OU Basketball: Oklahoma Hoping to Address Rebounding Issues vs. Texas A&M

The Sooners host a Texas A&M squad on Wednesday that is averaging a 11.5 rebounding margin, which is fifth-best nationally.

Will McLelland-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Performances like Saturday’s are unacceptable to Oklahoma coach Porter Moser.

The No. 17 Sooners, who entered their game at Alabama 13-0 and No. 12, got drubbed 107-79 in Tuscaloosa, giving them an 0-1 start to SEC play. 

The beatdown ensued after a near-flawless non-conference season for OU, which collected wins against Providence, Arizona, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and Michigan.

Oklahoma’s players and coaches took Sunday off after the loss. But before the sun rose on Monday, it was back to the drawing board.

“If it wasn’t for the NCAA rule, we wouldn’t have given them Sunday off,” Moser said. “A film session was the first thing. We played out of character.”

The biggest disparity between the Crimson Tide and the Sooners was on the glass.

Alabama outrebounded Oklahoma 50-26 and collected 22 offensive rebounds to the Sooners’ eight. The Crimson Tide logged 25 second-chance points off of those rebounds.

In the first couple of practices since the loss, that has been the focus.

“It’s been 72 hours of being pissed about rebounding,” Moser said. “That’s the storyline. Everyone’s got to help.”

Senior Duke Miles, despite being a guard, believes everyone on the team needs to step up.

“You can’t just rely on the big men,” Miles said. “It has to be guards, too. Rebounding is a team thing.”

The Sooners haven’t had much time to address this issue, but it’s one they’ll have to shore up quickly. Texas A&M is arguably even better on the glass than Alabama, and the Aggies come to Norman on Wednesday.

The Aggies, ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, have an average rebounding margin of 11.5, which is fifth best in the nation. They’re also averaging 42.8 boards per game, which is seventh out of the 364 teams that compete in NCAA Division I basketball.

“A&M is literally the best in the country,” Moser said. “Buzz (Williams) coaches them up so that they go so relentless. And they all go. It’s not like you’re just worried about three guys; they all go.”

Rebounding was far from the only issue in the loss to Alabama, as the Sooners allowed guards Mark Sears and Labaron Philon to combine for 38 points.

Like the Crimson Tide, the Aggies are a multi-faceted squad.

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Texas A&M’s backcourt is one of the deadliest in the country, with Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps averaging 29 points per game combined. The Aggies, due to their aggressive play, are also one of the most fouled teams in the country, averaging 25.1 free-throw attempts per contest.

“They hang their hat on that, the toughness factor, their rebounding, their defense,” Moser said. “They’re gonna try to beat you that way for sure.”

Moser said that he was pleased with Monday’s practice, saying that his older players were a combination of “pissed off and embarrassed.” The coach knows that his team can play much better than it did in its SEC opener.

Now, for the Sooners, it’s about using the sting to their advantage.

“It definitely helps a whole lot,” Miles said. “We’re going to come in Wednesday with a certain level of focus to accomplish what we need to accomplish. They are a great team. We need to play to a certain level and standard to get to where we want.”

Wednesday’s game will tip off at 8 p.m.