Sooners Advance to Crown Semifinals

Oklahoma men's basketball team meets Baylor in College Basketball Crown semifinals

Apr. 3, 2026 at 8:18pm

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A dynamic, cubist-inspired painting depicting the action and energy of a college basketball game, with the players and court fragmented into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the team colors of Oklahoma and Baylor.Oklahoma and Baylor clash in a high-stakes semifinal matchup, with a spot in the College Basketball Crown championship on the line.Oklahoma City Today

The Oklahoma men's basketball team (20-15) will face Baylor (17-16) in the College Basketball Crown semifinals on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The winner will play Creighton or West Virginia in Sunday's championship game.

Why it matters

Oklahoma, the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament, is making its third postseason appearance under fifth-year head coach Porter Moser. The Sooners are looking to continue their late-season surge and earn a spot in the tournament final.

The details

OU and Baylor shared Big 12 Conference membership from 1996-97 through 2023-24 seasons, with the Sooners winning the first 25 meetings. However, Baylor has won 11 of the last 12 matchups. Oklahoma is led by senior guard Grant Sherfield, who recently surpassed 2,000 career points and is one of four Sooners averaging double-figure scoring.

  • Oklahoma defeated Colorado 90-86 in overtime in Wednesday's quarterfinals.
  • Baylor downed Minnesota 67-48 to advance to the semifinals.

The players

Grant Sherfield

A sixth-year collegian who spent his first two seasons at Kansas State and the last three at Miami, Sherfield has started 156 of his 157 career games and ranks third nationally among active players with 2,327 career points.

Baylor

The Bears own a 17-16 record and tied for 13th place in the 16-team Big 12 Conference with a 6-10 mark.

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What they’re saying

“We must be ready for a tough battle against Baylor. They've had our number in recent years, but we're confident in our ability to compete and advance to the championship game.”

— Porter Moser, Oklahoma Head Coach

What’s next

If Oklahoma beats Baylor, they will play the winner of Creighton-West Virginia in Sunday's 4:30 p.m. CT championship game at T-Mobile Arena.

The takeaway

Oklahoma's late-season surge has put them one win away from the College Basketball Crown championship game, a remarkable accomplishment for a team that was left out of the NCAA Tournament field.