Sooners Open Big 12 Play Against Iowa State

NORMAN – No. 11/1 Oklahoma men's basketball hosts RV/RV Iowa State on Saturday, Jan. 6. Tip is at 5:01 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center. The Big 12 conference contest 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 and be broadcast by ESPN+ with Pete Sousa (PxP) and King McClure (analyst) on the call.

Oklahoma vs. Iowa State
Date: Saturday, Jan. 6
Tip Time: 5:01 p.m.
Location: Norman
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center
(Lloyd Noble Center doors open one hour prior to tip)

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FOR THE FANS

• University of Oklahoma students can attend all 2023-24 men's basketball games for free. Students will need to show their ID at the lower north entrance at Lloyd Noble Center. Fans can purchase upper level reserved tickets for as low as $5 via SoonerSports.com/23Holiday or $5 student section general admission tickets via bit.ly/OUMBB5Tix.

• Fans who have purchased a ticket to the men's basketball game against Iowa State may receive a free ticket to the women's game against Cincinnati at noon. Show your men's basketball ticket to any Lloyd Noble Center box office window to redeem your free ticket. LNC box offices open at 11 a.m. for the women's basketball contest against the Bearcats.

OPENING TIP

• Oklahoma is ranked 28th (games through 1/4) overall and sixth in the Big 12 in the NET. Eight Big 12 teams are in the top 50. Iowa State is eighth overall and third in the conference.

•  Junior Javian McCollum ranks 11th among NCAA DI active career leaders in free throw percentage (88.2%). In 64 career games, McCollum has made 157 free throws in 178 attempts.

•  The Sooners wrapped up their non-conference slate with a 72-56 victory over Monmouth on Sunday, Dec. 31. Junior Jalon Moore led the Sooners with a career-high 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting and added six rebounds and two blocks. McCollum and sophomore Milos Uzan each dished out eight assists.

•  Against Monmouth, McCollum finished with 11 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. The Fort Myers, Fla., product became the fourth Sooner since the beginning of the 1996-97 season to record at least 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in a game, joining Trae Young (three times), Eduardo Najera and Jordan Woodward.

•  Oklahoma earned its 11th victory of the season against Central Arkansas on Thursday, Dec. 28. McCollum led the Sooners with a season-high 23 points on 9-for-17 shooting. He tallied a season-best five made triples, matching his career high.

LAST TIME OUT

•  Oklahoma concluded its non-conference slate with a 72-56 victory over Monmouth on Sunday, Dec. 31. OU improved to 9-0 in home games and 12-1 in non-conference contests. Junior Jalon Moore scored a career-high 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting with three 3-pointers. Sophomores Otega Oweh and Milos Uzan added 13 and 10 points, respectively. Junior Javian McCollum added 11 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals.

•  The Sooners entered the break up 32-28 after a trio of 3-pointers by Uzan, McCollum and Oweh. Down 42-41 with 13:08 left, Oklahoma outscored the Hawks 22-4 over the next eight minutes.

•  The Sooners shot 48.2% (27-56) from the floor, 37.0% (10-27) from deep and 72.7% (8-11) from the free throw line. Oklahoma won the battle of the paint (34-24) and outrebounded the Hawks 36-31. Despite Monmouth's late push, Oklahoma held the lead for 28-plus minutes.

AP POLL APPEARANCES

• Oklahoma has appeared in the AP Poll 381 times (30.0%), ranking 22nd all-time. Since the 1984 season, the Sooners have appeared in 48.3% (361 times) of AP Polls and have an average rank of 12.1. OU has been ranked in the top 15 of the AP Poll for four consecutive weeks, marking the first time since a four-week stretch during the 2020-21 season.

RANKING SUMMARY (1/5)

• Oklahoma ranks in the top 50 nationally in 10 categories. The Sooners are eighth in scoring margin (19.3 PPG), 16th in field goal percentage (50.1%), 20th in effective field goal percentage (56.8%), 21st in field goal percentage defense (38.6%), 22nd in scoring defense (63.2 PPG), 23rd in rebound margin (8.8 RPG), 24th in three-point percentage defense (28.4%), 30th in free throw percentage (76.2%), 39th in scoring offense (82.5 PPG) and 44th in fouls per game (14.8 FPG).

• Otega Oweh is 11th in NCAA DI and first in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (64.7%), 46th in steals per game (2.2) and 59th in steals (28). Sam Godwin is 13th nationally and first in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.8 RPG).

SOPHOMORE SEASON

• Otega Oweh appeared in 28 games and made nine starts in 2022-23, tallying 134 points, 59 rebounds and 33 steals. In 13 games this season, Oweh has recorded 201 points, 52 rebounds and 28 steals. The Newark, N.J., product has buried 13 of his 18 (72.2%) 3-pointers, improving on his one made triple last season. Oweh has recorded 11 10-plus point games this season, eclipsing his double-digit point game tally from 2022-23.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• Oklahoma holds a 73-25 record at Lloyd Noble Center since 2017. The Sooners have won 82.9% (606-125) of their games at LNC since the building opened in 1975. OU's winning percentage at Lloyd Noble Center is second in the Big 12 only to Kansas' 87.9% at Allen Fieldhouse (851-117).

BIG 12 HIGHLIGHTS

• The 2023-24 season will be the last campaign in the Big 12 for the Sooners. In 27 years on the hardwood, Oklahoma has amassed a 250-205 (.549) mark in conference competition. The Sooners have had 11 players receive 14 first-team all-conference honors. Hollis Price (2003), Blake Griffin (2009) and Buddy Hield (2015, 2016) were named Big 12 Player of the Year. Willie Warren (2009) and Trae Young (2018) were named Big 12 Freshman of the Year, while Corey Brewer (1997), Ebi Ere (2002), Taj Gray (2005), Michael Neal (2006) and TaShawn Thomas (2015) were selected as Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma travels to TCU for its first road game of the 2023-24 season on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The two programs split their 2022-23 series with each team winning their respective home games. The Sooners hold a 28-7 advantage against the Horned Frogs.