MBB Preview: Arkansas vs Oklahoma

January 24, 2025

Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) vs -/RV Oklahoma Sooners (14-4, 1-4 SEC)
What: The will the first time the teams have met for an SEC matchup, but the teams met the last three years in Tulsa for the Crimson & Cardinal Classic.
When: Saturday – Jan. 25 – 7:30 pm (CT)
Where: Bud Walton Arena/Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: ESPN2 / Watch ESPN APP (Brian Custer and Richard Hendrix)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 390 / XM: 390 || SXM App Channel 980
– Arkansas Gameday App
– Live Stats

– Arkansas Game Notes
– Oklahoma Game Notes
– SEC Notes/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – Saturday (Jan. 25) will mark a first in the Arkansas-Oklahoma series as it will be the first time the programs have met in an SEC matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Following the game with the Sooners, Arkansas will not play again until the following Saturday (Feb. 1) at Kentucky. However, it won’t be a full off week as the Live with Coach Cal radio show from Sassy’s will air on Monday (Jan. 27) starting at 7 pm.

NOTES:

The Arkansas and Oklahoma series includes 31 games dating back to the 1938-39 season. Arkansas owns a 17-14 advantage in the series, including an 8-5 record when the teams play in Fayetteville. The last four meetings in the series have all been on neutral courts with each team winning twice.
This will be the teams’ first meeting in Bud Walton Arena since Dec. 4, 2012, a game Arkansas won 81-78,
Border rivals Arkansas and Oklahoma will be meeting for the first time as SEC members and had only met 28 times before playing a three-games serie — the Crimson and Cardinal Classic at Tulsa’s BOK Center — in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Classic I was on Dec. 11, 2021. The Sooners pulled away late for an 88-66 victory. Arkansas, ranked #10/12, trimmed a 15-point deficit to three with 9:55 to play but could not stop Oklahoma’s hot shooting from 3-point range. Oklahoma finished the game making 13-of-22 from long range.
Classic II was on Dec. 10, 2022. Arkansas closed the first half with a 10-2 run, opened the second half with a 14-6 spurt and never looked back in an 88-78 win. Arkansas, ranked #9/8, missed its first two shots of the second half before making eight straight to take a 60-48 lead. Oklahoma trimmed its deficit to nine twice but could get no closer.
Classic III was on Dec. 9, 2023. Oklahoma led by 12 at the half and Arkansas opened the second frame with a 6-0 run. However, the #19/22 Sooners hit a 3-pointer and would quickly push the lead back to double-digits en route to a 79-70 victory. The Sooners shot 51% from the field and out-rebounded the Razorbacks, 33-25, but the difference in the game was Oklahoma draining 6-of-12 from beyond the arc in the second half.
Last time out, Arkansas was down 15 (48-33) to Georgia with 15:24 left in the game. Trevon Brazile hit a 3-pointer and two free throws to cut the Razorback deficit to 10 (48-38) and to start a 35-17 Arkansas run to end the game in the 68-65 victory.
Earlier this season, Arkansas trailed Michigan by 15 midway through the first half before out-scoring the Wolverines 57-24 over the next 15:51 to take an 18-point lead (78-60) with 10:15 left. The Razorbacks held on for an 89-87 victory in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Arkansas is 3-0 this year in one-possession games and each time (versus Michigan, at Miami and versus Georgia), the Razorbacks trailed at halftime.
Arkansas has had at least one of its top nine players miss a game or not be fully healthy 14 times this year. Most recently Boogie Fland missed the Georgia game after having surgery on his thumb. Arkansas is 12-2 this year when the rotation has been shortened to 8 or more. Arkansas is 0-5 when each of its top nine players fully available and healthy.

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