Oklahoma began the new year and the important second half of the 2025-26 season with a confident can-do attitude and the goal of getting off to a better start in conference play than it did a year ago. After starting off the new calendar year with an 86-70 conference home win over Ole Miss, the Sooners are back home this week following back-to-back road losses last week that saw their league mark quickly tumble to 1-2.
The Sooners are hoping the return to Lloyd Noble Center, where they are 8-0 this season, will be just what the doctor ordered and what they need to right the ship. It's not going to be easy, however, with Oklahoma hosting the reigning national champions and No. 19 Florida Gators on Tuesday, followed by No. 18 Alabama on Saturday.
Sooners have to beat defending national champion to avoid an early SEC losing streak
Before the month is out, Oklahoma also will face South Carolina, former Big 12 foe Missouri, No. 17 Arkansas and Red River rival Texas. South Carolina and Missouri are road games, while Arkansas and Texas are at home at the LNC.
The Sooners' introduction to SEC basketball a year ago came with a rude but foretelling welcoming. Oklahoma lost its first four games in January as the newest member of the conference after successfully disposing of 13 consecutive nonconference opponents. The Sooners ended the month with two wins against seven SEC opponents.
That was definitely not the kind of start OU wanted the second time around. And with an all-new starting lineup this season, the Sooners managed to get off on the right foot, defeating Ole Miss 86-70 in their conference opener. But the results of the past week served as a stark reminder to the Sooners and their fans, as the saying goes, you're never as good as you think you are and, conversely, you're never as bad as it may appear at times.
Florida is the next one up on Oklahoma's schedule, and the Gators come to Norman with an 11-5 overall record, the same as Oklahoma, but with a 2-1 conference record. The all-time basketball series between the two teams is tied at three wins apiece and is 1-1 in games played in Norman. Florida beat the Sooners handily, 85-63, in Gainesville a year ago as part of the Gators' national championship season.
The Oklahoma-Florida game will be televised on ESPN2, beginning at 8 p.m. CT, with Karl Ravech providing play-by-play and Jimmy Dykes doing analysis.
What to know about the Florida Gators
The defending national champion began the season ranked No. 3 in both national polls, but this season's Florida team doesn't appear to be as dominant or intimidating as last year's championship squad. The Gators returned to the top 25 this week at No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 20 in the Coaches Poll. Among their five losses are a one-point loss to then-No. 4 Duke and a four-point defeat against No. 3 UConn. Florida pays a visit to Oklahoma on the heels of back-to-back home wins last week over conference foes No. 18 Georgia and No. 21 Tennessee.
Florida leads the SEC and the nation in rebounding, averaging 46.9 per game, including 17 on the offensive glass. The Gators +15.4 rebounding margin also ranks No. 1 nationally. Six-foot-10 junior Rueben Chinyelu leads the Gators and ranks 10th nationally, averaging 10.6 rebounds per game.
All five Florida starters average double figures in scoring, led by juniors Thomas Hough and Alex Condon, both of whom played on last season's national championship team. The pair average 17.2 and 14.5 points per game, respectively. Condon also pulls down 8.5 rebounds per game.
While the Gators average 85.2 points per game, they rank 14th in the SEC in field-goal percentage (47.8) and last in 3-point percentage (27.9). They also rank last in the conference in turnovers committed (12.9 per game) and turnover margin (-1.38).
What to know about Oklahoma
Miami transfer Nijel Pack, who also played a season at Kansas State, leads the Sooners in scoring with a 16.4 average and is fourth in the SEC, averaging 3.4 3-pointers per game. He had 24 points in the loss at Texas A&M on Saturday, including six made 3-point shots.
Oklahoma and Florida have one common opponent so far this season. The Sooners defeated St. Francis (Pennsylvania)102-66 to open the season. Florida also has a win over St. Francis, in mid-December, by the comparable score of 102-61.
Despite committing a season-high 17 turnovers vs. Texas A&M on Saturday, Oklahoma ranks second in the SEC for the fewest turnovers per game at 9.9. The Sooners have committed single-digit turnovers in nine of their 16 games.
Oklahoma has outrebounded 11 of its 16 opponents this season, but the Sooners face a tall task against Florida, which leads the country in total rebounds per game, offensive rebounds and rebounding margin.
Stat to watch
Florida is 73-15 under fourth-year head coach Todd Golden when the opponent shoots below 45% from the field. Oklahoma has a field-goal percentage of 47.3 this season.
The Gators are 23-6 under Golden when opponents score between 70 and 79 points, but just 11-13 when an opponent scores 80 or more points.
Prediction
In all candor, it's tough to see Oklahoma winning this game. The Sooners definitely won't win if they don't take better care of the ball than they did against Texas A&M. The Sooners are also going to have to make shots, because with Florida's rebounding strength, the Gators are going to get plenty of second-chance opportunities and prevent OU from doing the same. If OU is going to win this game, the Sooners have to shoot the three-ball well.
Florida wins by 7-plus