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OU basketball moves out of top 25 rankings

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•about 23 hours•

BPrzybylo

Porter Moser34
OU head coach Porter Moser. (Dale Zanine - Imagn Images)

That’s how quickly it has changed for OU basketball. Two weeks ago? The Sooners were flirting with the top 10 in both the coaches and AP polls and were one of three undefeated teams left in the country.

Now? OU has dropped three straight games and is out of both polls. Following an 0-2 week against the SEC, OU is officially in the receiving votes category.

This is clearly not the start head coach Porter Moser and crew wanted in the SEC. But it’s where they are. Have to dig out of the hole.

Some of that starts with freshman guard Jeremiah Fears. After being one of the feel-good stories of college basketball in the non-conference, he has crashed down in SEC play.

Fears, in SEC play (3 games), is averaging 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.7 turnovers. He’s shooting 10-34 FG (29.4%), 2-12 3P (16.7%), 9-13 FT (62.3%) in conference games.

Now he’s still averaging just under 18 points per game, but that tells you just how noticeable the drop is right now. Fears had just two points on 1-for-11 shooting in a 72-62 loss at Georgia on Saturday.

Get out of the 0-3 hole

Well, somebody is. They don’t have a choice. OU (13-3, 0-3) and Texas (11-5, 0-3) are two of the five teams in the SEC who have started conference play 0-3. Funny enough? The two games for OU after Texas are two of those other teams.

This is a big week for OU to get right. Home against Texas, and then welcoming winless South Carolina to Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday afternoon.

If you can’t go 2-0 this week, looking at a long couple of months on the way. OU and Texas are set for the incredibly late tip, 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Non-conference wins resonating

OU’s saving grace? Those wins in the Bahamas and Charlotte still mean something. Victories against Michigan, Arizona and Louisville are passing the smell test.

The Wolverines are No. 11 in the NET rankings, followed by Arizona at No. 16 and Louisville at No. 35. OU? Taken a dip to No. 47.

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