NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Gameday Thread

[OUHoops]

http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=210832497

SETTING THE SCENE
Making its ninth trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in school history, No. 2 seed Oklahoma (28-7 overall, 12-6 Big 12) will take on No. 1 seed Oregon (31-6 overall, 14-4 Pac-12) in Saturday’s West Regional final in Anaheim, Calif. The contest, to be played at the 18,336-seat Honda Center, will start at 5:09 p.m. CT.

Should it advance to the school’s fifth-ever Final Four, Oklahoma will face the winner of Saturday’s Kansas (No. 1 seed) versus Villanova (No. 2 seed) matchup next weekend in Houston (time TBA).

ON THE AIR
All of OU’s NCAA Tournament games will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM in Oklahoma City; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland (play by play) and Scott Thompson (analyst) calling the action. Saturday’s game will be televised nationally by CBS with Verne Lundquist, Jim Spanarkel and Allie LaForce announcing. It will also air on the Westwood One Network (Sirius 81, XM 201) with Kevin Kugler and Donny Marshall on the call.

SOONER STORYLINES
• ELITE SOONERS: Making its ninth trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in school history, No. 2 seed Oklahoma (28-7 overall, 12-6 Big 12) will take on No. 1 seed Oregon (31-6 overall, 14-4 Pac-12) in Saturday’s West Regional final in Anaheim, Calif. The contest, to be played at the 18,336-seat Honda Center, will start at 5:09 p.m. CT. The Sooners are 0-2 all-time against the Ducks. The teams have not met since the 1939-40 (Final Four) and 1940-41 seasons. OU advanced to the 2016 Elite Eight with wins over CSU Bakersfield and VCU in the first and second rounds, respectively, and Texas A&M in the third round on Thursday.

• OREGON CONNECTIONS: Oregon head coach Dana Altman was an assistant for Lon Kruger at Kansas State from 1986-89. The two helped lead the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in the 1988 NCAA Tournament. Altman then succeeded Kruger as the head coach at K-State following the 1989-90 season.

• KEEPING IT (OVER) 100: The Sooners aren’t short on experience or leadership this season. OU’s quartet of Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard has started every game (103 consecutive) for OU the past three seasons, tallying 412 combined starts during that span. With the addition of Khadeem Lattin (35 starts), OU boasts a starting five with 474 combined career starts. Each member of the 'core four' has at least 1,000 points in his respective career at Oklahoma.

• GETTING OFFENSIVE: OU currently ranks second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.426) by hitting 364-855 of its shots from downtown. Oklahoma’s all-time record for 3-point field goal percentage in a campaign is .414 (1986-87). OU has connected on at least 10 treys in 23 games this year (a school record) and it’s 10.4 3-point makes per game ranks seventh nationally (first in Big 12). OU's 364 total 3-point field goals made this season ranks third in the country (first in the Big 12).

• BUDDYBUCKETS: Senior Buddy Hield is currently averaging 25.1 points per game, which ranks first in the Big 12 and second nationally (first among Power 5 conferences). The two-time Big 12 Player of the Year has scored at least 20 points in 25 games this season and his 45.8 percent (138-301) shooting from downtown ranks sixth in the country. His 3.9 3FGM per game is tops in the nation. The Bahamas native has 11 games of at least 30 points this season (same total as the rest of the Big 12 combined, most in the nation) and 13 total such games in his career at OU (tied with Michael Beasley for most in Big 12 history).

FAST FACTS ON THE DUCKS
• Oregon enters Saturday’s West Regional final with a 31-6 record following NCAA Tournament wins over No. 16 seed Holy Cross (91-52), No. 8 seed Saint Joseph’s (69-64) and No. 4 seed Duke (82-68). Its 31 wins are the most in school history.

• Following back-to-back losses in mid-February, the Ducks have won 11 straight games. They won the Pac-12 regular season (14-4 record) and tournament titles (beat Utah 88-57 in tourney championship game). UO is 8-1 this season in neutral site contests.

