After beating Oregon 80-68 on March 26 to win the West region, Oklahoma heads to its fifth March Madness Final Four this weekend, where the Sooners will face off with Villanova at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday in Houston.
Here’s what you need to know about Oklahoma:
Coach: Lon Kruger, who has a 167-111 record in his five seasons with Oklahoma.
Conference: Big 12 (founding member)
2015-16 record: 29-7 (12-6 conference record)
Starters:
| Name | Position | Class | Height | PPG | APG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddy Hield | guard | senior | 6-foot-4 | 25.4 | 2.0 | 5.7 |
| Jordan Woodard | guard | junior | 6-foot | 13.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 |
| Isaiah Cousins | guard | senior | 6-foot-4 | 12.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Ryan Spangler | forward | senior | 6-foot-8 | 10.3 | 2.0 | 9.2 |
| Khadeem Lattin | forward | sophomore | 6-foot-9 | 5.7 | 0.6 | 5.3 |
Biggest wins this season:
The Sooners earned an early win over then-No.9 Villanova on Dec. 7, 2015, a home win over then-No. 11 Iowa State on Jan. 2, 2016 and two victories over ranked West Virginia and Baylor.
Tournament path:
| School | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No. 15 CSU Bakersfield | Mar. 18, 2016 | 82-68 |
| No. 10 VCU | Mar. 20, 2016 | 85-81 |
| No. 3 Texas A&M | Mar. 24, 2016 | 77-63 |
| No. 1 Oregon | Mar. 26, 2016 | 80-68 |
History vs. opponent: In four meetings with Villanova, Oklahoma is 2-2 against the Wildcats. In its most recent meeting, the Sooners won easily in a 78-55 victory in Honolulu on Dec. 7, 2015. Isaiah Cousins and Buddy Hield led Oklahoma with 19 and 18 points, respectively.
Final Four history: The Sooners advanced to the first Final Four in 1939 -- where they lost to eventual national champion Oregon -- as well as appearances in 1947, 1988 and 2002 before this year. Oklahoma is 2-2 in the Final Four.
| Year | Opponent | Score | W/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Oregon | 55-37 | L |
| 1947 | Texas | 55-54 | W |
| 1988 | Arizona | 86-79 | W |
| 2002 | Indiana | 73-64 | L |
Did you know?
A “Sooner” is a nickname given to the first people to settle unassigned land in the Southern United States after President Benjamin Harrison signed the bill to open the Oklahoma Territory in 1889.
Blake Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft, played for Oklahoma for two seasons.
Joe Castiglione, the chair of NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee, is the athletic director at Oklahoma.
The campus of Oklahoma in Norman is 438 miles from NRG Stadium in Houston where the Sooners will play Villanova.
