Oklahoma has the momentum and Ole Miss has the motivation to launch a turnaround when the teams meet for their SEC opener Saturday in Norman, Okla.
The Sooners (10-3) come into conference play on a four-game winning streak, and while only one of those victories came against a power-conference opponent, they’ve shown plenty of signs of growth from both their starters and their bench.
Xzayvier Brown recovered from an early ankle injury to thrive over the last four games. The guard is averaging 20.5 points and shooting 61.7% from the floor with only 1.3 turnovers per game during the streak.
“X helps us in so many ways,” Sooners forward Tae Davis said. “He’s a leader, point guard and he elevates our game as a team. Him being healthy and doing what he does is only great for us.”
The Sooners also added 6-foot-11 Kirill Elatontsev from Russia. In his debut, Elatontsev had six points in 18 minutes in Monday’s 93-69 win over Mississippi Valley State.
“He’s come in and played really hard,” said Nijel Pack, who leads the Sooners with 16.3 points per game. “That’s what we need from him. He’s a big body. You’ve seen a little bit of him in the last game and I’m excited for him to play in the SEC and really have some of those games where he shows his dominance.”
The Rebels (8-5) are coming off a 79-43 win over Alcorn State after losing five of their previous seven games.
Coach Chris Beard remains confident in the Rebels despite his team tying for the most losses among SEC teams heading into conference play.
Ole Miss is shooting just 45.4% and averaging 74.6 points per game this season, both lowest in the SEC. The Rebels are led by Malik Dia’s 14.5 points per game.
The Rebels have started nine different players, while the Sooners have had the same starting lineup in each game so far.
“We don’t really have a rotation now,” Beard said. “It’s not an ideal spot to be in as a coach or a player but this is our reality. We haven’t had a lot of separation in-game performance. … Still optimistic that depth can be our ally, a strength of this year’s team.
“I’ve never been in this situation going into conference play.”
Oklahoma freshman Kai Rogers, who missed Monday’s game with an ankle injury, will return against Ole Miss. Dayton Forsythe, another key bench player who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, is probable for the game.
