OKLAHOMA SOONERS (5-West) Record: 23-9, 12-6 Location: Norman, Okla. Conference: Big 12 Head coach: Lon Kruger pokane welcomes back a familiar face as former Zag big man Ryan Spangler and the Sooners roll into town. Oklahoma finished second to Kansas in the loaded Big 12, with wins over NCAA tournament teams Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma State (twice). The lone bad loss came at the hands of Louisiana Tech in overtime at home back in December. It’s all about offense for Oklahoma. With a frenetic pace and multiple 3-point gunners (the rotation sports four players who shoot over 38 percent), the Sooners rank seventh in the nation in scoring (82.2 points per game). Sophomore guard Buddy Hield leads the team with 16.8 ppg while firing up seven 3-point attempts a game. The only reason that doesn’t give Kruger an aneurysm? Hield connects on 39.7 percent of those attempts. The second leading scorer, forward Cameron Clark, shoots even better from behind the arc, hitting 42.5 percent. Spangler, always a bruiser, has developed into the main inside presence, averaging just under a double-double (9.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg) while shooting a gaudy 59.4 percent from the field. While Oklahoma’s accelerated pace creates frequent scoring chances, it also provides more chances for opponents to score. The Sooners surrendered 75.9 points per game, a dismal 308th in Division I. Louisiana Tech hung 102 on Oklahoma. With no inside defensive anchor for the Sooners, North Dakota State (which leads the nation in field goal shooting percentage) should be able to put up some points. The Sooners just plan on scoring more. — SETH SOMMERFELD
5 OKLAHOMA 4:27 pm tipoff
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12 NORTH DAKOTA STATE Televised on truTV
NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON (12-West) Record: 25-6, 12-2 Location: Fargo, N.D. Conference: Summit League Head coach: Saul Phillips ootball, not basketball, is the main event at North Dakota State. The Bison have won the past three FCS national championships. They’re pretty good at basketball, too. That’s why they’re here. This is just NDSU’s second Division I NCAA tournament appearance. That might not sound impressive, but the Bison have only been a member of Division I since the 2005-06 season. Though lured away by larger contracts, many successful coaches spent their formative years in Fargo. Tim Miles, now leading Nebraska (the West’s 11 seed), and Greg McDermott, coaching Creighton (the West’s 3 seed), find themselves dancing in the same region as their old team. Closer to home, former Eastern Washington coach and Gonzaga assistant Ray Giacoletti spent the late 1990s as Bison head coach. Early season tests against Saint Mary’s, Southern Miss and Ohio State (6, South) all resulted in losses. However, the Bison gained invaluable experience from those games, beating Delaware (13, East) and Notre Dame. Since the start of Summit League play, the Bison have lost just twice, at IPFW and Denver. They closed out the season with nine consecutive victories. NDSU’s offense is one of the country’s most efficient. Led by 6-foot-7 senior guard Taylor Braun (18.2 points per game) and senior center Marshall Bjorklund (63.3 field goal percentage), the Bison make the most of their slow, deliberate possessions. At 6-8, Bjorklund is undersized, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Only 5 percent of the team’s shots are blocked, the lowest percentage in the country. — WILL MAUPIN
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Sunboyz_032014_3H_GS.tifMARCH 20, 2014 INLANDER 25