MONDAY'S GAME BASICS
Oklahoma (15-9, 3-8 Big 12) heads to Waco for Big Monday as the Sooners face Baylor (15-8, 6-4 Big 12). The Bears handed the Sooners their largest loss of the season two weeks ago and Oklahoma looks for revenge during the return trip. The matchup is yet another short turnaround for the Sooners, who are playing on Saturday and Monday for their third straight week.
ON THE AIR
The Big 12 matchup will tip at 8 p.m. CT and air on the Sooner Radio Network (107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Tune In Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing. Mark Neely and Chris Spatola will call the action on ESPN2. Fans with proper cable verification can also stream the game on the Watch ESPN app.
THREE POINTERS
• Sophomore forward Brady Manek is coming off his fifth double-double of the season, producing 11 points and 11 boards against Texas Tech on Saturday. Over his last three games, Manek is averaging 15.0 points and shooting .621 from the field. Manek has scored in double figures on at least 50 percent shooting in five of his last six games.
• Oklahoma is the only Big 12 team with multiple players possessing at least five double-doubles. In addition to Manek's five, senior guard Christian James leads the Sooners with six games of at least 10 points and 10 rebounds. Neither Manek or James owned a double-double in their career prior to this season. James and Manek are two of only four Big 12 players with season averages of at least 11.0 points and 6.5 rebounds.
• Junior forward Kristian Doolittle continues to show progress in his game as the season goes along. After averaging 7.2 points and 5.8 boards in the first 12 games of the season, Doolittle has averaged 12.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals during conference games while shooting .466 from the field. During Big 12 play, Doolittle ranks in OU's top-three in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, field goal perecentage and free throw percentage.
Christian James and Brady Manek have combined for 11 double-doubles. OU is the only Big 12 school with multiple players possessing at least five double-doubles.
SERIES HISTORY: BAYLOR
• OU owns a 45-16 record over the Bears, including a 19-8 advantage in Waco. The Sooners are on the hunt for their first win in Waco since 2016.
• The Sooners are 8-8 against the Bears during the Lon Kruger era and have won eight of the last 14 outings.
• Baylor won the first matchup of the season, 77-47, on Jan. 28 in Norman. The Bears will be looking to sweep the Sooners for just the fourth time in program history (OU has swept Baylor 16 times).
QUICK HITS
• Oklahoma is the only school in the country with a win over a team from every major conference (Power Five + Big East).
• The Sooners are 9-2 when limiting opponents to under 70 points and 4-0 when opponents score less than 60.
• Oklahoma is 14-2 when it scores at least 30 points in the first half.
• The Sooners are 12-1 when outrebounding their opponents. In its 15 wins, Oklahoma is winning the rebounding margin by an average of 5.3 boards.
• OU opponents are shooting 39.9 percent from the field – the second lowest opponent field goal percentage in the conference and 21st nationally. The Sooners rank 21st in KenPom.com's adjusted defensive efficiency.
• Oklahoma is 15th in the nation and first in the conference in defensive rebounding with 29.3 defensive boards per game. OU's 39.2 total rebounds per game rank 31st in the country and second in the Big 12.
• OU has three players ranked in the top 10 in rebounding in the Big 12: Christian James (sixth, 7.0), Kristian Doolittle (seventh, 6.6) and Brady Manek (eigth, 6.5). TCU is the only other school with multiple players (two) ranked in the top 10.
• Oklahoma is 13-3 when outscoring its opponents in the paint. OU is averaging 33.8 paint points per game.
• Christian James ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring (15.6) and sixth in rebounding (7.0). He is the only Big 12 guard averaging at least 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds.
• Freshman guard Jamal Bieniemy is expected to make his eighth appearance in the OU starting lineup on Monday. In his seven previous starts, the rookie point guard has totaled 26 assists and only seven turnovers in 224 minutes. OU's only scholarship freshman, Bieniemy boasts a season assist/turnover ratio of 3.36, which ranks second in the Big 12, ninth nationally and fourth among Division I freshmen.
• The Sooners almost always have team success on nights that Brady Manek is rolling. During his career, OU is 22-9 when Manek scores in double figures, 14-3 when he scores at least 15 points and 8-2 when he hit four or more 3-pointers.
UP NEXT: TCU
• The Sooners remain on the road when they travel to the DFW area to face TCU on Satuday. Oklahoma tips off against the Horned Frogs at 11 a.m. CT in Fort Worth.
• OU owns a 22-4 all-time record against the Horned Frogs and has won 14 of the last 17 meetings. OU leads the series 11-3 since the Frogs joined the Big 12 in 2012.
• The Sooners and Horned Frogs faced off in some tight contests over the past two seasons. The last three meetings between OU and TCU have been decided by a combined six points. The Sooners came out on top in all three, including a 76-74 victory earlier this season in Norman.
• Oklahoma is 9-2 all-time when facing the Frogs on the road in Fort Worth.
