Is it time for OU basketball to adjust its lineup?

OU head coach Porter Moser has never made a huge deal about a starting lineup. That’s who begins the games. It’s more about the closing lineup, the five guys expected to finish.

But for this team? The starting and closing lineup has pretty much been the same. After an 0-2 start in SEC play, is it time to pivot? Time to adjust from the heavy three-guard offense and get a little bigger?

All the reasons to have Jeremiah Fears, Kobe Elvis and Duke Miles on the court together make sense. They can all shoot, pass, create and have active hands on defense.

But you can’t make them any taller, can’t make them any stronger. They are who they are, and the SEC is going to be unmerciful.

The usage rate with Fears has been off the charts. Alabama and Texas A&M tried to rough him up, to varying degrees of success.

That’s not to say Fears is the odd man out, not sure OU could operate like that. But you have to be in a spot to be tougher all the way around.

You have to be in a spot that when you’re up 51-33 in the second half at home, you don’t lose that game. And OU did, 80-78, against the Aggies.

“Just got to help him grow, because he’s in an elite league right now, and he’s got to grow,” said Moser about Fears. “I thought he came out of the second half and tried to get some things going. But he’s got to grow.

“It’s a physical league. It’s a league that comes after you. A league that’s physical. They had big, physical guards on him. He’s going to grow, and we’re going to grow with him and get him better. These are tough losses. It’s not on him. It’s not on any one guy.”

Now OU (13-2, 0-2) heads to Georgia, a team that is going to bring more of the same. The toughness, physicality, all that stuff. And a star freshman in its own right with Asa Newell, who is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game in SEC play.

The Bulldogs are coming off a brilliant outing in taking down No. 6 Kentucky on Tuesday.

OU and UGA set for 5 p.m. Saturday tip on ESPN2.

Having amnesia

We’ve heard this line from Moser in the past about his teams. They’re hurting but need to find a way to bounce back and move on.

It sounds so simple, but the first real test of the mental toughness for this team is in Athens this weekend. You put all these pieces together in the transfer portal and add them to what you have and watch it develop.

Obvious statement is obvious, but you cannot go 0-3 to start conference play.

 “It’s a tough loss. It was a very, very tough loss,” Moser said. “But, man, you’ve gotta have amnesia. You have to come back, get ready, and we have to win on the road. It’s a very, very, very tough loss, no doubt about it. We know the level we’re playing, and we have to bounce back.

“They were ready to play, did so many good things. My job to get them back up and ready to play again. Because they’re hurting, hurting. They’re hurting, fell a play short. It was a big top-10 win, and we didn’t get it.”

UGA no slouch

Newell simply makes UGA dangerous. He is that good and has accelerated the curve of what the Dawgs can do this season.

It’s another Quad 1 opportunity, go get it.

“I know how good they are,” Moser said. “I know they’re athletic, long, can offensive rebound. Know they just had a big win against Kentucky. An elite offensive rebounding team, know all that after watching them play.

“We’ll dive in on them in like an hour. I have to get my team ready to go. Georgia is another elite team. to watch Kentucky beat Florida and Georgia turn around and beat Kentucky. They’re an elite team, athleticism and rebounding. A lot of good things with them.”