SATURDAY'S GAME BASICS
No. 1/2 Oklahoma hits the road for another Big 12 road test at Kansas State Saturday at 5 p.m. CT inside Bramlage Coliseum. OU, which is 19-2 overall and tied atop the Big 12 standings at 7-2, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Wildcats are 13-9 this season (2-7 Big 12) and are under the direction of Bruce Weber, who is in his fourth campaign in Manhattan.
ON THE AIR
Saturday’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 Scott Thompson announcing. The matchup will be televised by ESPNU with Jason Benetti and Reid Gettys calling the action.
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
SCENE SETTER: No. 1/2 Oklahoma hits the road for another Big 12 road test at Kansas State this Saturday at 5 p.m. CT inside Bramlage Coliseum. OU, which is 19-2 overall and tied atop the Big 12 standings at 7-2, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Wildcats are 13-9 this season (2-7 Big 12) and are under the direction of Bruce Weber, who is in his fourth campaign in Manhattan.
SERVING TREYS: Oklahoma currently ranks first nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.462) by hitting 237-513 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 15 games this year (a school record) and it’s 11.3 3-point makes per game ranks third nationally. OU’s starting five is averaging 48.6 percent from 3-point range (202 for 416).
STRONG ON BOTH ENDS: The Sooners rank in the nation’s top 15 in both scoring offense with 85.8 points per game (fourth) and scoring margin (+14.2, 13th) by holding opponents to just 71.6 points per contest. Oklahoma has scored at least 80 points in 15 of 21 contests this season. On the other end, OU leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.395).
BUDDY BUCKETS: Senior Buddy Hield is currently averaging 25.8 points per game, which ranks first in the Big 12 and second nationally (first among Power 5 conferences). The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year has scored at least 20 points in 12 of the last 15 games and his 51.7 percent (90-174) shooting from downtown ranks first in the country. His 4.29 3FGM per game is tops in the nation. He has eight games of at least 30 points this season (same total as rest of Big 12 combined).
STEADFAST SOONERS: Oklahoma isn’t short on experience or leadership this season. OU’s quartet of Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard have each started every game (89 total) for OU the past three seasons, tallying 356 combined starts during that span. With the addition of Khadeem Lattin (21 starts), OU boasts a starting five with 404 combined career starts.
NOTES ON K-STATE, OU CONNECTIONS
Kansas State is under the direction of Bruce Weber, now in his fourth season in Manhattan.
The Wildcats are led in scoring by Wesley Iwundu, who averages 12.4 points per contest. Justin Edwards is also averaging double-figure scoring with 11. 5 points per game.
Starter Dean Wade leads the club in rebounds with 5.7 boards per game. Edwards is right behind him with 5.5 rebounds per contest average.
K-State is averaging 71.9 points per contest and gives up an average of 67.3 points per game to its opponent.
The Wildcats currently rank ninth in the country in 3-point field goal defense (.291).
In the first matchup of the season between the Sooners and Wildcats (Jan. 9, OU won 86-76), reserve Barry Brown led K-State with 19 points. Also in double-figure scoring that game was Dean Wade (12), Stephen Hurt (11) and D.J. Johnson (10). In the contest, Kansas State shot .384 from the field, including .308 from long distance.
OU head coach Lon Kruger was the 1973 and ’74 Big Eight Player of the Year as a Kansas State Wildcat and coached at the school for four years, compiling an 81-46 record from 1986-87 through 1989-90.
Sooners assistant coach Steve Henson played for Kruger at K-State each of those four seasons and still holds school career records for assists (582), assists per game (4.58), free throw percentage (.900), minutes per game (35.2), starts (118), consecutive games played (127) and consecutive starts (118). Both are members of K-State’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
