Why it's 'exciting' for OU men's basketball to return to McCasland Field House

NORMAN — Porter Moser calls himself a historian.

That's why he attended an OU volleyball game at McCasland Field House shortly after being hired as the school's men's basketball head coach in 2021.

Nowadays, the venue hosts events for sports such as volleyball, wrestling and men's gymnastics. But it served as the home site for men's basketball until 1975.

McCasland played host to OU greats such as Alvan Adams (1972-75) and Gar Heard (1967-70). And as Moser soaked in the history of the 95-year-old venue during his 2021 visit, he wondered if it'd be possible for his Sooners to play a game there.

"I just started visualizing like, what would it look like with this vertical arena?" Moser said on Wednesday. "I just thought it'd be a cool idea. I just want to play in here."

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Moser's vision will come to life when OU hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. Thursday inside McCasland Field House.

It'll be the first time the Sooners have played a regular-season game there since they earned a 72-42 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 31, 2012.

"It's exciting to be back at McCasland," said Lon Kruger, who coached OU from 2011-21. "A lot of terrific players had their careers at McCasland. ... It's a super environment. Hopefully they'll get a bunch of people in there and have a good time with it."

Thursday's contest is also different for another reason.

It's a students-only game. And with a max capacity of 5,000 spectators compared to Lloyd Noble Center's limit of 11,528 spectators, McCasland should create a unique atmosphere on Thursday.

"I just thought it'd be really cool for the students to be right on top of the floor, on the sidelines, everywhere," Moser said. "And then hopefully they'll be excited, and we can visualize what Lloyd Noble would look like packed."

Le'Tre Darthard should feel right at home in the smaller venue.

The senior guard is averaging 8.2 points and 1.5 rebounds this season with OU. But he spent the past three seasons at Utah Valley, a mid-major program that has a home stadium with a max capacity of 8,500 spectators.

"I'm used to the smaller gyms," Darthard said. "I haven't really played at a big school like (OU). It feels good to go back to a smaller gym and get the crowd into it."

Playing at McCasland could take some adjusting for OU due to the difficult depth perception.

McCasland has deep backdrops behind its baskets, which could affect players as they try to calibrate their shots.

Buddy Hield made a program-high 349 3-pointers during his four seasons with the Sooners (2012-16), but he was only a freshman when they played at McCasland in 2012. He went 1 for 6 (16.7%) from deep in that contest, and OU shot 9 for 26 (34.6%) from distance as a team.

"Usually, smaller gyms are easier," said former OU forward Tyler Neal, who played in the 2012 McCasland game. "But The Field House has a unique kind of second level behind the backboards, and it does make it a little different."

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The difficult depth perception at McCasland could actually be advantageous for OU on Thursday, though.

The Sooners don't usually rely on 3-pointers. They're instead shooting 60.6% from inside the arc this season, and they get 54.3% of their points from that range.

But Arkansas-Pine Bluff lives behind the arc. The Golden Lions (4-4) are shooting 38.3% from deep this season, and they get 38.1% of their points from that range. That ranks 30th in the nation.

"They're an elite shooting team," Moser said of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. "And then when they rebound, they kick it out for more threes. So defending that 3-point line is going to be an absolute must against Pine Bluff."

The Sooners are entering Thursday's contest with plenty of momentum.

OU (6-0) earned a 72-70 win over then-No. 23 USC on Friday in the championship round of the Rady Children's Invitational. The victory propelled the Sooners to No. 25 in the latest AP poll.

It marked the first time OU has cracked the AP Top 25 under the leadership of Moser, who doesn't want his team to get blinded by the national spotlight.

“I told our guys being ranked is not the destination," Moser said. "It’s just part of the process if you’re moving where you want to go. It’s part of where you want to go. ... But it’s not the destination. Those guys have to keep that in perspective."

Voters aren't the only ones who've taken notice of the Sooners.

So have some former OU players who are a part of McCasland Field House's rich history.

"I've been watching from a distance," said former OU forward Romero Osby, who played in the 2012 McCasland game. "It looks like they're going to be a very good team as they continue to move forward. I'm just excited to see what the guys are able to do."

Oklahoma vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Thursday at McCasland Field House in Norman (ESPN+)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU men's basketball: Sooners set to return to McCasland Field House