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Published Dec 4, 2023
Examining KenPom's data through the Sooners' first 7 games
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Brody Lusk  •  OUInsider
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Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners are off to a 7-0 start for the first time since the 2015-16 season. In addition to the 7-0 start the Sooners are ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll, marking just the second week that the team's been ranked in the Moser era.

While it's still early in the season, there's now a handful of games to analyze. A primary way to do that in college basketball is using KenPom rankings, which provides advanced metrics for each team in the FBS.

Here's a look at the KenPom data through Oklahoma’s first seven games:

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Adj. Offensive efficiency: 114.3 (ranks 34th nationally)

Adj. Defensive efficiency: 95.3 (23rd)

Avj. Offensive possession length: 15.9 seconds (49th)

Avj. Defensive possession length: 17.5 seconds (232nd)

- The Sooners have been super efficient both offensively and defensively. Despite moving to a more fast-paced offensive scheme, they have remained efficient.

- Oklahoma’s possession length on offense is shorter than average, and their defensive possession length is longer than average.

- Their offensive possession length signifies they are playing much faster this season compared to last

Effective FG%: 58.3 (11th)

Opponent effective FG%: 42.1 (10th)

Turnover %: 17.0 (137th)

Opponent turnover %: 19.8 (89th)

Offensive rebound %: 36.6 (28th)

Opponent offensive rebound %: 28.4 (150th)

FTA/FGA: 31.6 (222nd)

Opponent FTA/FGA: 28.8 (100th)

- Oklahoma has a great effective FG% and an opponent-effective FG%, which means the Sooners have shot very well from the field.

- Their opponents have not been shooting the ball very well. The Sooners are doing a great job getting offensive rebounds. Sam Godwin is a large factor in why they are so good at getting offensive rebounds.

- Oklahoma has to find a way to get to the free-throw line more, especially as their competition takes a huge step up.

- This team is doing a sound job of forcing turnovers.

3P%: 35.3 (99th)

Opponent 3P% 26.9 (20th)

2P%: 61.7 (8th)

Opponent 2P%: 42.9 (20th)

- Oklahoma has been great defensively, and opponents are not shooting the ball well from inside or behind the arc.

- This team is doing an excellent job on all two-pointers. Being in the top 20 in the country on two-pointers is a spot that the Sooners certainly want to be in.

- One of the biggest takeaways from this data is that the Sooners are very efficient on both ends of the court.

Significant Contributors (20-24% of possessions used): Javian McCollum, Otega Oweh, John Hugley, Sam Godwin.

Role Players (16-20% of possessions used): Milos Uzan, Le’Tre Darthard, Rivaldo Soares, Jalon Moore.

Limited roles (12-16% of possessions used): Kaden Cooper. 

Nearly invisible (<12% of possessions used): Luke Northweather. 

- The Sooners have eight players who have been used on 16-24% of possessions.

- There is no clear go-to-guy right now. McCollum, Oweh, and Hugley average the most points on the team and have been used a lot, but none are clear go-to-guys.

- Northweather’s %Min is 20.0, and Cooper’s is 11.8. Despite Cooper playing in fewer minutes, he has been used in more possessions than Northweather.

Depth Chart over the past 5 games:

PG: Javian McCollum 72%, Milos Uzan 23%, Maks Klanjscek 5%.


SG: Le’Tre Darthard 59%, Milos Uzan 34%.


SF: Otega Oweh 55%, Rivaldo Soares 17%, Milos Uzan 16%, Kaden Cooper 8%.


PF: Jalon Moore 47%, Rivaldo Soares 36%, Otega Oweh 7%.


C: John Hugley 50%, Sam Godwin 33%, Luke Northweather 9%, Jalon Moore 6%.

- McCollum has played many of this team's minutes as the point guard.

- Despite not being listed first in any position, Uzan has more minutes than anyone else.

- Although he has just one start, Hugley has played half the minutes at center.

- The Sooners are getting a surplus amount of minutes from their bench.

The 10 most frequent lineups over the past 5 games: 

1. McCollum, Uzan, Oweh, Moore, and Godwin: 15.9%.

2. McCollum, Uzan, Oweh, Moore, and Hugley: 7.8%.

3. McCollum, Darthard, Oweh, Soares, and Hugley: 6.9%.

4. McCollum, Darthard, Uzan, Soares, and Hugley: 5.2%.

5. Uzan, Darthard, Oweh, Soares, and Hugley: 4.0%.

6. Uzan, Darthard, Soares, Moore, and Hugley: 3.4%.

7. McCollum, Darthard, Uzan, Soares, and Godwin: 3.3%.

8. McCollum, Darthard, Soares, Moore, and Hugley: 3.2%.

9. McCollum, Uzan, Oweh, Soares, and Hugley: 3.2%.

10. McCollum, Darthard, Uzan, Oweh, and Hugley: 3.0%.

- The starting lineup over the first six games has played the most minutes.

- The Sooners are deploying a three-guard lineup with McCollum, Darthard, and Uzan quite a bit.

- Hugley is featured at center in eight of Oklahoma’s ten most frequent lineups.


Oklahoma will next take on the Providence Friars at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday nght.