For the men’s Oklahoma basketball team, it’s already all about next season, even with three regular-season games remaining.
The Sooners head to Ames, Iowa, with the Big 12’s worst record (3-12) and a road test against a very good Iowa State team (17-10, 8-7) that found itself in Oklahoma’s shoes the year before last. In two seasons as head coach T.J. Otzelberger has done a remarkable job in transforming the Iowa State program from 2-22 overall and 0-18 in the conference the year before he took over.
The Cyclones are ranked 23rd in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 and have already posted a win over the Sooners this season. Iowa State defeated OU 63-60 in Norman in early January.
Oklahoma is 77th in the NCAA NET rankings this week; Iowa State is 17th.
Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Iowa State 121-93. The Cyclones hold a 55-39 advantage, however, in games played in Ames. Even more telling, OU is just 1-9 in its last 10 games at ISU’s Hilton Coliseum.
Five things to know about Oklahoma vs. No. 23 Iowa State on Saturday
- The game will be televised on ESPNU beginning at 11 a.m. CT. Pete Sousa and Lance Blanks will be on the call.
- Three Iowa State starters average double figures in scoring, led by Jaren Holmes, who averages 13.1 points per game. Gabe Kalscheur averages 12.3 and Caleb Grill 10.0. Grill led all scorers with 20 points and five of nine from three-point range in Iowa State’s earlier win over the Sooners.
- The Cyclones start four seniors and a freshman. OU’s starting lineup features three seniors and two freshmen.
- Iowa State (69.0) and Oklahoma (68.3) are the two lowest scoring teams in the Big 12, but the Cyclones lead the conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to an average of 62 points per game.
- Iowa State leads the Big 12 in steals, averaging nine a game and has a plus-four turnover margin, second best in the Big 12. This could be problematic for Oklahoma, which has been turnover prone this season.