Nijel Pack leading OU seniors into final home game

And just like that, we’ve reached the final OU home basketball game. A season that was full of promise in October and November hasn’t quite turned out that way.

If you’re looking for any silver lining, it’s that OU has been playing its best ball in the last couple of weeks.

The Sooners have won four of their last to improve to 15-14 overall and 5-11 in the SEC. And the last three wins have been double-digit victories.

You almost wish this season was just a bit longer because now you’re seeing what seniors like Nijel Pack, Mo Wague, Tae Davis and Jadon Jones can do.

Instead, all you can do is take it one game at a time. Try to rack up and bank some big-time wins before heading to Nashville next week for the SEC Tournament.

“At the end of the day, it’s about life – life beyond basketball, because learning different life lessons, being a man, you’re having to fight through adversity, fight through when times are hard,” Pack said. “You still got to get up every day, do you job, basically, at the end of the day. That’s what we learned here.

“When things weren’t going our way, how do we continue to fight? People outside the locker room were looking down on us, and things weren’t going good and everything else, but you have to continue to fight and get the rock off you, as coach would say. Continue to fight, that’s what we did. Just having the belief. We believed, and that’s all that matters. If we believe in here, and we put the work in behind it, we can accomplish anything. That’s the type of mindset we’ve been having as of late.”

Missouri (20-9, 10-6) at OU (15-14, 5-11)
When: 6 p.m.
TV: ESPNU

Pack has been playing like someone who does not want his career to end. He has made 21 of his last 35 3-point attempts and has made 410 career 3-pointers.

When OU was down in the dumps in a nine-game losing streak, we’re learning how much Pack has meant toward keeping everything together.

“I think Nijel is one of those everyday guys,” head coach Porter Moser said. “He comes to practice every day, takes care of his business, does his recovery, does his—you know, comes in and he’s on. Does his prep. He’s just a veteran that way.

“Literally, he doesn’t take days off in practice. He’s one of our hardest workers in practice every day, and that’s a form of leadership. Might not be really loud or an alpha dog voice of leadership, but he leads with his belief and his work ethic and his prep. Those are all forms of leadership for Nijel.”

Pack is averaging 16.1 points per game and is shooting 45% from 3-point territory. Davis is third on the team at 12.1 points and second on the team at 5.8 rebounds. Wague has been a beast in recent games, now averaging 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. Jones, coming off the bench, is averaging 5.8 points and has made 33 3-pointers.

Editor’s note: Although listed as a redshirt senior, Jeff Nwankwo will NOT participate in senior night activities. Because Nwankwo played in junior college, the belief is Nwankwo will have another year of eligibility for 2026-27. Reid Lovelace will also take part in the ceremony.