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View Full Version : 04's Attempt: OU vs. O-State Recap



Sooner04
1/26/2009, 11:57 PM
Like clowns piling out of a Volkswagen, the Aggroid "frontcourt" emerged from the bowels of their hell hole intent on roughing up Blake Griffin. They smacked him in the back of the head. They gave him forearm shivers to the sternum. They fouled him early. They fouled him late.

Their reward? Their second consecutive home court trouncing by the team they hate the most. It's never a good time to be an Oklahoma State fan, but it sucks larger balls that usual these days. For a basketball school, they make a living of losing to their hated rival. We've won three of the last four in Stillwater and seven of nine in the series. When you embrace an orange that looks like Cheez Whiz, you begin to question your very existence.

It will be tough for Oklahoma State fans to look in the mirror tonight. For what will they see? They'll see that their team executed their game plan flawlessly. They forced our Sooners into a gazillion turnovers. They pushed the pace and hit numerous buckets in transition. They connected on 85% of their free throws. Playing in a system predicated on heaving up more SCUDS toward the bucket than Saddam lobbed toward Tel Aviv, the Aggies surprised us by hitting nearly half their three-point attempts.

Their reward? Shot after shot to the wobblers by Austin Johnson. Every time they got close AJ buried a dagger from the city limits of Agra. Nothing in basketball is harder than playing from behind, and nothing in basketball hurts more than getting right there only to be shooed back by 28-foot icicles from the far reaches of Payne County. In a game in which they never trailed, the Aggies thought they had a chance. In the end, they did not.

They played their game from the word go, and played it well, but never led. Not once, not ever. Tonight, in the land of swerving Durangos and hideous ties, the Aggie faithful will all slip, slide their way back to the drawing board.


SCORING BREAKDOWN:
1st - 23 [And then while I'm away.]
2nd - 16
3rd - 20 [I'll write home every day.]
4th - 30 [And I'll send all my loving to you.]


[b]LEADING SCORERS:
26 - Blake Griffin [on 11 shots. Stunning.]
22 - Austin Johnson [Maybe I'll add a little marmalade to my bowl of crow in the morning.]
12 - Juan Pattillo [and those dunks were ferocious, friends.]
11 - Willie Warren [a sub-par performance, I thought.]


LEADING REBOUNDERS:
19 - Blake Griffin [They tried, but failed. The abridged version of an Aggie life.]
4 - Cade Davis [some great boards too.]
4 - Austin Johnson
4 - Juan Pattillo


PLUSES:
1. Austin Johnson - We're back in it! We're back in it! Oh, we're screwed. The Aggies have got goobers hitting shots all over the place. Eddie Muenster from the corner. Nick Sidorakis Stephanopolous from the other corner. OH BEDLAM! Yeah, hush all that crap. Every time they thought they were back, AJ pushed them back into the manure pile. 22 bone-crushing points, each one sweeter than the one before. To quote Bill Raftery.............ONIONS!

2. Blake Griffin - One day, somebody's going to catch Blake on a bad night, and the poor sap will look like Trevor Berbick after Tyson's left hook. Seriously, some of the crap that goes on down there is ridiculous. Blake brings a bit of it on himself, but his resolve to not start throwing haymakers is admirable. As workman-like a 26 points and 19 assists as you'll ever see. I often take him for granted. But then I slap myself and remember he had seven turnovers too. :)

3. Juan "The Chupacabra" Pattillo - The Chupacabra does not believe in laying the ball in, friends. No, sweat must fly when the ball is rifled through the hoop with extreme prejudice. Andre "The Creator" Wiley would be proud. But what really makes me melt is the chaos he creates on defense. Is he out of control? Yes, but he's only going to get better as he gets more comfortable. We're awfully good with him on the floor.

4. Free Throw Shooting: 73%, with many of our misses coming once the game was decided.


MINUSES:
1. Mrs. 04: She didn't let me drive to the game.

2. Turnovers: 23. Several of those came at times when we really stood a chance of separating ourselves from the Aggies.

3. Malcoln Kirkland: I suppose I'd be a bit grumpy if somebody misspelled my name on my birth certificate, but he's lucky to not be leaving that hellhole on a stretcher.


