Oklahoma coach Porter Moser yells during the NCAA men’s basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Missouri Tigers at the Lloyd Noble Center on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma won 80-64. Oklahoma, which has inched closer to the NCAA Tournament bubble, must desperately stay hot against South Carolina in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.
Oklahoma (17-14) moved into 11th place in the SEC after winning its final four regular season games, putting the Sooners into the postseason conversation. Despite a nine-game losing streak during conference play, Oklahoma boasts a NET ranking of No. 54 and has wins over tournament potential teams in Vanderbilt, Georgia, Missouri and Texas.
Ahead of a must-win game against 14th-seeded South Carolina (13-18), coach Porter Moser’s team is peaking at the right time.
“We’re playing our best basketball and that’s what you want this time of the year,” Moser said. “There’s always a way. Even if we’ve lost nine in a row, I told the guys there’s a way. There aren’t many teams in this SEC that can win six out of eight games.”
Oklahoma is averaging 85.5 points during its four-game winning streak, and leading scorer Nigel Pack (16.1 points) has had three outings of 21 points or more in pivotal stretches. The Sooners’ current projections have them on the outside looking in, but a run in Nashville would provide them with a few wins to bolster their resume.
“I think you can make an incredible case,” Moser said. “We’ve done a great job. We’re going into this tournament and we’re taking it one game at a time.”
Xzayvier Brown added 15.6 points for the Sooners, while Tae Davis averaged 12.2 points.
After a forgettable regular season at South Carolina, coach Lamont Paris learned he will be returning for a fifth year next season. Barring a miracle week in Nashville, the Gamecocks will end the season with their third losing record in four seasons.
Paris’ group has lost 10 of 11 games in the heart of SEC play, marked by weak offensive performances and one-sided results. South Carolina has scored the fewest points in the conference at 75 per game, and nine of its 14 SEC losses have been by double digits.
The Gamecocks advanced to the postseason with their second win at home when Meechie Johnson hit a 3-pointer with less than a second left in the regular season finale to lift South Carolina to a 64-61 win at Ole Miss.
“It was a neat way to end the regular season and get into tournament time,” Paris said. “Nothing epitomizes March better than a half-court buzzer-beater. What a way to start this all off as we prepare to go to Nashville.”
Johnson’s 17.3 points per game leads the Gamecocks, while Mike Sharavjamts has 10.6 points.
–Field level media
