A rough start to SEC play worsened for Oklahoma on Saturday as they dropped their third straight game, falling 72-62 to Georgia in a contest that was within reach.

Against Georgia, the Sooners showed flashes of improvement — particularly on defense and the boards — and got a season-best performance from Mohamed Wague. However, Jeremiah Fears contributed just 2 points, a key factor in the loss.

Now at 13-3 (0-3), Oklahoma faces a must-win rivalry matchup against the Texas Longhorns, who are also winless in conference play at 11-5 (0-3). This sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown for both teams.

The Longhorns are coming off back-to-back close losses—87-82 to No. 1 Auburn and 74-70 to No. 6 Tennessee.

Here’s a breakdown of what Rodney Terry’s team brings to the table and what the Sooners must do to secure a critical win Wednesday night (9:00 p.m. CT, SEC Network) at the Lloyd Noble Center.

The biggest storyline in this game is the showdown between two projected lottery picks, which explains why the LNC will be packed with NBA draft scouts on Wednesday night. All eyes will be on Fears versus Tre Johnson, Texas’ leading scorer.

Johnson averages 18.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field and 41.1% from three. At 6’6”, he’s a lengthy two-guard who just dropped 26 points in Texas’ narrow loss to Tennessee on Saturday.

But Texas isn’t a one-man show. They also have Jordan Pope, their point guard, who averages 12.4 points and 2.0 assists. Pope is a legitimate scoring threat, posting 19 and 17 points in his last two games, and he even had a 43-point explosion back in December.

Then there’s Tramon Mark and Arthur Kaluma, two familiar names for the Sooners. Kaluma averages 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. Though quiet against Tennessee, he erupted for 34 points against Auburn. Mark contributes 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

“They have some elite scorers. Defending, too. They’re doing both,” said Porter Moser. “Tre Johnson, the freshman, just phenomenal shot maker at all levels. Pope’s done it a long time in a power five conference. Kaluma, we’ve seen a lot at Kansas State. [Kadin] Shedrick, he’s been there. We’ve seen Mark at Arkansas.

“So they’ve got a lot of scoring power and then they play really hard on D. So we’re gonna have to be able to — they have the ability to make tough shots. We’ve gotta continue to fight through and make it tough. They have a number of scoring options with it.”

One thing Texas does exceptionally well: limit turnovers. They rank 4th nationally in turnover percentage, giving up the ball on just 13.3% of their possessions. So, how do they stack up statistically across various categories? Let’s dive in:

Johnson dropped 26 points against Tennessee, Kaluma posted 34 against Auburn, Pope scored 42 earlier this season (albeit against New Orleans), and Mark has topped 30 points multiple times in his career. Texas is loaded with firepower, and while Oklahoma isn’t going to shut all of them down, it’s crucial to prevent another performance like Zhuric Phelps’ 34-point outing. In a game of this magnitude, keeping those big numbers in check is key.

Duke Miles will likely be tasked with guarding Johnson, but players like Fears, Kobe Elvis, and Brycen Goodine will need to step up defensively when it comes to containing Texas’ other scoring threats.

Another important factor: Texas isn’t great on the offensive glass—they’re middle of the pack in that area. Oklahoma must maintain that trend. Giving these potent scorers additional opportunities would be a costly mistake.

The biggest bright spot in the loss to Georgia was probably Wague. After the big man rotation raised questions following Oklahoma’s SEC opener against Alabama, Wague had a solid performance against Texas A&M and then built on that against Georgia. He totaled 10 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in just 16 minutes, finishing with a game-high offensive rating of 176.

“He had a couple of rolls where he rolled really hard. Would roll, run through one. Even if he doesn’t get it, he’s bringing it to the back-side defense. I thought he was moving quick, drawing defense. He’s great at his role, and we need more guys like that. Great at their role. I thought Mo, defensively, completely impacted that game.”

His athleticism and length add another dimension to the Sooners. After a performance like his against Georgia, it’s easy to hope he cements himself as a key piece of the team and works toward a near 50/50 split of the center minutes with Sam Godwin.

Fears posted just 2 points, five assists, four turnovers, and three rebounds on 1-7 shooting from the field in 22 minutes with a usage rate of 36% on Saturday against Georgia. His lack of scoring was a key factor in the loss.

The Sooners need to make a concerted effort to get Fears back on track early. It’s crucial they play him his regular minutes, not the backup minutes he’s seen in the past few games. Quite frankly, this team goes as Fears goes. When he’s on, they are on. When he’s not, they’re not (see the last three games).

Texas’ Chendall Weaver, when he comes in off the bench, will likely guard Fears for a majority of the night. The other times, it will probably be Pope on him. Fears has to be aggressive in attacking both of these defenders, even though Weaver is a solid defender himself.

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