Getty Tanner Groves and the Sooners take on Sam Houston State in the season opener.
The Sam Houston State Bearkats head to the Lloyd Noble Center to take on the Oklahoma Sooners on November 7 in the season opener for both teams.
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The game (8 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on a regular TV channel anywhere, but everyone in the US can watch Sam Houston vs Oklahoma live on ESPN+ right here:
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Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Sam Houston vs Oklahoma live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
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Sam Houston vs Oklahoma Preview
The Bearkats finished with a 19-14 mark last year, scoring 68.8 points a game on offense while allowing 63.1 points per game on defense.
Key returning players for Sam Houston State include senior forward Tristan Ikpe, junior guard Jaden Ray, junior guard Javion May and senior guard Donte Powers. Key additions include guards Lamar Wilkerson, Jacoby Bishop and Ronald Mitchell Jr., along with freshman guard Anthony Wrzeszcz. The projected starting five for Sam Houston State are Powers, May, Ikpe, Qua Grant and forward Kaosi Ezeagu.
The team’s strong group of guards has fans hopeful for an even better season this year.
“Our backcourt is going to be the strength of our team and even better than last year, the depth as well,” Bearkats head coach Jason Hooten said. “I think you will see a team where maybe the scoring comes from different people. I think this team will have guys that average between seven and 18 points. Hopefully this year, we won’t have to depend on one person, we will have multiple guys that can step in and drive the bus on any given night.”
On the other side, the Sooners finished with an overall record of 19-16 last season. Oklahoma is coming off an 89-53 exhibition game victory over the Oklahoma City University Stars at Lloyd Noble Center on October 26.
“Almost everywhere, I’m seeing the benefit of having guys back,” OU head coach Porter Moser said back in September. “They can demonstrate stuff …. They know the mentality, the togetherness, the attitude, the positivity, all those intangible things of how practice goes, they know it. I think I see our togetherness better early on because of their knowledge of the program.”
Per ESPN, Oklahoma will have several key new players, including Otega Oweh (No. 72), Milos Uzan (No. 53), Luke Northweather, Grant Sherfield (19.1 points a game at Nevada), Joe Bamisile (16.3 points a game at George Washington), Sam Godwin (6.3 points a game at Wofford), Yaya Keita (1.2 points a game at Missouri).
Top returning players for the Sooners include forward Tanner Groves (11.6 points a game), Jalen Hill (9.1 points a game), Jacob Groves (4.6 points a game), C.J. Noland (3.9 points a game), Bijan Cortes (2.0 points a game).