SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist (7-5, 4-2 GAC) will travel over state lines for the first time in 2022-23 as dates with Harding and Arkansas Tech await on Thursday and Saturday. OBU visits HU in Searcy on Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. before getting back onto I-40 to take on ATU on Jan. 14 at 3:00 p.m.
Each contest will be called on the Bison Radio Network featuring play-by-play commentary by Todd Miller and color commentary from Scott Wanish.
Oklahoma Baptist will face off with the Bisons for the 15th time in program history ahead of its 17th meeting with the Wonder Boys. OBU holds series leads of 8-6 and 9-7 over HU and ATU, respectively.
DOOMESDAY PT. 2
It was "Doomesday" again inside the Noble Complex as senior guard Trey Doomes recorded his first career double-double, going for 20 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's win against Ouachita Baptist. Doomes shot 8-11 (72.7%), the best single-game field-goal percentage of his career with at least 10 attempts. Doomes' next best percentage came during his days at UT-Chattanooga, where he went 6-10 (60%) against UAB on Dec. 19, 2020.
Doomes became the first Bison to tally a double-double since Burke Putnam coupled 14 points with 10 rebounds in the 2021-22 regular-season finale versus East Central. This season, the peach state native leads the team in steals (12) while ranking second in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounds (63). Doomes' 64 field goal makes rank fifth in the GAC, netting 53.3% of his shots. Additionally, he has reached double-figures in points in 9-of-12 games.
HEATING UP
After not entering the game versus Henderson State last week, freshman Ethan Scott stepped into double-figure world for the second time this season with 12 points against OUA. Scott tallied all his points from beyond the arc, scoring 4-6 from deep. It was the second time he made four triples in a game this year, one of three Bison to do so. Scott ranks fourth on the squad in three-pointers (14), shooting 36.8% deep.
KING'S WORLD
Point guard Paul King continues the lead the way offensively for OBU, averaging 15.9 ppg. Last week, he reached double figures for the ninth time this season, going for 17 points against Henderson State. Including stops at Alcorn State and Bossier Parish Community College, King has cleared double figures in points 39 times. With 191 points on Bison Hill to date, King totals 1,066 career points.
King's success extends to the three-point line as he has a team-best 22 three-pointers, which ranks in the top 10 in the GAC. The Monroe, Louisiana native also has the third-most assists (46) in the conference, averaging 3.8 per contest.
PUT TO THE TEST
The production down low from Nigel Wilcox, D.J. Freeman, and Kayden Carter will be missed this week as each are sidelined with an injury. Freeman, who is third on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg), has upped his figures from his inaugural campaign in 2021-22. The sophomore leads the team with 14 blocks, sixth in the GAC, and has pulled down the seventh-most rebounds in the conference (75). Additionally, he is shooting a sizzling 62.0% from the floor and has the third-most steals on the squad (16).
Wilcox, the second longest-tenured Bison, averages 10.3 ppg. He shoots 65.9% from the field and ranks second on the team for blocks (8) in only seven games of action. The senior scored 27 points in three games last week, including a career-high of 19 versus MidAmerica Nazarene. Carter was beginning to hit his stride for the green and gold before injury, producing valuable buckets off the bench. Last week, he scored six and five points against MidAmerica and Henderson State, respectively.
OBU's versatility will be tested with a date against one of the GAC's best big men on Thursday.
SCOUTING THE BISONS
Harding brings a 5-7 overall record, including a 1-5 mark in conference play, into Thursday's matchup. HU earned its first GAC win over Southeastern Oklahoma State last Saturday, besting the Savage Storm 83-79 in Durant. It was Harding's first win against Southeastern in Durant since 2016.
HU nailed a three-pointer late to cap the victory after trailing by as much as 11 in the closing half. Harding finished shooting 50% from the floor en route to its second-highest scoring total of the season.
Up until the win, the Bisons struggled against league opponents. Aside from close losses under five points against Ouachita (-3) and Arkansas-Monticello (-5), HU suffered defeats by 12 points or more. The worst was a 36-point loss against Southern Arkansas on Dec. 12.
Positive's for Harding is its ability to block shots and distribute the ball. The squad ranks second in the GAC in total blocks (43), averaging 3.58 per contest and total assists (178). HU has denied five or more shots in four games this season.
Leading the offensive charge is the second-highest scorer in the GAC, Taylor Currie. The center averages 21.9 ppg at a 62.2% field-goal rate, also the best on the team. His leadership extends to the glass as he leads the conference in rebounds (106), averaging 8.8 per game and in total blocks (20). Currie accounts for nearly 30% of Harding's scoring as he is the only HU player averaging double digits.
Trailing at 9.5 ppg are guards Ramiro Santiago and Stetson Smithson. Santiago ranks second on the team in three-point makes (21), while Smithson totals 30 rebounds in six games of action. Redshirt freshman Keyln McBride totals a team-best 27 threes, netting 47.4% of his shots from beyond the arc. The shooting percentage is fifth in the GAC and first among all freshmen. McBride is scoring 8.4 ppg, dishing out 2.0 assists per game, and ranks second on the team in steals (13).
SCOUTING THE WONDER BOYS
Arkansas Tech is off to a hot start, sitting in a tie for second place in the GAC with a 5-1 league record going into Thursday. The Wonder Boys will take on Southern Nazarene tomorrow night before meeting with the Bison on Saturday afternoon.
ATU has made quite the turnaround after starting the season with four straight losses. The Wonder Boys won three straight to start GAC play before suffering its lone conference defeat to Southern Arkansas. The squad rides a two-game winning streak after defeating Southeastern Oklahoma State (86-77) and East Central (68-60) last week. Four players reached double figures in the Wonder Boys' victory over ECU.
Russellville is home to one of the best defenses in the GAC, as ATU allows the league's second-least amount of points per game (64.4 ppg). Additionally, the squad leads the conference in forced turnovers (18.3/gm), which is 11th in DII, and boasts the best turnover margin at 3.58.
Causing the most havoc for offenses and defenses is sophomore guard Taelon Peter. He leads the team in scoring at 14.9 ppg and has the second-most steals in the GAC. Peter shoots 42.3% from the floor and is the team leader in three-point makes (23). Furthermore, he has reached double figures in all but two games this season. Junior Wes Harris and sophomore Andre Leavell average 11.2 and 10.0 ppg, respectively. Harris totals a team-high 14 blocks, while Leavell ranks first in assists (36).
Tommy Kamarad and DeShawn Davidson, each drawing starts in all but two games, average 5.2 and 4.8 ppg. Other notables are D'rell Roberts, who ranks second on the team in steals (20) while averaging 9.0 ppg, and Niko Gosnell, who is shooting 68% (17-25) from the field in five games of work.
For more information on Oklahoma Baptist men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@OBU_MBB) and Instagram (OBU_MBB).
