NORMAN — Oklahoma left the Big 12 Conference, but the Bedlam matchup lives on.

Well, at least in basketball.

The Sooners head to Oklahoma City for a non-conference matchup with Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Saturday at Paycom Center. The game replaces the Sooners' annual non-conference matchup with Arkansas at the BOK Center in Tulsa, and it also helps keep the Bedlam rivalry alive despite both teams in being in different conferences.

These two teams know each other incredibly well and most recently faced off last February, when then-OU guard Javian McCollum hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in Stillwater. But the rosters are completely different this season, and McCollum — like most of OU's roster — is playing elsewhere this season.

Fortunately for the Sooners, they enter the game with nine-straight wins which landed them at No. 13 in the AP Poll on Monday. The Cowboys (6-3) head into the game with some momentum, too.

Here's a look at what head coach Porter Moser and forward Sam Godwin said about the matchup during Friday's media availability:

If there's anything that will decide this game, it'll be pace.

The Cowboys are playing much faster this season. They rank 51st in possessions per game with 74.7 — nearly five more than last season — and they're 10th in forcing turnovers (16.5 per game). The Sooners aren't far behind, forcing 15.4 turnovers per game, which ranks 30th.

Both teams want to force turnovers and turn them into fast-break points.

"I think both teams create a lot of offense from their defense," Moser said. "I think that’s going to be the battle within the battle to see who can take care of the ball. They do a phenomenal job of just digging and raking, getting deflections and turning them into baskets. Their pace of play, especially after a made basket, is top 15 in the country. Very physical on defense.

"We’re trying to do the same thing, run on our turnovers. Both teams cause a lot of turnovers. I think that will be the battle within the battle, taking care of the ball and eliminating those transition baskets."

After McCollum's game winner last season, Godwin took a souvenier with him — the Bedlam trophy.

This Saturday's matchup hadn't been scheduled yet, and with the Sooners joining the SEC, there was uncertainty about when the matchup would be played again. So the Moore native saw an opportunity to take home the trophy.

"We were celebrating in the locker room, and I saw it sitting there," Godwin said. "I was like, ‘I’m going to take this home.’ Brought it with me on the bus, and (OU assistant coach Tad Gilbert) saw me walking off the bus with it. He was like, ‘Where are you going?’ I was like, ‘I’m bringing this home; is that cool?’ He was like, 'Yeah, I guess.'

"He was bugging me all week to bring it back, so I just brought it back today.”

“I got like a little fireplace TV stand sitting right next to my TV. Made a really good centerpiece. I’m going to have to get that back.”

Moser expressed doubts that the trophy made a good centerpiece in Godwin's apartment.

"I don't know how much decor Sam has in his apartment," Moser joked. "I bet you it's like a cereal bowl, a box of cereal. I don't see that.

"But that does mean a lot to him. No, it does, guys from Oklahoma. Dayton (Forsythe) walks up to me and he says 'Man, 'I've been following this game for 17 years, it seems like.' His whole life. And so it is. Growing up in the state, those Oklahoma guys, we got four of them on our team. So it is. It means a lot. And I know it meant a lot to Sam. I saw Sam last year, there's no question he was emotional with both those wins last year."

With Oklahoma State's ability to generate turnovers, that puts a lot of focus on Fears. The true freshman guard has quickly emerged as the team's lead playmaker and averages 4.6 assists per game. However, he's had issues with turnovers in a couple of games this season and leads the team with 33.

However, Fears has made up for it on the other end and leads the team with 23 steals. That'll be the key for him, Moser said.

“(He needs to) keep pushing the pace himself, taking care of the ball," Moser said. "They want to shoot passing lanes and get turnovers, but we’re the same way. He’s got to play… not just this game, you want him to play fast but not reckless. You’re going to have some turnovers when you play that fast. But for him, his steady improvement has been a key. I want him to be aggressive, I want him to be confident. We want to play fast with him.”

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