Film Room: An in-depth look at the win over West Virginia

The No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners secured a 77-63 victory against West Virginia in what was, for the most part, an ugly game. The Sooners committed a season-high 19 turnovers, while the Mountaineers had 16 turnovers. The game was characterized by sloppiness, and until Jalon Moore's dunk, there was a lack of energy for the Sooners. Moore's poster dunk injected energy into the team, and they began to play with more vigor, resembling their usual selves.

This win propelled the Sooners to a 14-3 overall record and a 2-2 standing in conference play. It was evident heading into the game that the Sooners couldn't afford to lose. Although West Virginia is not a bad team, in the broader context of the Big 12, they are undoubtedly in the bottom two. Despite their unfortunate circumstances, West Virginia displayed scrappiness, which was evident in the game. Oklahoma, however, managed to control the game effectively for approximately 30 minutes of play.

In this installment of the Film Room, we will delve deep into Oklahoma’s second conference win.

1. Moore emerged as Oklahoma’s leading scorer, contributing a total of 16 points.

2. Rivaldo Soares, Javian McCollum, and Otega Oweh also reached double digits, with Soares and McCollum scoring 13 each and Oweh contributing 12.

3. Despite finishing with 13 points, McCollum recorded a season-low four attempts from the field, making 2 out of 4.

4. On the Mountaineers' side, Noah Farrakhan and RaeQuan Battle led the scoring with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

5. As highlighted earlier, the Sooners experienced a season-high in turnovers, committing 19 in the game.

Two words to describe this clip: Beautiful play. This executed play features a well-crafted call and flawless execution. The sequence involves a ball reversal, Sam Godwin flashing high post, Oweh setting a back screen, and Milos Uzan delivering an alley-oop to Moore. The perfection in execution, coupled with Moore's athleticism, showcases a type of play that Oklahoma couldn't run last season. It epitomizes beautiful basketball.

This play served as the catalyst that energized the Sooners. Moore, setting a screen for McCollum, received the ball on the roll and aggressively attacked Patrick Suemnick. Moore's exceptional athleticism was evident in this moment, emphasizing his unique threat in the pick and roll. The bigger picture takeaway is that Oklahoma discovered a potent element with Moore as the screener, resulting in multiple points. Moore's freakish athleticism made him a standout contributor in the game, playing a pivotal role for the Sooners.

In the second half, West Virginia shifted to a 2-3 zone, a defensive strategy that can be countered by getting the ball to the middle of the floor. In this specific play, Moore received the ball in the middle, aggressively attacked, drew a foul, and finished through the contact, showcasing his assertive style of play in the game. Traditionally, when teams employed a zone defense, Godwin and Hugley operated in the high post, with Moore positioned in the dunker spot. However, with Moore demonstrating his screen abilities in the first half, he once again exploited the middle effectively, punishing the zone. This strategic adaptation not only gave Oklahoma the option of utilizing the high post but also provided an alternative look with Moore in the dunker spot, presenting two distinct approaches to overcome the zone defense.

The next time someone asks me, "Why do you think Uzan is a pro?" I will simply show them this clip. The way he utilizes the high ball screen, exercises patience, reads the defender, and then delivers the pass to Godwin is truly elite.

Another standout performer was Soares, scoring more points in this game than in his last four combined. In this particular clip, Soares displays aggression with a high-ball pick-up hop step, finishing through contact for an and-one. It's a remarkable play, showcasing his effectiveness. Soares only missed one shot from the field in this game (3-4) and made several other challenging shots, contributing to his six free throw attempts. Plays like this highlight the type of performance Oklahoma has been seeking from him.

Soares addressed two areas lacking in Oklahoma’s losses: scoring and shooting from the bench. In this clip, Uzan utilizes the high ball screen and delivers a skip pass to Soares, who confidently drills the three-pointer. This contribution from the bench is precisely what Oklahoma has been missing. Soares, who hadn't heated up from behind the arc since the preseason Crimson & Cream scrimmage, showcased the shooting prowess needed from the bench. Consistent performances like this from Soares are crucial for Oklahoma's success.

This defensive possession stands out as elite, despite ending in a Godwin travel. The big picture here is the exceptional defense displayed. The guards exhibited excellent switching on screens, maintaining a strong defensive presence. Particularly noteworthy was the hedging by Moore and Godwin when Suemnik set a screen for Kerr Kriisa. Both Soares and Uzan effectively tagged Suemnik, demonstrating solid teamwork. Uzan's quick recovery, forcing a Battle pick up, and Darthard's effective contest of the fadeaway contribute to an overall elite defensive sequence. The team adeptly defended flare and ball screens throughout this possession.

It's time to address Oweh's performance. He faced significant struggles in the first half but made a strong comeback in the second. Illustrating his first-half struggles, Oweh shot 0-8 from the field. The first highlighted play encapsulates his struggles, forcing a mid-range jumper off a Uzan skip pass and missing a follow-up attempt at the rim. Despite questionable shot selection, Oweh's effort shines through, and this resilience is a positive sign. The clip emphasizes that, while he may have been in a slump, Oweh's determination and effort remained intact. In the second clip, Oweh executes a smooth euro step, although he initially misses the shot, he follows up with a putback layup and draws a foul. Once again, this play underscores Oweh's commendable effort. Despite facing a significant slump, his determination to fight through and ultimately convert the play is something all Sooners fans should appreciate.

John Hugley performed well in this game. In this play, facing a 2-3 zone, Hugley delivered an excellent bounce pass to Moore, positioned in the dunker spot, resulting in a dunk. This exemplifies textbook execution on how to efficiently beat a 2-3 zone. Credit to Hugley for showcasing solid passing skills and making a wise decision.

This isn't the first time we've witnessed Hugley execute a remarkable fadeaway floater; it appears he has become quite proficient at it. It's uncommon to see someone of his size make such a play. This game stands out as one of his better performances this season, contributing very solid minutes.

Every shooter goes through slumps, and Le’Tre Darthard has been in a massive one. He was 0-8 from behind the arc in Oklahoma’s two losses. In this game, he was still 1-3, but the positive sign is that he did make one. In this clip, he does a good job finding open space and drilling the three-pointer. Later in the game, he badly missed a three. So, while it is a good sign to see him make one, he needs to snap out of the slump soon if the Sooners want to stay in the win column.

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