• Oregon has four players averaging double figures in scoring. They are led by sophomore forward Dillon Brooks, a first-team All-Pac-12 pick who averages 17.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Brooks had 22 points, 5 boards and 6 assists Thursday vs. Duke. Pac-12 Tournament MVP Elgin Cook, a senior forward, averages 14.6 points and 5.2 boards per game. Pac-12 All-Freshman Team member Tyler Dorsey contributes 13.5 points a game from the guard spot with the help of 66 3-pointers and .418 3-point shooting, both team highs. Junior forward Chris Boucher averages 12.0 points and a team-leading 7.3 rebounds a game.

• Dana Altman, the 2016 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, is 154-63 in his sixth season at Oregon. In his 27th year as a Division I head coach, this is his 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament and fourth with the Ducks. Altman succeeded Lon Kruger as the head coach at Kansas State following the 1989-90 season (he was a K-State assistant under Kruger for three years).

• Oregon is making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance (19-12 record) and fourth straight. Its only NCAA Tournament title came in 1939, the first year of the event (beat Oklahoma in the national semifinals and Ohio State in the championship game).

 

[jackson_supersooner]

Re: NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Pregame Thread

So jacked for this game! Will be a tough game! But everything is a bonus from here on out!


Doesn't make me want it any less. Lol

 

[cfin5256]

Re: NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Pregame Thread

So jacked for this game! Will be a tough game! But everything is a bonus from here on out!


Doesn't make me want it any less. Lol

Yep. I'm not greedy, I want a natty but it would be nice to get another FF banner for the LNC. :woot

 

[slappy in OP]

Re: NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Pregame Thread

As far as I am concerned, we owe Oregon a beating in any sport we meet them in for the rest of time. Boomer Sooner!

 

[tomkar98]

Re: NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Pregame Thread

Let's Do This

 

[Soonermarty]

Re: NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Pregame Thread

Just saw where Toby tweeted out that Kruger and Altman are scheduled to go on a golf trip together once the season is over.

 

[hoopsaustin]

Re: NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Pregame Thread

Game day! Ahhhhhh!!!

 

[Chaser728]

Re: NCAA Elite 8 /// Oregon vs. Oklahoma /// Pregame Thread

As far as I am concerned, we owe Oregon a beating in any sport we meet them in for the rest of time. Boomer Sooner!

This times 30!

 

[tomkar98]

It is time!!!!!!

Gameday!!!!!

Boomer!!!!! :OU-logo: :lon :buddy :woot

 

[OklahomaLibertarian]

this is gonna be an epic game.. both teams are explosive

 

[tomkar98]

The Elite 8 games today are going to be epic. Great day of basketball!

 

[Soonermarty]

So nervous..... I believe in this bunch. Gonna be a special evening ladies and gents

 

[Sooner95]

Well, he we go. We all know we are good enough to keep advancing. Pretty sure the nation as a whole would like to see Oklahoma & Buddy keep playing.

Now it's time to take care of business. If we play our game and shoot the ball well, we cannot be beat.

BOOMER!!!

 

[JBaker]

Not nervous. We've played to seed. This will have been a good season no matter what happens.

Now let's just go out there and win the whole effing thing.

 

[Big Old Booger]

How has Oregon played 41 games while we have only played 35? 41 seems really high.

 

[tomkar98]

Forty Minutes Away from the Final Four..... Chills!!!!

Boomer! :OU-logo: :lon :buddy :chestram2: :woot

 

[Kswhitetail]

here we go boys. We need cousins or woodard to play well to help out buddy. And rebound. When we have struggled has been when weve been out rebounded. Gonna b a heck of a game.

 

[Tundrasooner]

Whatever happens today I'm extremely proud of this team. Great year with a great group.

 

[NickZepp]

Lattin needs to pretty much only shoot from up close.

 

[NickZepp]

Good start so far. 10-5 OU