OU’s Final Four road well-paved
Oklahoma might not have a yellow-brick road to the Final Four, but for Sherri Coale and Co., the path looks more and more golden.
Already, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds have been knocked out of the Sooners’ regional. Second-seeded Auburn got the heave-ho Monday night, losing to Rutgers, and third-seeded North Carolina lost to Purdue. The Tigers had the look of a team that could give the Sooners problem with their up-and-down style, and the Tar Heels were a team that had already given the Sooners problems, beating them earlier this season.
But now, neither will stand between OU and the Final Four.
And remember, this was a path that was already slated to take the Sooners through Oklahoma City.
(Also, the No. 4 seed, Pittsburgh, is locked in a battle with 12th-seeded Gonzaga. We’ll keep you posted, but if Pitt goes down, OU could be in a regional with the No. 6. No. 7 and No. 12 seeds remaining.)
There is the little matter, though, of the Sooners making to the Ford Center themselves. They still have to beat Georgia Tech tomorrow in Iowa City, and while this seems like a good thing — playing the Yellow Jackets instead of the hometown Iowa Hawkeyes — the Rambling Wreck has the potential to run the Sooners off their Final Four road.
The Yellow Jackets are athletic, lacking great shooters but beating teams with their ability to get to the basket as well as rebound and put back their misses.
Think of a poor man’s Texas A&M.
And everyone knows how the Sooners have struggled against the Aggies.
If the Sooners can survive the Yellow Jackets, their road looks straight and narrow. It’s up to them as to how well they navigate it.
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Im’ in Iowa and saw the Sooners game Sunday night then the game between Iowa and Georgia Tech. And I saw Texas A & M all over Georgia Tech – quick, aggressive, well-coached and they bang the boards. They could be real trouble if the Sooners don’t bring their A game. Don’t think they have an antidote to C & A in the paint but their quickness and harrassing defense could really cause trouble. We GOT to cut down on turnovers.