Oklahoma HC Porter Moser Emphasizes ‘Togetherness’ Ahead of Bedlam Game

NORMAN — Now is not the time to panic, per OU coach Porter Moser.

The Sooners fell 86-70 to Arizona State in a neutral-site game last week after picking up wins against Marquette and Wake Forest. The loss marked Oklahoma’s third of the season, as the Sooners previously dropped neutral-site contests to Gonzaga and Nebraska.

The Sooners will face another tough opponent on Saturday when they battle Oklahoma State at noon at the Paycom Center, home to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

How to Watch Bedlam Basketball

When: Saturday, Dec. 13
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Time: 12 p.m.
Channel: FOX

A loss to the Cowboys would bring Oklahoma down to 6-4 with just three games remaining until SEC play begins. But that isn’t Moser’s focus.

“Not thinking about that, really not,” Moser said. “You’ve gotta be winning and learning. You cannot be hanging your head.”

While the Sooners’ current record — 6-3 — isn’t stellar, it’s worth noting how difficult the slate has been for them so far in the 2025-26 season.

The three squads that OU lost to are a combined 27-3 so far this year. All five of Oklahoma’s games against power-conference opponents have been played away from the Lloyd Noble Center, too, and that includes the Sooners’ quality wins against Marquette and Wake Forest.

Notably, Nebraska is 10-0 this season. The Cornhuskers climbed to No. 23 in the latest AP Top 25 and took down Wisconsin 90-60 earlier in the week.

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Considering OU took Nebraska to overtime, the Cornhuskers’ hot start has given the Sooners’ players confidence.

“I received about four texts from the players the other night when Nebraska beat Wisconsin,” Moser said. “It was like ‘that shaking head emoji, Nebraska.’ That’s the thing we’re chasing. We know we can be really good.”

Oklahoma got a full week between its game against Arizona State and Saturday’s tilt with the Cowboys, giving the Sooners ample time to rest and correct mistakes from the lopsided defeat.

OU allowed ASU to go on a 27-2 run in the first half. The Sooners kept a better pace with Arizona State late in the game, but the Sun Devils’ mammoth run put the game essentially out of reach by halftime.

While Moser doesn’t want his players beating themselves up over past defeats, he wants them to learn from their shortcomings in losses.

“Your togetherness has gotta be elite,” Moser said. “Your communication, you've gotta get a 50-50 ball, a great defensive possession. I think we just kinda took turns trying to get it back with a big shot."

Communication is a primary area that Moser knows must be better against OSU’s much-improved squad.

The Cowboys enter Saturday’s game 9-0, and they earned early-season wins against Texas A&M, Northwestern and Grand Canyon. Oklahoma State is averaging 91.3 points per game, and four different Cowboys are averaging more than 14 points per contest.

“They’re very intentional with how they want to play,” Moser said. “They wanna play fast, they get that thing up. That's been what's most impressive about watching them — the multitude of weapons and pieces they have."