Sooners, Razorbacks renew rivalry in Fayetteville on Saturday

The Oklahoma (14-4, 0-4) and Arkansas (12-7, 1-4) men's basketball teams each go for their second consecutive win when they meet in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT inside Bud Walton Arena. This will mark the fourth straight season for the Sooners and Razorbacks to meet, but the first time on a campus since the 2012-13 season. OU has won two of the last three years when the programs met in the Crimson and Cardinal Classic in Tulsa.

Saturday's game will be televised by ESPN2 with Brian Custer (play-by-play) and Richard Hendrix (analyst) announcing. It 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 (play-by-play) and Kevin Henry (analyst) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• Arkansas holds a 17-14 all-time series lead against Oklahoma, but the Sooners are 9-5 in the last 14 matchups.

• Oklahoma is the only team with two players who rank in the top 10 in the SEC in scoring. Senior forward Jalon Moore ranks third (18.3 ppg) and freshman guard Jeremiah Fears ranks ninth (16.8 ppg).

• Over the last six contests, Moore is averaging team highs of 20.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting a gaudy .612 from the field, .588 (10 for 17) from 3-point distance and .853 (29 for 34) from the free throw line. On the year, Moore ranks in the top 10 in the league in scoring (3rd at 18.3 ppg), field goal percentage (5th at .529) and free throw percentage (8th at .851).

• Moore is coming off a two-game week in which he averaged 25.5 points (led SEC) and 8.0 rebounds vs. Texas and South Carolina while shooting .652 from the field, .500 from 3-point range (3-6) and .900 from the free throw line (18-20). He scored a career-high 29 points against Texas (previous high was 24), including 26 in the second half when he was 8 for 8 from the floor.

• Freshman guard Dayton Forsythe has provided a spark off the bench the last two games, combining for 23 minutes against Texas and South Carolina after totaling five minutes over the previous four outings.

• Against South Carolina in OU's last outing, Fears registered 16 points and career highs of nine rebounds and eight assists. He became just the second Sooner in the last 29 years and fifth SEC player over the last eight seasons with at least 16/9/8 in a game.

• OU leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally with its .803 season free throw percentage, which would smash the single-season school record of .767 set by the 2001-02 Final Four team. The SEC squad with the second-best free throw percentage is LSU at .769.

• The Sooners have showcased their individual offensive depth this season, with a nation-leading four players who have scored at least 29 points in a game and an SEC-high six players who have scored 20-plus points.

• After posting four straight 20-win seasons, Arkansas went 16-17 in 2023-24 and tied for 11th in the SEC with a 6-12 league mark. The Razorbacks are in their first year under head coach John Calipari, who spent the previous 15 seasons at Kentucky and led the Wildcats to three Final Fours (2011, '12 and '15) and the 2012 national title.

• An OU win on Saturday would represent the Sooners' third victory in their last four games against the Razorbacks and their 10th in the last 15.

• Each of the Sooners' next five opponents after Arkansas are ranked or receiving votes in this week's AP poll (No. 13 Texas A&M, RV Vanderbilt, No. 1 Auburn, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 22 Missouri). Ten of OU's last 12 games are against teams in this week's AP top 25 (seven vs. top-16 teams).

OU-ARKANSAS SERIES NOTES

• Although it trails the overall series 17-14, Oklahoma has won nine of its last 14 matchups against Arkansas. The Razorbacks hold a 9-3 advantage in games played in Fayetteville and have won the last three meetings there.

• All 14 of Oklahoma's wins over Arkansas have been by at least nine points, 12 have been by double digits, seven have been by at least 15 points and three have been by at least 20 points. OU's average victory margin is 15.1 points. Arkansas' average victory margin in the series is 7.5 points (only four wins have been by double digits and only one by more than 11 points).

• Oklahoma and Arkansas met each of the last three seasons in the Crimson and Cardinal Classic at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. The Sooners won in 2021-22 (88-66) and 2023-24 (79-70), while the Razorbacks were victors in 2022-23 (88-78). The three games represent the only times OU's Porter Moser has faced Arkansas as a head coach.

• In last year's meeting on Dec. 9, guard Javian McCollum was one of four Sooners who scored in double figures, netting game highs of 20 points and four assists. OU shot .510 from the field and .389 (7 for 18) from 3-point range, while holding Arkansas to .400 and .222 (4 for 18) marks. The Sooners also posted a 33-25 rebounding advantage.

• Oklahoma's last win at Bud Walton Arena came on Nov. 30, 2001, when Kelvin Sampson's Sooners posted a 69-54 victory over Nolan Richardson's Hogs. It was OU's fourth win in four seasons against Arkansas. Wing Ebi Ere made 10 of 14 field goal attempts and hit all eight of his free throws en route to a 29-point night. Guard Hollis Price contributed 15 points and forward Aaron McGhee 11 points and seven boards, while West Memphis, Ark., native Daryan Selvy registered 13 rebounds off the bench. OU held Arkansas to .388 field goal and .133 (2 for 15) 3-point shooting, as no Razorback scored in double figures. The Sooners, who also posted a 42-24 rebounding advantage, finished that season 31-5 and advanced to the Final Four.

• OU also won in Fayetteville in the 1938-39 season (49-36) and the 1999-00 campaign (66-52).

SOONERS CAN SHOOT

• Oklahoma and Texas are the only teams that rank in the SEC's top five in field goal, 3-point and free throw shooting. OU ranks second in the league in field goal percentage (.486), third in 3-point percentage (.370) and first in free throw shooting (.803).

• OU's top three scorers and four of its top five are shooting over 80% from the free throw line. Jalon Moore is shooting .851, Jeremiah Fears .833, Duke Miles .892 and Brycen Goodine .813.

LIVING AT THE LINE

• Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears and senior forward Jalon Moore rank second and fourth in the SEC in free throw makes with 90 and 86, respectively. They both rank in the top 12 in free throw percentage, with Moore shooting .851 (8th) and Fears shooting .833 (12th).

BREAKER, BREAKER 

• Oklahoma has outscored 15 of its 18 opponents in fastbreak points and has tied twice (Georgia and Texas). The only team to outscore OU on the break this season was Oklahoma State, and that was by one point (8-7). The Sooners won, 80-65.

OU 5-0 AGAINST ACC/BIG TEN/BIG 12 

Oklahoma is 2-0 each against members of the ACC (beat Louisville and Georgia Tech in back-to-back games) and the Big 12 Conference (topped No. 24 Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals and Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City), and 1-0 against the Big Ten (beat No. 24 Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational). Through Thursday, Louisville is in second place in the ACC (8-1), Arizona is in second place in the Big 12 (6-1) and Michigan is in second place in the Big Ten (6-1).