FRIDAY'S GAME BASICS
Oklahoma (3-1) returns to the Lloyd Noble Center for a holiday weekend matinee against Abilene Christian (2-1) on Friday, Nov. 25. The Sooners face the Wildcats for the first time since 1982, hosting ACU on the day after Thanksgiving at 2 p.m. Oklahoma aims to start the season 4-1 for the sixth consecutive season under Lon Kruger. OU has began the year by winning four of its first five games in each season under Kruger, including a 5-0 start in 2015-16. Kruger is the only coach in OU history to lead the Sooners to a 4-1 or better start in all of his first five seasons as head coach.
ON THE AIR
Friday’s contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM “The Franchise” in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Oklahoma with Chad McKee and Bryndon Manzer calling the action.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
• After taking third place in the Tire Pros Invitational in Orlando, Fla., the Sooners are back at home for the second time this season. Oklahoma has won 123 of its last 128 non-conference games at Lloyd Noble Center, including 57 of its last 59. The Sooners are 31-2 at home and 60-15 overall against non-conference opponents under Kruger. OU is 20-1 at the LNC in out-of-conference play since 2013.
• After a prolific season of 3-point shooting in 2015-16 that included hitting a program-record 382-of-906 (.422) shots from behind the arc, the Sooners are off to another hot start from deep. Oklahoma ranks 10th nationally and third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.459), sinking an average of 8.5 treys per game. OU has been paced by Christian James and Jordan Woodard with 10 3-pointers each through four games. In his most recent game (Nov. 20 vs. Clemson), James went 5-of-5 from 3-point range and was the first Sooner to shoot 100 percent from 3-point range on at least five attempts since Buddy Hield went 7-for-7 against Southeastern Louisiana in 2014. James is shooting 10-for-14 (.714) from behind the arc this season and is eight 3-point field goals away from surpassing his 2015-16 season total (17-of-34 in 35 games).
• Through four games, the Sooners have seen numerous newcomers contribute to their 3-1 start. An OU freshman has scored in double figures in three of the Sooners’ four games. Matt Freeman opened the season with 15 points against Northwestern State (Nov. 13), Kristian Doolittle tallied 13 points against Northern Iowa (Nov. 18) and Kameron McGusty scored 14 versus Clemson (Nov. 20). All five of OU’s scholarship newcomers (Doolitte, Freeman, McGusty, Jordan Shepherd and Darrion Strong-Moore) are averaging at least 10 minutes per game and collectively average 26.3 points per contest.
• Tallying eight blocked shots in the first four games of the season, junior forward Khadeem Lattin has moved into the top five career shotblockers in program history with 116 in just 75 career games for the Sooners. Owning a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Lattin averaged a Big 12-best 2.1 blocks per game in 2015-16, including 2.7 rejections in conference play.
• The last time the Sooners and Wildcats met (Dec. 6, 1982), Wayman Tisdale led Oklahoma to a 110-61 rout. Tisdale scored 51 points on 22-of-27 shooting while adding 17 rebounds. Tisdale’s scoring performance was the third highest of his career and fourth most in OU history.
SERIES HISTORY
• OU is 2-0 all time against ACU, with both games being played in Norman. Friday’s meeting will be the first game between the Sooners and Wildcats since 1982.
• The Sooners won their two previous matchups with ACU by an average of 36.5 points.
