The University of Oklahoma Sooners Men’s Basketball Team has acquired a No.3 seed in the East Region of the NCAA tournament. Their first match up will be against the No. 14 seed Albany Great Danes in Columbus, OH. Although the Sooners are heavily favored in this match up, they face an uphill battle in the tournament.
According to Totally Tickets, the average price of this game and Providence’s first round game is $92.22 on the secondary market. Just to get into this contest, Sooners tickets will cost $36.00 on the secondary market.
The Sooners finished the 2014-15 season with an overall record of 22-10. They finished Big 12 play with a 12-6 record. They don’t distribute the ball very well, as they rank 182nd in overall assists. This may be because Buddy Hield is the focal point of this offense. The junior is scoring 17.5 points per game and 5.5 rebounds. Hield has lead the Sooners to victories over West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa State, Buter and Baylor. This team looks poised to make a run in the NCAA tournament, but they have a long way to go.
Assuming that the Sooners win their first game against Albany, they will likely face the Providence Friars, a six seed who will play the winner of the Dayton-Boise State play-in game in Dayton tonight. Providence is extremely good at distributing the basketball, they average 14.1 assists per game, which is 71st in the country.
If the Sooners can claim victories through the opening weekend, they may run into the buzz-saw that is the University of Virginia Cavaliers. Virginia has been one of the best teams in the country all season, but an early exit from the ACC tournament has placed them into the second seed in the East Region. The Cavaliers make 46.5% of their baskets, which equates to 53rd in the country. If this matchup is set up in the East region, it will be a very tough one for the Sooners.
If the Sooners can’t get passed the Great Danes of Albany, it will be a very disappointing run to the NCAA Tournament. However, if the Sooners can find balance on offense, they should be able to make a strong run into the Sweet 16 and maybe even further.
