Tyson Chandler, we hardly knew thee
Well, looks like the Robert Swift Era of the Sonics/Thunder still has a little life. The Thunder rescinded its trade for Tyson Chandler, sending the 7-foot center back to New Orleans because of health issues.
We knew Thunder general manager Sam Presti could make good deals. Now we know he can make tough decisions. Think how tough it was to rescind this trade. Not only do you lose Chandler, a defensive building block this franchise so desperately needs, but it loses, after 2 p.m. Thursday, the value of the expiring contracts of Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox, who now return to Oklahoma City. And the Thunder loses the wow factor it received from local and national analysts.
I suppose the NBA still sees the Thunder as a franchise interested in drastic improvement. Ownership’s willingness to take on the two-year, $24-million obligation left on Chandler’s contract was a positive sign.
But still, this was a step back for a franchise that had a long way to go. Losing Chandler before he even was fitted for a uniform sends Presti back to the laboratory, looking for clunkier ways to get this team to stop giving up easy baskets.
This move does all kinds of things. It puts OKC back in the Hasheem Thabeet market. The 7-foot-3 UConn center was not needed by the Thunder with Chandler and Nenad Krstic on the roster. But without Chandler, the Thunder can be interested again, should the Blake Griffin lottery not go OKC’s way.
This move also means it’s MORE likely that Presti can swing a deal for Griffin, not that that’s preferable to having Chandler. Salary-cap flexibility is a wondrous thing, so with $11 million off the books for next season, Presti has more ammo to make a deal to move up in the draft, if he wishes.
And it gives Oklahoma City more chances on the free-agent market, though there aren’t a lot of Tyson Chandlers roaming around.
This deal puts Mo Sene back in street clothes — he was in uniform the other night, after the trade, but has spent most of the season inactive. It also means Swift still has a scent of playing, because who knows how long Nick Collison can hold up playing center.
The rescinded trade had to be a tough call for Presti. It would have been easy to let the trade go, tell Chandler to put his feet up while he heals and the Thunder protects its lottery position with more and more defeats, then see how he’s doing next season. Far tougher to squelch all the enthusiasm from fans and players by say “no deal.”
So it was a tough call by Presti. If Chandler fulfills Byron Scott’s prediction and becomes an all-star in a year or two, the Thunder will look back on this as a dark day. If Chandler’s numbers keep declining, then the Thunder will look back on this as “whew, that was close.”
Presti has not failed the Thunder yet in his massive rebuilding job. No reason to doubt him now.
A night to remember at the Ford Center
Chris Foshee sat on Row 2 of the Ford Center Tuesday night with a big grin on his face. Two years ago, after the Hornets’ home finale in
Clay Bennett indeed brought an NBA franchise back to Oklahoma City. The team was a little late in arriving. But piece by piece, bit by bit, the Thunder is looking more and more like a legitimate NBA ballclub, and Tuesday night brought news of one of the cornerstones.
The Thunder traded for center Tyson Chandler, giving Oklahoma City a defensive presence in the middle, where the Boomers have been gashed all season.
“He’s a young, big man that brings a defensive presence,” said Thunder general manager Sam Presti. “He’s an addition that fits with what we’re trying to do.” Yeah, like guarding opponents.
The Thunder is incredibly fun to watch. Fun, but exasperating, and you saw some of that Tuesday night, when the Hornets beat OKC 100-98, piling up a big lead on easy basket after easy basket. That kind of nonsense is expected to stop once Chandler returns from an ankle sprain.
“We need guys that really are committed to the defensive end,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “Defense wins games. You have to be committed on defense.”
Back when he was an NBA journeyman point guard, Brooks played with the likes of Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon. So he knows intimidating big men when he sees them.
“They make perimeter players look like better defensive players,” Brooks said. “That’s who he is. He blocks shots, he alters shots, he gets rebounds. Acquiring guys with a defensive mentality is going to help us win games.”
Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green have the potential to be elite defenders. They’re not terrible now, but they can drift, which is not surprising for guys who have played less than 150 NBA games. Kevin Durant likely never will be a defensive stopper, since he’s 6-foot-10 and guarding guys 5-6 inches shorter. But his freakish-long arms can work to his advantage. Nick Collison plays tough. Desmond Mason, too, though he’s gone for the year and we don’t know if he’ll be back.
