Men's Basketball Home Again Saturday vs. South Carolina

NORMAN – Oklahoma (13-4, 0-4) and South Carolina (10-7, 0-4) each go for their first SEC men's basketball win of the season when they meet in Norman on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT at Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners are 8-2 at home while South Carolina is 1-3 in true road games.

Saturday's game will be televised by ESPNU with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Perry Clark (analyst) announcing. It 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 (play-by-play) and Kevin Henry (analyst) on the call.

Oklahoma vs. South Carolina
Date: Saturday, Jan. 18
Tip Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Norman
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center

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Game Notes

OPENING TIP

• This weekend's game will mark the first of five straight Oklahoma home contests that will be played on a Saturday (South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU and Mississippi State). OU's last two home games vs. Kentucky and Missouri will be played on a Wednesday.

• Over the last five contests, OU senior forward Jalon Moore is averaging team highs of 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting a gaudy .614 from the field, .625 (10 for 16) from 3-point distance and .826 (19 for 23) from the free throw line. On the year, Moore is the only SEC player to rank in the top 10 in the league in scoring (4th at 18.1 ppg), field goal percentage (6th at .526) and free throw percentage (10th at .844).

• OU switched up its starting lineup Wednesday for the first time since Nov. 21, as guard Brycen Goodine replaced Kobe Elvis. The previous 13 games, the Sooners started guards Elvis, Jeremiah Fears and Duke Miles, and forwards Moore and Sam Godwin. Goodine's start was his first since the season opener, while the non-start for Elvis was his first since the 2022-23 season at Dayton.

• South Carolina won a school-record 25 regular season games last season and finished with a 26-8 record and a 13-5 SEC mark (tied for second place). Lamont Paris was named SEC Coach of the Year in his second season leading the Gamecocks.

OU-SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday's game will mark the sixth meeting between Oklahoma and South Carolina, with the Sooners holding a 4-1 series lead and winning the last three matchups.

• Oklahoma is 2-0 in Norman against the Gamecocks, posting a 90-84 win in the first-ever meeting on Dec. 7, 1974, at the OU Field House and a 92-76 victory in the most recent contest on Dec. 10, 1992, at Lloyd Noble Center. In the first meeting, junior center Alvan Adams led OU with 28 points and nine rebounds for head coach Joe Ramsey's team. In the last matchup, Billy Tubbs' Sooners were led by Bryatt Vann (father of current OU women's basketball players Skylar and Zya Vann). Vann scored 25 points and pulled down 10 boards. South Carolina's Jamie Watson talled 23 points and 15 caroms to lead the Gamecocks.

• South Carolina's lone win over OU was an 80-59 outcome in Columbia on Dec. 6, 1975. Forward Kevin Jones paced the Sooners with 12 points and seven rebounds.

• OU's Porter Moser has never faced South Carolina as a head coach.

THERE'S ONLY ONE

• Oklahoma is the only team in the country with four players who have each scored at least 29 points in at least one game this season (Jeremiah Fears vs. Michigan [30], Duke Miles vs. Central Arkansas [29], Brycen Goodine vs. Texas A&M [34]) and Jalon Moore vs. Texas [29]). For more perspective, only two programs have had three different players score at least 29 points in a game this season (Missouri and Texas).

• OU is the only SEC team with six players who have scored 20 or more points in at least one game this season: Moore (nine times), Fears (five times), Elvis (twice) and Godwin, Goodine and Miles (once each).

SOONERS CAN SHOOT

• Oklahoma and No. 1/1 Auburn are the only teams that rank in the SEC's top five in field goal, 3-point and free throw shooting. OU ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.483), third in 3-point percentage (.366) and first in free throw shooting (.800).

• OU's top three scorers and four of its top five are shooting over 80% from the free throw line. Jalon Moore is shooting .844, Jeremiah Fears .824, Duke Miles .886 and Brycen Goodine .813.

STACKED SEC

• The SEC leads the country with an impressive nine teams ranked in this week's AP Top 25 (including five in the top eight and six in the top 11): No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 15 Mississippi State, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 23 Georgia. Two more teams (Oklahoma is 27th and Missouri is 34th) are receiving votes.

• Oklahoma plays 10 games (four home, six road) against the other nine ranked SEC teams this season, with Texas A&M the only program the Sooners will face twice. OU plays seven games against teams ranked in this week's top 11.