OU men's basketball falls to No. 9-ranked Arkansas in not-so-neutral Tulsa environment

TULSA — It became clear that the Sooners weren’t in a neutral environment before the ball even tipped off.

OU faced No. 9-ranked Arkansas Saturday at the BOK Center in what was meant to be a level playing field for the two teams, but that was the furthest thing from the truth. With just a few minutes left until tipoff, a chant began to rumble throughout the stadium.

“Wooooo pig,” went Arkansas’ fans, who represented what looked to be about 70 percent of the crowd.

The rowdy Razorback supporters only got louder as the game unfolded.

Arkansas earned an 88-78 win over OU, which never managed to silence the crowd for more than a few plays at a time.

The decibel level at the BOK Center peaked early in the second half when Jacob Groves got trapped along the sideline. In came Jordan Walsh, who ripped the ball away from Groves for what marked one of OU's 15 turnovers.

Without a Sooner in sight, Walsh elevated and threw down an emphatic two-handed dunk that electrified the crowd.

"We didn’t take care of the ball," OU coach Porter Moser said. "We gave them points off turnovers. Points in the paint. Second-chance points. Points off cuts... We need more guys playing better in this atmosphere."

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

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Joe Bamisile shows defensive potential

OU held a 28-23 lead midway through the first half when Ricky Council IV raced down the floor on a fastbreak.

The Razorbacks’ leading scorer had been unstoppable all day, or so it seemed.

Council went up for a layup and got met at the rim by Joe Bamisile, who pinned the ball to the backboard. Bamisile then found Bijan Cortes on the other end for an easy layup.

Bamisile finished the game with 8 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes of action.

It’s an encouraging sign for Bamisile, who hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role with the Sooners this season due in part to his inconsistency on defense.

The junior guard entered Saturday’s contest averaging just 10.1 minutes per game, but he showed flashes of being a capable two-way player.

Bamisile has the physical tools to be a good defender every night. He’s a 6-foot-4 guard with good length and athleticism, but staying engaged is his biggest challenge.

OU (7-3) would benefit greatly from more performances like Saturday from Bamisile. The Sooners are in need of bench depth, and Bamisile is only one year removed from averaging 16.3 points and 5 rebounds at George Washington.

"He did well on defense today," senior guard Grant Sherfield said. "We definitely need him on this team, and I’m just happy he had a little success today. Hopefully he can just keep building on that because we’re definitely gonna need him, especially when conference (play) comes.”

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Milos Uzan holds his own against Arkansas’ star-studded freshmen

Milos Uzan showed no fear.

After sinking a layup on OU's previous possession, the freshman guard attacked the rim once again with 4:06 left in the first half. This time he went up against Arkansas' Kamani Johnson, who was waiting for him in the paint.

Uzan wasn't fazed by the challenge. He went up for the layup on the left side of the rim, adjusted in the air and defied physics with a reverse layup that bounced high off the glass before falling in.

Arkansas (9-1) showcased three five-star freshmen Saturday in Nick Smith Jr., Jordan Walsh and Anthony Black.

Still, Uzan held his own in what only marked his second career start. The four-star guard finished with career-highs of 15 points and 5 assists in a team-high 34 minutes.

"I think I played pretty confidently today," Uzan said. "I know they're projected lottery, but I think I'm in the same conversation. I just wanted to come out here and play hard and compete."

Uzan faced plenty of competition for playing time entering the season.

The Sooners returned a pair of sophomore guards in C.J. Noland and Bijan Cortes, and they also added Bamisile to the roster.

But Uzan rapidly emerged as the team's starting shooting guard, and he's playing like a guy who wants to keep it that way.

"I thought (Uzan) competed in that atmosphere," Moser said. "He can really go downhill... I thought he was really competing and handling and pushing back against (Arkansas') pressure."

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Arkansas dominates in the paint

Arkansas got everything it wanted from close range Saturday, even down to the final buzzer.

Arkansas held an 86-76 lead with under 10 seconds left in the game when Council penetrated the lane. Rather than draining out the clock, the junior guard soared through the air for a one-handed dunk.

The merciless slam summed up the day for the Razorbacks, who shot 65.9 percent from inside the arc and scored 58 points in the paint.

OU struggled to get stops around the rim, especially with its best interior defender in foul trouble.

Tanner Groves picked up five fouls and only played 21 minutes as a result. The 6-foot-10 center finished as the only Sooner with a positive plus-minus (three).

“It definitely hurts when Tanner gets that (fifth) foul," Sherfield said. "It was definitely a blow losing Tanner.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU vs. Arkansas men's basketball: Sooners fall to Razorbacks in Tulsa