A March Madness tripleheader
Sunday was an interesting day. I took in a March Madness tripleheader, with three ways to experience a game.
* Syracuse-Arizona State on radio, while driving across Interstate-80 through Iowa.
* Oklahoma State-Pitt men on television, sitting at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Coralville, next to Iowa City.
* Oklahoma-Prairie View women live, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
SYRACUSE-ARIZONA STATE
OU now gets Syracuse, and the Sooners would be much better off playing Arizona State, of course. That 2-3 zone by Syracuse gives everyone fits, though it helps that OU saw some of that defense against Michigan. Not that Michigan plays it with the same kind of ballplayers as Syracuse.
Listening on radio to a game that involves players you’re not that familiar with is a mental exercise. Who plays for who? What was the score again? But the announcing team of Tom McCarthy and ex-Kentucky Kevin Grevey was very solid.
Basketball on the radio is different from baseball or football. In both sports, you have to time mentally relax, because you know nothing will happen for 10-30 seconds. And if you do miss something, the play will be discussed. Not so in basketball. The action doesn’t always stop. You’ve got to pay attention.
From what I heard, James Harden, Arizona State’s lottery-pick sharpshooter, wasn’t aggressive enough. Zero points and one shot at halftime? That’s not what the Thunder needs.
I picked Syracuse to reach an all-Big East Final Four, and the Sooners could have their hands full.
OSU-PITT
What a great game, and what a tribute to Travis Ford, that he turned a mediocre team in January into this squad capable of playing anyone in the country, eyeball to eyeball.
Think about what the Cowboys did down the stretch.
1. Won at home in a tight fit over Kansas State in what might have been an NCAA Tournament elimination game.
2. Went to OU, which ended up a No. 2 seed, and lost 82-78 in a game that I said the Cowboys would have won if it had been played anywhere except Norman.
3. Beat Iowa State in OKC.
4. Beat OU in OKC in a thriller.
5. Played Missouri, which ended up a No. 3 NCAA seed, tough before losing in the Big 12 semifinals.
6. Beat Tennessee on Byron Eaton’s late shot in an 8-9 seed game in the NCAAs.
7. Took top-seeded Pitt to the final 30 seconds.
That’s big-time basketball. A tremendous, tremendous run, led by Eaton, who is a wondrous point guard. What a great way for Eaton and Terrel Harris to conclude their careers. Losing that last game is always a bummer, but the Cowboys can take pride in what they accomplished. They ended the stretch of so-so basketball in Stillwater and established a foundation for Ford’s program.
Sunday, the Cowboys simply weren’t big enough, and nothing they could do about it. Pitt’s big men, notably DeJuan Blair, was just too strong. Pitt won this game on the boards, pure and simple, and there was no antidote.
OU-PRAIRIE VIEW
Prairie View wasn’t nearly as overmatched as I thought it would be. The Panthers had some ballplayers. I figure Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, the former WNBA star, will get some coaching offers.
Some things have to improve for OU, though. Whitney Hand has to shoot better. Sooners still have to take better care of the ball. Amanda Thompson has to come back healthy. Nyeshia Stevenson has to step up her game; she’s been playing well but she can play better. Courtney Paris can’t go 4-of-9; 6-of-9 is more like it.
But all in all, a good start for the Sooners. Reaching Oklahoma City for the regional won’t be easy. I actually saw another game Sunday night. Georgia Tech took out Iowa, and the Yellowjackets are Texas A&M-like. They lost nine games, so they’re not as consistent as the Aggies. But G-Tech leads the nation in steals, it has athletes and good post players. Truth is, I don’t know how the ‘Jackets lost nine games. But the ACC is a very tough conference. This won’t be an easy game for the Sooners.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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