University of Oklahoma Athletics
University of Oklahoma
Kansas State
Sooners Host No. 12/14 Kansas State on Tuesday
February 13, 2023 | Men's Basketball
NORMAN – Oklahoma men's basketball hosts No. 12/14 Kansas State on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Tip is at 8 p.m. inside Lloyd Noble Center.
Tuesday's game against the Wildcats will be broadcast on ESPNU with James Westling and Lance Blanks on the call. Fans may also listen 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.
In Oklahoma's last outing, Jalen Hill led the Sooners with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and pulled down five boards. Otega Oweh received his second consecutive start and scored 11 points. Grant Sherfield tallied the first five points of the game and finished with 10 points.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Jerome Tang is in his first season as Kansas State head men's basketball coach and has guided the Wildcats to a 19-6 record and 7-5 mark in the Big 12. In their last outing, the Wildcats fell at Texas Tech 71-63. KSU is 3-5 on the road this season and have lost their last four away contests.
Keyonte Johnson boasts team highs in points (17.6) and rebounds (7.6) per game. Johnson is shooting 51.3% (156-304) from the field and 41.1% (30-73) from deep. Markquis Nowell adds 16.9 points, 2.3 steals and a team-best 7.6 assists per outing. Nae'Qwan Tomlin averages 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Johnson, Nowell, Tomlin and Cam Carter have started all 25 games.
Kansas State is ranked in the top 60 in seven NCAA DI categories. KSU is 12th in 3-point percentage defense (28.6%), 13th in assists per game (16.9), 14th in free throws made per game (16.7), 21st in free throw attempts per game (22.4), 33rd in turnovers forced per game (15.5), 54th in free throw percentage (74.8) and 58th in scoring margin (8.2). Nowell is third in the nation in assists (191) and assists per game (7.6) and is 13th in steals (58) and steals per game (2.3).
KANSAS STATE CONNECTIONS
Porter Moser led the Loyola Ramblers to the 2018 Final Four and beat Kansas State 78-62 in the Elite Eight. Clayton Custer, Oklahoma's director of video operations and player development, tallied seven points and five assists in 36 minutes against the Wildcats.
Oklahoma sophomore guard C.J. Noland's father, Belvis Noland, played two seasons at Kansas State. The elder Noland scored 344 points in 27 games during the 1994-95 season and led the Wildcats with 61 made 3-pointers that season. He also ranks third in KSU program history for steals per game (1.80).
The Sooners beat KSU 117-76 on Jan. 18, 1992, and it marked the second-largest road victory margin in program history. Four Sooners finished with 20-plus points. Brent Price tallied a team-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Jeff Webster finished with a double-double (27 points and 11 rebounds).
Former Oklahoma head men's basketball coach Lon Kruger played baseball and basketball at Kansas State. He guided the Wildcats to back-to-back Big Eight Conference titles in 1972 and 1973 and was named Big Eight Player of the Year in 1973 and 1974.
RANKING SUMMARY
Oklahoma is ranked in the top 60 in two NCAA Division I categories. OU is 28th in 3-point percentage defense (30.4%) and 60th in field goal percentage (46.8%). The Sooners are second in the conference in effective field goal percentage (53.0%) and field goal percentage. OU is third in defensive rebounds per game (25.5), fouls per game (16.0) and 3-point percentage defense.
Grant Sherfield is 21st nationally in 3-point percentage (42.1%) and leads the Big 12. Sherfield is first in the league in 3-pointers made (64) and ranks second in 3-pointers per game (2.6). The Fort Worth, Texas product is third in field goal attempts (327), fourth in field goals (139) and fourth in free throw percentage (85.5%). Jalen Hill is 48th in free throw percentage (86.3%). Tanner Groves is 81st in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (5.8). Groves ranks fourth in the conference in defensive rebounds per game and in total rebounds (172).
Sherfield is 26th among active NCAA Division I career leaders in scoring average (15.3), 27th in assists (507), 29th in assist average (4.65) and 32nd in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.84). Sherfield is one of 17 active DI players with 1,600-plus points and 500-plus assists. Groves is 80th in career rebounds (714) and 100th in games played (142).
NET/STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Sooners are 76th in the NET (2/13) and Kansas State is 18th. Of Oklahoma's six remaining contests, the Sooners have five quad one games and one quad two game. All 10 Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 76 and seven are ranked in the top 25. The conference has an average NET ranking of 28.1.
Oklahoma has the 11th toughest remaining schedule based on future opposition winning percentage (101-44, 69.7%). Six Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 25.
UP NEXT
The Sooners travel to Austin, Texas, for a Saturday matchup against No. 6/5 Texas.
