The Oklahoma Sooners and Arkansas Razorbacks took comparable approaches in follow and received the identical end result: their first Southeastern Convention wins.
The groups meet Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark., and hope their work off the court docket will put their SEC woes additional behind them.
Oklahoma (14-4, 1-4 SEC), in its first season within the convention, has not performed since blowing out visiting South Carolina 82-62 on Jan. 18.
Arkansas (12-7, 1-5) overcame a 15-point deficit within the second half to high Georgia 68-65 in Fayetteville on Wednesday, snapping a five-game skid. Within the Razorbacks’ first recreation with out standout freshman level guard Boogie Fland, Ado Thiero racked up 17 factors and 11 rebounds. Thiero leads the group with 16.4 factors per recreation.
Fland had profitable ligament surgical procedure on his proper thumb and can miss the remainder of the season. He sustained the harm Jan. 11 towards Florida and struggled within the following two video games.
With out Fland, Arkansas should change his 15.1 factors and team-leading 5.7 assists per recreation. To iron out the brand new rotations with out Fland, Razorbacks coach John Calipari has performed quite a lot of self-scouting.
“We discovered Boogie wanted the surgical procedure and had all day Sunday to arrange,” Calipari mentioned. “We scrimmaged loads Monday since we had new guys in new spots. I am extra locked into our group than who we’re enjoying. We’re beginning to get there and work out how we’ve got to play.”
After a 77-73 loss to Texas on Jan. 15 within the Purple River Rivalry, Oklahoma coach Porter Moser additionally turned up the follow depth.
“We wished to get that style out of our mouths,” Moser mentioned. “In a bizarre means, I’m extra inspired proper now. We did not coach power or effort. We coached execution, and the blokes responded. We have been all depressing. The fellows have been depressing. It was a very laborious low level, that recreation, strolling off that ground. However the guys stayed collectively and believed.”
Senior ahead Jalon Moore leads the Sooners in scoring (18.3) and rebounding (6.3).
–Discipline Degree Media
