OU Basketball: Oklahoma Keeping Humble Mentality Ahead of Central Arkansas Game

At this point, the mission for Oklahoma’s basketball team is simple: Don’t let 2023-24 repeat itself.

A year after the Sooners opened 10-0, they are 11-0 in 2024-25. En route to its undefeated start, OU has taken down Providence, Arizona, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and Michigan.

While OU’s roster is loaded with first-year Sooners, whether from the transfer portal or as freshmen, forward Jalon Moore has seen this movie before. Conference play was rough on OU, which went 8-10 in Big 12 games and missed the NCAA Tournament.

The second-year Sooner is doing everything he can to make sure it has a different ending this year.

“Don’t be comfortable,” Moore said. “Don’t feed into the outside noise. Don’t listen to the people who are saying we’re this good, we’ve done this and that.”

Oklahoma’s undefeated start has already gone one step further than last year’s.

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The Sooners lost to North Carolina at the Jumpman Invitational in 2023-24. That game started OU’s downward spiral that ultimately sent the Sooners home instead of to the tourney.

OU’s last game was actually at the Jumpman, and this time, the result was much different. Despite trailing Michigan by 11 points — twice — in the second half, Oklahoma rallied and beat the No. 24 Wolverines 87-86, thanks to Jeremiah Fears’ game-winning 4-point play.

That was Oklahoma’s first time battling two separate 7-footers — Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf — and while those two were plenty productive, the Sooners played well enough elsewhere to earn the win.

That gritty win is one that will help the Sooners later in the season when they face other less-than-ideal size matchups.

“For us to show resilience and come back, that’s what this team does,” Moore said. “We are going to keep fighting because that’s the nature of our team.”

Next for Oklahoma is a home game against Central Arkansas on Sunday. It is one of two non-conference games remaining for the Sooners, who host Prairie View A&M on Sunday, Dec. 29.

The Bears (3-8) have struggled early in the 2024-25 season. Four of their losses have come by double digits, and they have defeated only two teams that compete at the NCAA Division I level (UNC Asheville and The Citadel).

In short, this game doesn’t have the same significance as the Southeastern Conference games that loom in the near future. But that’s not OU’s mentality.

“You always have to respect the game regardless of who we’re playing, whatever our ranking is or whatever it is,” Moore said. “You have to come out and perform every night.”

Senior Duke Miles said, “You just have to stay ready. Do whatever it takes to help this team win. Whether that’s making big shots, making defensive stops, whatever the case may be.”

Even though the Sooners enter Sunday’s game as heavy favorites, Moore sees just as much value in playing against Central Arkansas as he did playing against Michigan.

“Our focus… let’s focus on our next opponent and get this W,” Moore said. “We’re going to continue to go and continue to grow. That’s what we learned.”