Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) vs -/RV Oklahoma Sooners (14-4, 1-4 SEC)
What: The will the first time the teams have met for an SEC matchup, but the teams met the last three years in Tulsa for the Crimson & Cardinal Classic.
When: Saturday – Jan. 25 – 7:30 pm (CT)
Where: Bud Walton Arena/Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
TV/Stream: ESPN2 / ESPN App (Brian Custer and Richard Hendrix)
Radio: ESPN 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home, Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman). You can listen at HitThatLine.com.
Sirius/XM: Sirius: 390 / XM: 390 || SXM App Channel 980
FAYETTEVILLE — Saturday will mark a first in the Arkansas-Oklahoma series as it will be the first time the programs have met in an SEC matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Following the game with the Sooners, Arkansas will not play again until the following Saturday at Kentucky. However, it won’t be a full off week as the Live with Coach Cal radio show from Sassy’s will air on Monday starting at 7 p.m.
NOTES:
• The Arkansas and Oklahoma series includes 31 games dating back to the 1938-39 season. Arkansas owns a 17-14 advantage in the series, including an 8-5 record when the teams play in Fayetteville. The last four meetings in the series have all been on neutral courts with each team winning twice.
• This will be the teams’ first meeting in Bud Walton Arena since Dec. 4, 2012, a game Arkansas won 81-78,
• Border rivals Arkansas and Oklahoma will be meeting for the first time as SEC members and had only met 28 times before playing a three-games series — the Crimson and Cardinal Classic at Tulsa’s BOK Center — in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
• Classic I was on Dec. 11, 2021. The Sooners pulled away late for an 88-66 victory. Arkansas, ranked #10/12, trimmed a 15-point deficit to three with 9:55 to play but could not stop Oklahoma’s hot shooting from 3-point range. Oklahoma finished the game making 13-of-22 from long range.
• Classic II was on Dec. 10, 2022. Arkansas closed the first half with a 10-2 run, opened the second half with a 14-6 spurt and never looked back in an 88-78 win. Arkansas, ranked #9/8, missed its first two shots of the second half before making eight straight to take a 60-48 lead. Oklahoma trimmed its deficit to nine twice but could get no closer.
• Classic III was on Dec. 9, 2023. Oklahoma led by 12 at the half and Arkansas opened the second frame with a 6-0 run. However, the #19/22 Sooners hit a 3-pointer and would quickly push the lead back to double-digits en route to a 79-70 victory. The Sooners shot 51% from the field and out-rebounded the Razorbacks, 33-25, but the difference in the game was Oklahoma draining 6-of-12 from beyond the arc in the second half.
• Last time out, Arkansas was down 15 (48-33) to Georgia with 15:24 left in the game. Trevon Brazile hit a 3-pointer and two free throws to cut the Razorback deficit to 10 (48-38) and to start a 35-17 Arkansas run to end the game in the 68-65 victory.
• Earlier this season, Arkansas trailed Michigan by 15 midway through the first half before out-scoring the Wolverines 57-24 over the next 15:51 to take an 18-point lead (78-60) with 10:15 left. The Razorbacks held on for an 89-87 victory in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
• Arkansas is 3-0 this year in one-possession games and each time (versus Michigan, at Miami and versus Georgia), the Razorbacks trailed at halftime.
• Arkansas has had at least one of its top nine players miss a game or not be fully healthy 14 times this year. Most recently Boogie Fland missed the Georgia game after having surgery on his thumb. Arkansas is 12-2 this year when the rotation has been shortened to 8 or more. Arkansas is 0-5 when each of its top nine players fully available and healthy.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
