Skip to main content

    OU Basketball: Oklahoma Takes a Tumble in AP Poll After Winless Week

    Despite staying ranked, the Sooners dropped 12 spots after losing two home conference games.

    In this story:

    Oklahoma Sooners
    Oklahoma Sooners

    It was a disastrous week for Oklahoma basketball, as the team reeled in two electric crowds and came up empty at home both times. The rankings reflected it, as the Sooners (15-5, 3-4) dropped from No. 11 to No. 23 on Monday afternoon.

    After starting the season 15-3 and knocking on the door of the top-10, Oklahoma is desperately looking to get back on track. Once ranked in the top-7, Porter Moser's group is now hanging on for dear life inside the AP Poll's Top 25.

    The Sooners dropped conference games to unranked rival Texas by 15 and blew a late lead to Texas Tech. In front of a sellout crowd, OU was up by nine points with less than five minutes to play and let the game slip away. Oklahoma was favored in both contests and the losses could sting bad in the Big 12 picture later on in the season.

    The good news for Oklahoma is that the next four games are certainly winnable. If the Sooners want to continue building a tournament bid and find a way back into the Big 12 picture, this next stretch is a must. OU has a pair of unranked road games against Kansas State and UCF followed by a homestand at the Lloyd Noble Center against No. 21 BYU and a struggling Oklahoma State team.

    Oklahoma will need Javian McCollum to revive his non-conference play after a pair of subpar performances in the back-to-back losses. The star guard averaged 8.0 points on just 5-of-22 combined from the floor.

    The season is far from over, and the Sooners can make the climb back up the rankings. Last season, OU won just 15 games total, and already matching the win total this early into conference play feels like a small win. But with eyes set on the tournament, Oklahoma will have to end the losing streak as soon as possible.

    © 2024 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.