How OU women's basketball matches up with Michigan State in NCAA Tournament
OU took care of business on Friday night, beating Idaho 89-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But now the Sooners will face a much bigger test.
Oklahoma (4) will take on Michigan State (5) at 7 p.m. CT on Sunday at the Lloyd Noble Center. The Spartans have been a top 25 team for most of the season, posting an impressive 23-8 record this season. They beat 12-seed Colorado State 65-62 on Friday in Norman.
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“When you get a day to play a great team like Michigan State, you’re going to be a little bit closer to that because they’re so used to preparing for different teams,” Baranczyk said. “And also, you just got to get the rust off. They obviously did, too, today. I mean, what a good game for March Madness, too, right before ours. Talk about different styles of play in that game. Right, Colorado State was completely different than Idaho, so our games looked a little bit different.
“And so Michigan State really does like to get up and down. They’re just a well-balanced team. I coached Grace VanSlooten this summer and you talk about a great player. I got to work with Robin at USA Basketball. So I’m very familiar with how good they are.”
Here’s how OU matches up in the Round of 32.
Records and Rankings:
- Oklahoma Sooners: 25-7 overall (12-6 SEC), No. 4 seed, ranked No. 10 nationally.
- Michigan State Spartans: 23-8 overall (11-8 Big Ten), No. 5 seed, ranked No. 20 nationally.
Offensive Firepower:
- Oklahoma: Explosive attack ranks 3rd nationally at 86.8 PPG; +19.0 scoring margin.
- Michigan State: Balanced and efficient, 82.5 PPG (top 11 nationally); +16.7 margin.
Defensive Edge:
- Oklahoma: Allows 67.8 PPG.
- Michigan State: Allows 65.8 PPG.
Key Strengths:
- Oklahoma: Dominates the boards (48.8 RPG) with high-volume scoring and nearly 20 assists per game.
- Michigan State: Superior shooting efficiency (48% FG), strong from deep (7.5 3PM/game), and solid overall defense.
Star Players:
- Oklahoma: Freshman sensation Aaliyah Chavez leads with 18.4 PPG and 4.2 assists; Raegan Beers anchors the paint with 15 PPG and 10+ RPG on high efficiency.
- Michigan State: Grace VanSlooten paces the team at 15.1 PPG with 6.7 rebounds; Kennedy Blair adds scoring punch with 14.4 PPG.
