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From SoonerSports.com:
Teams: Oklahoma (3-0) vs. No. 12/13 Kentucky (2-0)
Date: Monday, Nov. 22
Tip: 4:30 p.m. CT
Site: Lahaina, Hawaii (Lahaina Civic Center)
Radio: Sooner Radio Network (KOKC 1520 AM in OKC; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa)
TV: ESPN2
Webcast: ESPN3.com
Series: Kentucky leads 2-0
MONDAY’S GAME BASICS
Oklahoma (3-0) plays its first game away from home this season when it takes on No. 12/13 Kentucky (2-0) Monday at 4:30 p.m. CT in the opening round of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. The Sooners will be the visiting team and wear their road crimson uniforms. The contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KOKC AM 1520 in Oklahoma City; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Tom Dore and Mike Houck announcing. The game will be televised by ESPN2 with Carter Blackburn and Jimmy Dykes calling the action.
OKLAHOMA'S PROJECTED STARTERS
F 4 Andrew Fitzgerald (6-8, 231, So., 15.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
F 55 Nick Thompson (6-9, 208, Jr., 6.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg)
G 2 Steven Pledger (6-4, 212, So., 16.7 ppg, 3.7 apg)
G 21 Cameron Clark (6-6, 189, Fr., 8.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
G 34 Cade Davis (6-5, 209, Sr., 12.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
KENTUCKY'S PROJECTED STARTERS
F 3 Terrence Jones (6-8, 244, Fr., 18.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg)
F 55 Josh Harrellson (6-10, 275, Sr., 4.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg)
G 1 Darius Miller (6-7, 228, Jr., 11.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
G 12 Brandon Knight (6-3, 185, Fr., 19.0 ppg, 3.0 apg)
G 34 DeAndre Liggins (6-6, 210, Jr., 10.0 ppg, 4.0 apg)
SOONER UPDATE
• Oklahoma is off to a 3-0 start following home wins over Coppin State (77-57), North Carolina Central (71-63 in overtime) and Texas Southern (82-52).
• The Sooners are shooting .457 from the field and .388 from 3-point range while holding opponents to respective .369 and .328 figures.
• Seven of OU’s top eight scorers are in their first or second year of Division I basketball. Five of the eight are in their first year.
• OU is off to a great start at the foul line with its Big 12-best .806 mark. The team’s top four scorers and seven of its top eight are shooting at least .750 from the stripe. The Sooners own a .897 free throw mark after halftime (35-for-39).
• Oklahoma has outrebounded each of its three foes and owns a +10.7 board advantage. It is averaging 12.3 offensive rebounds per game.
• OU’s top two scorers are sophomores. Guard Steven Pledger is averaging a team-high 16.7 points while adding 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest. A natural shooting guard, Pledger has started at the point in all three outings. Forward Andrew Fitzgerald scored 22 points in each of the first two games before being held to two Thursday against Texas Southern (made his only field goal attempt). Fitzgerald, who is 27 pounds lighter than last year, adds 6.7 rebounds and a team-high 2.0 steals per game. He’s also shooting a team-best .548 from the field.
• After going 3-for-14 from the field and 2-for-9 from 3-point distance in OU’s first two games (averaged 8.5 points), senior guard Cade Davis erupted for 21 points against Texas Southern behind 7-of-12 field goal and 6-of-10 3-point shooting. The performance upped his season scoring average to 12.7 (he’s also averaging 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting .421 from behind the arc).
• Junior college transfer Nick Thompson has contributed in several areas, as evidenced by his averages of 6.0 points and team highs of 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists. The 6-9 forward registered seven handouts in each of OU’s first two games.
• Freshman guard Calvin Newell has come off the bench to average 9.3 points in 21.7 minutes per contest. Fellow frosh guard Cameron Clark is averaging 8.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in three starts (he recorded 11 points and 11 boards in his collegiate debut). Clark has yet to commit a turnover in 80 minutes of play.
• Freshman forward Tyler Neal is averaging 5.5 points in his two appearances (8.0 minutes per game). The forward is 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 at the foul line.
PREVIEWING KENTUCKY
Ranked No. 12 in the AP poll and No. 13 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ version, Kentucky enters the week with a 2-0 record. After posting an 88-65 season-opening home win over East Tennessee State on Nov. 12, the Wildcats won 79-48 at Portland on Friday. UK is shooting .513 from the floor, .477 from 3-point range (21-for-44) and .558 from the free throw line (24-for-43). It is holding opponents to .342 field goal and .234 (9-for-37) 3-point marks.
Kentucky’s top three scorers are freshmen. Point guard Brandon Knight, coming off a 21-point game at Portland, is averaging a team-high 19.0 points per contest to go along with 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He is 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Forward Terrence Jones is averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 boards per outing (he had 25 points and 12 boards against East Tennessee State) while guard Doron Lamb is contributing 16.5 points (.733 field goal shooting) and 4.0 rebounds in 26.0 minutes off the bench. Junior guards Darius Miller (11.5 points) and DeAndre Liggins (10.0) are also averaging double figures in scoring. Miller adds 8.0 rebounds while Liggins is averaging team-high 4.0 assists.
OU-KENTUCKY SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma and Kentucky have met twice, with the Wildcats prevailing both times. UK won 43-33 in the 1945-46 season and 75-74 during the 1986-87 campaign. Both games were played in Lexington, Ky.
REST OF THE FIELD
The other opening-round game on OU’s side of the bracket pits Virginia against No. 18/15 Washington. The Sooners will play one of those teams Tuesday at 3:30 or 8:30 p.m. CT (ESPN or ESPN2). In Wednesday’s third round, OU will face tournament host Chaminade, Connecticut, No. 2/2 Michigan State or Wichita State. Oklahoma owns a 14-10 all-time record against this year’s EA SPORTS Maui Invitational field (2-0 vs. Chaminade, 3-1 vs. Connecticut, 0-2 vs. Kentucky, 3-4 vs. Michigan State, 1-1 vs. Virginia, 2-1 vs. Washington and 3-1 vs. Wichita State).
OU’S MAUI INVITATIONAL HISTORY
This marks Oklahoma’s fourth time to participate in the Maui Invitational. Under former head coach Billy Tubbs, OU finished in third place (2-1) in the 1988 event (lost 91-80 to eventual national champion Michigan in the title game) and in fifth place (2-1) in the 1992 tournament. Head coach Jeff Capel brought the Sooners to Lahaina in 2006-07, his first season at OU, and went 1-2 to finish in seventh place. That year, Oklahoma lost 77-65 in the first round to a Memphis team coached by current Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Chaminade and Virginia are the only teams in this year’s field that Oklahoma has previously met in the Maui Invitational.
