Can OU basketball avoid 'silly fouls' from Sooners' centers in rematch with No. 14 Baylor?
NORMAN — Tanner Groves dropped his head before jogging off the floor.
The senior center had just fouled out with 8:03 left in OU's 93-61 loss at West Virginia on Saturday. Groves racked up five fouls in just 11 minutes of action, and the Mountaineers' student section waved goodbye to him as he took a seat on the bench.
Groves got some company two minutes later.
Backup center Sam Godwin picked up his fifth foul in just 14 minutes, and West Virginia's fans also bid him farewell as he returned to the bench.
OU struggled without its two centers. The team was forced to go small with 6-foot-6 forward Jalen Hill seeing some time at the five, and West Virginia racked up 36 points in the paint and 43 rebounds as a result.
It was a losing battle for the Sooners (12-11, 2-8 Big 12), who need their centers to stay out of foul trouble in a road game against 14th-ranked Baylor at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
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“I talked to them both," OU head coach Porter Moser said of Groves and Godwin. "You’ve got to be smarter. The message has been sent. ... You can get some fouls, but you can’t have silly fouls. That’s the message."
OU's foul trouble at the five has become a common occurrence.
Groves has fouled out five times this season, including twice during the Sooners' current five-game conference skid.
Depth aside, OU needs Groves on the floor. The 6-foot-10 senior is averaging 9.7 points, and his improved shot-blocking skills have made him a valuable piece on defense as well.
Godwin's role is also crucial. The Ada native leads OU in total offensive rebounds this season (33), and he's a constant source of energy off the bench.
Godwin has only fouled out once, but he has committed four fouls in three different games despite only playing an average of 13.7 minutes this season.
It's a troubling trend for the Sooners, who have no traditional center depth outside of Groves and Godwin.
OU entered the season with Missouri transfer Yaya Keita and freshman Luke Northweather as options. But Keita underwent season-ending shin surgery in December, and Northweather has been redshirted.
This leaves OU with Hill and Jacob Groves as options during desperate times. It's not an ideal situation to be in, especially when competing in the Big 12.
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Seven of the conference's 10 teams rank top 100 in the nation in offensive rebound percentage. West Virginia ranks 29th in that department (34.1%), and it converted 15 offensive boards into 22 second-chance points against OU on Saturday.
“Jalen’s the best," Moser said. "I love him to death. You can put him anywhere. But that’s not what we went into the West Virginia game (with) with how big they are and physical inside."
The Bears are even more dangerous on the glass.
Baylor ranks 11th in the nation in offensive rebound percentage (36.7%), and its extra possessions proved to be the difference in a 62-60 win over OU on Jan. 21.
The Bears converted 17 offensive rebounds into 30 second-chance points, and they did so despite Groves and Godwin combining for 40 minutes of playing time.
Baylor is sure to do even more damage down low Saturday if OU's center duo finds itself in foul trouble yet again.
"We got into massive foul trouble at West Virginia," Moser said. "Against Baylor, it's going to come into play this game. ... You've got to go rebound. They had 30 second-chance points. So that's what we're starting back. That's our message."
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OU vs. Baylor
TIPOFF: 8 p.m. Wednesday at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas (ESPNU)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU men's basketball: Sooners' bigs look to avoid foul trouble vs. Baylor
