OU basketball's four-game Big 12 skid plagued by 'disheartening' rebounding struggles
NORMAN — Jalen Hill couldn't tell what was lurking behind him.
The senior forward elevated for what seemed to be a routine defensive rebound in the second half of OU's 71-61 loss to OSU on Wednesday, but he felt a bump from behind before he could secure the ball.
It was OSU's Kalib Boone, who outjumped Hill and delivered a two-handed putback dunk.
The second-chance slam marked one of 14 offensive rebounds gathered by OSU in the Bedlam blowout. The Cowboys converted those extra possessions into 13 points.
OU (12-10, 2-7 Big 12) has lost its last four conference games, and second-chance points have played a large role in the skid. The Sooners have surrendered an average of 13.5 offensive rebounds per game during that stretch, which has been converted into an average of 17.8 points.
"When you do get a stop and you’re trying to come back and they get those offensive rebounds, those are disheartening," OU head coach Porter Moser said. "We’ve got to box out better."
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A better performance on the glass likely wouldn't have resulted in an OU win Wednesday. The Sooners shot 34.8% from the floor and 22.7% from deep, which isn't good enough to beat any Big 12 team.
But OU's second-chance struggles directly prevented it from earning a statement win over 11th-ranked Baylor on Jan. 21.
The Sooners suffered a 62-60 loss in a game where the Bears converted 17 offensive rebounds into 30 second-chance points. Baylor shot 12-for-45 from the floor (26.7%) on the first attempt of its possessions, but it shot 9-for-13 from the floor (69.2%) on extra opportunities created by offensive boards.
"We just have to do a better job on the glass," senior center Tanner Groves said after the loss. "There's no complicated answer to it, really. We just have to box out and get rebounds."
Groves has done his part in the rebounding department.
The 6-foot-10 center ranks eighth in the nation in defensive rebound percentage (29.2%), but he hasn't gotten consistent help.
His younger brother and usual frontcourt partner, Jacob Groves, has seen his minutes decline as of late. Jacob is averaging 2.3 rebounds in 16 minutes during OU's conference losing streak.
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The Sooners have gone smaller with a three-guard lineup of Grant Sherfield, Milos Uzan and Bijan Cortes. And while the change gives them more ball handlers, their lack of size has hurt them on the glass.
Both Sherfield and Cortes are averaging career-low defensive rebound percentages this season. The same goes for backup guard C.J. Noland, who has also seen his minutes increase.
"As guards and bigs, we just have to block out better, find ways to get stops, push the ball and just make it easier for us," Hill said.
OU must deliver a better performance on the glass in its road game against West Virginia at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Mountaineers are averaging 12.3 offensive rebounds per game in Big 12 play, which ranks second in the conference. They've converted those boards into an average of 11.3 points.
It'll be another test for the Sooners, who are eager to snap their conference skid and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
"I'd definitely say it starts to weigh," Hill said of the losses. "We just need to string together three or four games where we're just hot to just help get us in the tournament."
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Top two players this season
Grant Sherfield: Sherfield is averaging a team-high 16.9 points per game, although his efficiency has gone down as of late. The senior guard has shot below 35% from the floor in four of OU's last six games. Sherfield has received extra attention from opposing defenses, but he'll continue to be leaned on for the rest of Big 12 play.
Jalen Hill: The 6-foot-6 forward does it all for OU. He ranks second on the team in points per game (10.3). He ranks second in rebounds per game (5.7). He defends at all three levels. He embraces a leadership role as OU's player with the most program experience. The Sooners ask a lot of Hill, and he has delivered this season.
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Top player this week
Hill: Despite going 0-for-6 from the floor against OSU, Hill gets the nod for his stellar performance against Alabama. The Las Vegas native scored a career-high 26 points to go along with eight rebounds, and he embraced OU's toughest defensive assignment. Hill held Brandon Miller, a projected top-five prospect in the upcoming NBA Draft, to 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting from the floor.
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Player on the rise
Tanner Groves: Groves averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in OU's games against Alabama and Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-10 center protected the rim well, and he also shot an efficient 61.5% from the floor (50% from deep). Groves has struggled to stay out of foul trouble this season, but he has stayed on the floor as of late and shown his impact on both ends.
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Stat to know
West Virginia gets 22.4% of its points from the free-throw line, which is the 17th-highest percentage in the nation.
OU limited West Virginia's trips to the charity stripe in a 77-76 win on Jan. 14. The Mountaineers tied for a season-low 16 free throw attempts and only made eight of them.
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Updated bracketology
The Sooners' NCAA Tournament hopes took a hit with the Bedlam loss.
OU entered Wednesday as the first team to miss the cut for the tournament in the latest projections by ESPN's Joe Lunardi. The Sooners dropped two spots and got surpassed by the Cowboys, who are now the last team to get in.
OU also dropped from 54 to 58 in the NET rankings.
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TV info for OU vs. West Virginia
OU's game against West Virginia will begin on ESPN News. It'll then be moved to ESPN2 following the conclusion of the Los Angeles Lakers-New Orleans Pelicans game, which begins at 5 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU men's basketball: Sooners' rebounding struggles continue to mount
