Sooners matched with familiar foe, Mizzou
Welcome back to the old Big 8 conference, or at least that’s what it’s going to feel like when Oklahoma begins play in the NCAA Tournament.
The Sooners, seeded No. 8 in the West region, will take on an old familiar foe in No. 9 seed Missouri, on Saturday in a first-round matchup.
OU is in the same quartet as No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga. The Zags will play the winner of a play-in game Thursday between Norfolk State and Appalachian State.
The time has not been set yet by the NCAA. The tournament will officially begin Friday this year instead of the usual Thursday morning start.
For OU, well, it made its bed in the last few weeks. In the initial release of the top 16 teams last month, OU was a No. 3 seed and No. 12 overall. Losers of five of their last six games, the Sooners have only beaten Iowa State (twice) in the last month and enter at 15-10 overall.
“We had the opportunity down the stretch to put ourselves in a higher seed, for sure, and we didn’t do that with the losses in the last two weeks of the season, especially,” head coach Lon Kruger said. “The opportunity was there. We didn’t get that done. But still, being in the tournament, everyone has a chance now. We’re excited, know how tough Missouri is going to be. I know the guys will be excited to play.”
OU actually played Missouri last season, winning 77-66 in November 2019 in Kansas City. The Sooners and Tigers have only met once in the NCAA Tournament, a moment all OU fans won’t forget with a victory in the 2002 regional final to send OU to the Final Four.
The Sooners didn’t have to wait long for their name to be called, among the first four teams revealed by CBS when the Selection Sunday show began. No drama at all.
OU would have heard its name called last season, too, before COVID-19 canceled the tournament. So maybe the eighth seed wasn’t what the Sooners were hoping for, but they’re dancing again.
“It was a good feeling just to see our name pop up there,” senior guard Austin Reaves said. “Like I said, all kids grow up dreaming of playing the NCAA Tournament. It was a really good feeling. A couple guys on the team, this will be their first experience being in the NCAA Tournament, so really just a joy for them.”
The No. 8 vs. No. 9 game is usually a toss-up, and this is no exception. And if any team knows what OU has gone through this season, it’s Mizzou. The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 10 in February just as the Sooners were No. 7.
Mizzou finished the season 3-6, after reaching that No. 10 ranking. It’s two teams who desperately need that clean slate that comes with March Madness.
“Whatever happened before this, it matters but at the same time it really doesn’t matter,” sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon said. “It’s a new season. This is March Madness. The tournament run is where teams and players kind of make their own name.
“All eyes are gonna be glued to the TV by everybody in the world for the next 3 1/2-4 weeks. So I’m excited. It’s a new season. Everybody is 0-0. So gotta look forward to the opportunity and try to get a win on Saturday.”
The other top seeds in the region include No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 Virginia, No. 5 Creighton, No. 6 USC and No. 7 Oregon. OU is one of seven Big 12 teams in the tournament.