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.
Men’s hoops: NCAA explains ‘the bubble’
Tom O’Connor, athletic director at George Mason and head of the Division I men’s basketball committee, had a teleconference today to talk about picking the field for the NCAA Tournament. There’s a whole lot of bubble talk out there, especially for the OU Sooners. Here’s what O’Connor had to say.
Men’s hoops: Capel on Stillwater comment
By Scott Wright
Jeff Capel says he doesn’t remember making his “Let’s get the hell out of this hellhole” comment in the locker room of Gallagher-Iba Arena after last Wednesday’s OU win. He also said he forgot that the ESPN cameras were in the room with them for their all-access feature.
That might seem like a cop-out to some folks, but shouldn’t be to anyone who has a strong competitive spirit, like Capel does. In the heat of battle and in the celebration of victory, crazier things have been said.
But here are Capel’s comments Monday regarding the hellhole line: “I don’t remember saying anything. Stillwater’s great. It’s a great college town, seems like. I’ve only been there two times, so less than 48 hours. Less than 24 hours, really. Gallagher-Iba is a tremendous place to play — a lot of tradition. The place is a nice place. I would hope people would realize some things coaches say in the locker room really don’t necessarily mean — you say things to your team sometimes. If I did say what I said, I didn’t realize I was on TV. I forgot that crew was with us. But, I’m sure like everything else, it’s probably a bigger story than it really is.”
Men’s hoops: Blake will play
By Scott Wright
Less than a week removed from arthroscopic knee surgery, OU freshman Blake Griffin will return to action today when the Sooners host Missouri.
Griffin had torn portions of cartilage removed from his right knee Sunday and did not play with OU in Stillwater Wednesday night. During pre-game shoot-around, the 18-year-old Oklahoma City native looked to be moving well and unhindered by the injury.
Men’s hoops: Senior Day tidbits
By Scott Wright
Saturday is Senior Day, as OU will honor a pair of four-year players, David Godbold and Longar Longar. Both players’ families will be on hand, including each man’s mother. That’s relevant because both live more than a few miles away. Longar’s mom lives in Rochester, Minn., and Godbold’s mom is coming from New York City, where she works for the federal prison system in the heart of Manhattan.
Interestingly, Godbold and Longar have a chance to do something Saturday that they’ve never done before — beat Missouri during the regular season. It seems odd, but OU’s last regular-season win over the Tigers was 2002. And even more odd, OU has beaten Missouri three times since 2002, but they’ve all come in the postseason. Two in the Big 12 Tournament and once in the NCAA Tournament.
The first 500 kids 12 and under and the first 200 students seated on the floor will get Blake Griffin No. 23 replica jerseys. Or I suppose it could be a Wayman Tisdale replica jersey if you prefer. Or Ron Roberts? Maybe Kyle Dodd? Heck, I guess it could be an Allen Patrick basketball jersey. Really, it’s any No. 23 Oklahoma player you wish.
OU Hoops: OU vs. Missouri notes
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s OU vs. Missouri game
Teams: Oklahoma (20-10, 8-7) vs. Missouri (16-14, 6-9)
Date: Saturday, March 8
Tip: 2:39 p.m. CST
Site: Norman, Okla. (Lloyd Noble Center)
Radio: Sooner Radio Network (KOKC 1520-AM in OKC; KTBZ 1430-AM in Tulsa; Sirius 126)
TV: ABC (KOCO Channel 5/Cox 8 in OKC; KTUL Channel 8/Cox 8 in Tulsa)
Series: Oklahoma leads 110-93
Men’s hoop notes
By Scott Wright
A few items of interest today… first of all, Taylor Griffin and Austin Johnson earned academic all-Big 12 second team honors. A 3.0 grade-point average is required to achieve all-conference. Twenty players were named to the first and second teams Thursday.
Blake Griffin was moving well at practice today. He was only expected to go through the non-contact portions of the workout, but he was jumping, running and moving laterally on his surgically repaired right knee just four days after the operation to remove torn portions of the medial meniscus.
And finally, here’s a look at OU’s possible seeds for the Big 12 Tournament:
The Sooners will get the No. 4 seed if they win Saturday against Missouri, or if Baylor and Texas A&M both lose. OU will be fifth if it loses and either Baylor or Texas A&M win. OU will be sixth if it loses and both Baylor and Texas A&M win.
Men’s hoops: 1988 team reunited
By Scott Wright
Members of OU’s 1988 team will be on hand Saturday for a 20-year reunion celebration during the Sooners’ 1 p.m. game against Texas A&M at Lloyd Noble Center.
Coached by Billy Tubbs, the 1988 squad was one of two OU teams in history to reach the national title game. Former players scheduled to join Tubbs and the rest of the coaching staff for a halftime tribute include Harvey Grant, Tyrone Jones, Stacey King, Tony Martin, Terrence Mullins, Art Pollard and Jason Skurcenski.
Read a little more about the 1988 team and their Saturday festivities here.
Men’s hoops: Cookie update
By Scott Wright
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler called point guard Cookie Miller “doubtful” for Wednesday’s game against the Sooners.
It turns out the injury to Miller’s shoulder was only a sprain, but Sadler doesn’t expect the 5-foot-7 freshman to play Wednesday.
Here’s the story from the Lincoln Journal Star.
Men’s hoops: Recruiting update
By Scott Wright
Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel continues to search for either a point guard or scorer to fill Keith Clark’s vacant scholarship, and a few names seem to be falling off the list of potential recruits.
Georgia wing Travis Leslie recently gave Rivals.com his top five schools and Oklahoma was not among them. Though the Sooners seemed to be intrigued by Leslie’s athletic ability, the word on the 6-foot-6 Atlanta product is that his basketball skills are unpolished. Capel doesn’t really need to spend time waiting for a prospect to develop. He’d be better off waiting to see if Clark got his grades in order at Rose State and bringing him back instead.
