Butler, OU Clash in Big East/Big 12 Battle

(RV/RV) Oklahoma

Butler

Tuesday, Dec. 7 / 8 p.m. CT / Lloyd Noble Center / Norman

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NORMAN – Oklahoma (7-1, 0-0 Big 12) hosts Butler (5-3, 0-0 Big East) in the Big East/Big 12 Battle Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m., at Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners last played Dec. 1 and beat then-No. 12/14 Florida 74-67 at Lloyd Noble Center. Tanner Groves led Oklahoma with 20 points and eight rebounds, and was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season.

ON THE AIR

Tuesday's game will be available on ESPN2 with Rich Hollenberg and Fran Fraschilla on the call.

The contest 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; Varsity Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

Butler enters the Big East-Big 12 Battle 5-3 overall and have won their last two games against Saginaw Valley State (68-57) and Chaminade (84-51). The Bulldogs are coached by LaVall Jordan in his fifth season (74-58).
BU opened the season with three-straight victories over IUPUI (56-47), Central Arkansas (85-53) and Troy (70-59). Butler fell to Michigan State (73-52) before playing in the Maui Invitational. The Bulldogs dropped games against then-No. 12 Houston (70-50) and Texas A&M (57-50) in Hawaii before earning the win over Chaminade.
Jair Bolden leads a trio of Bulldogs that average double-figure points. Bolden (12.6), Jayden Taylor (11.9) and Chuck Harris (10.9) are the team leaders in points per game. Bolden, who has played in all eight games but has only two starts, is 23-for-50 (46.0%) from three and is 32-for-70 (45.7%) from the field.
Against Saginaw Valley State, Bolden and Bryce Golden each finished with a team-best 15 points and Golden wrangled a team-high eight boards. Taylor added 11 points and the Bulldogs finished the night 25-for-53 (47.2%) shooting.

AP TOP-25 NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS | LLOYD NOBLE CENTER

The Sooners earned their first AP top-25 victory over a non-conference ranked foe in the Porter Moser era Wednesday, Dec. 1. The Sooners beat then-No. 14 Florida 74-67 behind a trio of double-digit scorers.
It was the Sooners' first home victory over a ranked non-conference opponent since Jan. 30, 2021 when the Sooners topped then-No. 9 Alabama 66-61.
Prior to Oklahoma's last two victories over Florida and Alabama, the Sooners last beat an AP top-25 non-conference opponent at Lloyd Noble Center Nov. 18, 2008 when No. 12 OU beat No. 21 Davidson, 82-78. Blake Griffin led Oklahoma with 25 points and 21 boards and William Warren added 20 points. Steph Curry scored 44 points for the Wildcats on 12-for-29 shooting and went 6-for-15 from 3-point range.
The Sooners are 7-1 against AP top-25 ranked non-conference opponents at Lloyd Noble Center in their last eight games. OU's lone loss during that stretch was to then-No. 25 Florida (11/28/17).