OU Personnel
*probable starters
*#2 Javian McCollum 6’2″ Jr. – 14ppg, 3rpg (Siena)
- Three-level scoring guard;
- Leads team in three-point attempts with 162;
- Deadly free-throw shooter; Ranked #4 in the nation in FT% (93.98%);
- Excellent at getting to the basket:
*#5 Rivaldo Soares 6’6″ Sr. – 8ppg, 5rpg (Oregon)
- Lengthy guard;
- Started his first game of the year Wednesday vs. Iowa State;
- Fantastic three-level scorer; Takes and MAKES tough shots;
- Good three-point shooter;
- Will post up if he feels he has a mismatch;
- Had 4 points and 7 rebounds vs. UH last year while at Oregon:
*#14 Jalon Moore 6’7″ Jr. – 11ppg, 6rpg (Georgia Tech)
- Big/stong/athletic forward;
- EXTREMELY good bounce; Can jump out of the gym;
- Reminds me of KJ Adams (Kansas) and Dillon Mitchell (Texas), but he’s probably a better outside shooter than either;
- Skilled in the paint;
- Doesn’t create his own shot, but capable three-point shooter:
*#12 Milos Uzan 6’4″ So. – 9ppg, 4rpg
- Point Guard;
- Great at driving to the basket but shoots under 50% at the rim;
- Okay three-point shooter:
*#10 Sam Godwin 6’10” Sr. – 7ppg, 5rpg (Wofford)
- Big body post player;
- Great motor;
- The nation’s #1 offensive rebounder, according to KenPom (He gets away with the slight push in the back often);
- Has 24 more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds. Gets a lot of his points off put-backs.;
- Not overly skilled in the post, but is capable of scoring down there:
#3 Otega Oweh 6’5″ So. – 12ppg, 4rpg
- Big/athletic guard;
- Elite driver/cutter to the basket;
- The best three-point shooter on the team:
#45 Luke Northweather 6’11” RS Fr. – 2ppg, 1rpg
- Really big post player;
- Not a great rebounder for his size. Coogs need to bully him;
- Capable three-point shooter, but not great;
- Not a huge offensive threat. Has only attempted 35 shots this season;
- Not bad in the pick and roll/pop;
- Solid rim-runner:
#0 Le’Tre Darthard 6’4″ Sr. – 6ppg, 2rpg (Utah Valley)
- Back-up shooting guard;
- In a shooting slump: 2-8 shooting with 6 points in his last 4 games;
#13 Maks Klanjscek 6’5″ Sr. – 2ppg, 1rpg (Kansas City/Salt Lake CC/Maine/Houston Christian)
- Long shooting guard;
- Well traveled; At his 5th college;
- Plays very limited minutes; Likely won’t play vs UH if the game is close;
#1 John Hugley IV 6’10” RS Jr. – 8ppg, 4rpg (Pitt)
- BIG body post player;
- Has not played since February 10 vs Oklahoma State; (Meniscus surgery, but they think there’s a chance he returns this season);
Keys to Victory
- Get the ball in the paint on offense. They don’t play great help-side defense. The Coogs need to pick and roll them to death. They can also take advantage of feeding the post and letting J’Wan facilitate from there.
- Defensive rebounding. Sam Godwin is an elite offensive rebounder. The Coogs will need to do everything possible to keep him off the glass and prevent them from getting extra opportunities.
- Make shots on the road. “Gotta make shots on the road,” Kelvin Sampson says. Due to their lack of help-side defense, open threes will be hard to come by. Someone is going to have to step up and make difficult shots.
- Keep them out of the paint on offense. They love to get the ball in the paint, looking to score first, then kick out to open shooters. They have very athletic guards and forwards. It will be crucial to make them take contested outside shots.
- Toughest team wins. They are a tough bunch. OU desperately needs a win to get momentum going in the right direction before the Big 12 tournament. Both teams are beat up right now. Who is willing to be the first on the floor for a loose ball? Who will fight for those extra possessions? Who will take the big charge? Who will make the most “sit down and shut up” shots? We’ll find out Saturday night!
