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By Jake Trotter

Looks like new Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is already having an impact on a unit that was awful at times last season.  

http://www.star-telegram.com/college_sports/story/552474.html

By Scott Wright

Could Oklahoma be looking for a new basketball coach after all?

An assistant basketball coach, that is.

With the news that Texas Christian has hired Jim Christian — how confusing is that going to be??? — away from Kent State, the rumor mill has begun to crank out names of possible coaches at Kent State.

One name to pop up so far is Oklahoma assistant Oronde Taliaferro, according to this story from the Associated Press.

Taliaferro just finished his first season with OU. He spent one season at Kent State under Stan Heath in 2002. Then he followed Heath to Arkansas, where he spent four seasons.

Taliaferro is originally from Detroit, Mich., which is just across Lake Ontario from Kent, Ohio. (And we all know how important it is to coaches to get back close to home, right Jeff Capel, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.)

By Jake Trotter

The OU football team will not practice Tue. as originally scheduled. The team is expected to practice Wed. and Fri. before holding its second scrimmage on Sat.

The Red-White Game is April 12, which will conclude spring drills.

By Jake Trotter

Inside linebacker Jaydan Bird (Conway Springs, Kan.), who’s in
Norman this weekend, committed to the Sooners on Saturday morning before OU first’s open scrimmage.

“OU is a school with great tradition, the coaches are cool and laidback,” Bird said. “OU has a good academic program. I felt really comfortable with the school.”

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Bird has scholarship offers from Kansas, Kansas State and
Miami.

Bird is OU’s fourth verbal commitment, joining linebacker Ronnell Lewis (Dewar), defensive end Terry Franklin (Mansfield, Texas) and running back Jonathan Miller (
Garland, Texas).

Bird spent most of the scrimmage following defensive coordinator Brent Venables around.

By Jake Trotter

OU will have its first scrimmage of the spring Saturday.

But the Sooners will have a lot of unknown faces on the field.

That’s because several players will be sitting out with injuries, including John Williams, Auston English, DeMarco Murray, Adron Tennell, Ryan Broyles, Chris Brown, Nic Harris (am I forgetting anyone?) and possibly even Ryan Reynolds, who’s battling a sprained ankle.

By Scott Wright

This would be the irony of ironies.

Terrell Holloway lists Oklahoma as one of eight potential schools the 6-foot point guard is considering, according to Rivals.com.

Now for the ironic part.

Holloway signed in November. With Indiana. He was recently allowed out of his letter of intent after the school got rid of their coach, Kelvin Sampson.

A little info on Holloway: He’s not real big. Some list him at 5-foot-11 and about 175 pounds. Rivals ranks him as the No. 20 point guard in the nation and the NO. 100 player overall in the 2008 signing class.

The other schools he is considering include Indiana, as well as Kentucky, Marquette, Ohio State, St. John’s, Virginia and USC.

OU is still after Oregon City, Ore., combo guard Brad Tinsley, who ranks just ahead of Holloway in Rivals’ national rankings. Wesley Witherspoon, the 6-foot-8 wing from Lilburn, Ga., likely won’t be visiting Norman, but his mother says that doesn’t mean OU is out of contention.

And the Sooners are still chasing College of Southern Idaho swingman Juan Pattillo, who has narrowed his choices to OU, OSU and South Florida, though many recruiting experts seem to think OSU is the leader.

By Scott Wright

NBADraft.net has changed its tune on Blake Griffin. The Web site was one of the few NBA Draft projection sites not tossing Griffin in with the 2008 draft class, instead listing him as the No. 1 prospect in the 2009 draft.

Not anymore. In their latest mock draft, updated Monday, the site has Griffin going No. 6 this year to the LA Clippers.

OU might be done, but there are a few Sooners (former ones, at least) still playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Scottie Reynolds’ situation is drawing a lot of attention. After signing with OU, he asked out of his letter of intent and ended up at Villanova.

By reading this story in the Wichita Eagle, it sounds like Reynolds wonders what they could’ve had at OU had he and Damion James stayed. That’s a fair curiosity, considering Villanova is a No. 12 seed and Oklahoma was a No. 6. Sure, Nova is still playing, but Oklahoma’s season would have been much different with a point guard of Reynolds’ caliber.

And here’s another story in which Reynolds looks back on his decision to leave OU.

James, like Reynolds a former Sooner signee, is still alive with No. 2 seed Texas, which plays tonight. And diminutive Drew Lavender is still playing with Xavier. The X-men pulled off a tough overtime win over West Virginia last night. Here’s a feature story on Lavender from earlier this week that’s a fun read.

By Jake Trotter

Monday, Bob Stoops said Ryan Broyles broke his collarbone. He’s out for the spring. Ryan Reynolds sprained his ankle, he’ll be out for a few days. Anyone who’s had a sprained ankle knows how nagging they can be.

Finally, Jay Norvell said that Manuel Johnson also has a mild ankle sprain, but he has been practicing on it.

OU is already without Nic Harris, Chris Brown, DeMarco Murray, Adron Tennell, John Williams, Auston English, all of whom should be back by the fall. 

By Scott Wright

The meeting of Nos. 3 and 6 seeds in the NCAA Tournament is historically the most highly contested second-round matchup. Entering this year’s Tournament, No. 3 seeds are 26-25 against No. 6s since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Oklahoma hasn’t had much success in the 3-6 game, either. OU is 0-2 as the No. 3 seed, losing to Purdue in 2000 and Utah in 2005. However, OU pulled the upset in 1987, when Billy Tubbs’ team knocked off third-seeded Pitt, 96-93. That is OU’s only previous appearance in the 3-6 matchup as the No. 6 seed.

One other historical trend that could help the Sooners is coaching experience — or lack of it. Sunday will be OU coach Jeff Capel’s third NCAA Tournament game as a coach.“Coaching inexperience actually helps No. 6 seeds in this matchup,” said Pete Tiernan of BracketScience.com. “Sixth-seeded teams with coaches who’ve been to the dance fewer than six times are 16-8. That’s twice as good as the 9-18 record for No. 6 seeds with more veteran coaches.”

By Scott Wright

Here’s another look at what they’re saying in Philadelphia about the OU-St. Joseph’s matchup, as well as other college basketball talk around the country on the second day of the NCAA Tournament.

Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Phil Sheridan says the Hawks need to go to Ahmad Nivins to win.

Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News says it will come down to St. Joe’s staying relaxed.

Here in Birmingham, they addressed the question: why no Tourney gifts for the players?

A blogger for the Baltimore Sun relives the near-upset of No. 1-seeded Oklahoma to No. 16 Towson in 1990.

And Newsday.com tells you everything you need to know about NCAA Tournament team nicknames.