Porter Moser and the Sooners secured a 73-56 victory over Northwestern State on Monday night, improving their record to 2-0 this season. The win didn’t come easy, though, as Oklahoma found themselves trailing 34-28 at halftime, struggling against Northwestern State’s effective zone defense. The absence of their two top shooters, Brycen Goodine (ankle) and Jadon Jones (back), compounded the Sooners’ offensive woes.
Despite the win, Oklahoma dropped five spots in KenPom rankings, landing at No. 45. The forecasting platform, known for its in-depth ratings and analysis, also saw Northwestern State jump 10 spots to No. 314.
As expected, Jalon Moore led the way with an impressive performance, tallying 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal, earning MVP honors. His offensive rating of 142 (points scored per 100 possessions) highlighted his impact. Moore shot 5-9 from two-point range, 2-5 from beyond the arc, and 7-8 from the free-throw line.
Interestingly, Glenn Taylor, who stepped up in Goodine’s absence, posted the highest offensive rating on the team at 145. Freshman Jeremiah Fears also made waves, leading the Sooners with a usage rate of 33%, just ahead of Moore’s 30%.
Sam Godwin, who topped the nation in offensive rebounds last season, now ranks 14th nationally in defensive rating. Notably, Duke Miles boasts a perfect turnover rate of 0.0%, tying him for first nationally, while Fears holds an impressive 6.0% steal rate, ranking 87th in the country.
Oklahoma’s strength of schedule currently sits at 345th nationally. Their offensive rating of 110.8 ranks 71st, while their defensive rating of 95.2 is good for 22nd. Tempo has been a hot topic during Moser’s tenure, and through two games, the Sooners’ adjusted tempo ranks 238th nationally at 70.3.
KenPom projects Oklahoma to finish the season 18-11, with a projected non-conference loss to Michigan. The projections, which do not account for all Battle 4 Atlantis games except for the matchup with Providence, foresee an 8-10 conference record. The Sooners are expected to defeat Stetson in their next game on Saturday, November 16th, at 1:00 pm, with a projected score of 84-60.
Now, let’s dive deeper into some of the analytics for Oklahoma:
Rankings
KenPom: 45th
BartTorvik: 56th
EvanMiya: 49th
Stats
Scoring offense: 83.0 (121st)
Scoring defense: 58.5 (37th)
Field goal percentage: 47.9 (126th)
3-point percentage: 36.3 (120th)
Free throw percentage: 71.7 (159th)
Assists per game: 16.5 (105th)
Rebounds per game: 37.5 (194th)
Blocks per game: 2.5 (243rd)
Steals per game: 12.5 (13th)
Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!
Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!
Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!