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ESPN’s Dari Nowkhah hammers Oklahoma fans for lack of passion toward basketball
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ESPN’s Dari Nowkhah is a proud Oklahoma alum. But he’s disappointed in the fanbase at the moment.
On SEC Network Saturday night, Nowkhah was discussing the Sooners’ ninth loss in 12 games — an 82-79 defeat at home to LSU — when he launched into a rant aimed directly at the fan support for the men’s basketball program.
“You want to take it as me calling out a fanbase that I love? Go ahead. These guys are walking into an arena that’s half-full, that is dead. It looks dead on television, I don’t believe it’s overly alive in person,” Nowkhah said. “You look around this league at basketball arenas, at baseball (stadiums), they’re full. There’s a level of passion there.
“We are not seeing it and we haven’t seen it from the jump this season in Norman, Oklahoma, and that’s disappointing. And I hope it changes. And I hope it’s better in baseball than it’s been in basketball. … You won’t find a happier person to have them in this league than me, but it’s got to get better.”
The announced attendance for the game was 7,961. The Lloyd Noble Center has a 10,967-seat capacity.
By comparison, Georgia, which lost its eighth game in 10 tries on Saturday at home, announced an attendance of 9,653 people in an arena that seats 10,523 fans.
Attendance for OU basketball games has long been an issue. The Lloyd Noble Center isn’t exactly a convenient one for students to access, and fans have long argued that the product on the court determines the number of butts in seats. OU is 3-9 to begin SEC play. Since making the Final Four in 2015-16, OU has posted just 1 winning record in conference play.
The Sooners haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since the 2020-21 season, and Saturday’s loss to LSU put their tournament hopes in major jeopardy this season.
After a pair of free throws from Jalon Moore, the Sooners had a 79-74 lead on LSU with 35 seconds remaining. They fouled a 3-point shooter to give up a 4-point play, turned the ball over, gave up another and-1 opportunity, and then missed a game-tying layup in the closing seconds.
OU is hoping that a new off-campus arena and entertainment district can rejuvenate the program. The Norman City Council voted last September to approve the project plan, though steps are still needed before breaking ground.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
