NORMAN — Heading into Saturday’s showdown with No. 6 Kansas, Oklahoma is emphasizing a “next man up” mentality.
Why? Well, the Sooners are likely going to be without Rivaldo Soares and John Hugley, who have been key pieces of the Sooners’ rotation all season.
“We’re going to have some different guys in there, and it’s an opportunity to step up,” OU coach Porter Moser said during Friday’s There’s always been scenarios when one man goes down, next man up. Now we got two men down, so we have to have a couple guys step up.”
Soares suffered an apparent ankle injury late in Tuesday’s 79-62 loss at Baylor and was unable to put any weight on it as he was helped off the floor by the training staff. Hugley didn’t travel with the team to Waco, Texas after suffering a knee injury during last Saturday’s win over Oklahoma State.
While Moser didn’t give a full update on either play, Moser said he’d like to think both have “shorter-term” injuries. However, he said it’s too early to know the extent of either injury.
“That’s what I believe on both of them,” Moser said. “We’ll have to wait and see with John on what it is, but right now there’s no indication that it’s season-ending for either one of them.”
While the Sooner’s are confident they have options, replacing both Soares and Hugley won’t be easy. Soares has been arguably OU’s most consistent player in Big 12 play, averaging 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 58% shooting in 12 conference games. Hugley has averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game since conference play began.
Without Soares, the Sooners will likely to turn to true freshman Kaden Cooper and senior Maks Klanjscek for additional minutes. While Cooper has played sparingly throughout the season — he’s appeared in 13 games — Klanjscek has played in just eight games and has logged minutes in only one conference game.
Without Hugley, the Sooners will turn to redshirt freshman Luke Northweather for reserve minutes behind Sam Godwin. Northweather, who’s seen limited minutes in conference play, logged 16 minutes against Baylor in Hugley’s absence.
“Maks has got to be ready,” Moser said. “Kaden’s got to be ready. Luke’s got to be ready. We’re going to have some different guys in there, and it’s an opportunity to step up. There’s always been scenarios when one man goes down, next man up… I really feel that you’re going to see Maks a little bit more. We haven’t really seen him a lot since the preseason. Kaden Cooper (needs) to be ready. For him, and Luke for him to be in there. And heck, Yaya Keita, if Yaya gets in there. All hands on deck. That’s what I told everybody: All hands on deck.”
The Sooners take on Kansas at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Lloyd Noble Center.