But the point is, Chandler gives the Thunder a defensive centerpiece. OKC has the offensive centerpiece in Durant, who is simply spectacular. It’s a solid start to building a contending team.And there’s an added bonus in getting Chandler. It sent a clear signal that Thunder management will open the checkbook. Chandler is due about $24 million the next two years, which is a large chunk of money. Yet the Thunder took on that contract. Great, great news for Oklahoma City basketball fans. “Strong statement from our ownership group,” Presti said. He called it a commitment to elite basketball. I like the sound of that. More good news. Chris Paul called the Thunder “scary” after the trade. He meant scary-good potential. Here’s something else scary about them. They are scary-young.
Durant is 20. Westbrook is 20. Green is 22. Kyle Weaver is 23. Nenad Krstic is 25. Chandler is 26. The old geezers on this roster are Nick Collison, 28, and Earl Watson, 29, and frankly, who knows if they’ll still be on the roster by the trading deadline Thursday.
Young teams drive you batty, but they also make huge jumps in quality of play. We’ve already seen that out of the Thunder, especially offensively. A huge jump defensively is the next order of business, and the arrival of Tyson Chandler should expediate that.
Don’t count out OSU from NCAA berth
Three Big 12 men’s teams — Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri — are assured of NCAA Tournament berths. All are ranked in the top 15, all have 20 wins already and all have five losses or fewer.
But who else will make the NCAA from the Big 12? Here is the current standings, throwing OU, KU and Mizzou, plus Colorado, Iowa State and Texas Tech, which have no hope of being invited:
Kansas State 17-8, 6-5: current RPI 76
Texas 17-8, 6-5: current RPI 40
Nebraska 15-8, 5-5: current RPI 64
Oklahoma State 15-9, 4-6: current RPI 38
Texas A&M 18-8, 4-7: current RPI 52
Baylor 16-9, 4-7: current RPI 54
Any team that sinks into double-digit losses is playing with fire, and by Selection Sunday, all the other Big 12 hopefuls will be into double-digit defeats, with few sporting any kind of momentum.
OK, to guess what will happen down the stretch, let’s assume a few things. Let’s say any time these six hopefuls play each other, the home team wins. Any time they play one of the top three, they lose. Any time they play one of the bottom three, they win. Of course, every game won’t play out that way, but it’s not a bad place to start. And it’s giving the six teams the benefit of the doubt, since it’s more likely that they would lose at home to an OU, KU or Missouri than they would win at a Colorado, Iowa State to Tech.
Anyway, if that scenario plays out, here are the records going into the Big 12 Tournament:
Kansas State 21-10, 9-7: Decent chance of making the NCAA, though the RPI will not be strong.
Texas 19-11, 8-8: Trouble. The ‘Horns have a good non-conference record, but their RPI would continue to fall.
OSU 20-10, 9-7: Probably in at this record. The RPI is solid.
A&M 21-10, 7-9: In trouble. Losing conference records are a millstone.
Neb 18-11, 8-8: Just not enough to get the committee excited.
Bay 19-11, 7-9: Same curse as A&M.
Isn’t this a little surprising? OSU’s chances are not bad. Of course, the Cowboys have some tough games. They’ve got to win in Lubbock on Wednesday night and later in Boulder, and they’ve got to beat Texas, Baylor and Kansas State in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Any stumbles could jeopardize the Cowboys. They’ve got the most toss-up games left.
But the opportunity is available. If OSU can win its winnable games, the Cowboys go into the Big 12 Tournament with solid credentials. Heck, under this scenario, OSU would be a No. 4 seed and get a bye in Oklahoma City.
OSU’s conference losses don’t seem so bad anymore. Home losses to Missouri and OU? Both are in the coaches poll top 10. Road losses to Kansas, Baylor, Texas and A&M? Acceptable.
Win this stretch of games, and the Cowboys are right in the thick of the discussion. It’s all about taking care of business.
Putting Blake Griffin’s monster game in perspective
In the whole history of OU basketball, a player had scored at least 40 points 19 times. That includes five games from Wayman Tisdale (61, 55, 51, 46 and 44) and two from Stacey King (48, 40).
In the whole history of OU basketball, a player had grabbed at least 20 rebounds in a game 20 times. That includes four games from Alvan Adams (28, 25, 21, 21), two from Clifford Ray (22, 20), two from Stacey King (23, 21), two from Don Sidle (27, 21) and two from Harvey Grant (23, 20).
Only twice have such dominant games intersected. On March 5, 1975, Adams had 43 points and 25 rebounds as the Sooners beat Iowa State 84-79 at the OU Field House. On Dec. 28, 1983, Tisdale had a school-record 61 points and 22 rebounds in a 112-72 rout of Texas-San Antonio in the All-College Tournament.
