Guard Jadon Jones Makes Oklahoma Debut as Sooners Rout Oral Roberts

Jadon Jones played his first game for the Sooners on Thursday after sitting out for the entire 2024-25 season.

Oklahoma guard Jadon Jones | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

NORMAN — The Sooners are back over the .500 mark.

Oklahoma took down Oral Roberts 95-71 on Thursday as the Sooners improved to 3-2 on the season.

Here are three takeaways from OU’s lopsided win:

Jones makes OU debut

After sitting out the entirety of the 2024-25 season, guard Jadon Jones made his Oklahoma debut on Thursday.

Jones didn’t start for the Sooners, but he came into the game early in the first half and made three free throws in his first shift. The guard finished the game with eight points, two assists, a rebound and a steal.

"It felt great," Jones said. "Still trying to get back in the flow of things, kind of get reacclimated to everything. I’m just really grateful to be out here. It’s been a while since I played. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutes and all that stuff, but I’m just happy to be playing basketball. I’m super blessed."

Before arriving at OU last year, Jones was a star at Long Beach State. 

Jones played four seasons for the 49ers and was a key player in each of them. He averaged 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.6 assists in his final season at LBSU, 2023-24.

Jones, listed at 6-5, gives the Sooners another option in a strong backcourt that also features Nijel Pack, Xzayvier Brown, Dayton Forsythe and Jeff Nwankwo.

With only a one-game sample size, OU coach Porter Moser is pleased how Jones performed in his minutes against ORU.

"Jadon is where he’s supposed to be," Moser said. "He was really in the right position."

Dominant first half

For the first time of the 2025-26 season, the Sooners put the game out of reach by halftime.

OU led 42-24 at the break, paving the way for its 24-point win.

In the first 20 minutes, the Sooners forced 11 turnovers and scored 13 points off those miscues from the Golden Eagles. Oklahoma held Oral Roberts to a 33.3 percent clip from the field as the Golden Eagles made just two of their 12 three-point attempts in the first half.

OU’s backcourt and frontcourt both shined, Pack and forward Mohamed Wague had 10 points each before the break.

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The only area in which the Sooners weren’t dominant? The glass.

Oral Roberts held a 20-17 advantage in rebounding in the first half.

Still, the Sooners held a sizable, 18-point lead at halftime. Their previous largest halftime lead was 11 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Wague shines down low

Wague’s size and physicality in the paint posed a tough matchup for the Golden Eagles.

Wague, a 6-10, 225-pound big man playing his fifth season of college basketball, scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He also registered seven rebounds, four offensive boards and a block during his 23 minutes on the court.

Wague’s 20 points were a team-high, and he eclipsed his previous season-high of 16 points, which he recorded in OU’s season opener against Saint Francis.

The forward was in foul trouble in both of Oklahoma’s losses — a road game at Gonzaga and a neutral-site loss to Nebraska — and finished both of those games with four fouls. He logged only two fouls against Oral Roberts, and as a result, he had a stellar outing.

"He’s slowing down a little," Moser said. "Sometimes when he gets the ball... he rushes. But man, when he’s fresh, he just impacts the game."