remain in the top 10 in Monday's AP Top 25, Oklahoma will have a chance to become the first team in NCAA history to beat top-10 teams in four consecutive regular-season games.

• Oklahoma is on a five-game winning streak (four straight in Big 12 play). The Sooners are outscoring their opponents by an average of 15 points (75.8 to 60.8) during the run. Sophomore guard De'Vion Harmon has emerged as the team's top scorer as of late, averaging 18.2 points on 53% shooting in OU's last five games. A win on Monday would give OU its longest winning streak in January/February/March since winning 15 games in 2009 from Jan. 3 through Feb. 14.

• Due to COVID-19 protocols, senior guard Austin Reaves and Alondes Williams will not be available on Monday. Prior to missing OU's game against Alabama, Reaves was leading the Sooners in points, rebounds and assists. He is the only major-conference player averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.

SERIES HISTORY: TEXAS TECH

• The Sooners are 10-9 against Tech in the Lon Kruger era but haven't won in Lubbock since 2015.

• The Red Raiders squeaked out a two-point win over the Sooners in their first meeting of the season on Dec. 22, handing Oklahoma its only home loss of the season.

• Oklahoma is on the hunt for its first win in Lubbock since 2015.

• Oklahoma assistant coach Pooh Williamson served as an assistant coach at Texas Tech under Tubby Smith from 2013 to 2016. Victor Iwuakor & Brady Manek

LOOKING BACK AT OU'S WIN OVER ALABAMA

• Oklahoma extended its winning streak to five with yet another win over a top-10 opponent on Saturday, defeating No. 9 Alabama 66-61 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Sooners pulled off the victory despite playing without starters Austin Reaves and Alondes Williams due to COVID-19 protocols.

• The Sooners used a strong defensive effort to make up for not having their leading scorer - holding the Crimson Tide to 20 points below their scoring average. Alabama's 61 points are the second-fewest its scored this season.

• Sophomore guard De'Vion Harmon led the Sooners with 18 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals.

• Junior guard Elijah Harkless scored a season-high 14 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Harkless made winning plays down the stretch, including a stop in transition that prevented the would-be go-ahead basket with 2:40 to play. Harkless then shined on the offensive end, sinking the dagger to go up four with 19 seconds left.

• Senior forward Brady Manek produced 12 points and six rebounds in his highest-scoring game since returning from quarantine earlier in January.

• Starting in place of Reaves, junior guard Umoja Gibson went 3-of-4 from deep to score 12 points while adding five rebounds, two steals and two dimes.

• Sophomore forward Jalen Hill played a career-high 31 minutes and totaled eight points and five rebounds.

• Oklahoma's 66 points are its fewest in a win this season.

QUICK HITS

• Oklahoma is 4-2 against top-10 teams this season. All four matchups took place in January.

• The Sooners are coming off one of the toughest months any college basketball team has ever faced. OU faced three-straight top-10 teams on two occassions and became the first team since at least 1996 (as far back as the Stats Inc. database can search) to face six top-10 teams in a calendar month (includes March/postseason).

• Prior to this season, Oklahoma had faced three straight top-10 teams only one time (in 1958). OU faced three straight top-10 opponents on two different occassions in January.

• The schedule doesn't ease up from here. OU's game against No. 10 Texas Tech is the fourth matchup in a run where OU plays seven top-11 teams in an eight-game stretch. Once the stretch against ranked teams ends on Feb. 16 against Texas, the Sooners then play three straight road games and conclude the regular season with two games in three days against Bedlam rival Oklahoma State.

• Junior guard Elijah Harkless is the defending Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. The transfer from Cal State Northridge fueled the Sooners to a 2-0 week as the team's defensive catalyst with wins over Kansas State and No. 9 Kansas. The 6-3 guard led the conference in steals (six), rebounds (20) and rebounds per game (10.0). He made his pressence known throughout the stat sheet, also averaging 7.5 points, 4.5 assists and 50% shooting.

• OU's recent success can be attributed to its commitment to defense and transition to a four-guard lineup that began in a narrow loss to No. 6 Kansas on Jan. 9. In that game, Elijah Harkless made his first start for the Sooners and has provided the "IT Factor" to the lineup since then. After the loss to KU, OU has since been on a five game winning streak and has beaten three top-10 teams.

• Since being inserted into OU's starting lineup on Jan. 9, Harkless is averaging 2.7 steals per game - the fourth-most among major-conference players during that span.

• Since halftime of OU's game at Baylor on Jan. 6 the Sooners have outscored their opponents in 11 of their 13 halves of basketball.

• The Sooners boast a deep and versatile roster with multiple players who can go off. Three different Sooners have reached at least 29 points in a game with Brady Manek producing 29 points against UTSA (Dec. 3), Austin Reaves scoring 32 at TCU (Dec. 6) and Umoja Gibson totaling 29 versus West Virginia (Jan. 2). Oklahoma is the only team in the country with three different players boasting 29-point performances this season. The OU trio's scoring milestones account for three of the six highest-scoring games by Big 12 players this season. Reaves' 32 are the most by a Big 12 player this season. Additionally, De'Vion Harmon has scored at least 22 points on three occassions this season.

• OU boasts three players who have totaled at least 1,000 points in their Division I careers: Brady Manek (1,331 - all at OU), Austin Reaves (1,078) and Umoja Gibson (1,024).

• Oklahoma's 76.9 points per game rank second in the Big 12.

• The Sooners are 7-0 when scoring at least 78 points. Oklahoma is averaging 80.8 points per game in victories and 66.0 in losses.

• The Sooners rank second in the Big 12 in both assists (14.7) and steals (7.9).

• Junior guard Umoja Gibson was named Big 12 Player of the Week, Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and NCAA.com National Player of the Week for games played Dec. 28 - Jan. 3. Gibson poured in 29 points against No. 9 West Virginia on Jan. 2 on 10-of-14 shooting (8-of-11 from 3-point range) while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. At the time of the game, his 29 points were the second-most off the bench by any major-conference player this season. His career-high eight 3-pointers were tied for the most by a non-starter in any Division I game this season.

• Sometimes the key to victory is as simple as making shots. Over the last two seasons, the Sooners are 25-1 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 then-No. 1 Baylor last season.

• Oklahoma is committing only 10.5 turnovers per game - the fewest in the Big 12 and 15th best in Division I.

• The Sooners also lead the league in fewest fouls committed per game, fouling an average of 14.3 times - the seventh-fewest in the country. This continues a trend that Oklahoma showed a lot of discipline in last season, commiting only 13.4 personal fouls per game in 2019-20 – the third fewest in the country. This year, OU opponents are shooting an average of 13.3 foul shots per game, compared to OU's 18.6 free throw attempts.

• OU is making the most of its trips to the line, leading the Big 12 in free throw percentage with a 74.2% rate. Austin Reaves is fourth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (86.5%).

• Senior forward Kur Kuath is second in the Big 12 in blocked shots with 21 (1.6 per game). He is averaging 2.0 per game during league play.

UP NEXT: IOWA STATE

• The Sooners are back at home on Saturday when they host Iowa State at the Lloyd Noble Center. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

• After playing four straight ranked teams, the Cyclones will be the first team outside of the Top 25 that Oklahoma has faced since Jan. 19.

• OU leads the overall series against ISU, 117-91. The Sooners hold a 66-24 advantage for games played in Norman.

• Oklahoma will look to reverse a losing trend against Iowa State, who has won six of the last eight meetings.