In the second round, the Oklahoma basketball team was eliminated from the Big 12 tournament, in Kansas City, losing to TCU 77-70. Let’s talk about it.
OU came into the game against TCU very banged up. They were without Javian McCollum, Rivaldo Soares, and John Hugley IV. McCollum and Soares scored 25 points a game combined this year for OU, so having to play without them, would be an uphill battle for the Sooners.
After one half of basketball, the Sooners would look to come back from a 14-point deficit. OU’s defense could not keep up with the Horned Frogs, especially with key players being inactive.
The injuries allowed some more playing time for guys like Le’Tre Darthard and Otega Oweh, who both started for the Sooners.
Oweh made the most of his opportunity, he scored 16 points, on 6-9 from the field, grabbed four rebounds, one assist, and three steals.
Milos Uzan had a productive game against TCU. He displayed his offensive capabilities, scoring 15 points, also on 6-9 from the field, got two rebounds, dished out four assists, and also had three steals. The offense for Uzan, since conference play started, had dwindled, so it was encouraging to see him get back to double-digit points.
Jalon Moore continued his solid play in conference against TCU. He put up 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal. He has been a valuable transfer piece for the Sooners this season.
Despite good individual performances, the Sooners struggled all game long to shoot the ball. They shot 38.1% from beyond the arc, and struggled mightily from the free-throw line, as they shot 61.5%. Missing ten free throws in a conference tournament is hard to come back from.
The OU defense struggled to guard Emanuel Miller, who exploded for 26 points. He shot 9-13 from the field. He has previously given the Sooners trouble, when the two teams met on Jan. 10, he dropped 27 points. TCU also got production from Jameer Nelson Jr. who had 14 points.
Porter Moser also went to some new faces against TCU, putting freshman Kaden Cooper into conference play for the first time. Luke Northweather and Maks Klanjscek also got extended minutes, playing 12 a piece.
The bench did not show up for the Sooners against the Horned Frogs. OU’s second unit scored just six points, compared to 13 off the bench, with 11 of them coming from JaKobe Coles for TCU. A seven-point differential off the bench can play a major factor in conference tournaments.
The Sooners were able to force TCU turnovers, but could not fully capitalize on them. The Horned Frogs had 16 turnovers and OU was only able to score 11 points. OU had 18 turnovers and TCU scored 20 off the Sooners mistakes.
Next, the Sooners will have to wait for their fate to be decided on Selection Sunday. It would be the first NCAA tournament bid since Porter Moser was hired if they do make it.
Images courtesy of Jenna Burress/OU Daily and Bob Nguyen/OU Daily
