Spurned by the NCAA Selection Committee, the Sooners look to continue to prove them wrong.

Spurned by the NCAA Selection Committee, the Oklahoma Sooners look to continue to prove the doubters wrong as they face the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in the second round of the NIT.

Oklahoma (19-15, 7-11) vs. St. Bonaventure (21-9, 12-5): Sunday, 7 p.m. CT at the Lloyd Noble Center (Norman, Okla.)

TV/Live Stream: ESPN+/WatchESPN

Commentary: Roy Philpott and King McClure

Radio: Sooner Sports Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM The Franchise in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa; Varsity Radio App) with Toby Rowland and Kevin Henry announcing

Line: Oklahoma -5.5 (as of 3 p.m. CT)

About St. Bonaventure

• St. Bonaventure is led by 6’5” senior guard Jalen Adaway, who is averaging 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Adaway scored 17 in the Bonnies’ opening-round win over Colorado, sinking three of five three-point attempts in Boulder.
• Mark Schmidt is in his fifth season as head coach fo the Bonnies, amassing a record of 266–194 during his tenure. He led the program to the NCAA Tournament last season, his third trip to the Big Dance since taking the reins.
• The Bonnies are 83rd in KenPom’s Team Efficiency rankings, sitting at No. 74 offensively and No. 91 defensively.
• Saint Bonaventure is the patron saint of bowel disorders. I sh*t you not.

Prediction

Tanner Groves has generally had a good season in Norman, and he’s played a vital role in keeping this program competitive following a ton of attrition in the wake of Lon Kruger’s retirement. However, he tends to struggle offensively when facing long, athletic bigs. That’s the perfect description of 6’10” center Osun Osunniyi, who averages 3.3 blocks per contest. With that in mind, OU will undoubtedly use Groves to spread the floor and lure Osunniyi out to the perimeter, allowing room for Jalen Hill to cut to the basket and capitalize. It’s been a useful strategy throughout the season, and it’ll likely be a vital part of today’s game.

I’d expect the home crowd to push the Sooners over the top, setting up a matchup with either North Texas or Virginia at the LNC this coming week.

Oklahoma 78, St Bonaventure 70