Just trying something a little different. Nothing more to it for Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser by inserting Jacob Groves into the starting lineup and having Elijah Harkless come off the bench.
A little different, and finally, a different result. In a game OU needed badly, the Sooners showed up and delivered in a 72-62 victory at West Virginia on Wednesday night.
The win ends OU’s four-game losing streak and puts it at 13-7 overall and 3-5 in the Big 12.
The plan wasn’t for Harkless to just play four minutes, but with the way Groves and Marvin Johnson were playing, that’s how it worked out.
Johnson had been a complete afterthought to this season until the last week, essentially. The super senior had some nice moments vs. Baylor and then delivered his best performance as a Sooner in Morgantown.
In 21 minutes, Johnson had six points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. What he brings is just some athletic ability few others, if any, have on the OU roster.
“Practice. Being on top of things in practice,” said Moser about the change in Johnson. “Practice habits, being on top of different things. Missing time here and there, you get behind on different things that we do defensively.
“He’s come in— he and I, he texted me Sunday morning after the Baylor game and he asked if he could watch one-on-one film with me. And I did, I went up Sunday and I watched one-on-one film with him. You could just see the way he cares right now in what he’s doing.”
Just a bump in the road for Harkless, though. Moser made it clear it’s not an attitude issue or an injury. The Sooners will need Harkless down this next brutal stretch.
“No, he’s healthy and Elijah is gonna be a huge part of what we’re doing,” Moser said. “Tonight was a thing where I shook up the lineup. I told him he was gonna play. He got in there and he got two fouls and Marvin was doing well. Jacob was doing well. We were just trying to give a different vantage point for E.J., maybe coming off the bench might help. He’s been a big part of what we’re doing. We’re gonna be counting on him moving forward.”
The Groves’ boys come through
Whether it was Jacob starting or whatever it was, OU needs more of that from the brothers Groves. Jacob and Tanner had their best outing together to help snap the skid.
Tanner Groves had gone eerily quiet the last couple of weeks, not even taking a shot in the first half in OU’s last performance. He came out the gate aggressive and never let up to the tune of 21 points on an efficient 9-11 shooting.
Jacob Groves hit two clutch three-pointers on his way to 12 points and four rebounds.
“It was just awesome,” Tanner Groves said. “I felt like the last four games, just me personally and the team in general, we've kind of been on a little bit of a skid. That happens from time to time. That happens as a new player in the Big 12. It's going to happen from time to time, but I'm able to realize that and bounce back. I think our team did an incredible job of bouncing back and doing what we got to do.
“I think Jake being in the starting lineup gave him a little bit of confidence. Moving forward, whether he's in the starting lineup or not, I don't think it matters for him. He doesn't care because he's a big-time team guy, but I think just that game helped his confidence. I know for sure we're going to need him to win some games down the stretch. I just think this game was awesome in terms of helping his confidence and getting him going a little bit too.”
Time for No. 1
Kansas, Baylor at home. Going to WVU. A breather? Ha. OU now heads to No. 1-ranked Auburn for the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday afternoon.
The conference grind never stops. And, well, OU just sort of got the bad luck of the draw in getting this SEC opponent during this particular year and going on the road.
Auburn has won 16 straight games and became the No. 1-ranked team in the country when the AP poll was released Monday.
