Arkansas vs. Oklahoma: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
The Arkansas Razorbacks and the Oklahoma Sooners will face off in the first round of the Victory Bracket in the PK80 Invitational. Who will win in the battle of undefeated teams?
TV schedule: Thursday, Nov. 23, 5:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2
Arena: Moda Center in Portland, Oregon
Oklahoma (2-0) will be coming into the PK80 as one of the teams with the most to prove. After winning just 11 games and finishing dead last in the Big 12 Conference, Lon Kruger brought in a player with the type of talent and hype that fans haven’t seen since Blake Griffin.
Trae Young is a five-star player ranked in the top 20 of every recruiting site. Even though it’s just been two games, he’s shown that he’s ready for the spotlight. Already he’s accomplished the feat of being the leader in both assists and scoring.
Currently, he’s putting up 18.5 ppg and 11.5 apg. It’s important for the team that he elevates the play of the players around him, as they do have talent but might not be the best at creating offense for themselves.
Although the team is young overall, they do have veteran leadership to rely on in starting center Khadeem Lattin. He’s playing well so far, with 14.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg while being the anchor on defense. The surprise so far has been Brady Manek, with the forward putting up 13.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg.
Oklahoma has put up 108 points in each game versus Omaha and Ball State but will be facing a team that plays high-pressure defense in Arkansas (3-0). The Razorbacks are opposite of the Sooners in terms of experience, with over six seniors on the roster.
The leaders of this team are on the perimeter, Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon averaging over 36 ppg and 8.6 apg. Another senior Anton Beard puts in 13.0 ppg. It’s early to tell, but head coach Mike Anderson may have a frontcourt player for the future in freshman Daniel Gafford, who just dropped 25 off the bench in a win against Fresno State.
All eyes are going to be on how Young from Oklahoma deals with the defense from Arkansas. The pressure will be nothing he’s seen before, and, if he struggles, it could be a long day for the Sooners.
Next: Preview of the PK80 Victory Bracket
Oklahoma will definitely be better than last year’s dismal season and certainly won’t finish in the bottom of their league. However, right now, there’s still no telling how good they’ll really be against actual competition. The Razorbacks will be a tough test, but a good one for the developing young team.
Prediction: Arkansas 76 – Oklahoma 65