Now Blake Griffin has joined them in the 40-20 club. Griffin had 40 points and 23 rebounds Saturday in a 95-74 rout of Texas Tech.
This is Wilt Chamberlain territory. A 40-20 game was right up Wilt’s alley, and while no player ever can reach such heights consistently, to do so once is a sign of greatness.
How great? Well, Griffin’s game clearly is one of the greatest in OU history. The only other game that might challenge the trio is Harvey Grant’s 40 points and 19 rebounds against Oral Roberts on Dec. 29, 1987.
None of the monster games came against a powerhouse. It’s hard to get 40 points or 20 rebounds against great opponents, and it’s darn near impossible to get both against great foes. That’s why Bryant Reeves’ 33 points and 20 rebounds against Kansas in 1995 ranks as maybe the greatest game I’ve ever seen someone play live. That KU team boasted 7-foot-2 Greg Ostertag, 6-11 Scot Pollard and 6-10 Raef LaFrentz. That Jayhawk post trio played a combined 32 NBA seasons. Yet Big Country dominated, and OSU beat KU 79-69.
But still, 40/20 is an historic game. I would rank Adams’ game against Iowa State as the best in OU history; those Cyclones weren’t great (4-10 in the Big Eight), but frankly neither were those Sooners. OU needed almost every point and rebound from Adams that day.
Texas Tech isn’t very good, either, but Griffin’s Sooners are — No. 2 in the nation. In Griffin’s defense, he scored a bunch early, when the Red Raiders were making a game of it. And Texas-San Antonio was completely outclassed 25 years ago in the All-College.
All in all, an amazing statistical performance by Griffin. Worthy of being included with Adams and Tisdale, the other giants of OU basketball.
For perspective, I tried to find how many times this has happened in NCAA history. I couldn’t really tell, but I found a few games that are memorable:
* In Wilt Chamberlain’s varsity debut at Kansas, he had 52 points and 31 rebounds against Northwestern.
* In the 1968 Midwest Regional first round, Houston’s Elvin Hayes had 49 points and 27 rebounds against Loyola-Chicago. In the Midwest Regional final, Hayes had 39 points and 25 rebounds in a 103-68 rout of TCU.
* In the 1961 Mideast Regional final, Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas had 33 points and 30 rebounds in an 87-74 victory over Kentucky.
Anytime you’re on a list with Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry Lucas and Elvin Hayes, you’re in good company.
Special season for Sooner sports
We’ve passed Valentine’s Day, so the school sports calendar is 51/2 months old. And the three primary sports at OU, the three sports that draw the biggest crowds, are a combined 59-5.
That’s ridiculous. The football team went 12-2, played for a national championship and finished fifth in the polls. Jeff Capel’s men’s basketball team is 25-1, ranked second nationally and headed for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Sherri Coale’s Sooner women are 22-2, ranked second and also headed for a No. 1 seed.
OU has had some sensational school years. In 2001-02, both basketball teams reached the Final Four, and the football team went 11-2 and finished No. 6 in the polls. In 1987-88, both Barry Switzer’s football team and Billy Tubbs’ basketballers played in national-title games (both lost), but the women’s basketball team was a non-factor regionally, much less nationally.
But this school year is just silly good. Five losses by mid-February? This is a special season for all things Sooner. An NCAA championship in basketball — a longshot for the women, since UConn seems dominant; a possibility for the men, since no clear-cut favorite exists — would lift this athletic season to the greatest in school history, and it might deserve that distinction anyway.
Emails in on Travis Ford & A-Rod
The new emails are in, and they are dominated by Travis Ford’s language and A-Rod’s steroid scandal. Let’s get right to it.
Gary wrote, “I appreciated your article yesterday on language. I think it is worth discussion on many fronts. Truthfully, I’m not perfect in that area either, but I try. Sadly, it’s not just Travis Ford. I’m amazed that that word has become so common and so freely used in public, around anyone, kids, wives, elderly. It just doesn’t matter. It’s really pathetic.”
It’s a sign of ignorance and weakness. Not the traits you want in a coach.
Don wrote, “I want to express my appreciation for your stand against profanity and name calling by coaches. As a former college coach, history professor, athletic director, and administrator, I don’t know how one can condone name calling and demeaning an athlete anymore than would an academic dean cuss out a student for missing a class, or a professor calling into question a lazy student’s parentage. I understood this as an $8,400 per year college coach and professor in 1973, just as these guys ought while making one hundred times that amount.”
