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What does OU basketball need to get back on track vs. WVU? Sooners must 'get more stops'
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- What does OU basketball need to get back on track vs. WVU? Sooners must 'get more stops'
NORMAN — Coming off back-to-back losses , OU's Monday practice had a bit extra intensity.
"We were really charting deflections," Sooners coach Porter Moser said. "We know how many. If we get deflections and something, that's good. Then we were calling reach-in, dumb fouls. If you have an undisciplined foul, we were calling it and they were running."
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The Sooners will get a big test as they work to apply those lessons when they take on West Virginia at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lloyd Noble Center in a game streamed on ESPN+.
OU has dropped back-to-back Big 12 games thanks in part to their difficulties in forcing turnovers.
During nonconference play, OU was forcing 13.1 turnovers per game.
Since conference play began, they're forcing just 5.7 — 4.5 in road losses last week to TCU and Kansas.
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Oklahoma guard Javian McCollum (2) jumps to avoid Kansas guard Johnny Furphy (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
"I feel like that's our identity," Otega Oweh said. "We gotta make sure we're playing as hard as we can because when we're forcing turnovers that's when we can get out and run. It's definitely harder now that we're in conference play because obviously teams can scout now and they know and try and counter it, but that's our identity. We're just going to keep having to do it."
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Moser said the difference on the defensive end has been obvious.
"We've lost track of some of the little things we do defensively and it cost us two points here, two points there, two points there. A transition D that we weren't on the help line and they got a dunk, we went under a flare, we should be going over a flare," Moser said. "Like a bunch of little stuff like that just added up. And we've got to get back to coveting the possession by possession, little things that go into being a very good defensive team."
A big difference, Moser said, was his team's ability to rack up deflections that disrupt the rhythm of an offense or, even better, lead to turnovers that often become fastbreak points the other way.
"We've got to ramp up our activity with our hands," Moser said. "We were creating a lot of turnovers, or when we did breathe them we were turning them into baskets. It's just haven't been as active with our hands for whatever reason, getting deflections.
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The 15th-ranked Sooners (13-3, 1-2 Big 12) aren't looking past a West Virginia team that's just 6-10 this season.
The Mountaineers have added several key pieces recently that are still working on fitting into the system, including Raequan Battle and Noah Farrakhan. The duo are averaging a combined 34.6 points per game.
"We've got to be on our best defensively," Moser said.
West Virginia is coming off a win over then-No. 25 Texas.
"You've got to slide your feet. You've gotta show your hands," Moser said. "They want to call the hand check. Just really emphasizing that part of it because they're very good. They're physical. They try to draw fouls and they do a good job of it. That's the main thing.
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"For us, nothing like changing the script, it's just getting back to what really — we need to get more stops. You can't run if you're not getting stops and we've got to be better defensively, get back to the little things defensively."
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Jan 10, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Porter Moser calls a play against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
While the Sooners work to show that the lessons of the last few days have paid off, Moser said there will definitely be one lesson taken to heart since OU's last home game, Jan. 6 vs. Iowa State.
Beer.
"I think everybody loves the $2 beers at the concessions," Moser said. "We've got $2 beers going, so that's going to be a nice little thing.
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"I try to control what I can control. I got hit on social media that there wasn't enough beer stands so there's going to be more beer stands at the game tomorrow (Wednesday) so people don't have to worry about $2 beers having to wait in line — hopefully. Always trying to do what we can do to get the big crowds into Lloyd Noble."
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No. 15 Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
TIPOFF:7 p.m. Wednesday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman (ESPN+)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma basketball aiming to get more turnovers against West Virginia
