NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma forward Jamuni McNeace tried to avoid rolling his right ankle again, so instead he had it stepped on, as he and Oklahoma State’s Yor Anei crashed to the floor Saturday.

“I was going to roll it, but then I just fell down because I didn’t want to risk the roll,” McNeace said. “He just landed on the other side of my ankle and pushed that part to the ground. It hurt pretty bad that day.”

Still, McNeace was in good spirits Monday in preparation for the No. 23 Sooners’ (12-2, 1-1 Big 12) game at No. 8 Texas Tech (13-1, 2-0) Tuesday.

McNeace suffered a right ankle sprain in the buildup to the team’s win over Notre Dame on Dec. 4. Since, he’s either sat out or been very limited, but he feels optimistic about being full strength Tuesday.

“Every time I think I can come back, I try to jump, and every time I hit the ground it hurts a little bit,” McNeace said. “But this week has been good. The past few days at practice, I feel like I’ve been getting a lot better. I’m back in the weight room lifting.

“I’m pretty sure I’m going to play. I was practicing the day after the game. I was fine after the game. It was just that moment. It took like 30 more minutes for it to calm down, and then I was good.”

• Behind the scenes: At Monday’s practice, Wichita State transfer Austin Reaves was, once again, donning a black jersey.

Reaves is ineligible to play this season due to NCAA transfer rules, but the sharpshooting guard has still played a key role in helping the Sooners, acting as the opponent’s top player nearly every week.

Monday he was Jarrett Culver, who is averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Red Raiders. The two are the same height with Culver just a little heavier. Both can shoot and dribble well while also distributing for others.

“Austin is great,” guard Christian James said. “He toughens our defense up. Austin is going to be great here the next couple of years. He’s better than some of the players we play against every night.”

• Staying put: The Sooners weren’t penalized or rewarded for their week, a 70-63 loss at No. 5 Kansas and 74-64 win over Oklahoma State at home, staying at No. 23 in the AP Top 25.

The Sooners have another opportunity to score their first win over a top-25 opponent at Texas Tech. However, it looks like they may have quite a few more chances as well.

Five of the 10 Big 12 teams were ranked in the top 25, starting with No. 7 Kansas. Iowa State, at No. 20, and TCU, at No. 25, were also included in the poll. Texas received several votes.

The Big 12 is only one of two conferences with two top 10 teams. The ACC has three, No. 1 Duke, No. 4 Virginia and No. 9 Virginia Tech.

John McKelvey

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jmckelvey@normantranscript.com

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