McNeace fights through ankle injury

With about 3:30 remaining in the first half of Tuesday’s game against Kansas, Oklahoma junior center

Jamuni McNeace elevated and — as he’s done several times this season — snatched a shot, this one from Marcus Garrett, out of the air for both a block and a rebound all at once.

McNeace played a big role in the first half, with four points and six rebounds in eight minutes. He finished with seven points and played 14 minutes.

It was more than was expected of McNeace after he missed a big chunk of Saturday’s loss at Oklahoma State following an ankle injury. McNeace was a limited participant in practice Sunday and Monday.

Before the game, Sooners coach Lon Kruger said he expected McNeace to be available, he just wasn’t sure how much he’d be able to play.

Odomes comes through at the line

Rashard Odomes

does many things for the Sooners.

He doesn’t, generally, shoot free throws well.

But Odomes came up big against Kansas, hitting his first seven free throws before airballing his eighth with just less than 3:30 remaining.

“The biggest thing he did,” Kansas coach Bill Self said, “he’s a 54 percent free throw shooter, and he makes 7 out of 8.”

Odomes hadn’t made more than five free throws in any game this season.

LeBron James: ‘I know what (Trae Young) is all about’

The Trae Young phenomenon is not slowing, despite OU’s two-game slump. Even LeBron

James is endorsing the Sooner freshman, and LeBron isn’t late to the party.

“I’ve probably seen Trae Young play before you’ve seen him play,” LeBron told Cleveland media on Monday. “I’ve seen Trae Young play ball since he was in eighth grade. He’s been a part of my camp the last few years before he went off to Oklahoma, so I know what he’s all about, and what he’s doing now is very special. Very special player. Can add a lot to any team if he decides to come out and come into the draft.”

Quotable

Kansas coach Bill Self on if the Big 12 is the best conference in America.

“I don’t know if it’s the best. You could make a case for the ACC, obviously. But it’s the deepest.”

Up next: at Alabama

The Sooners will take a break from Big 12 play Saturday when they travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to face Alabama in the Big 12/ SEC Challenge (1:15 p.m., ESPN).

The game will feature two of the top freshman point guards in college basketball in Oklahoma’s Young and the Crimson Tide’s Collin Sexton.

Sexton had missed Alabama’s last two games with an abdominal injury before being available Tuesday night when the Crimson Tide played at Ole Miss.

The Sooners are 5-2 alltime against Alabama, with the last meeting an 82-73 Oklahoma win in Dallas to open the 2013-14 season.