Sooners Set For Top-25 Clash With Michigan In Charlotte For Jumpman Invitational

No. 14/15 Oklahoma and No. 24/21 Michigan battle in the Jumpman Invitational on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. CT inside Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C..

The contest will air on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Varsity Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing and be broadcast by ESPN2 with Dave O'Brien (PxP), Debbi Antonelli (analyst) and Myron Medcalf (sideline) on the call.

OPENING TIP

•  No. 14/15 Oklahoma continues non-conference play in Charlotte, N.C. with the Jumpman Invitational. OU and No. 24/21 Michigan meet at Spectrum Center on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. CT. 

•  The Sooners are one of five undefeated teams in 2024-25. Oklahoma is joined by Florida, Tennessee, Utah State and Drake.

•  OU improved to 2-0 against members of the ACC with its 76-61 victory over Georgia Tech in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday, Dec. 3. The Sooners won back-to-back games against ACC foes, besting Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. 

•  With its victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday, Dec. 14, the Sooners improved to 2-0 against Big 12 foes. OU beat Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal game.

•  Oklahoma won the 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis, beating Providence, Arizona and Louisville in three consecutive days. The Sooners claimed their third straight MTE championship, winning the 2022 ESPN Events Invitational, 2023 Rady Children's Invitational and 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis. Senior Jalon Moore was named tournament MVP and averaged 18.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. Moore scored 24 points in back-to-back games against Arizona and Louisville. Freshman Jeremiah Fears joined Moore on the all-tournament team and averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals per outing. Fears was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 2.

•  Oklahoma head men's basketball coach Porter Moser is in his fourth season leading the program. Moser guided Oklahoma to a 20-12 record and an 8-10 mark in OU's final season in the Big 12. The 2023-24 squad was the first team to reach 20 regular season wins since the 2016 Final Four team. Moser led the Sooners to back-to-back 10-0 starts for the first time in program history.

•  Junior Jalon Moore and super senior Sam Godwin return as starters from last season's 20-win team. Moore earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades, averaging 11.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.5 assists per outing in 31 starts. Godwin started 31 games in 2023-24 and shot 59.8% from the field (75-126), ranking seventh in program history for single-season field goal percentage. Godwin scored a career-high 20 points against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Dec. 14.

•  OU embarks on its inaugural season in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 2024-25 after 28 years in the Big 12, finishing with a 258-214 (.548) mark in conference competition. 

LAST TIME OUT

• Oklahoma and Oklahoma State met at Paycom Center on Saturday, Dec. 14 for the first time as non-conference foes since the 1958 season when OSU joined the Big 8 conference. The Sooners won the 250th meeting on the hardwood between the two programs, earning an 80-65 win over the Cowboys. Super senior Sam Godwin scored a career-high 20 points on 10-for-14 shooting and added 14 rebounds.

RANKING SUMMARY (2024-25)

•  OU is in the top 60 in nine NCAA DI categories, ranking 13th in steals per game (10.2), 20th in free throw percentage (78.9), 29th in turnover margin (4.2), 31st in scoring margin (15.6), 31st in three point percentage defense (28.6), 37th in turnovers forced per game (15.5), 46th in effective field goal percentage (56.1%), 52nd in 3-pointers per game (9.6) and 60th in free throws made per game (16.5). 

•  Freshman Jeremiah Fears is 26th in steals per game (2.4), 34th in steals (24), 45th in free throws (50), 94th in free throw attempts (59), 82nd in assists per game (4.7), 95th in assists (47) and 99th in free throw percentage (86.2). Senior Jalon Moore is 89th in points per game (17.5) and 53rd in free throws made (49). Graduate Kobe Elvis is 89th in assist/turnover ratio (2.44). Redshirt senior Duke Miles is 77th in steals per game (2.0) and 95th in steals (20).

BACK-TO-BACK 10-0 STARTS

• With its win over Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis Championship game on Nov. 29, 2024, Oklahoma improved to 7-0, marking the first time in program history the Sooners were undefeated through their first seven games in back-to-back season. On 11 occasions, Oklahoma has started 10-0 or greater, including 10-0 starts in 2023-24 and 2024-25..

AP POLL APPEARANCES

•  The Sooners moved down to No. 14 in the AP Top-25 Poll on Monday, Dec. 16. Oklahoma has appeared in the AP Poll 389 times (30.2%), ranking 21st all-time. Since the 1984 season, the Sooners have appeared in 48.1% (369 times) of AP Polls with an average rank of 12.2. 

CAREER NIGHT | BEDLAM

•  Super senior Sam Godwin recorded a career-high 20 and added 14 rebounds, three steals and two blocks against Oklahoma State on Dec. 14, 2024, becoming the first Sooner since Blake Griffin on Jan. 5, 2009 (vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore | 20 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals) to reach those totals. Griffin and Godwin are the only two since 1996-97. 

UP NEXT

Oklahoma hosts Central Arkansas at Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday, Dec. 22 at noon.