Keys to the game, matchups to watch as OU takes on Texas

Coming off a huge conference road win, the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners (15-3) are set to face the Texas Longhorns (13-5) on Tuesday, January 23rd, at 6:00 pm on ESPN. The Sooners secured an impressive road victory over Cincinnati, improving their conference play record to 3-2, with standout performances from Javian McCollum (16 points) and Otega Oweh (14 points).

Oklahoma had a successful week, winning both games against West Virginia and Cincinnati. In contrast, the Texas Longhorns had a puzzling week. Despite initially leading by 16 points, they suffered a home loss to UCF on Wednesday. The frustration of Texas Head Coach Rodney Terry with UCF players doing the horns down gesture became a national storyline. This loss, coupled with a 1-3 conference play record, turned Saturday's game against Baylor into a must-win, and the Longhorns emerged victorious with a 75-73 win, featuring a game-winning basket from Tyrese Hunter. Notably, Hunter’s game-winning basket marked the Longhorns' second Big 12 win, both coming from late, game-winning shots.

Despite a 13-5 record and a somewhat underwhelming season, with conference losses to West Virginia, UCF, and Texas Tech, Texas possesses undeniable talent. Max Abmas and Dylan Disu lead the team in scoring, averaging 17.7 and 14.7 points, respectively. Hunter (12.6 points) and Dillon Mitchell (11.0 points) also contribute to the Longhorns' scoring. Kadin Shedrick, Ithiel Horton, and Brock Cunningham provide solid depth, although none are expected to lead the team in scoring. Abmas and Disu, both highly talented, present a challenging matchup for opponents. The Longhorns are also a highly experienced team, as they rank 7th in the NCAA in experience.

As Texas seeks a significant road win in Norman, the Sooners aim to defend their home court. Now, explore three keys to the game and two matchups to watch as these two teams clash in this highly anticipated matchup.

On Saturday, the Sooners received a significant contribution of 21 points from their bench, with John Hugley (11 points), Rivaldo Soares (8 points), and Le’Tre Darthard (7 points) combining for the scoring. Throughout the last month, the veteran trio of Hugley, Darthard, and Soares had faced challenges and had been relatively quiet offensively. However, there was a notable shift last week. In the game against Cincinnati, the three of them collectively shot an impressive 3-5 (60%) from behind the arc. Darthard snapped out of his previous struggles, Hugley continued to showcase some of his best basketball, and Soares built on a 13-point performance he had on Wednesday night. If Oklahoma’s bench can sustain this level of play, it significantly raises the team's ceiling.

Over the past four games, the Sooners have totaled 54 turnovers (13.5 per game). In comparison, Texas has 51 turnovers (12.7 per game) over their last four games, including a total of 22 turnovers against West Virginia. Texas has been hit or miss turnover-wise recently, suggesting that the turnover battle will play a large role in deciding who wins this game. On the bright side, the Sooners' lowest turnover total over the past four games (10 turnovers) came on Saturday against Cincinnati. The X-Factor when it comes to limiting turnovers is Javian McCollum. Heading into Saturday's game, he was averaging 5.6 turnovers per game, and on Saturday, he had just one turnover. If McCollum can take care of the ball like that, and the Sooners can win the turnover battle, their chances of winning this game are high.

College basketball fans are incredibly familiar with Abmas from his time at Oral Roberts, where he played a vital role in their success. Abmas is truly an elite guard, and he has been performing exceptionally well since making the jump to the Big 12. He is on the Wooden Award mid-season top-25 watch list, averaging 17.7 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 45.2% from the field, 40.7% from behind the arc, and 89.65% from the free-throw line. Abmas is a constant threat to score 30 points at any given time. If the Sooners can contain him and limit him to around his average, they should be able to overcome the Longhorns. Otega Oweh will play a vital role in containing Abmas.

Disu is one of the more talented bigs in the Big 12. Although he has only played in nine games this season, when he has been on the court, he has averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks. Notably, he boasts impressive shooting percentages, hitting 55.6% from behind the arc, 51.6% from the field, and 79.2% from the free-throw line. Despite his 6’9” height, which gives Sam Godwin and John Hugley the advantage in terms of height, Disu stands out for his ability to stretch the floor. Oklahoma has faced some of college basketball's best bigs this season, but none can stretch the floor like Disu. Given Hugley's recent strong performance, he will be vital in the matchup with Disu.

While Abmas and McCollum likely won't be matched up with each other, it will be fascinating to watch which one outperforms the other. Both have the capability to score 20+ points on any given night and are their teams' leading scorers. These are two of the best guards in the Big 12 conference, adding intrigue to see which one performs better. Oklahoma and Texas both have defenders who could be considered elite perimeter defenders, with Oweh for Oklahoma and Hunter for Texas. The question arises: which one of Abmas or McCollum will be able to perform the best while being guarded by an elite defender?

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