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Oklahoma basketball: Sooners seek rebound against Florida A&M

By Chip Rouse

Xavier Musketeers guard Nate Johnson (10) fights through a screen as Oklahoma Sooners guard Alondes Williams (15) turns toward the basket n the first half of a men's NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.Oklahoma Sooners At Xavier Musketeers Dec 9
Xavier Musketeers guard Nate Johnson (10) fights through a screen as Oklahoma Sooners guard Alondes Williams (15) turns toward the basket n the first half of a men's NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.Oklahoma Sooners At Xavier Musketeers Dec 9 /
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Oklahoma basketball returns to the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday after a 1-1 road swing to TCU and Xavier.

The Sooners (2-1) will be happy to get back on the court and wipe from their memory the 22-point blowout loss they suffered earlier in the week at the sizzling-hot hands of the 7-0 Xavier Musketeers. The Musketeers aren’t ranked, but the way they played in defeating OU 99-77 perhaps they should be.

Oklahoma will host the Rattlers of Florida A&M at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Rattlers are looking for their first win after going 0-3 to begin the 2020-21 season. Oklahoma and Florida A&M have met twice previously, but not since 2004. The Sooners scored over 100 points in both of the previous contests, winning 146-65 in 1993, Billy Tubbs’ next to last season at OU, and 104-45 in 2004, when Kelvin Sampson was the head coach.

The 81-point margin of victory in the 1992-93 season remains the second largest in Oklahoma basketball history.

Florida A&M has two starters averaging in double digits (MJ Randolph, 12.7 points a game, and Evins Desir, 12.0) and a third (DJ Jones), who averages just under 10 points a contest. The Rattlers average 66 points a game, but their opponents are averaging 79 points.

Robert McCullum is in his fourth season as the Rattlers’ head coach, and there is a connection with Sooner head man Lon Kruger, who is in his ninth campaign leading the Sooners. McCullum spent a decade on Kruger’s coaching staff at three different stops (Kansas State, Florida and Illinois).

In its three games this season, Oklahoma is averaging 88 points, which ranks second in the Big 12 and ninth nationally. Brady Manek’s 20.0 average leads the Sooners, and senior teammate Austin Reeves is right behind with a 17.7 scoring average. The pair rank second and third in the Big 12 in scoring. Sophomore De’Vion Harmon also has found the range early, averaging 15.3 points a game.

Transition points

  • De’Vion Harmon leads the Big 12 in free-throw shooting (10 of 11 for 91 percent).
  • Oklahoma has won 19 straight nonconference game, including 16 in a row at Lloyd Noble Center.
  • The Sooners are 50-4 overall at Lloyd Noble Center under Lon Kruger.
  • OU is 33-6 since 2017-18 in games played in November and December.
  • The Sooners have brought back over 70 percent of their scoring production from last season.
  • Oklahoma’s opening-game starting five featured four seniors (Brady Manek, Austin Reeves, Alondes Williams and Kur Kuath).
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