Jan. 4—There was one word that came to Porter Moser’s mind when asked about Jacob Groves’ growth this season.

“Consistency.” It’s the thing that’s helped Groves carve out a solid role for the Sooners this season.

The senior forward began last season as a backup who played every game but didn’t always play a lot of minutes. By the end of year, partially due to a season-ending injury to Elijah Harkless, he was the Sooners’ starting power forward.

He’s kept that momentum going this season.

Groves has started all 13 games this season and is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He’s third on the team in scoring with 10.2 points per game, the highest mark of his career, while adding 3.1 rebounds per game. He’s tied for second on the team in steals with 10.

But his shooting has been the biggest help for the Sooners. He’s shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line — his 22 makes from downtown are second behind only Grant Sherfield (36) — and 51 percent overall. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in all but two games this season.

The thing that’s fueled it, Moser said, is his consistency.

“Every single day at practice, he brings it,” Moser said. “Every day he communicates. Every day, he’s putting in his time on his shot. He’s an everyday guy. That’s the difference between him and a lot of guys in this generation. It’s every day. Some guys get all fired up and it’s like a New Year’s resolution. People like my age are in the gym for a little bit and then they taper off. Jacob has been every single day.

“Every day, he’s on his prep. He’s getting his shots up. He’s on his nutrition. Success is paying off for him because he is every day. The word I think for Jacob is it’s been ‘consistent’ for him.”

He finished with 17 points and made a season-high five 3-pointers, all in the second half, in the Sooners’ 70-69 loss to Texas last Saturday. That performance came just two weeks after a 26-point performance against Central Arkansas that included four 3-pointers.

But after the Sooners’ loss to the Longhorns, Groves is hoping his shooting helps his team get back on track.

“It was obviously nice to make shots and nice to help us kind of stay in the game like that and get a comfortable lead,” Groves said following the Texas loss. “But at the end of the day...it’s our toughness. Down the stretch in the last couple of minutes of the game, they made some big plays and we didn’t. They made more winning plays than us.

“Hopefully, I’ll take that confidence that I have shooting the ball right now moving forward and into the next couple of games so I can keep helping us try to win games.”

Sooners look to rebound at home against Iowa State The Sooners began their conference slate on the wrong note, and they’re hoping a win against the Cyclones can help them bounce back. The game is set to tip off at 6 p.m. today at Lloyd Noble Center.

It won’t be easy. The Cyclones (10-2), who defeated No. 12-ranked Baylor 77-62 in their conference opener last Saturday, have played defense at an elite level this season. They rank ninth in scoring defense, allowing just 57 points per game.

The offense has been solid, averaging 71.4 points per game. They’re led by Jaren Holmes’ 13.5 points per game.

But it’s the defense that Moser is focusing on.

“Iowa State is really good,” Moser said. “They play so hard. Defensively, they’re top-15 in the country. They try to speed you up. They’re going to deny, scramble, contest every single shot on defense. They make it so hard for you on defense to score. They try to speed you and rush you into turnovers and contested shots. We’re going to need great spacing and great ball movement.”