Oklahoma basketball: Bedlam battles rarely play to predictability

Ordinarily, the Oklahoma basketball team would be overjoyed to have in-state rival Oklahoma State come limping into Norman winless in conference play after seven games.

But we’re talking about Oklahoma State, which are fighting words in the Sooner State. Whenever Oklahoma and Oklahoma State get together in any kind of athletic competition, the event is describable in a single word: Bedlam.

There is nothing about Bedlam that is ordinary or, for that matter, predictable. Even if one of the teams comes to your house with seven consecutive conference losses.

Round one of the 2020 Bedlam basketball series tips off on Saturday at Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center. Saturday’s game will be the 239th in this century-old hardwood series that dates back to 1908. The Sooners lead the all-time series with a record of 139-99 and have dominated in games played in Norman, 86-27.

Oklahoma is coming off a 61-53 loss at Kansas State which left them with a season record of 13-7 and 3-4 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, enters Saturday’s Bedlam clash with a record of 10-10, but with eight consecutive losses. The Cowboys are winless (0-7) against Big 12 opponents. Oklahoma and Kansas State are the only two conference teams Oklahoma State has yet to play at least once in the double round-robin Big 12 scheduling format.

The Sooners have won six of the last 10 games between these two longtime rivals, and four of the games have been decided by four points or less. Oklahoma have prevailed over the Cowboys in nine of the last 10 played at Lloyd Noble Center.

Scoring has come at a premium for Oklahoma State 

Scoring has been a problem for Oklahoma State since the calendar turned to the new year. The Cowboys average just 67 points a game, but they’ve scored fewer than 60 points in four of their last eight games. They are the worst shooting team in the Big 12, averaging 41 percent through 20 games. And during their recent winless string, the Pokes have been lucky to reach that level.

Senior Lindy Waters III leads O-State on offense, averaging 11.7 points a game. Isaac Likekele and Cameron McGriff also average in double figures. The Cowboys do not launch many three-balls in comparison to the rest of the Big 12, but when they do, Thomas Dziagwa is the most dangerous of the lot, completing 41 percent of his attempts.

The last time Oklahoma State started 0-7 in conference play was almost 50 years ago, in 1971-72 as part of the Big Eight Conference.

The one thing the Cowboys do have going for them this season is they’ve played well on the road. They are 3-3 in true road games in 2019-20 and 5-4 away from Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Scoring consistency has been a problem for the Sooners

Although Oklahoma is one of the few teams in the country to have three starters averaging at least 14 points a game, and the trio is producing more than 60 percent of the scoring load in all but two conference games so far, there’s been minimal scoring support from other players in the rotation.

Freshman point guard De’Vion Harmon has had a few double-digit scoring performances and junior-college transfer Alondes Williams has scored a career-high 13 and 15 points in the Sooners’ last two games.

Only twice in OU’s seven Big 12 games have its big three of Brady Manek, Kristian Doolittle and Austin Reaves all scored in double figures in the same game. When one or more of that trio has a bad game, the Sooners tend to struggle putting up enough points to win. Conversely, when all three are on their game, and with the supporting cast starting to play better, Oklahoma has the firepower to hang with virtually any team in the country.

Doolittle is two points shy of reaching 1,000 career points. He will become the 47th Sooner to achieve that level of success.

Lack of overall size has hurt the Sooners in the rebounding department. They are the worst team in the Big 12 on the offensive glass. That means they have to make good on their shot attempts because they rarely get a second attempt in the same offensive possession.

A key stat to keep in mind for this game: The Sooners are 12-1 when shooting a better percentage than their opponent. The one time they did so and lost was against Baylor, falling 61-57.

Bottom line

The season and historical records clearly favor the Sooners in this game. But need I remind you, this is Bedlam, and the past has little meaning on what happens in the present. Bad Oklahoma teams have beaten good Oklahoma State teams, and vice versa. One thing that is certain about Saturday’s game is: The team that plays the best that day will come away with the victory. Another telltale fact: OU is 8-1 at home this season.

The home court advantage is the difference.

Oklahoma 71, Oklahoma State 63