*********OU-Iowa State Game Thread**********

[OUHoops]

Tip-off at 12:47.

The game will mark OU's Senior Day. Seniors Casey Arent, Andrew Fitzgerald, Sam Grooms, Romero Osby and Steven Pledger will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030113aac.html

PREVIEWING IOWA STATE
Iowa State comes to Norman with a 19-9 overall record and a 9-6 league mark (tied with OU in fourth place). The Cyclones are 15-1 at home this year and 3-7 in true road games. They have suffered three overtime losses in Big 12 play, including a 108-96 decision on Monday that snapped a 22-game home court winning streak. In Big 12 play, ISU leads the league with its 78.5 points per game and is averaging 88.4 points over the last five outings.

Iowa State leads the nation in 3-pointers per game (9.9) and in Big 12 play is averaging 10.6 makes per outing. The Cyclones have made at least 10 treys in seven straight contests (averaging 12.4 in those seven games) and canned a school-record 17 against Kansas on Monday. They have made 62 more treys than their opponents in Big 12 play (an average difference of 12.4 points per game).

Senior guard Will Clyburn is averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game on the year and ranks second on the squad with 7.3 rebounds per contest and third with 2.6 assists. The Utah transfer has attempted a team-high 149 free throws, 61 more than the Cyclone with the next most attempts.

Fellow senior guard Tyrus McGee, from Stringtown, Okla., averages 13.5 points in just 24.4 minutes per game in a reserve role. He leads the Big 12 with his 2.8 3-pointers per game and with his .459 season 3-point field goal percentage. McGee has shot 50 percent or better from long range in five of the last six games (combined 22-for-40 in those six).

Forwards Georges Niang and Melvin Ejim average 11.6 and 10.8 points per game, respectively. Niang, a freshman, is shooting a team-best .511 from the field and contributes 4.6 rebounds an outing. Ejim, a junior, leads the Big 12 with his 9.6 boards per game.

OU-IOWA STATE SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma owns a 110-80 all-time series lead against Iowa State and is 60-22 in games played in Norman. The Sooners had won five straight games in the series and 12 of 16, but the Cyclones have won the last three. OU is 12-8 against Iowa State since the start of the Big 12 Conference (7-1 at Lloyd Noble Center).

FEB. 4 VS. THE CYCLONES
Oklahoma gave up a then-season-high 83 points in a 19-point road loss at Iowa State on Feb. 4. The Cyclones outscored the Sooners by 24 points from 3-point range, going 11-for-27 while holding OU to a 3-for-16 performance. It was ISU's 20th straight home win.

The Cyclones broke open an 8-8 game by going on a 9-2 run to take a 17-10 lead with 14:28 left in the first half and never trailed afterward. They led by as many as 25 (58-33).

Senior Andrew Fitzgerald led the Sooners in scoring for the first time this year with his season-high-tying 12-point effort off the bench. Fitzgerald was 5-for-11 from the field and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in his 18 minutes.

Freshman Isaiah Cousins matched a career high with 10 points in a reserve role. His 25 minutes were his most in 14 games.

Junior Cameron Clark also netted 10 points off the bench on 5-for-8 shooting, just his third double-digit scoring game of the year. Fitzgerald, Cousins and Clark combined to go 13-for-26 (.500) from the field while the rest of the team went 13-for-45 (.289).

The Sooners posted a 42-33 rebounding advantage over the Big 12 leader in rebounding margin entering the game. Iowa State came into the contest outboarding its foes by 6.7 per contest. OU's 21 offensive rebounds were a season high. The Sooners notched a 23-9 advantage in second-chance points.

 

[skyvue]

Re: OU-Iowa State Pregame Notes [SoonerSports.com]

I can't find the game in my Tivo listings; is it not on national TV?

 

[OUHoops]

Re: OU-Iowa State Pregame Notes [SoonerSports.com]

I can't find the game in my Tivo listings; is it not on national TV?

Nope. It's Big 12 Network. Whatever that is in your area.

