Neither Oklahoma nor Oklahoma State are where they thought they’d be entering the first Bedlam matchup of the season.
Oklahoma got off to an 11-2 start that had the Sooners on the verge of breaking into the Top 25 in Porter Moser’s first season.
Oklahoma State charged into the season with high expectations and got off to a 6-1 start, though the mood was tempered before the season began when the NCAA denied an appeal of the Cowboys’ postseason ban.
But now, entering Saturday’s game in Stillwater, Okla., both teams are struggling.
The Sooners (13-9, 3-6 Big 12) have lost back-to-back games and seven of their last nine while the Cowboys (10-11, 3-6) come in with a four-game losing streak and having dropped eight of 11.
Both Moser and Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton are preaching positivity going into the game.
“Absolutely not going to lose this locker room,” Moser said. “We can’t have two guys play well. We need a consistent group effort of playing well to win, but there’s not a concern.
“We have to play better.”
One positive to the Sooners’ 72-63 home loss to TCU on Monday was the play of Elijah Harkless, who had 13 points and a pair of steals in 26 minutes off the bench. Harkless hadn’t attempted a field goal in 20 combined minutes in the previous two games after Moser took him out of the starting lineup in favor of Jacob Groves, who went scoreless in 19 minutes against TCU.
At Oklahoma State earlier in the week, Boynton blasted his team for playing selfishly. But after a 71-68 loss at Kansas State on Wednesday, he said that wasn’t an issue.
“We gotta play a little bit smarter in certain scenarios and we gotta be a little tougher late,” Boynton said. “But all in all, a big improvement and look forward to trying to build off this one.”
Oklahoma State was led by Bryce Thompson’s 22 points and 18 from Rondel Walker. The Cowboys are hoping to build off of Avery Anderson’s career-high seven-assist game.
The Cowboys swept last season’s meetings with the Sooners and have won the last two in Stillwater. The teams will square off again at Norman on Feb. 26.
–Field Level Media