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Oklahoma Basketball: Keys for the crucial bubble battle against Texas

By Jason Kinander

AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 19: Jamal Bieniemy #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives around Courtney Ramey #3 of the Texas Longhorns at The Frank Erwin Center on January 19, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 19: Jamal Bieniemy #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives around Courtney Ramey #3 of the Texas Longhorns at The Frank Erwin Center on January 19, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Weast/Getty Images
Photo by John Weast/Getty Images /

No. 1: An all-around complete performance from Christian James

For the Oklahoma Sooners, senior guard Christian James has done everything this season.

James leads the Sooners in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game on the season.

In the absence of Trae Young, who did literally everything on the court for Oklahoma last season, James has really stepped up, putting together a spectacular senior season.

However, four years of basketball in Norman will come down to the next month, and James will need to push the Sooners all the way to the NCAA tournament.

That task gets a whole lot easier with a win on Saturday.

For James, he’ll simply just need to do what he’s been doing all season long. If James can contribute massively in scoring, say like 20-25 points, the Sooners will be well-set to win. Additionally, against a good rebounding team in the Texas Longhorns, James will need to continue to rebounds well, even from the point guard position.

Finally, James will certainly need to play well for the entire duration of the game. Considering the significant drop-off in talent from James to the rest of the Sooners, Oklahoma will need James to show up in a big way on Saturday in order for them to defend home court with a win.

Christian James has proved himself to a lot of people in a lot of ways this season. He can continue to prove that he is one of the best players in the Big 12 with a big time showing on Saturday against Texas.

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