OU basketball awaits injury updates on Rivaldo Soares, John Hugley IV for Kansas game
NORMAN — OU men's basketball coach Porter Moser said Friday it’s a “little too early” to know the status of senior guard Rivaldo Soares (ankle) and redshirt junior forward John Hugley IV (knee) ahead of the Sooners’ matchup with Kansas on Saturday.
Soares twisted his ankle in the second half of the Sooners’ 79-62 loss to Baylor on Tuesday after leading the team in scoring with 17 points. Hugley IV injured his knee against Oklahoma State last Saturday and didn’t travel for OU’s game vs. the Bears.
“We’ll know a little bit more today,” Moser said.
Moser did confirm, however, he thinks both are short-term injuries and there’s no indication either are season-ending.
More: Big 12 power rankings: Exhausted Kansas welcoming schedule quirk in expanded league
In the event Hugley IV and Soares don’t play, the Sooners will need more production from their bench. Moser has maintained he wants to see redshirt freshman forward Luke Northweather, who contributed against the Cowboys but struggled vs. Baylor, be aggressive and find a rhythm.
Other possible candidates who could play a bigger role against the Jayhawks include freshman guard Kaden Cooper and senior guard Maks Klanjscek.
“We're gonna have some different guys in there,” Moser said. “(It’s an) opportunity to step up. There's always been scenarios, one man goes down, next man up and now we’ve got two men down. So we have to have a couple guys step up.
“ … All hands on deck. That’s what I told everybody.”
Moser said Thursday night during his coaches show that senior guard Le’Tre Darthard, who has played impressive defense lately and hit an important 3-pointer down the stretch in Bedlam, could play up to 25-30 minutes vs. the Jayhawks. He averages 23.2 minutes per game.
Kansas has dealt with its fair share of injuries this season, however, head coach Bill Self is confident aid is coming on Saturday. Freshman guard Jamari McDowell missed the Jayhawks’ last two games due to the flu, while star Kevin McCullar has also missed the last two contests with a bone bruise in his knee.
“I’m anticipating that hopefully both will (be available),” Self said during a media availability on Thursday.
More: Oklahoma basketball vs. Baylor: 3 takeaways from Sooners' loss to Bears in top-25 clash
Self on facing OU for final time in Big 12
With OU’s departure to the SEC next season, Saturday marks the last game between the Jayhawks and Sooners as conference foes.
Self, an Okmulgee native, opened up about facing OU for the final time and reminisced about his memories of the matchup on Thursday.
“We’ve had some great games with them obviously over time,” Self said. “Of course none was better than when (Buddy Hield) and his group were down there.”
Hield’s Sooners were the closest to defeating Kansas at home — a feat OU hasn’t achieved since 1993 — with a 109-106 triple-overtime loss on Jan. 4, 2016. Self also iterated the respect he’s had for the Sooners’ coaches over the years, rattling off their names.
He even shouted out Billy Tubbs, or “the one” as he calls him, who OU is honoring Saturday.
“They’ve had a great lineup of coaches and Porter is obviously in that lineup,” Self said. “Porter took (Loyola-Chicago) to the Final Four. That’s one of the great coaching accomplishments of the 2000s.”
More: OU basketball projected as No. 6 seed in ESPN's NCAA Tournament bracketology
Moser seeks defensive improvement
After piling over the tape the last few days, Moser came to the conclusion his team could’ve played better defense against Baylor, especially in transition.
“Our transition defense after a turnover, I think they turned almost all of our turnovers into baskets,” Moser said. “They capitalized on that. Our turnover defense has to be better when we do turn it over.”
The Bears finished with 11 total 3s and shot 52% from deep, with a handful of them occurring in transition after OU turnovers. The Sooners were able to shut down BYU, which like Baylor is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation, by playing stifling defense and contesting shots.
Baylor caught OU with screens and switches, allowing its shooters to attempt wide-open 3s.
“They were hitting a lot of shots,” sophomore guard Otega Oweh said Friday. “In games like that, we’ve got to stay positive. … Obviously there are things we could’ve done better.”
The Sooners are hoping to find defensive consistency vs. the Jayhawks at 3 p.m. Saturday in Norman on ESPN+.
More: How is Milos Uzan fueling OU basketball in Big 12 race? He's 'an absolute team player'
OU-Kansas score prediction
Kansas 78, OU 65: With McCullar and McDowell likely back, the Jayhawks should have the edge over the Sooners. While Kansas isn’t as deep as in years past, Self’s team is still one of the most talented in the country. Expect McCullar and Hunter Dickinson to have big games and for the Sooners to continue struggling to find consistency.
No. 25 OU vs. No. 6 Kansas
TIPOFF: 3 p.m. Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman (ESPN)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU basketball awaits injury updates on Rivaldo Soares, John Hugley IV