Money corrupts.
Jeff wrote, “So let me get this straight. You can, in a round-about sorta way, call Travis Ford’s comments borderline racist, but you can’t draw ANY relation to Jenni’s Carlson’s comments regarding Bobby Reid’s mamma feedin’ him chicken? Seriously? Can you please enlighten me as to how this works in your mind?”
Certainly. I did not in any kind of way – roundabout or sorta – call Travis Ford’s comments racist. I said it wouldn’t be surprising if someone on campus makes a racial issue of it, just as it wouldn’t be surprising if we found out someone had made a religious issue or an educational issue out of it. Ford opened the door to a bevy of problems for himself.
Lew wrote, “Do you suppose OSU could get Sean Sutton to come back? Might be an improvement.”
Anything is an improvement over what Ford did.
Jerry wrote, “I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the Travis Ford episode. I noticed in an early story that when he apologized he said that really wasn’t him. But that is him. Didn’t he also bless out another player during a practice or something? Like you, I think it will be interesting to see what happens when he slips again I have not been a great fan of Mike Holder as AD, but in this case, he has done exactly what should be done. But, will he follow through if there is another lapse of intelligence by Ford?”
I wouldn’t be surprised. I believe Holder when he pontificates about athletes having a great experience and chasing their dreams. I don’t think he has a long fuse for what Ford did.
Brad wrote, “Great piece on Ford. Something tells me OSU would love to get rid of him. Just not the fit they had hoped. Is the latest a legit reason that could actually cost him his job?”
No. Not at this point. But I don’t recommend a report of Ford’s antics.
Lesa wrote, “I enjoyed today’s article regarding Travis Ford’s language. Your view of bad language is in line with mine — ignorance or lack of discipline. Great job.”
You know, I was pleasantly surprised that the email ran so heavy on my side.
Nate wrote, “Why do you continue to drag this out? If you and your employers feel so strongly in this regard, why is this the first time it has come up? Why weren’t you on the laptop last night writing a similar story about Iowa State’s women’s basketball coach? Toward the end of their game with OU, he was caught on camera screaming profanities directly in the face of one of his players. He was literally nose to nose with this girl. It was an OU game, so I know you were watching. Being such a traditionalist, I find it incredible that you didn’t write something about him. Is the cussing thing only applicable to Travis Ford or OSU head coaches? I’m sure as a professional journalist you wouldn’t purposefully overlook a double standard like that. Also, I find this quote laughable: ‘If anyone else on the Oklahoma State campus – professor, custodian, peace officer – had called Obi Muonelo or any other student a “f****** idiot, there would be no warnings. Lack of simple respect would not be tolerated.’ What are you suggesting would happen if someone on a college campus called someone else a you-know-what? Have you even stepped foot on a college campus? It happens all the time and it gets shrugged off all the time. You completely failed to acknowledge the fact that Travis Ford is fresh out of the Northeast, where culturally this type of language is far more acceptable. Really, when you boil it all down, what you’re doing to Travis Ford is no different than what Ford did to Obi.”
Playing the Poor Aggie card gets you nowhere on this one. Suggesting that Ford can’t control himself because he spent three years in Soprano Land is just silly. And if you think a professor can call a student anything he wants and it’s no big deal, you’re the one who’s never stepped on a college campus.
Sandra wrote, “Perhaps the PTA should extend to college to protect the kids from bullying. And perhaps Coach Ford should attend some English classes to increase his vocabulary.”
Actually, we probably need to fortify the PTA in high schools. That’s where it seems to have fallen off.
Judith wrote, “I read your column this morning about Travis Ford’s filthy mouth. Our sources at Stillwater told us that the reason the tall, good center, Ibrahima Thomas, left was he was sick of being called a “mother f*****.” People, created in God’s image, deserve better encouragement than that.”
People created in Cyrano de Bergerac’s image deserve better encouragement than that.
Harold wrote, “I am not taking up for Ford by any means. What was said should not have been said to anyone. But what about Bobby Knight? He would throw out all kinds of curse words in the papers and on air and never got this close to being fired that I know of.”
Well, I would argue that Knight’s complete lack of control eventually got him fired despite sensational on-court results. Knight is the prime example of why you nip this in the bud right now.
