Men’s basketball: NCAA Tourney for Capel’s crew?
I didn’t watch the Baylor women practice on Saturday night.
I know what you’re saying. “Scott, you’re the OU men’s basketball beat writer. Why would we expect you to watch the Baylor women practice?”
You wouldn’t. But here’s why it’s interesting.
After the OU-Texas Tech men’s game, I was working in the Lloyd Noble Center, as I always do. I have more room to work and better luck with the Internet connection courtside than in the media room. Anyway, I was hacking away on my laptop when the Lady Bears rolled in for a workout prior to their Sunday game against Sherri Coale’s OU women.
I thought nothing of it and continued cranking on my story. But soon, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey enlisted one of OU’s media reps (Jared, he’s a good guy, and I felt sorry for him that Mulke asked him to do this) to get me out of the gym.
Practice was closed.
I started to ask Jared if he was joking, but I could tell by the “Mulkey’s gonna kick me in the groin if you don’t leave” look in his eye that he wasn’t. So I packed up and finished my work in the media room.
Considering she beat Coale’s bunch on Sunday, maybe she’s on to something.
Anyway, on to more important things, namely the one question everyone wants to ask me today.
Is OU going to make the NCAA Tournament?
I’ll tell you what I’ve told everyone else who asks. Right now, I don’t think so.
I think it will take a 9-7 Big 12 Conference record to get them in. Right now, they’re 1-2. If you assume two losses each against Texas and Texas A&M, that means the Sooners can afford just one more loss in home-and-home games with Baylor and OSU, road games at Colorado, Nebraska and Texas Tech, and home games with Missouri and Iowa State. Two losses in that group is probably too much, though OU has a shot — thanks to its good RPI and strength of schedule — to get in at 8-8. But that won’t be easy.
Jerry Palm of CollegeRPI.com has OU on the outside looking in as one of his four “Close but NIT” teams in his most recent bracket. Bracketologist Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Sooners fifth among his first teams out. Two weeks ago, OU was a No. 7 seed. Last week (before they lost Blake Griffin for up to four weeks) they were a 9 seed. Now there’s four teams ahead of them on the bubble. The Hoops Report has them in the same slot.
If Griffin comes back earlier than the projected date of Feb. 13 (it’s possible), then the Sooners’ chances of getting in the Big Dance increase. But riht now, they’re a longshot.
It’s a tall order, and it begins with a win at Baylor on Saturday, which won’t be easy.
– Scott Wright
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