Oklahoma and Arkansas have played 31 times, with the Sooners holding a 14-17 all-time record, and the two squads have met in recent years in a neutral setting at BOK Center in Tulsa.
Saturday's matchup between the Sooners and Hogs will mark the first time these programs will play one another as conference opponents.
With that in mind, let's take a quick look back at one of the Sooners' more memorable outcomes over the Pig Sooie faithful on the hardwood.
Oklahoma, then led by Kelvin Sampson, went into Fayetteville on Nov. 30, 2001, and took down Hall of Famer Nolan Richardson and Arkansas by a final score of 69-54. That 2001-02 Oklahoma squad would reach its fourth Final Four (at the time) in program history later that season.
#TBT to Ebi Ere (29 points), Hollis Price (15) and the legendary 2001-02 Final Four squad that took down the Razorbacks 69-54 at Bud Walton 🎞️ #BoomerSooner☝️ pic.twitter.com/nLioeagMk6
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) January 23, 2025
Ebi Ere made his presence known in the Sooners' double-digit win and finished the game with 29 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Oklahoma's legendary guard, Hollis Price, also gave the Sooners a spark by earning 15 points. Price is currently on Sampson's staff at Houston as the Director of Player Development and has been with the Cougars since 2014.
In that contest and throughout the Sampson era at Oklahoma, they played with a stingy defense that always intimidated opponents.
Oklahoma doesn't necessarily have to replicate that same defensive intensity on Saturday. Still, there is no question that playing physical and sound defensively will go a long way toward adding a second conference W to the win column.