Russell wrote, “I appreciate you speaking up on the subject of profane language. It is unfortunate that the media, TV, magazines, Internet blogs, music, etc. have allowed the language to deteriorate for the sake of ratings, acceptance or an attempt to reach the unschooled masses. Many call profanity colorful, youthful, sign of the times, racy or spicy. Still, that doesn’t make it acceptable as in please excuse my French. I was brought up to use words to communicate that were void of profanity. It was pointed out to me that a person who is unable to do this was deficient in so many areas besides having a working knowledge of the language.”
Let me be clear about something that I thought was pretty cool from the start. Ford’s crime was not profanity. It was profane name-calling. I’d cut Ford all kinds of slack if he had used the word as an adverb. But using it as adjective to attack a player? No way.
Robert wrote, “I read your article on Coach Travis Ford and agree that he needs to bring his language under control. It appears that Mike Holder has addressed this issue with Coach Ford and Ford has also apologized for it and has said he is working on it. But why is it that anytime there is an issue where people of different races are involved, someone has to bring up race? I understand that you were not saying it was an issue with Ford or Muonelo but that others might see it that way. We can’t really put race behind us until such time that it isn’t mentioned or given consideration in an article like this where no race issue existed. Race had nothing to do with it and therefore did not need to be included.”
I have a question. How does anyone know race had nothing to do with it? I’m not saying it did. But just dismissing the possibility is ridiculous and maybe the prime reason why someone could make an issue of it. We will put race behind us NOT when it’s not mentioned, but when it’s freely discussed.
Brian wrote, “I don’t think that Ford would accept that language from his players, so why does he think it’s OK for him to use it? In fact, Ford might suspend his players for a game if they used that language toward him, teammates or opponents. Perhaps Mike Holder should suspend Ford for a game before this problem gets any more out of control. I believe it’s already teetering on being on the edge of out of control.”
Forget calling Ford a name. How has someone not cracked his skull?
James wrote, “Ford’s language, for the record, is bush league and inappropriate. If it continues I think he should be fired. And I say this not caring how it’s done anywhere else. When we start setting our standards by comparing them to the least common denominator, we get what we deserve.”
I like it. Least common denominator. LCD. Whole lot of LCD’s in the sports world.
Dontay wrote immediately after the game, “Just wondering if you heard what Travis Ford said during the Kansas game. In case you hadn’t, toward the end of the game, OSU was doing a press. Obi Muonelo wasn’t getting up there to trap fast enough and he called him a f****** idiot. I’m not sure if you or anyone else on staff heard him say it, but I think it would make a good story if someone did. Maybe if he got some bad publicity, it would make him think twice before saying something else like that. I just think that it’s ridiculous for him to use personal attacks like that.”
I think you got the publicity you wanted, Dontay.
Rob also wrote before the story hit the media: “Watching the Cowboys play Kansas yesterday on TV, I happened to hear Travis Ford refer to Muenelo as a f****** idiot. Heard this along with several others who were watching the game with me. It’s a coach’s job to let a team know how you feel, when they’re playing lousy etc., but totally another to resort to personal attacks and berating players. How would HE feel if one of the players called him an idiot and personally attacked him on his coaching skills? I think he should be called out about his outrageous behavior. The real idiot here is when Ford takes a look into a mirror.”
If one of his players called Ford a name, I don’t think he would like it one bit.
OK, now on to A-Roid. Jim wrote, “I agree – who cares? I and fans like me know the difference between the Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle eras. Today it is entertainment, and if these guys want to take the chance of the after-effects of steroids, who cares? When they get to the Hall of Fame, they should have a plaque that states that these accomplishments were done under the influence of steroids. If they do not agree to this plaque, then they are out. Steroids are present in every sport, track and field, tennis, golf, football, etc. Heck, even golf clubs and balls are juiced and not like the old days. Sorry about the kids coming up, they should be told of the consequence of taking steroids and let the buyer beware.”
Actually, plaques are the most boring part of Cooperstown. You’ve got to be pretty bored to read them.
Gary wrote, “The owners elected one of their own to be baseball czar ( Bud Selig ). They did nothing to stop drug use because they wanted the extra home runs to bring fans back after the strike.”
I don’t understand all the animosity towards Selig and the owners. OK, so they looked the other way. But it was players who took steroids, and the union that did whatever it could to keep drug-testing out of baseball. And everyone is mad at Selig?
Boyce wrote, “I would like to see more on earlier players that gave their life to the game of baseball. Namely, my mother’s first cousin, Lynwood Thomas ‘Schoolboy’ Rowe. To my way of thinking, he was another all-round player. Win-loss record 158-101, ERA 3.87, strikeouts 913. Not the greatest, but I think he deserves a shot at the Hall of Fame.”
