Men's Basketball preview: at Oklahoma
No. 9/10 Longhorns travel to Norman for Big 12 road test on Saturday afternoon. Tip is set for 3 p.m. Central, and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
#9/10 Texas (19-3, 5-2 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma (12-9, 3-4 Big 12)
Saturday, February 6, 2010 • 3 p.m. Central
Lloyd Noble Center (12,000) • Norman, Oklahoma
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by ESPN. Ron Franklin (pxp) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst) will call the action.
RADIO: The Longhorn Sports Network and KVET (FM 98.1/1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) broadcast every UT game on the statewide network and on XM Satellite Radio Ch. 231. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
SERIES: Oklahoma leads, 46-28. Last meeting: Texas 73-68 (Feb. 21, 2009; Austin).
Solid Start
Following its 72-60 win on Monday night at Oklahoma State, Texas is off to a 19-3 start. The 19-3 record is the best 22-game mark to start a year for the Longhorns since the 2005-06 “Elite Eight” season. This marks just the seventh time in program history that the Horns have started the year with at least 19 wins in their first 22 contests. UT has posted 16 of its 19 wins by double-digit margins, including six by at least 30 points.
Series vs. Oklahoma
Saturday’s contest marks the 75th meeting between Texas and Oklahoma. The Sooners hold a 46-28 lead in the all-time series that dates back to a 59-26 OU victory in Norman on Feb. 25, 1910. The Horns have won seven of the last eight contests and are 12-4 against the Sooners in the last 16 meetings between the two schools (dating back to the start of the 2002-03 season). OU sports a 22-9 lead in games played in Norman.
Closing in on 20 Wins … Again
A win on Saturday at Oklahoma would give Texas its 11th consecutive 20-win season. Texas has reached the 30-win plateau twice in the last four years (31-7 record in 2007-08, 30-7 mark in 2005-06). UT’s current streak of 10 straight 20-win campaigns is a school record. Prior to the current streak, the previous school mark for most consecutive 20-win seasons was four (1988-89 to 1991-92). The Horns have reached the 20-win plateau in all but one of Rick Barnes’ seasons in Austin, with the lone exception being his first year at Texas (19-13 mark in 1998-99).
Texas-Oklahoma State Game Notes
• Texas has won seven of the last eight and 10 of the last 13 meetings against the Cowboys.
• The Horns posted a 40-24 scoring margin in the second half. UT hit 59.3% (16-of-27) from the floor in the final 20 minutes, while OSU converted just 36.7% (11-of-30).
• Texas committed a season-low five turnovers.
• UT posted a 40-2 advantage in bench scoring.
• Jordan Hamilton (27 points) topped the 20-point mark for the first time this year. He reached double figures in scoring for the 11th time this season. Hamilton posted career highs in points, field goals made (11-of-16) and three-point field goals made (5-of-8) in just 19 minutes of action.
• Damion James (14 points) reached double figures in scoring for the 19th time this season and 88th time in his career (130 games).
• Avery Bradley (10 points) reached double figures in scoring for the 14th time this year.
• Gary Johnson (eight points, 10 rebounds) reached double digits in rebounds for the second time this season and fourth time in his career (76 games).
James Getting Better by the Year
Senior guard/forward Damion James is a four-year starter who has played in all 130 games (128 starts), James is off to a solid start in his senior year, leading the team in scoring (18.0 ppg) and rebounding (11.0 rpg) while converting 140-of-281 (.498) field goals, including 20-of-53 (.377) from three-point range. He has recorded a team-best 12 double-doubles in the first 22 games. James also ranks second on the team in blocks (22) and leads the squad in steals (39).
Balbay Gets the Point
Junior point guard Dogus Balbay has a team-best 97 assists against just 36 turnovers (2.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio) while averaging 22.9 minutes per game this year. Balbay has committed two or fewer turnovers in 16 of the first 22 games. He has recorded at least five assists in 10 of the first 22 contests.
Balbay Gets Defensive
In the win earlier this year against No. 9/9 Michigan State (Dec. 22), Dogus Balbay had eight points, six assists without a turnover and three steals while limiting MSU star point guard Kalin Lucas to 11 points (3-of-11 FG) and two assists against six turnovers. During the second half of Monday’s win at Oklahoma State, he had primary responsibility against the Big 12’s leading scorer James Anderson. After Anderson scored 24 points in the opening 20 minutes, Balbay limited Anderson to just four points on 2-of-8 FG shooting (0-of-3 threes). On the season, Balbay ranks second on the team in steals (33).
Improving at Taking Care of the Ball
J’Covan Brown has made steady improvement in taking care of the basketball this season. In the first seven Big 12 contests, he has posted 18 assists against just eight turnovers. In his last two games, Brown has recorded eight assists against just two turnovers.
Hamilton Provides Spark at Oklahoma State
Jordan Hamilton had his best complete effort in a Texas uniform during Monday’s win at Oklahoma State. Hamilton tallied 27 points while hitting 11-of-16 FG (5-of-8 threes) and added four rebounds, one assist without a turnover and one block in just 19 minutes off the bench. He had 18 of his 27 points in the decisive second half. Hamilton set career highs in points, field goals made and three-point field goals made in Stillwater.
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