Men’s hoops: Live from Birmingham
By Scott Wright
I had a little league coach who always told me, “you practice like you play.” If that’s true for St. Joseph’s, Oklahoma is in trouble today.
Watching the Hawks practice on Thursday was like watching that scene from the 1990s movie “Pleasantville” where all the guys shoot at the same time and all of them make their shots. It was phenomenal. I can hardly remember a single missed shot from the 50-minute workout.
If this comes down to a game of shooting, OU is in trouble.
Oklahoma took the stage for a 20-minute press conference on Thursday. Here’s the transcript:
Pat Forde’s Best/Worst case for Sooner hoops…
By Jake Trotter
ESPN.com’s Pat Forde went through the entire tourney, listing best and worst-case scenarios for each team. Check out his take on OU, especially the final line…
Best Case: Blake Griffin flexes and everyone else backs off, as the Sooners muscle their way to a regional final for the first time since 2002. David Godbold, whose 3-point percentage has declined every season, shoots it like he’s a freshman again in a second-round upset of Louisville. Not even an Elite Eight loss to North Carolina can dampen the enthusiasm for next season with Griffin back.
Worst Case: The medical miracle falls apart. Griffin’s surgically repaired knees go out on him and Longar Longar‘s fractured leg bone brings him to a halt. Sooners miss shots, struggle for offense and are run out in the first round by Saint Joseph’s. Then Texas wins it all, Jeff Capel takes the South Carolina job and Bob Stoops loses out on three top recruits.
Track: Outdoor season begins
Members of the Oklahoma track track team will travel up the Turner Turnpike to Tulsa on Saturday for the 2008 Tulsa Duels. Ten Sooners, five men and five women, will compete in eight individual events and on one relay.
Softball: OU opens Big 12 play vs. Kansas
LEADING OFF
After playing 33 non-conference games this season, the No. 11 Oklahoma softball team (25-8) will open Big 12 play this weekend at the OU Softball Complex. The Sooners will host the Kansas Jayhawks (23-6) in their conference opener. The two-game series will open on Friday night at 7 p.m. and will conclude with a 1 p.m. meeting against Kansas on Saturday.
Tennis: OU men’s match canceled
The Oklahoma Sooners (5-7) match at Jacksonville on Thursday afternoon has been cancelled due to an airline pilot shortage.
Men’s hoops: The road to Birmingham, Part 2
By Scott Wright
For those people who have a negative opinion of Little Rock, Ark., I’m guessing they’ve never spent much time in the town. And they must’ve stopped at the same gas station we just stopped at.
The restroom was the most visually appealing part of the visit. That’s because the light was burned out. Of course, when there are no lights in the bathroom, it’s hard to tell the difference between the toilet and the sink. That’s why I opted to turn the faucet on and off with my shoe. And we’ll be stopping in Memphis so I can get some new shoes.
It’s still raining in central Arkansas, and they can’t hold much more of it. Wheat fields have been turned into swampland. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s a lake and what’s a pasture.
I’ll be writing a story about Oklahoma center Longar Longar for Thursday’s paper. He’s one of the most fascinating athletes I’ve ever had the opportunity to cover. To go through everything he’s gone through — escaping from Sudan during the Darfur Conflict, then fleeing Egypt to come to the United States, only to have his father stricken with cancer soon after his arrival and die months later — and still lack confidence on the basketball court, it just doesn’t seem to fit.
But just when it looked like everyone was going to give up on him, he turned his career around and is on the verge of a potential NBA contract.
He’s no Blake Griffin and never will be. He won’t ever have that type of bulk or athletic ability. But he can hit the 17-footer and he has become a fairly consistent free-throw shooter. He makes too many turnovers, but he’ll run the floor and go to the boards, so he’ll get a shot to make some money playing this game someday.
Eagles could be into Kelly…
By Jake Trotter
Since T.O. left town, Philly has been searching for WRs. Could they finally solve that problem by drafting Kelly? This blog says perhaps so…
http://www.sportsloungeblog.com/2008/03/nfl-mock-draft-10.html
Lions looking at Lofton…?
By Jake Trotter
This blog says Detroit might be targeting Curtis Lofton in the 2nd to 3rd rounds…
Men’s hoops: The road to Birmingham
By Scott Wright
Crossing over the state line into Arkansas inspired me to blog this morning as John Rohde, photographer Chris Landsberger and I cruise along Interstate 40 toward OU’s NCAA Tournament site of Birmingham, Ala.
It’s past 9 a.m. now, so I feel safe in generating an original thought or two. If you’re doing that before 9 a.m., you might be an addict. Words to live by.
They weren’t joking about the flooding troubles in Arkansas. Water everywhere. Lakes and rivers overflowing. Looks like it got bad on Tuesday.
We listened to the Sports Animal until we lost reception, which might have been just outside Shawnee. Or Checotah. Anyway, the guys on the morning show played a fun clip from St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli that was fairly entertaining. I’m looking forward to following this guy for a couple days.
In the clip, Martelli asked for Bob Stoops’ resignation, because Blake Griffin hasn’t been brought out to play tight end yet.
“He’s averaging three-and-a-half offensive rebounds a game,” Martelli said. “That’s impossible.”
We’ve still got about 140 miles before we reach Little Rock, so I’ll check in again later.
Golf: OU men finish 11th
LAKESIDE, Calif. — Paced by 2007 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Jesse Schutte’s 17th-place standing, the Sooners finished the seventh annual Barona Collegiate Cup in 11th place at the 7,393-yard, par-72 Barona Creek Golf Club in Lakeside, Calif., on Tuesday.