Schoolboy Rowe was a fine pitcher, as was Preacher Roe. Great nicknames for pitchers whose last name sounds like Row. But Schoolboy Rowe is not one of the 300 greatest pitchers of all time, much less a Hall of Famer.
Edson wrote about the Thunder and my theory that I wouldn’t trade Jeff Green for Amare Stoudemire. “Excellent call. He has a humongous contract expiring after 2010, and if OKC wouldn’t be able to sign him (high possibility), it’s all for naught. And yes, he’s allergic to defense and his knee is still somewhat unproven. It’s no secret he isn’t happy in Phoenix with lumbering Shaq and their slow-down offense. Pass on Amare.”
But isn’t it fun to think about?
Rich wrote about my skepticism over the Chiefs hiring Todd Haley. “I’m not saying that the Chiefs are headed to the playoffs or even five wins next year, but you wouldn’t want a coach who has the guts to tell off Boldin and Kurt Warner, was credited with prodding Larry Fitzgerald into turning in the best playoff performance by a wide receiver and who is a Bill Parcells disciple? And that was a heckuva turnaround he was a part of to go from dreadful to respectable to the Super Bowl. That’s something 30 teams couldn’t say.”
To me, the way to tell off Boldin was to leave him home for the Super Bowl.
Women’s Big 12 tournament selling fast
The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament sells itself. Filling the arena for the first round can be a challenge, but that’s because some fans choose to not come to town just yet and some already in town decide not to miss work. But the tickets are sold and sold quickly.
Not so with the women’s tournament, which always is a tough sell for Kansas City, Dallas and even the one year in Oklahoma City, 2007, though OKC eventually set women’s attendance records.
That was then. Now, for the 2009 tournament in Oklahoma City, the Big 12 women are selling like hotcakes. Tim Brassfield, executive director of the Oklahoma City All Sports Association, said Thursday that his group has sold between 8,500 and 8,800 all-session tickets for the women’s tournament at the Cox Center.
Think about that. Before the first tip. Before even the bracket has been set. Before some people even remember the tournament is back in Oklahoma City, the women’s tournament is guaranteed record-setting attendance.
With 8,500 all-session tickets already sold, and the Sooners ranked No. 2 in the nation, the Cox Center could be virtually full for the last three days of the women — Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 13-15.
The new format should help women’s attendance anyway. The women play Thursday through Sunday, while the men go Wednesday through Saturday. The Cox Center, where the women will play, seats 13,066 for basketball.
Brassfield said the All Sports Association has sold 3,700 all-session tickets for the NCAA women’s regional at the Ford Center later in March. The All Sports will ramp up a ticket push for the NCAA after the Big 12 Tournament.
A night of bleary-eyed basketball
Wednesday was one of those basketball nights when you just couldn’t take it all in. Only the OSU men had the night off, having taken the previous night off down in Austin. Anyway, Wednesday night, the OU women hosted Iowa State, the OU men were at Baylor, the OSU women hosted Baylor and the Thunder was in the Pacific Northwest, three hours south of Seattle.
Thankfully, the OSU-Baylor women’s game wasn’t televised, or my DVR would have exploded. But the other three games, I recorded and watched from opening tip to final buzzer. A few thoughts:
SOONER MEN
* For all the excitement over Jeff Capel, he’s got one question to answer that could make or break his sanity status. What was he thinking, letting Juan Pattillo sit out more than half the season? Pattillo has NBA ability, and the Sooners might not have won without him at Baylor.
Pattillo had 14 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. He blocks shots and makes his foul shots, which is a rare combination in a ballplayer.
I saw Steve Richardson the other night at the Thorpe Banquet. Richardson once was the college basketball writer for the Dallas Morning News but now is executive director of the Football Writers Association of America. Richardson told me years ago that the teams that do well in March have great forwards. Big, rangy, talented guys. It’s a theory with a certain amount of sense, since everyone has good guards. Well, with Pattillo and Blake Griffin, OU has a frontcourt perhaps second to none.
* I’m afraid Taylor Griffin is going to be the odd man out. He’ll probably keep starting, but Taylor only played 19 minutes at Baylor. As the competition gets better, Pattillo will play more and more.
* I don’t like the OU lineup of both Griffins with Pattillo. I think it hurts the Sooners defensively (Pattillo on the perimeter doesn’t thrill me) and offensively (Taylor Griffin on the perimeter doesn’t thrill me). The strength of this OU team is it usually has three 3-point shooters on the outside, and Super Ox down low.
