TUESDAY'S GAME BASICS
No. 3/2 Oklahoma opens up play at the 2015 Diamond Head Classic versus Washington State Tuesday at 10 p.m. CT. in Honolulu, Hawaii, inside Stan Sheriff Center. OU is 1-0 all-time against the Cougars. Oklahoma, which is 8-0 and one of six remaining undefeated D-I teams this year, is in its fifth season under head coach Lon Kruger. The Cougars, coached by Ernie Kent, are 7-2 this season (7-1 home, 0-1 away).
ON THE AIR
Tuesday’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 game will be televised by ESPNU with Roxy Bernstein and Brad Daughtery calling the action. CLICK HERE to access WatchESPN.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
WSU head coach Ernie Kent is in his second season after leading the Cougars to their most Pac-12 wins since 2011-12 with a 7-11 league mark in 2014-15. Kent came to Pullman with a 325-254 (.561) mark as a head coach, having spent six seasons at the helm for Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., and 13 at Oregon.
The Cougars returned three starters in junior guard Ike Iroegbu, junior forward Josh Hawkinson and sophomore guard Ny Redding. WSU lost leading scorer DaVonté Lacy to graduation, but Hawkinson returns as the leading scorer and rebounder after averaging 14.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game a year ago.
WSU is 11-7 all-time in games that take place in the state of Hawaii. The Cougars were last in Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic during the 2010-11 season.
WSU’s 7-2 start in its first nine games is its best start since going 8-1 in its fi rst nine games in 2010-11.
Washington State leads the Pac-12 in two categories: blocked shots (7.0 bpg) and field goal percentage (.506).
The Cougars have lost their last eight games against ranked opponents with their last win coming against No. 23, UCLA, March 6, 2013. WSU defeated a ranked team the last time it competed in the Diamond Head Classic, knocking off then-No. 15 Baylor in the semifinals of the tournament.
OU is the second ranked opponent of the season for WSU after falling to then-No. 13 Gonzaga, 69-60, at home on Dec. 2.
Oklahoma leads the all-time series between the two schools, 1-0. The teams previously met on Nov. 24, 2011 in the opening round of the 76 Classic (Anaheim, Calif.), with OU coming away with a 74-59 victory. OU went on to beat Santa Clara in the second round before dropping its final contest vs. Saint Louis.
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
No. 3 Oklahoma opens up play at the 2015 Diamond Head Classic versus Washington State Tuesday at 10 p.m. CT in Honolulu, Hawaii, inside Stan Sheriff Center. OU is 1-0 all-time against the Cougars. Other teams filling out the eight-team holiday tournament (Dec. 22-25) include Auburn, BYU, Hawaii, Harvard, New Mexico and Northern Iowa.
The winner of the OU-WSU game will play the winner of the Northern Iowa-Hawaii matchup on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 8 p.m. CT (ESPN2). The losers of those same two matchups will play Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. CT (ESPNU).
OU, one of just six remaining D-I teams still undefeated, currently ranks second in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (.477) by hitting 83-174 of its shots from downtown this season. Five Sooners are averaging at least .500 from beyond the arc, led by Isaiah Cousins who is shooting .545 (18-33). OU’s average of 10.4 3-point makes per game ranks 13th nationally. OU’s all-time record for 3-point field goal percentage in a season is .414 (1986-87).
Through eight games this season, Sooner opponents have struggled shooting from the field. OU ranks No. 2 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.343), including 10th nationally in 3-point field goal defense (.268). On the season, OU foes are just 56-209 from downtown (compared to Oklahoma’s 83-174, .477 3FG% effort).
The Sooners rank in the top 10 in both scoring offense with 87.8 points per game (fifth) and scoring margin (+23.4, sixth) by holding opponents to just 64.4 points per contest. OU is led in scoring by 2015 Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield, who is averaging 23.5 points (ninth nationally).
The Sooners are getting significantly more production from their bench than a season ago. Through eight games in 2015-16, OU’s reserves (excluding walk-ons) are averaging 64.1 minutes played (out of possible 200), 20.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Last season, Oklahoma’s reserves (excluding walk-ons) averaged 42.5 minutes played (out of possible 200), 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest (35 total games).
