Men's Basketball Back Home to Take on No. 24 Vanderbilt

NORMAN – Following a two-game road swing, Oklahoma (15-5, 2-5 SEC) returns home to host No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-4, 4-3) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center.

The Commodores have won three of their last four games, including home contests against then-No. 6 Tennessee and then-No. 9 Kentucky. The Sooners are 2-0 this season against teams ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll, winning neutral-site games against Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals and against Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational.

Saturday's contest is part of Coaches vs. Cancer's Suits and Sneakers Week, a nationwide event that unites basketball coaches for a common cause: saving lives from cancer by promoting the importance of regular screening. The OU coaching staff will wear suits and Air Jordan 1 Low shoes during the game.

OU-Vanderbilt will be televised by SEC Network with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (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. No. 24 Vanderbilt
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1
Tip Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Norman, Okla.
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center

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Game Notes

OPENING TIP

• Oklahoma is in the second of a five-game stretch in which every opponent is ranked in this week's AP poll (No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 24 Vanderbilt, No. 1 Auburn, No. 8 Tennessee and No. 20 Missouri). Ten of OU's last 12 games are vs. ranked teams (eight vs. top-20 teams).

• The Sooners have showcased their individual offensive depth this season, with a nation-leading four players who have scored at least 29 points in a game and an SEC-high-tying six players who have scored 20-plus points.

• OU leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally with its .799 season free throw percentage, which would smash the single-season school record of .767 set by the 2001-02 Final Four team. Vanderbilt ranks sixth in the SEC with its .740 season free throw mark.

• Oklahoma is one of just two SEC teams with two players who rank in the top 12 in league scoring. Senior forward Jalon Moore ranks third (18.2 ppg) and freshman guard Jeremiah Fears ranks 12th (15.9 ppg). Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. ranks seventh (17.8) and Alijah Martin 11th (16.1).

• Moore, who is eight points shy of 1,000 for his career, ranks second in SEC league play with his 19.1 points per game. He also ranks second in the conference with 11 20-point games this season (Alabama's Mark Sears has 12), and has five such performances in the last eight outings.

• Fears leads SEC freshmen in free throws made (97; next most is 52) and free throws attempted (117; next most is 71) and ranks second in scoring (15.9 ppg), assists (4.3 apg) and steals (1.8 spg), third in free throw percentage (.829) and fourth in rebounds (3.9 rpg).

• OU's Brycen Goodine leads the SEC in league play with his .512 3-point field goal percentage (21 for 41). Coming off a 24-point effort at No. 13/15 Texas A&M in which he nailed five treys on nine attempts, Goodine is 10 for 18 from deep over the last three games (.556).

• In its five league losses, OU has outshot its opponents from the field (.472 to .450) and from 3-point range (.380 to .278; nine more makes), but has been outscored by 44 points from the free throw line (opponents have attempted 142 free throws to OU's 90). The Sooners have also been outrebounded by 13.0 a game and have been outscored 80-38 in second-chance points.

THE OU-VANDERBILT SERIES

• Vanderbilt holds a 2-1 series lead against Oklahoma. The Sooners' win came in the last meeting (86-55) in the 2018-19 season in Norman as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Commodores won 78-69 in Nashville, Tenn., in the 1955-56 season and 77-67 in a first-round postseason NIT game to end OU's 1993-94 campaign (Billy Tubbs' final game as Sooners head coach).

RECAPPING THE LAST OU-VANDERBILT GAME

• Oklahoma and Vanderbilt last met on Jan. 26, 2019, in Norman, with the Sooners posting an 86-55 victory in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge game.

• Lon Kruger's Sooners used a 19-0 first-half run over a 5:35 stretch to take a 33-16 lead and never looked back. OU, which shot .554 from the field and held the Commodores to a .368 mark, was led by guard Christian James' 21 points and five rebounds. Forward Brady Manek tallied 16 points and four boards while guard Rashard Odomes chipped in with 14 points and three caroms.

• Vanderbilt, coached by Bryce Drew, was led in scoring by guard Saben Lee, who finished with game highs of 24 points and eight rebounds while contributing three assists. He was the only Commodore with more than nine points.

HAPPY TO BE BACK HOME

• Oklahoma, which is 9-2 at Lloyd Noble Center this season, has shot phenomenally well in the building with its .502 field goal, .369 3-point and .820 free throw marks. Over the last four home games, the Sooners have upped those figures, shooting .553 from the field, .432 from long distance and .828 from the foul line.

• OU has shot over 50% from the field in all three of its SEC home games (.543 vs. Texas A&M, .510 vs. Texas and .560 vs. South Carolina), combining for a .538 figure. It is also shooting .474 from 3-point range in those contests (9.0 makes per game) and .781 from the free throw line.

• The Sooners' two home losses this season have come by a combined six points (80-78 to Texas A&M and 77-73 to Texas). They had 18 turnovers in each of those games (gave up 46 points off the 36 turnovers).

SOONERS CAN SHOOT

• In SEC play, Oklahoma is the only program to rank in the top seven in field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and it ranks in the top four in each. OU ranks third (.476), third (.384) and fourth (.756), respectively.

• OU's top three scorers and four of its top five are shooting over 80% from the free throw line. Jalon Moore is shooting .850, Jeremiah Fears .829, Duke Miles .875 and Brycen Goodine .857.

THE 3 IS KEY

• Oklahoma ranks sixth nationally and third in the 16-team SEC in 3-point field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just .281 from behind the arc. The OU single-season record for 3-point field goal percentage defense is .292 in 2004-05. The Sooners have held opponents to 33%-or-lower 3-point shooting in 15 of 20 contests this season.

• On the other side of the court, OU ranks third in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage offense (.372) and has shot over 30% from 3-point range in 16 games. It turned in a season-high .583 (14 for 24) effort against Texas A&M on Jan. 8.

• Vanderbilt ranks ninth in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage offense (.333) and last in 3-point defense (.357).

STACKED SEC

• The SEC leads the country with an impressive 10 teams (40%) ranked in this week's AP top 25 (including seven in the top 14): No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 20 Missouri, No. 23 Ole Miss and No. 24 Vanderbilt. Two more teams (Oklahoma and Texas) are receiving votes.

• The other three power conferences have a combined 11 teams ranked in this week's AP top 25. The Big Ten has five, the Big 12 four and the ACC two.