Mar 24, 2019; Columbia, SC, USA; A general view of Colonial Life Arena in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and Virginia Cavaliers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Since the Billy Tubbs era of Oklahoma basketball in the ’80s and early ’90s, the Sooners have been a regular participant in the NCAA Basketball Championship.
When No. 8-seed Oklahoma (15-10) take the court on Saturday against No. 9 Missouri (16-9) it will be the Sooners’ 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance.
Current Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger is one of now three college coaches (Kruger, Tubby Smith and Rick Pitino) to have taken five different NCAA Division I teams, including OU, to the NCAA Tournament.