NORMAN – No. 7/8 Oklahoma men's basketball and No. 11/13 North Carolina will compete in the Jumpman Invitational on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tip is at 8:05 p.m. CT inside Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.. The non-conference contest will air on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Varsity Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing and be broadcast by ESPN with Dave O'Brien (PxP), Debbie Antonelli (analyst) and Myron Medcalf (sideline) on the call.
| No. 7/8 Oklahoma vs. No. 11/13 North Carolina Date: Wednesday, Dec. 20 Tip Time: 8:05 p.m. CT Location: Charlotte, N.C. Arena: Specturm Center |
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OPENING TIP
• Oklahoma is ranked 10th (games through 12/18) overall and fourth in the Big 12 in the NET. Eight Big 12 teams are in the top 50. North Carolina is 37th overall and fourth in the ACC.• Oklahoma is one of four teams that have remained unbeaten to start the 2023-24 season. Oklahoma is joined by Houston, James Madison and Ole Miss.
• Junior Javian McCollum ranks seventh among NCAA DI active career leaders in free throw percentage (88.6%). In 61 career games, McCollum has made 156 free throws in 176 attempts.
• In their last outing, the Sooners earned a dominant wire-to-wire victory over Green Bay, beating the Phoenix 81-47. Sophomore Otega Oweh tallied a career-best seven steals and became the first Sooners since J.R. Raymond to record seven or more steals in a single game. Raymond tallied seven steals against UALR on Dec. 11, 1999.
• With its victory over Green Bay, OU improved to 10-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 Final Four campaign. In the previous 20 seasons, the Sooners have won their first 10 games three times (2008-09, 2015-16 and 2023-24). OU finished the 2008-09 campaign 30-6 and advanced to the Elite Eight. The Sooners reached their fifth Final Four in 2015-16, finishing with a 29-7 mark overall.
• OU's 10-0 start is tied for the seventh-best start in program history with the 1991-92 and 2003-04 seasons. With a victory against UNC, the 2023-24 Sooners would be in sole possession of seventh. The 1989-90, 2008-09 and 2015-16 teams started 12-0.
• With OU's victory against the Providence Friars, Porter Moser achieved his first 8-0 start as a head coach. During the 2017-18 Final Four campaign at Loyola-Chicago, Moser guided the Ramblers to a 7-0 mark before dropping its first game of the season at Boise State.
• Under Porter Moser, Oklahoma is 10-2 in non-conference neutral site games, including victories over USC, Iowa and Arkansas in 2023-24 and wins over Nebraska, Seton Hall, Ole Miss and Florida in 2022-23. OU's two losses were to Utah State in the 2021 Myrtle Beach Invitational Championship game and Arkansas in the 2022 Crimson & Cardinal Classic.
LAST TIME OUT
• Oklahoma led wire-to-wire and improved to 10-0 with its 81-47 victory over Green Bay on Saturday, Dec. 16. Senior Rivaldo Soares scored a team-high 13 points and added five rebounds. Sophomore Otega Oweh added 12 points and tallied a career-high seven steals. Redshirt junior John Hugley IV tallied 11 points and four rebounds. Junior Javian McCollum dished out a team-high eight assists and junior Jalon Moore recorded eight rebounds.• After Green Bay narrowed the Oklahoma lead to 21-20 with 5:43 left in the first half, the Sooners outscored the Phoenix 15-0 to close out the half. OU continued its dominant defense in the second frame, holding Green Bay to 27 points. OU put together a 22-0 run over a seven-minute stretch to pull away for good.
• The Sooners scored 27 points off 20 Green Bay turnovers and won the battle in the paint, scoring 44 points to GB's 14. Oklahoma shot 51.9% (28-54) from the field, 71.4% (20-28) from the free throw line and 29.4% (5-17) from three.
AP POLL APPEARANCES
• Oklahoma has appeared in the AP Poll 379 times (29.9%), ranking 22nd all-time. Since the 1984 season, the Sooners have appeared in 48.2% (359 times) of AP Polls and have an average rank of 12.2. OU is ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll for the first time since week 14 of the 2020-21 season when the Sooners were ranked seventh.RANKING SUMMARY (12/19)
• Oklahoma ranks in the top 50 nationally in 11 categories. The Sooners are sixth in three-point percentage defense (25.6%), sixth in scoring margin (23.1 PPG), 11th in field goal percentage (51.0%), 13th in field goal percentage defense (37.5%), 15th in free throw percentage (77.9%), 15th in effective field goal percentage (57.5%), 15th in scoring defense (61.3 PPG), 19th in rebound margin (10.0 RPG), 29th in scoring offense (84.4 PPG), 38th in bench points per game (29.5 PPG) and 49th in defensive rebounds per game (28.2 DRPG).• Otega Oweh is 10th in NCAA DI and first in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (66.7%), 27th nationally in steals per game (2.4) and 37th in steals (24). Sam Godwin is 10th nationally and first in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.9 RPG).
