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  • Oklahoma Heads to the NIT Tuesday While Most of the Big 12 Gets Ready for the Big Dance

Oklahoma Heads to the NIT Tuesday While Most of the Big 12 Gets Ready for the Big Dance

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Basketball

Oklahoma men's basketball was selected as a No. 1 seed in the NIT and host Missouri State (23-10, 13-6 MVC) Tuesday, March 15 at Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sooners (18-11, 7-11 Big 12) battled to the very end against No. 3 seed Texas Tech (25-8, 12-6 Big 12) Friday night in the semifinal round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, but fell to the Red Raiders 56-55. The Sooners wer led by Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team selection Umoja Gibson, who tallied 16 points. Gibson recorded 14 points in the 72-67 quarterfinal victory over Baylor. 

The Sooners are making their eighth appearance in the NIT and first since 2004. Oklahoma holds a 10-7 record in the event and have made 35 postseason appearances in the last 40 years.

All NIT game seating will be general admission with the exception of certain locations and all ticket prices are set by the NCAA and NIT. General admission tickets are $12 and fans that are 2-plus years old will need a ticket for entry. Any Oklahoma student with a valid college ID may purchase a $4 ticket at the Lloyd Noble box office prior to entry. Doors will open 60 minutes prior to tip at 5 p.m.

ON THE AIR

Tuesday's game will be televised on ESPN with Mark Neely and Fran Fraschilla on the call.

The contest is scheduled to tip at 6 p.m. CT and 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.

SCOUTING THE BEARS

  • Missouri State enters the clash with Oklahoma 23-10 and 13-5 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Bears are making their 10th appearance in the NIT. MSU earned an opening-round victory over Valparaiso (67-58) in the State Farm MVC Tournament  before falling to No. 3 seed Drake Saturday, March 5. 
  • Gaige Prim and Isiaih Mosley earned All-MVC first-team honorees for the second year in a row. Mosley boasts a team-high 20.1 points per game and Prim adds 16.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest. Prim along with Donovan Clay have started all 33 games for MSU. Ja'Monta Black has started 32, Mosley 31 and Lu'Cye Patterson 25.
  • Missouri State is fourth nationally in free throw percentage (79.5), 14th in field goal percentage (48.4) and 25th in three-point field goal percentage (37.4). The Bears rank in the top-3 in conference ranks in 14 NCAA statistical categories.

OKLAHOMA VS. MISSOURI STATE TIDBITS

  •  Oklahoma and Missouri State will meet for the fourth time and the first time since the Bears became Missouri State (formerly Southwest Missouri State). The Sooners have won all three meetings, which have been held in Norman. 
  • Prior to his time in the Crimson and Cream, Porter Moser was the men's basketball head coach at Illinois State and coached current Missouri State head coach Dana Ford. Moser spent four seasons at the helm (2003-07) and Ford played from 2002-06). Ford led the Redbirds with 47 steals during the 2005-06 campaign.
  • Porter Moser led the Loyola Ramblers to a 2-0 record against Missouri State during his last season in Chicago. The Ramblers won both road contests, earning the opening two-game set victory 72-46 and the concluded the series with a 70-50 victory.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE    

  • Oklahoma has the 3rd-toughest strength of schedule according to NET, third by WarrenNolan.com, fourth by KenPom and fifth by ESPN. Ou has played 14 games against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 and tied with four other teams nationally for most wins over AP top 15 opponents (five).

UP NEXT

 If Oklahoma wins its opening round contest against Missouri State, the Sooners will face the winner of Colorado and St. Bonaventure March 19-20 (date, time and location TBD). OU holds a 1-0 record against the Bonnies and holds a 88-49 advantage over the Buffs.