* If Blake Griffin wants me to get really excited, with now or as an NBA rookie, he’ll start making foul shots. He was 6-of-12 in Waco and is hovering at less than 60 percent. That could drive the whole state crazy for the next decade.
SOONER WOMEN
* Strange game. The Paris sisters combined to make 14 of 19 shots, score 38 points and grab 24 rebounds. Point guard Danielle Robinson was excellent, too, with 14 points and four assists. And yet this was a two-point game with 4:31 left, before OU pulled away for a 58-49 victory.
I blame Iowa State. They slowed the game and didn’t let OU get any 3-pointers (only three attempted). So that meant both teams were milking clock, since the Sooners were working for a shot.
* Bill Fennelly is a heck of a coach.
* Amanda Thompson has lost the ability to disappoint me. She had zero points and three rebounds in 22 minutes against Iowa State. For three years, I’ve waited for her to blossom, and now I know it’s not going to happen. She’ll occasionally have a good game in which she displays amazing athletic ability, but for the most part, she’s a role player who you hope won’t beat you.
* I assume everyone realizes that Sherri Coale’s bench isn’t much. Past Nyeshia Stevenson, the Sooners don’t really have anyone you want to put in the game against a good foe. Carlee Roethlisberger? Jasmine Hartman? Jenny Vining? The versatility of Stevenson and Thompson (there I go again) means Coale can generally get by with just six. Which is a good thing. She’s going to have to.
THUNDER
* Fabulous road trip. Two tough games. Two solid performances. And who cares that it’s two defeats, since that means better lottery standing? OKC played the Lakers tough, then were toe-to-toe with Portland, trailing 80-76 late in the third quarter before the wheels came off.
* Chris Wilcox is amazing. He doesn’t play for two weeks, a practice which I do not condemn. Then he’s called on because it’s the back end of a back-to-back and Old Joe Smith can’t play forever. And what does Wilcox do? Produce, of course: 11 points, five rebounds in 17:04 minutes. Wilcox plays no defense, but somebody surely could use Wilcox. Just not the Thunder.
* Bad shooting road trip for Jeff Green: 13 of 34. But the guy still plays solid even when he’s not playing well. Does that make sense? He had 13 rebounds in the two games, eight assists, one turnover and 33 points.
My boss, Mike Sherman, said the other day he wouldn’t trade Jeff Green even up for Amare Stoudemire. And I agree. Green does little things, has a big upside and doesn’t seem to mind playing second chair to Kevin Durant. Green plays versatile defense, he doesn’t command a huge salary and he’s four years younger than Stoudemire, who becomes a free agent in 2010 and will want the vault open. Stoudemire averages 21.0 points a game, Green 16.7. You’re going to trade all of Green’s advantages for 4.3 points a game?
* Russell Westbrook has hit the wall. His last three games, Westbrook is 13 of 45 shooting. He’s committing turnovers, nine in the three games. But you know what? He’s still a quality player. He’s got 18 assists and 28 rebounds in three games, providing priceless energy and getting to the foul line, which is how he’s scored 21, 17 and 11 in the trio of games this week. Westbrook is 21 of 25 from the foul line in that stretch. Getting to the foul line is the most underrated trait in the NBA.
* When Kevin Durant is human, the Thunder isn’t very good. Durant was 6-of-15 for just 20 points against the Trail Blazers. Oklahoma City won’t win many games with Durant scoring 20 points.
* Welcome back to Earth, Nick Collison. Two points and four rebounds against the Lakers. Four points and two rebounds against the Blazers.
OSU basketball sliding down the status scale
In Eddie Sutton’s 15 full seasons as the Oklahoma State basketball coach, the Cowboys went to 13 NCAA Tournaments. They missed out on the ’96 and ’97 NCAAs, and Sutton came back with gusto, producing a 2000 regional final team and a 2004 Final Four squad.
OSU’s basketball stock soared, and in some ways the Cowboys’ reputation still reaps the benefits. Here’s a fun way to rank NCAA basketball programs. Very simply, just rank schools by NCAA Tournament wins. Maybe there are better ways to do it, but there is no less-subjective way.
OSU is 37-21 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including 22-13 under Sutton. That ranks OSU No. 19 on this list. Heck, for fun, I’ll give you the list.
