For the life of me, I can't figure out this Oklahoma Sooners basketball team. Heading into Wednesday night's bedlam finale in Stillwater, the deck appeared to be stacked against the Sooners.
They were without offensive leader Blake Griffin, who had knee surgery earlier in the week, and were playing an Oklahoma State team that had won five games in a row.
But when it was all said and done, it was Oklahoma securing a win in a game with major postseason implications.
If you're looking to credit a Sooner player for carrying the load in Griffin's absence, look no further than sophomore guard Tony Crocker. Crocker scored a career-high 25 points and, in the process, outplayed OSU's star point guard Byron Eaton, who scored 13.
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The most important thing to take away from Oklahoma's road win? A notice to the rest of the country: You won't want to play us in the NCAA Tournament.
For the second straight game, OU's defense held its opponent under 40 percent shooting for the game (Texas A&M: 27 percent, OSU: 37 percent). It's that aggressive, ball-swarming, shot-contesting defense that drives opponents crazy and keeps the Sooners in ball games.
If Blake Griffin does not come back from his knee surgery as quickly or effectively as the coaching staff hopes, the Sooners will be in a bit of trouble. They proved tonight, though, that the defense doesn't stop in Griffin's absence.
Could OU beat one of this year's elite teams? Probably not. I'm not crazy.
But if the brackets line up favorably, don't be surprised to see the Sooners in the Sweet 16.
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8 months ago
More than likely, the brackets will not line up favorably for the Sooners. They've definitely had a lot better teams in the past...but they have a lot of potential in some of their young post players. I agree that they probably would get smoked against an elite team...but it is a bold prediction, we'll see.
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