Oklahoma Basketball vs. UTSA | Here’s What You’ll Want To Know

M. Hofeld

7 years ago

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Tip: 7:00 (CT)

Location: Lloyd Noble Center

TV: Sooner Sports Networ

Oklahoma returns a core of three starters in Jamal Bieniemy, Kristian Doolittle and Brady Manek. Doolittle and Manek both ranked in OU’s top three for points, rebounds and blocks last season while Bieniemy led the Sooners in both assists and steals.

Paired with the returning trio will be guard Austin Reaves and forward Kur Kuath, both in their second year in Norman. Reaves, a transfer from Wichita State, will be eligible to play this season after sitting out last season due to the NCAA’s transfer policy. Kuath saw action in only six games last year before being sidelined by a back injury.

Tonight serves as the official debut for Oklahoma’s highly-anticipated freshman class. OU’s 2019 recruiting class was listed in the top 20 nationally by Rivals (No. 14) and ESPN (No. 20). The group of newcomers is comprised of guards De’Vion Harmon (Denton, Texas) and Alondes Williams (River Grove, Ill.), forwards Anyang Garang (Adelaide, Australia), Jalen Hill (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Victor Iwuakor (Sulphur Springs, Texas) and centers Rick Issanza (Kinshasha, Congo) and Corbin Merritt (Tallahassee, Fla.).

Oklahoma is 8-0 in season openers under head coach Lon Kruger. Additonally, the Sooners have won 16 consecutive season openers dating back to the 2003-04 season.

Oklahoma owns a 4-0 all-time record against the Roadrunners and defeated UTSA, 87-67, last season in San Antonio. This will be the third straight season the Sooners have faced the Roadrunners.

OU is 40-6 all-time against current members of Conference USA and is 6-1 against C-USA teams during the Kruger era.

Former Oklahoma assistant Steve Henson is beginning his fourth year as the head coach at UTSA after spending nearly three decades playing and coaching for Kruger. When Henson was hired by UTSA, the Roadrunners were coming off a last-place 5-27 season. Just two years later, Henson coached UTSA to a 20-15 record and fifth-place finish in Conference USA, earning himself the 2018 C-USA Coach of the Year honors. The Roadrunners tied for second place in C-USA last season and are predicted to finish second in the league’s preseason poll.