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OU basketball searching for the win, not the moral victory

Bob Przybyloby: Bob Przybylo01/31/26BPrzybylo

For the first time in four home games, OU basketball is playing an unranked team. But when you have lost seven straight games, nothing is a gimme.

And when it’s your Red River Rival in Texas – that’s never easy. And when head coach Porter Moser has never defeated the Longhorns in Norman, well, it has been that type of month.

Saturday is going to mark 28 days since the last win for OU. The Sooners were 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the SEC after a victory against Ole Miss.

Texas (12-9, 3-5) at OU (11-10, 1-7)
When: 1 p.m.
TV: ESPN2

A key to that victory? Center Mo Wague. He was sensational that afternoon with 10 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

He never approached anything like those numbers until Tuesday. Yes, it was another defeat for OU in an 83-79 contest vs. Arkansas, but Wague showed up.

“It means everything,” Moser said. “You hit it. When he goes and hasn’t played like this since Ole Miss. If he can start giving us, he had nine points, 12 rebounds, four assists.

“To Mo’s energy and rebounding, to get that type of production from him means everything. We’re not a deep team. When Mo gives you that, it just puts us in a way better position.”

Double-digit rebounds, nearly 28 minutes, a steal and a block. If the Sooners have any chance of finding a stride in the next month? More of that from Wague, please.

Rejuvenated Pack

To go with Wague, the last two games have been kind for Nijel Pack. They needed to be. OU stands zero chance of doing anything of note if Pack doesn’t show up.

Six 3-pointers and 22 points against the Razorbacks was a great reminder to everyone of what he is truly capable of.

“The thing we talked about with Nijel after the Alabama game, South Carolina game, is you’ve been in a million games,” Moser said. “You’re a 2,000-point scorer. It’s going to ebb and flow. It’s going to come back around. Started off conference not shooting well, obviously. That’s going to come. Focus on your defense and other things. For him to see the ball going in, it gives us a way better chance to win games. for him to be able to make shots like that gives us a way better chance.

Brown keeps trucking along

If there is one player that is not taking a dip, it’s Xzayvier Brown. He went nearly 38 minutes Tuesday and just keeps coming.

A 13-point, six-rebound and three-assist performance doesn’t put into context what Brown did against the Hogs. All that pressure on him to be the primary ball handler. And Brown just keeps coming.

“We have to help X out,” Moser said. “There is a lot of pressure on X with the ball handling when you see elite pressure like that. They were pressuring Nijel, pressuring Tae. All year, we’ve had Tae be a primary ball handler. We did it again. There was a lot of pressure on X when you play a team with that type of elite athletic defensive pressure. A lot of pressure on X. He’s been – probably our most consistent player.”

Final word

“No choice.” – Brown on OU bouncing back

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