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Oklahoma Sooners Return to Action in a Contest Against Kansas State Tuesday

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Basketball

After a weekend off from competition due to a postponement of the Sooners' scheduled matchup with Oklahoma State, Oklahoma (7-4, 3-3) is back in Lloyd Noble Center on Tuesday to host Kansas State (5-9, 1-5).

The Sooners are coming off a 36-point win over TCU a full week ago while the Wildcats are looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Oklahoma had a strong performance on both the offensive and defensive ends against TCU and will want to carry over that intensity in Tuesday's Big 12 showdown. 

Following Tuesday's game, the Sooners begin a stretch where seven of their next eight games are against teams ranked in the top 18 of the latest AP Top 25.

On the Air

• Tuesday's game will tip at 5:30 p.m. CT and air on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing.

Three Pointers

• Sooner senior Austin Reaves is the only major-conference player averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Within the Big 12, he ranks fourth in scoring (15.8), second in assists (5.2), 16th in rebounding (5.4) and second in free throw percentage (89.2%).

• Sophomore guard De'Vion Harmon is coming off one of the best games of his career and is looking to carry that momentum into Tuesday's matchup. Harmon led the Sooners past TCU with 22 points (one shy of his career-high) and a career-best six rebounds. The sophomore sunk a career-high four four 3-pointers. Harmon is second on the team in scoring in Big 12 play with 12.5 points per game on 47.6% shooting.

• Oklahoma has seen a huge spike in defensive intensity and taking care of the basketball in its last two games. In those two matchups - a late loss to No. 6 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse and a 36-point win over TCU - OU opponents shot 10-of-39 (25.6%) from 3-point range and turned the ball over 31 times. In contrast, the Sooners have committed only 14 turnovers in the past two contests.

Series History: K-State

• Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 109-102 and are 64-28 when hosting the Wildcats in Norman. The Sooners have won four of their last five home matchups with K-State.

• OU head coach Lon Kruger played for Kansas State from 1970-74 and was named the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1973 and 1974.  He also starred on the baseball diamond for Kansas State and was selected in both the NBA and MLB Drafts in 1974. He later coached the Wildcats from 1986-90, racking up an 81-46 (.638) record. Each of his K-State squads qualified for the NCAA Tournament, and the 1988 team was one of the best in the school's history with 24 wins and a trip to the Elite Eight. Kruger's No. 12 hangs in the rafters of Bramlage Coliseum. 

• Kruger isn't the only member of the OU coaching staff with a K-State connection. Assistant Jim Molinari played his first two seasons at Kansas State (including one with Kruger) before transfering to Illinois Wesleyan.

Quick Hits

• Head coach Lon Kruger earned his 186th OU victory on Tuesday over TCU, surpassing Hugh McDermott (1922-38) as the fourth most-winning coach in Sooners' history. Only three OU head coaches compiled more victories than Kruger: Billy Tubbs (333), Kelvin Sampson (279) and Hall-of-Famer Bruce Drake (200).

• Junior guard Umoja Gibson was named Big 12 Player of the Week, Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and NCAA.com National Player of the Week for games played Jan. 4-10. Gibson poured in 29 points against No. 9 West Virginia on Jan. 2 on 10-of-14 shooting (8-of-11 from 3-point range) while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. At the time of the game, his 29 points were the second-most off the bench by any major-conference player this season. His career-high eight 3-pointers were tied for the most by a non-starter in any Division I game this season. 

• In Oklahoma's 11 games this season, three different Sooners have reached at least 29 points in a game. Brady Manek produced 29 points against UTSA (Dec. 3) and Austin Reaves scored 32 at TCU (Dec. 6). Oklahoma is the only team in the country with three different players boasting 29-point performances this season. The OU trio's scoring milestones account for three of the five highest-scoring games by Big 12 players this season. 

• Oklahoma's 77.8 points per game rank second in the Big 12. 

• The Sooners are 6-0 when scoring at least 78 points. Oklahoma is averaging 84.6 points per game in victories and 66.0 in losses.

• Oklahoma's roster holds two of the Big 12's top four 3-point shooters. Umoja Gibson (2.4 3-pointers per game) is third in the Big 12 while Brady Manek (2.3) is ranked fourth. Both Gibson and Manek have sunk eight 3-pointers in a game this season.

• Sometimes the key to victory is as simple as making shots. Over the last two seasons, the Sooners are 23-1 when they have a better field goal percentage than their opponents. Their only loss when owning a better field goal percentage was on the road at then-No. 1 Baylor last season.

• Oklahoma is committing only 10.5 turnovers per game - the fewest in the Big 12 and ninth-best among major-conference teams.

• The Sooners also lead the league in fewest fouls committed per game, fouling an average of 14.1 times - the fifth-fewest in the country. This continues a trend that Oklahoma showed a lot of discipline in last season, committing only 13.4 personal fouls per game in 2019-20 – the third fewest in the country. This year, OU opponents are shooting an average of 13.3 foul shots per game, compared to OU's 17.1 free throw attempts.

• OU is making the most of its trips to the line, leading the Big 12 in free throw percentage with a 79.3% rate. OU's free throw percentage ranks 12th in the nation and fourth among major-conference teams. Austin Reaves is second in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (89.2%). 

• The Sooners rank second in the Big 12 in both assists (15.5) and steals (7.5).

• Austin Reaves' 32 points against TCU (Dec. 6) are the most by a Big 12 player this season. Brady Manek's 29 points against UTSA (Dec. 3) and Umoja Gibson's 29 vs. West Virginia (Jan. 2) are the third-most by a league player.

• Lon Kruger returns a veteran-heavy team which returns over 70% of its scoring from last season's squad that claimed the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Championship. Kruger utilized a starting lineup with four seniors on opening night in Austin Reaves, Alondes Williams, Brady Manek and Kur Kuath. It was the first time since the 1992-93 season that Oklahoma started at least four seniors in the first game of the season.

Up Next: Kansas Jayhawks

• The Sooners week at home against Big 12 foes from the Sunflower State continue Saturday when No. 9 Kansas comes to the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday. The two squads had a down-to-the-wire battle just two weeks ago in Allen Fieldhouse with the Jayhawks pulling off the narrow 63-59 victory. The Sooners played without Brady Manek and Jalen Hill in the loss.

• Kansas is the only Big 12 team with a winning all-time record against the Sooners, leading the series 151-68. 

• The Sooners are 4-5 against the Jayhawks when playing in Norman during the Lon Kruger era.