1. Kentucky 100-45; 2. UCLA 98-35; 3. North Carolina 96-39; 4. Duke 86-29; 5. Kansas 82-36.
6. Indiana 60-30; 7. Louisville 57-36; 8. Syracuse 48-31; 9. Georgetown 45-24; 10. Villanova 44-29.
11. Ohio State 43-23; 12. Michigan State 43-21; 13. Connecticut 42-27; 14. Arizona 41-26; 15. Michigan 41-19.
16. Arkansas 40-29; 17. Cincinnati 40-23; 18. Illinois 38-28; 19. Oklahoma State 37-21; 20. Maryland 36-21.
21. Utah 35-29; 22. Marquette 33-27; 23. UNLV 33-15; 24. Texas 32-29; 25. Oklahoma 32-25.
26. North Carolina State 32-21; 27. Temple 31-26; 28. Notre Dame 30-33; 29. Memphis 30-21; 30. Purdue 29-22.
I’ll stop there. That’s the top 30. It’s a fluid list. For instance, a school can jump way up the list with a Final Four run. OU probably could go from 25th to 20th with a Final Four run. UConn might go from 13th to eighth or ninth with a Final Four run.
But either way, it’s not a bad way to at least gauge historical basketball success. And Oklahoma State unquestionably has that.
But after a 99-75 loss at Texas on Tuesday night, the Cowboys seem sure to miss the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season, which frankly is difficult to do in these cartel days. The power conferences have all the, well, power, and if a school from the Big 12, SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 or Big East is missing March Madness on a regular basis, it has no one to blame but itself.
OSU hasn’t played an NCAA Tournament game since March 24, 2005, when Salim Stoudamire hit that shot and John Lucas’ desperation jumper bounced off the rim at the buzzer, giving Arizona a 79-78 victory over OSU in that epic Sweet 16 thriller. Since that night, 122 schools have played NCAA Tournament games.
Think about that number. And here’s another. Since that night, 51 of the 73 schools in the six power leagues have played in the NCAA Tournament. And that number is about to grow, since teams like Wake Forest, Florida State, Arizona State, Missouri, South Carolina and Minnesota figure to end droughts this season.
It’s not crazy to see where come March, OSU might be one of just 15 power-conference schools to miss the last four NCAA Tournaments. That’s a major fall from where this program was not so long ago.
O-State once was a top-20 program, both historically and contemporary. The current status has fallen. The historical status could start to slip, too.
Ford’s profanity alarming
The profanity used by OSU basketball coach Travis Ford, calling Obi Muonelo a “f****** idiot,” is alarming on two levels. First, a human decency scale. How did sports ever develop to the point where anyone, even if it’s just the coach himself, thinks that’s acceptable? But also, how could this happen ONLY THREE DAYS AFTER an Oklahoman story detailed how Ford’s vocabulary already had landed him in hot water with some, including his wife?
There is no way OSU administrators can be happy with their coach. Athletic director Mike Holder seemed strong in his statement that Ford must change his behavior – “He’s got no choice” — and while that’s not necessarily a line in the sand, it’s on the record.
Sean Sutton was fired not because he didn’t win enough, although he didn’t, but because Holder came to believe Sutton didn’t display the kind of leadership OSU desired. But Sutton never put OSU in this kind of light. Never treated players this way.
Here’s a quote from Terrel Harris last week on Ford’s language: “It’s funny to hear the comments from other teams, like ‘Wow, your coach is wild.’ At A&M, (Donald) Sloan, I think, is saying how our coach is crazy and stuff because he can just hear everything he says. When he gets into the game and his emotions take over, he says anything, really.”
That was Ford’s defense on his WWLS interview with me, Jim Traber and Al Eschbach on Monday. That he’s an intense personality who let his emotions get the best of him. It’s no defense, of course. Would Ford accept that excuse from Muonelo, that he was just into the game and let his emotions get the best of him?
Traber, who played college football and major-league baseball, said he’s heard coarse language all his life from coaches but hardly ever did it include name-calling. Which is why OSU probably is lucky this thing so far hasn’t gotten even bigger. You’ve got a coach with almost-limitless power berating, with profanity, an athlete with little recourse. Throw in the racial makeup — white coach, black athlete — and it wouldn’t be surprising to see activists get involved demanding further action taken against Ford.
In apologizing, Ford said, “that’s not me.” Maybe so. But no one in Oklahoma knows whether that’s true. He’s been here 15 minutes, and now twice within four days his language has become an issue.
Until Ford gives anyone reason to believe otherwise, we have to assume that’s exactly who he is.
