If Oklahoma's Bigs Are in Foul Trouble, Porter Moser Needs Plan B Rebounders

NORMAN — "We got pounded on the glass," is never what you want to hear Porter Moser open his availability with.

But that's the main takeaway from the Oklahoma Sooners' first loss of the season to Gonzaga last Friday. The Sooners were punished 58-20 in the paint, 16-8 on second chance points and out-rebounded 46-39, with 18 of those boards on offense.

What made things worse was OU bigs Mohamed Wague and Kai Rogers either dealt with early foul trouble or the unenviable task of a matchup against preseason All-American Graham Ike.

Moser knows that when those two are unable to play, the small-ball lineup has to play better. If Wague is going to be off the floor, the Sooners — those who played against Gonzaga — have a collective height averaging only 6-feet-5 inches. That's a lot of pressure to put on the freshman Rogers if Wague is in foul trouble.

"We've talked all year about this, going through it with Mo," Moser said on Monday. "It was unfortunate the foul trouble he got in, but he was plus-three when we were on the court with him in the 20 minutes he played. We've got to keep him in the game, and when he's not in, we have to rebound more.

"I need more rebounding out of some of our longer guys," Moser added. "We talk about being longer, more athletic, but we've got to play that way on the glass offensively and defensively."

The OU wings will get a chance to get back on track Tuesday against Arkansas Pine-Bluff (7 p.m., SEC Network+). It's OU's annual "student-appreciation" game at McCasland Field House.

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OU wings and guards combined for 20 boards against Gonzaga. Tae Davis led all Sooners with eight rebounds and Kuol Atak had four. It wasn't near enough to close the gap in the rebounding discrepancy.

"Some of our wings need to learn the level of intensity to crash the offensive glass and then out-rebound," Moser said. "(Gonzaga) went violently to the glass. We have to grow from that. I believe in life and I'm a big believer that everything's an opportunity to learn and grow."

How to Watch Oklahoma vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Where: McCasland Fieldhouse
When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Channel: SEC Network+

Wague might just need to play better, or as Moser put it, show more discipline. The OU head coach defended his athletic big man, dismissing Wague’s three first half fouls as nothing more than ticky-tack calls. A missed charge here or a hard screen there. Regardless, Moser said Wague needs to remain disciplined to dictate a whistle down the road.

"We've really focused on Mo being more disciplined," Moser said. "Unfortunately, calls went against him, but he's been disciplined overall. It's going to be a constant thing for us with him. He made some unbelievable defensive plays in the second half, with some blocks and valuable contributions for us."

Xzayvier Brown and forward Mohamed Wague, Oklahoma Sooner — Oklahoma Sooners guard Xzayvier Brown and forward Mohamed Wague | James Snook-Imagn Images

But foul trouble for a starting big will come again. Some officiating crews will be quicker to call a foul more than others. That's why Moser reiterates being better at their Plan B.

"When we play small ball with Tae, we've played small ball before, but the rebounding wasn't good enough," Moser said. "We have to rebound at 6-9, 6-8, 6-7 levels if we go into that small lineup."

Against the Golden Lions, OU will have a chance to put actions to Moser's requests. Arkansas-Pine Bluff currently lives in the basement in rebounding margin, posting a minus-6 in that category. In three games, they have been out-rebounded on average 42-35.