Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma basketball: Home sweet home, here comes Alabama

By Chip Rouse

Jan 27, 2018; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Dazon Ingram (12) is fouled by Oklahoma Sooners guard Christian James (0) during the second half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 27, 2018; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Dazon Ingram (12) is fouled by Oklahoma Sooners guard Christian James (0) during the second half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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For the second time this month the Oklahoma basketball men are playing the country’s second- best team. Only, it’s not the same team.

The Alabama Crimson Tide come calling at the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday with an 18-2 record and a perfect 8-0 record atop the Southeastern Conference, where Oklahoma is soon to be headed.

On Jan. 4, the Sooners faced another No.2 team in the Kansas Jayhawks. Oklahoma played well in that contest before squandering a 10-point advantage in the final five minutes and losing 79-75.

The Crimson Tide are going to be an even tougher challenge than the one Kansas presented for the simple reason that they are a better team than the Jayhawks.

Saturday’s matchup is part of the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge. All 10 Big 12 teams face an opponent from the SEC on Saturday. This is the 10th year of the Big 12/SEC Basketball Challenge. Oklahoma is 6-3 in the interconference series.

This will be the third time OU and Alabama have played as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The two teams split the previous two games: The Crimson Tide prevailed at home 80-73 over the No. 12 Sooners in 2018. Oklahoma won 66-61 against then-No. 9 Alabama in Norman in 2021 with two Sooner starters sitting out because of Covid protocols. The latter game capped a three-game winning streak by OU against teams ranked in the top 10.

The Sooners are coming of a 79-52 loss at TCU on Tuesday, their worst performance this season biggest losing margin since 2019. Oklahoma has lost its last three games. Alabama overcame a double-digit second-half deficit at home earlier in the week and defeated Mississippi State 66-63. The Crimson Tide have won nine consecutive games. The Tide has not lost since falling to No. 15 Gonzaga 100-90 on Dec. 17

What fans need to know about the game between Oklahoma and Alabama

  • The game will tip off at 1 p.m. CT and be broadcast on ESPN with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dyke on the call.
  • Alabama likes to play fast, which is reflected in its 83.2 scoring average, second best in the SEC. In contrast, the Sooners average 67.3 points per game.
  • Oklahoma is 6-3 all-time against Alabama in men’s basketball, and the Sooners have won all three times the game has been played in Norman.
  • The big gun for the Crimson Tide is Brandon Miller, who leads a trio of triple-digit scorers with a 19.5 average and also pulls down 8.2 rebounds per game.
  • Alabama leads the SEC and is No. 1 in the nation in rebounding, averaging almost 46 per game, including 13.5 offensive rebounds. This is not good news for Oklahoma, which sits dead last in the Big 12 in both total rebounds (32.1) as well as offensive rebounds (6.2).
  • The Crimson Tide also get to the free throw line a lot, which also isn’t good news for OU. The Tide’s 25 free-throw attempts per game ranks No. 2 nationally.
  • All five Oklahoma starters average at least six points per game, led by Grant Sherfield (16.4) and Tanner Groves (10.3).
  • Alabama is a 6.5-point favorite in the game, according to Las Vegas handicappers.
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