Skip to main content
You are the owner of this article.
Edit Article Add New Article
You have permission to edit this article.
Edit

LATEST

ALERT

Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM CDT SUNDAY...
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values of 105 to 110 degrees are expected.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, northwest, southeast,
southern, southwest, and western Oklahoma and northern Texas.

* WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 9 PM CDT this evening.
For the second Heat Advisory, from 11 AM to 9 PM CDT Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of
the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose
fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning
or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and
heat stroke.

&&

Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM CDT SUNDAY...
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values of 105 to 110 degrees are expected.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, northwest, southeast,
southern, southwest, and western Oklahoma and northern Texas.

* WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 9 PM CDT this evening.
For the second Heat Advisory, from 11 AM to 9 PM CDT Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of
the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose
fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning
or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and
heat stroke.

&&
Featured

Oklahoma basketball: How the Sooners match up with VCU

Isaiah Cousins

Senior guard Isaiah Cousins makes his way down the court during the game against Cal St. Bakersfield March 18. The Sooners won the game 82-68.

 Christopher Michie/The Daily

Stay in the loop

Get our top OU and Norman stories in your inbox. Free newsletter sign up

OKLAHOMA CITY — With the 82-68 victory over No. 15 CSU Bakersfield, No. 2 Oklahoma advanced to play in the second round against No. 10 Virginia Commonwealth. VCU won its first-round matchup against Oregon State 75-67. 

The Sooners and Rams are well linked as both teams were recently coached by current Duke assistant coach Jeff Capel. OU and VCU are tied at two wins all-time with the Rams winning 82-69 in their last matchup against the Sooners in 2009.

No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 10 Virginia Commonwealth will play at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday. 

Backcourt:

Guard Buddy Hield has been a model of consistency for the Sooners this season. Hield has more 30-point games (10) than he has games with less than 20 points scored (9). The Freeport, Bahamas native took home his second consecutive Big 12 Player of the Year trophy, the first since Kansas forward Raef LaFrentz in 1997 and 1998.Oklahoma is just a week removed from freshman guard Christian James' breakout performance against West Virginia, scoring 13 second-half points in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.

The Rams sport a gritty, undersized, starting lineup. Thanks to their full-court press, the Rams are sixth in the nation in steals and 13th in forcing turnovers this season. All A-10 First Team guard Melvin Johnson leads the way with a team-high 17 points per game. The senior guard makes his living behind the arc, shooting nearly eight three-pointers per game and hitting north of 39 percent. But since his foot injury in the A-10 quarterfinals, Johnson has scored just 14 points through its final two conference games.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Frontcourt:

The Sooners will have a height advantage against the undersized Rams. Starting forwards Khadeem Lattin and Ryan Spangler will face an opposition that is at least a couple of inches shorter, setting up a potential rebounding advantage against VCU’s mediocre production on the glass. Spangler has been gaining momentum coming into the NCAA Tournament. Prior to Oklahoma’s first-round win, Spangler has filed in four consecutive double-digit scoring performances along with his 13 double-doubles for the season.

The Rams interior defense orbits around Mo Alie-Cox. The 6-foot-7, 250-pound forward produces nearly two blocks per game with his 7-foot-1 wingspan. The redshirt junior has earned a place on the A-10’s All- Defensive Team as the last line of defense in VCU’s full-court stunt. Forward Justin Tillman leads the team with six rebounds per game off the bench.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Coaching:

Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger is one of the college basketball’s best, coaching one of the better teams he’s had in 30 years as head coach. Kruger has focused on spacing the floor this season, resulting in three Sooners ranking in the top six in three-point percentage. Kruger coached Oklahoma to its first No. 1 ranking this season since the 1989-90 season. The Sooners have encountered its share of stumbles down the stretch to the NCAA Tournament, but Kruger and its group of veterans are well-equipped to make a deep run in March if everything clicks.  

First-year VCU coach Will Wade is back with the Rams after serving as a four-year assistant coach under former coach Shaka Smart. The 33-year-old coach began his head coaching career at Chattanooga, where he earned Southern Conference Coach of the Year and led the Mocs to their first 20-win season since 2004-05.

Wade has succeeded Smart at VCU and has made his first NCAA Tournament appearance. Wade installed three new starters from Smart’s old regime en route to a 24-win season and an A-10 Conference Regular Season Championship. VCU will need to show that it can rise to its opponents as the Rams did not win a game against a ranked opponent and are just 1-3 against the RPI’s Top 25 opponents (Oklahoma is No. 6).

Advantage: Oklahoma 

OU Daily standards

See an error? Earning trust is our duty. We correct errors atop stories. Identify an error, request a takedown or get in touch.

Independent and free since 1916: OU is committed to our editorial independence. You can help ensure our reporting remains strong and accessible to all invested in OU and Norman.

Want to comment? We value dialogue on issues we cover. On our social media accounts, we moderate disparagements, arguments and attacks, including those directed at our staff — and ban those repeatedly failing civility. The editor considers guest column submissions.