WBB Game Preview: OU Opens NCAA Tournament in Norman Against Idaho

NORMAN — No. 4 seed Oklahoma (24-7) returns to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season and will open its March Madness run Friday at 9 p.m. CT, hosting No. 13 seed Idaho (29-5) at Lloyd Noble Center. The game will air on ESPN with Sam Gore (play-by-play) and Tamika Catchings (analyst) on the call.

Fans can also tune in on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (107.7 FM) with Brian Brinkley and Carolyn Baker, or listen in Spanish on Los Sooners Radio (1560 AM) with Danny Gonzales and Eduardo Olivas.

Ranked No. 10 nationally, the Sooners enter postseason play having won seven of their last eight games. Oklahoma earned the No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 4 Region and will host the first and second rounds for the second consecutive season and eighth time in program history.

One of the nation's most consistent programs, Oklahoma is making its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance and 24th since 2000. Under head coach Jennie Baranczyk, OU has reached the tournament in all five seasons and secured a top-five seed each time, matching the program record set from 2006 to 2010.

FAN INFORMATION

The Lloyd Noble Center will host two games tomorrow with Colorado State and Michigan State tipping off at 6:30 p.m. CT. OU fans can attend the official pregame block party outside of the LNC's east entrance beginning at 6:30.

OU's game will air on ESPN at approximately 9 p.m. and on the Sooner Sports Radio Network.

T ickets remain available through the Oklahoma Ticket Office.

SERIES HISTORY

The Sooners and Vandals have never met, but Oklahoma is 7-3 all-time against teams from the Big Sky Conference.

Idaho enters the game after winning both the regular season and conference tournament in the Big Sky. They've won 18 straight games entering Friday night.

THE FAST BREAK

• Oklahoma is led by All-American Raegan Beers and ESPN's national freshman of the year Aaliyah Chavez. The two were both All-SEC selections with Beers named to the First Team for the second consecutive season and Chavez to the Second Team as a freshman. Beers is a third-team selection to the USBWA All-America Team and was an honorable mention for the Associated Press All-America squad, while both Beers and Chavez earned spots on the WBCA All-America Regional Finalist list.

• The Sooners are averaging a program-record 86.7 points per game, third nationally and ahead of last season's school-record 84.7. Oklahoma's starting five combine for 69.0 points per game, the second-highest total in the country behind South Carolina. OU has set a program record with seven 100-point games and tied the school mark with 12 games of 90 or more. The Sooners lead the nation in pace (79.4) and rank second in second-chance points (17.3), fifth in fast-break points (16.2) and assists (20.0), and sixth in points in the paint (43.2).

• When adjusted for pace, Oklahoma's defense proves as one of the toughest in the country. The Sooners boast a defensive rating of 85.2, 26th nationally, and limit opponents to 35.9% shooting, the 15th-lowest mark in the country. OU also averages 5.0 blocks per game, 18th nationally, and forces 18.0 turnovers per contest. Baranczyk's squad has held all but seven opponents below their season scoring average and has set a program record by limiting nine teams to under 30% shooting.

• Oklahoma is battle-tested, having played 13 games against 12 NCAA Tournament teams, posting six wins in those contests, including a victory over No. 1 overall seed South Carolina. OU owns six Quad 1 wins this season and is 14-7 against top-100 NET teams (Idaho ranks No. 99). The Sooners have also won 30 straight games against unranked opponents dating back to last season and are 18-0 in 2025-26. Additionally, Oklahoma has won 39 straight games against teams in Quadrants 2-4.

UP NEXT

A win sends the Sooners into the NCAA Second Round for the fifth year in a row. They'd face either fifth-seeded Michigan State or 12th-seeded Colorado State, who play before OU on Friday.

Game time and TV designations will be announced on late Friday night or on Saturday for Sunday's second-round games.