No. 14 Sooners Take on K-State on National Stage

(14/19) Oklahoma (16-2, 5-1)

(RV/RV) Kansas State (14-4, 4-2)

Jan. 23, 2022 / 1 p.m. CT / Bramlage Coliseum / Manhattan, Kan.

Watch on ESPNU / Stats / OU Radio / Game Notes

NORMAN – No. 14/19 Oklahoma (16-2, 5-1) closes its two-game road trip and puts its four-game winning streak on the line in a showdown at Kansas State (14-4, 4-2) on Sunday in Manhattan, Kan. The Sooners share first place in the Big 12 Conference and have won 13 of their last 14 games and eight consecutive road games dating back to last season.

The game will air on ESPNU as the Sooners play on the national stage for the first time this season with Brenda VanLengen and Holly Warlick calling the action.The game will air on the Sooner Radio Network on KOKC 1520 AM and KREF 99.3 FM/1400 AM with Chris Plank calling the action.

THE STARTING FIVE

The Sooners jumped nine spots in the Jan. 17 AP Top 25 poll, leaping from No. 23 to No. 14, which marked the largest single-week jump in the AP poll in school history. The previous record belonged to the 2004 OU squad who moved up eight spots after winning the Big 12 tournament. OU enters Sunday's contest ranked inside the top 15 for the first time since Nov. 28, 2016.
The Sooners have used the Sooner Magic to comeback from double-digit deficits four times this season, including twice vs. ranked opponents. Down 19 points in the second half of the Utah game, the Sooners outscored the Utes 32-14 in the fourth quarter to secure the fourth-largest comeback in program history. That performance followed the win over then-No. 16 BYU when OU erased a 10-point deficit to knock off the Cougars in overtime. The Sooners came back from 16 points down at Kansas to post the fourth-largest comeback ever vs. a Big 12 opponent. Most recently, OU erased multiple 10-point deficits to knock off No. 14 Baylor in Norman on Jan. 12.
On Jan. 19, the Sooners moved into a tie for first place in the Big 12 following an 88-76 win at West Virginia. The win marked the Sooners fifth straight in Morgantown and extended the team's 2021-22 winning streak to four. The Sooners opened a 12-point lead in the first quarter before the Mountaineers stormed back to take a 46-44 lead at halftime, led by Naismith Award watch list honoree Esmery Martinez, who finished with 26 points for WVU. However, Baranczyk's team answered with one of its most dominant quarters of the season, using a 16-3 run to close the third frame and take a 14-point lead into the fourth. The Mountaineers made their last run in the final quarter, cutting OU's lead to nine with 2:56 left in regulation, but a Taylor Robertson layup as the shot clock expired settled the Sooners, who held on for an 88-76 win.
Oklahoma's high-powered offensive attack is one of the best in the country and on pace to be the best in program history. OU's 88.3 points per game rank second nationally and first in the league as the attack is powered by D1-best 20.9 assists per game. Taylor Robertson (18.3 PPG) and Madi Williams (18.8) make Oklahoma the only team in the Big 12 and one of four teams nationally to land two scorers that average of 18.0 points per game. Robertson leads the country in both 3-pointers made (78) and 3P% (49.4%) as OU has hit double-digit treys a nation-leading 12 times this year.
The Sooners are 5-0 on the road this season and have won eight straight in opponent's gyms dating back to last year, with two of those wins (South Dakota and Kansas) coming vs. teams ranked inside of the NET's top 40. OU is one of 11 teams to have an unblemished record on the road this season and its eight-game road winning streak is the fourth-longest in the country and second-longest among P5 schools.

SERIES HISTORY

Sunday's contest is the 72nd all-time meeting between the OU and KSU, with Oklahoma holding a 42-29 advantage. OU leads K-State 17-15 in Manhattan, winning the most recent meeting at Bramlage, 80-78, on Jan. 31, 2021. The Sooners have won the last two meetings after dropping the previous four games. Baranczyk is 0-1 all-time vs. the Wildcats as a head coach, falling 67-54 in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament while at Drake.