Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma basketball: Sooner seek to rebound against No. 11 Iowa State

By Chip Rouse

NORMAN, OK - MARCH 2: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives around Donovan Jackson #4 of the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half of a NCAA college basketball game at the Lloyd Noble Center on March 2, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - MARCH 2: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives around Donovan Jackson #4 of the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half of a NCAA college basketball game at the Lloyd Noble Center on March 2, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
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The Oklahoma basketball Sooners hope to rebound (pun intended) at home on Saturday when they take on the 11th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones.

Iowa State is the biggest surprise in the Big 12 approaching the halfway point in the season. The Cyclones are 13-1 overall, the one loss coming last weekend against No. 1 Baylor. They were projected to finish last in the Big 12 this season in the annual Big 12 Preseason Poll conducted by the league coaches.

Oklahoma (11-3, 1-1) may also be playing better than many expected with a roster including 10 new players and three starters that weren’t there a year ago. The new-look Sooner squad has come together well under head coach Porter Moser, who is in his first season at OU.

The Sooners lead the all-time series with Iowa State 120-91 and are 67-24 in games played in Norman, including seven of the last 10.

13-1. ESPNU. 11-3. 464. Sooners -3.5. 461. Saturday, Jan. 8. 5:00 PM CT

Oklahoma won last season’s game in Norman 79-72, but this is a much different Iowa State team that the Cyclone team that failed to win a conference game last season and had just two wins overall.

The game will tip off at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday and will be televised on ESPNU with Rich Hollenberg and Tim Welsh doing the announcing.

Four things to know about OU vs. Iowa State

  • Oklahoma ranks second in the Big 12 and seventh in the nation with a field goal percentage of 50.5 percent through 14 games. All four Oklahoma starters average at least nine points per game. Iowa State ranks second in the conference in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 38.1-percent shooting and just 56.9 points a game, seventh best in the country. According to KenPom.com, the Cyclones rank fourth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
  • Oklahoma’s leading scorer is Tanner Groves (14.2 points a game), a transfer from Eastern Washington. Iowa State is led in the scoring column by Izaiah Brockington (16.8 ppg) and Gabe Kalscheur (10.2). ISU’s two scoring leaders are both transfers: Brockington from Penn State and Kalscheur from Minnesota.
  • The Sooners are one of the worst rebounding teams in the Big 12, In the loss at Baylor earlier this week, OU collected just 16 total rebounds for the game and gave up a rebounding differential of 18. That’s not going to win you many games.
  • Porter Moser’s Sooners have two victories this season over top-15 teams (Florida, when the Gators were ranked 14th, and Arkansas, when the Razorbacks were ranked 12th). Moser is the first Oklahoma head coach to have two AP top-15 victories in his first 10 games.

Prediction

This contest should be a closely fought game. Oklahoma is a bit more efficient on the offensive end than Iowa State, but the Cyclones have won 13 games and climbed as high as No. 8 in the country largely on the basis of its outstanding defense. Three of the last five matchups played in Norman between these two teams have been decided by five points or less. Oklahoma is a slight favorite (-3.5) playing at home. I like the Sooners at home in this one, but again by the slimmest of margins: Oklahoma by 5 points or less

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