*********OU-OSU Gameday Thread**********

[OUHoops]

http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=209851888

QUICK PREVIEW
No. 18/18 Oklahoma (11-5, 2-2) will try for its third straight Bedlam win and fifth in the last six meetings when it hosts No. 24/24 Oklahoma State (12-4, 2-2) on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. The Sooners, who started 2-0 in Big 12 play with double-digit wins over Baylor and on the road against Texas, have dropped consecutive games for the first time this season (vs. Kansas State and at West Virginia). Oklahoma State has won both of its league home games (Kansas State and Texas) while losing both road contests (Iowa State and Kansas).

ON THE AIR
Saturday's game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM "The Franchise" in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Sirius 138; XM 200) with Toby Rowland and Mike Houck calling the action. The contest will be televised by ESPN2 with Mark Neely and Stephen Howard announcing.

PREVIEWING OKLAHOMA STATE
Picked by Big 12 coaches to finish eighth in the league, Oklahoma State is off to a 12-4 start and is 2-2 in Big 12 play (tied for fifth place). The Cowboys, who debuted in the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls this week (24th in both), are 2-3 in road games with wins over Memphis (73-55) and Missouri (74-72 in overtime). The Cowboys are shooting .447 from the field (rank fourth in Big 12), .340 from 3-point range (seventh) and .709 from the foul line (fourth). They allow opponents to shoot .372 from the floor (fourth in Big 12, 17th nationally) and .308 from long distance (third in Big 12).

OSU boasts the Big 12's top two scorers in senior forward Le'Bryan Nash and junior guard Phil Forte, the only Cowboys who average in double figures. Nash averages 17.9 points on .470 field goal and .774 free throw shooting while also grabbing a team-high 6.1 rebounds a contest. Nash is coming off a 21-point, seven-rebound effort at Kansas in which he was 11 for 12 from the free throw line. He leads the league with his 8.3 attempts per game. Forte averages 17.8 points a game and ranks fourth in the Big 12 with his .413 3-point percentage, second with his 2.7 treys a contest. He leads the league in steals with 2.5 a game. Senior point guard Anthony Hickey, a transfer from LSU, averages 9.0 points, 4.7 rebounds (most among Big 12 point guards) and a team-high 3.4 assists.

The Cowboys are under the direction of seventh-year head coach Travis Ford (137-81 record).

THE SERIES
Oklahoma has won 13 of the last 20 overall meetings with Oklahoma State and holds a 131-95 all-time series advantage. The Sooners have taken 10 straight Bedlam matchups in Norman and 13 of the last 14 (are 82-26 in the series at home). OU swept the two meetings last year, winning 88-76 over the No. 8 Cowboys in Norman and 77-74 in Stillwater (box scores and cumulative stats are on page 23 of these notes).

 

[SoonerTraveler]

10am Saturday ... OU is currently a 7 point favorite.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/odds/las-vegas/

 

[SoonerTraveler]

OU has won its 11 games by an average of 20.3 points (all by double digits). Three of its five losses have been by three points or less.

Sooners must start winning the close games. Make your free throws today guys.

 

[OUHoops]

 

[jackson_supersooner]

It's so wild to think our advantage in this series is so wide. 131-95 is huge...football is insurmountable but this one is close to it. In the 3 major sports these to are a huge margin. I wonder what baseball is?

 

[sheepdogs1]

Hopefully we'll have a rebounding edge as it relates to guard play.

 

[SoonerJK12]

Need some of this today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o22ywvxPcA

 

[billyball]

NEED this win! Boomer!

 

[billyball]

LNC looks packed.

 

[billyball]

Hope someone is glued to Forte.

 

[opsooner]

Crowd looks and sounds good on TV

 

[JBaker]

Our offense is doing a good job having 5 guys stand still on our first couple possessions...

And then a nice breakout and one by Spangler.

 

[JBaker]

Alright. After a rough first two possessions we look like we have come to play tonight.
Keep it up!

 

[opsooner]

10-2; timeout OSU at 17:42

Nice playing by OU so far other than very first possession

 

[billyball]

Good start. Playing better defense and they are feeding off the crowd.

 

[sheepdogs1]

A hot start is a good start.

 

[opsooner]

Spangler looks more like Spangler so far. I didn't think so the past two games.

 

[JBaker]

Our half court offense looks really bad. So much standing around.
Pretty good in transition though.

And a moronic foul.

 

[OklahomaLibertarian]

so if OU played OSU every game, we'd have fans lol

 

[sheepdogs1]

Silly, silly foul.