Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma Basketball: Sooners, Frogs to Go at It Again in Big 12 Tourney

By Chip Rouse

Mar 4, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Kameron McGusty (20) drives to the basket in front of TCU Horned Frogs guard Kenrich Williams (34) during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Kameron McGusty (20) drives to the basket in front of TCU Horned Frogs guard Kenrich Williams (34) during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma basketball has failed to earn a opening-round bye six times in the 20-year history of the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship.

This year will be the seventh time, but the first since losing to Texas A&M in the opening round in 2012.

The Sooners, the No. 9 seed in this year’s Big 12 Tournament, will tip off the tournament this year, taking on the No. 8 seed TCU Horned Frogs in the first game on Wednesday evening at the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

The nine seed is the Sooners lowest in six seasons with Lon Kruger as head coach. OU’s highest seed in five previous Big 12 Tournaments under Kruger was No. 2 in 2014; it’s lowest was No. 8 in 2012, Kruger’s first season in Norman.

OU (11-19) and TCU (17-14) have never played each other in the Big 12 postseason championship, but they have met 22 times during the regular season and 10 times as members of the Big 12. The Sooners are 19-3 all-time vs. the Horned Frogs and are 8-2 in Big 12 play.

Mar 4, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; TCU Horned Frogs forward Chris Washburn (33) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma Sooners center Jamuni McNeace (4) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Norman, OK, USA; TCU Horned Frogs forward Chris Washburn (33) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma Sooners center Jamuni McNeace (4) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

The two teams split their two games this season, with TCU winning by three points (60-57) in Ft. Worth, and Oklahoma winning the regular-season finale last Saturday in Norman, 73-68. In both games, the winning team came from behind in the final five minutes to garner the victory.

Oklahoma is 4-2 in first-round games in the Big 12 Tournament. If history holds true to form, the Sooners should win on Wednesday and advance to the quarterfinal round on Thursday, where they would be slotted against the No. 1-seed and top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

In the last 10 Big 12 Tournaments, the No. 9 seed has prevailed over the No. 8 seed in eight of the 10 games.

Although Oklahoma could still earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament were the Sooners to upset the applecart and somehow manage to capture their fourth conference tournament championship, no team seeded lower than fourth has won a Big 12 Tournament title.

Three Things to Know About the Sooners for Their Opening-Round Matchup with TCU

  • Six of Oklahoma’s top 10 scorers this season are playing in their first Big 12 Tournament.
  • Since scoring leader and senior leader Jordan Woodard went down with a season-ending knee injury seven games ago, the Sooners are 3-3 and have been led in scoring by sophomore Rashard Odomes (13 points a game) and freshmen Kameron McGusty (12.8) and Kristian Doolittle (10.5).
  • The Sooners scored 40 of their 73 points in last Saturday’s win over TCU and committed a season-low seven turnovers.

Three Things to Know About TCU for Their Opening-Round Matchup with OU

  • TCU is averaging 73.6 points a game this season. That is its highest scoring average since the 2002-03 season.
  • The Horned Frogs are 14-2 when they lead at halftime. They trailed at the intermission in both games against OU this season.
  • Four Horned Frogs starters are averaging double figures in scoring (Vlad Brodziansky, Alex Robinson, Kenrich Williams and Jaylen Fisher. Brodziansky is the team scoring leader, averaging 13.8 points a game. He had 17 points in TCU’s loss to OU last Saturday.

Game Prediction

This game is a hard game to pick. Both previous games this season between these two teams were decided by five points or less. Three of Oklahoma’s five Big 12 wins have come in the last six games. Meanwhile, TCU has lost six consecutive games. Although the last three Horned Frog losses have been by a combined five points. I’m going with the Sooners in a game that should go down to the wire. Bring on the Jayhawks.

Oklahoma 70, TCU 66

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