 

[razmataz]

Why is today Senior Day when we have WV coming in next Wednesday? Better crowd on Saturday?

 

[61sooner]

This is probably the biggest game so far in Lon's tenure at OU. A must win game to have any hope of a NCAA bid. Lose this one and I think we are out unless OU has a couple of upsets in the Big 12 tourney.
Go Sooners, tie down that Cyclone.

 

[skyvue]

Re: OU-Iowa State Pregame Notes [SoonerSports.com]

Nope. It's Big 12 Network. Whatever that is in your area.

Most such games get picked up by someone here in NYC, but not this one, it seems.

 

[Chaser728]

This is probably the biggest game so far in Lon's tenure at OU. A must win game to have any hope of a NCAA bid. Lose this one and I think we are out unless OU has a couple of upsets in the Big 12 tourney.
Go Sooners, tie down that Cyclone.

Nope. We still have 2 more wins available after this one. Which would get us to 11 conference wins and a 20 win season before the big 12 tourney. That Texas loss did not put us on the bubble as many think it did, but it significantly hurt our single digit seed chances. This will not be a "signature win"... We have 2 of those already and have a pretty stout resume. But I do agree with one thing you say: Go Sooners!

 

[slappy in OP]

Huge game. Boomer Sooner! :OU-logo:

 

[ksSooner13]

Why is today Senior Day when we have WV coming in next Wednesday? Better crowd on Saturday?

my guess is it was easier for family travel, but I have no idea

 

[Keller Sooner]

This one we need badly. I know, that statement is a (duh). I believe we can win it if we can defend pretty well against their 3s. We can't shut them down from beyond the arc, that's what they do so well, but if we can hold them below their average, we can win. I think we're better inside, but we need to limit their second chance points with a strong rebounding effort. So, rebounding and limiting their treys are key. Other than that, I've got nothing.

 

[razmataz]

Makes sense. Need this one!

 

[AdaSooner]

Today's game could tell us a lot about this team and how they will perform going forward. Will they turn the page and get back on track in their resolve to make the NCAA tourney, or continue to dwell on the heartbreaking loss to UT? We'll know the answers to those question before long.

 

[Chaser728]

Today's game could tell us a lot about this team and how they will perform going forward. Will they turn the page and get back on track in their resolve to make the NCAA tourney, or continue to dwell on the heartbreaking loss to UT? We'll know the answers to those question before long.

All year long they have responded to losses with a W, except when they lost in Aimes... However, I think today will be different. This is one of the many things that has been so different about this team compared to last year; their resolve and response to losses.

I'm saying we win by 10. 85-75 good guys! Boomer!

 

[WTSooner]

I'm not too worried about the team not playing well, or not playing hard. I think we will. But we still might lose. Some of how ISU does from three will be dependent on our defense. But if they show up hot and hitting everything, we will be in a dog fight. That is the biggest reason I'll consider all three matchups with ISU as toss ups. Teams that play the ISU style can beat or lose to anybody on any given day.

 

[AdaSooner]

I'm not too worried about the team not playing well, or not playing hard. I think we will. But we still might lose. Some of how ISU does from three will be dependent on our defense. But if they show up hot and hitting everything, we will be in a dog fight. That is the biggest reason I'll consider all three matchups with ISU as toss ups. Teams that play the ISU style can beat or lose to anybody on any given day.

I agree, this is game is a toss up. ISU is a tough match up for us because they have so many players who are capable of making shots from three or taking the ball to the hole. They're a hard team to defend when their shots from the perimeter are going in.

 

[dksooner]

Ten minutes til tip and I have a black screen? Uverse in okc

 

[Dodgers]

mine is black too. I have cox.

 

[opsooner]

We can win if we work for good shots and don't turn it over. I don't like the matchup and hope they go through a cold spell.

 

[Swans]

Interesting that I set this game to record on espn2 earlier this week and now it's dropped off. Guess Wichita St./Creighton is a bigger draw. TT/TCU is the only other conference game I can't find being televised nationally.

 

[Dodgers]

It's on the watchespn app or espn3 for those out of the area or with black screens.