In 2005, we hit the conference season running like ferrets trying to escape the Mathis Brothers. There was nothing we could not do. The conference was ours for the taking, but then we traveled to Ames and went to sleep. Now it's 2009 and we're 6-0 in the league with Old Lady Momentum occupying a seat on our bus. Here's to going to Ames and continuing our road warrior ways. We haven't won up there since 2003. It's high time that changed.


Thank you for your time.

King Crimson
1/27/2009, 12:01 AM
Hilton has been a tough gym for us for a long time. so far this season, i believe OU has more road conference wins than the rest of the conference combined, however. if not, it's close.

edit: and i'm glad i haven't talked **** about AJ....

SoonerDood
1/27/2009, 12:08 AM
I'd send in Kermit Washington to deal with Malcoln Kirkland (who is that jabroni and why is his name spelled that way?)

Soonerfan88
1/27/2009, 12:08 AM
AJ had some nice plays....
But what about that AUSTIN ANDERSON?!?!?! He had a great game, didn't he?

Also, the Eaton foul that got the ags so outraged - was clearly a moving screen IMO and correctly called (one of the few they got right).

Rhino
1/27/2009, 12:23 AM
Taylor Griffin should get a Plus just for bouncing the ball off Opie's head.

stoops the eternal pimp
1/27/2009, 12:27 AM
Its funny All of us at the house watching were referring to Patillo as Andre Wiley in the 1st half...huge huge huge

cheezyq
1/27/2009, 12:35 AM
2. Turnovers: 23. Several of those came at times when we really stood a chance of separating ourselves from the Aggies.


This was a product of Big 12 officiating more than anything. For years the Big 12 officials have called traveling where there was none. They also consistently call fouls on a defender who is merely defending his space.

One time, they called a walk on Blake as two OSU defenders pushed him. Blake has every right to stand in his spot and look for someone to pass the ball to, but as the defenders bodied up against him, they shoved him out of his space and he walked. In the rest of the college basketball world, that's a foul on OSU. Not in the Big 12.

I'm not saying that just about OU, but in the way that the Big 12 officiates in general. I think that's one of the biggest reasons why Big 12 teams struggle in the tourney. They're expecting fouls to be called that aren't fouls and committing fouls that aren't called in Big 12 action.

Frozen Sooner
1/27/2009, 12:42 AM
Are we the first in the country to 20 wins? I think we are.

8timechamps
1/27/2009, 12:43 AM
Great, great win.

I really am starting to get the feeling that this is a special team. Final Four special.

One thing I've taken from the last few games is that we are good (and getting better) from the free throw line, especially when it matters.

Nice post 04.

And for the record, it was gerbils...not ferrets. Not that I kept track.

King Crimson
1/27/2009, 12:44 AM
I think that's one of the biggest reasons why Big 12 teams struggle in the tourney. They're expecting fouls to be called that aren't fouls and committing fouls that aren't called in Big 12 action.

i think the latter is a big part of Kelvin's lack of success in the NCAA....we used to beat people up in a very physical Big XII and NCAA games were not called that way...and the way we used to defend the perimeter was physical.

the NCAA tournament the perimeter is always called loose and handchecks.

8timechamps
1/27/2009, 12:48 AM
i think the latter is a big part of Kelvin's lack of success in the NCAA....we used to beat people up in a very physical Big XII and NCAA games were not called that way...and the way we used to defend the perimeter was physical.

the NCAA tournament the perimeter is always called loose and handchecks.

Yep. This is true of most conferences other than the Big XII, and maybe the Mountain West (but who really watches MWC bball? Ok, I'll admit it...I do).

soonerhubs
1/27/2009, 12:51 AM
Just got back from the game. That is one noisy place. My wife and I were afraid we may make someone in that hostile crowd angry as we cheered for all the plays that went the Sooners' way. Blake is just amazing to watch, and the rest of the team is solid. I was frustrated to see so many turnovers, but oh well. I laughed every time the crowd booed when their thugs were called for Bear Hugs and all the other thuggish hits they took at OUr superstar. As if it wasn't a foul or something.

Making the tickets free was a two edged sword. We enjoyed the game in person, but you wouldn't believe the crowd of students that arrived due to free admissions! It was a mad house.

Sooner04
1/27/2009, 12:54 AM
Good on you, Hubler, for making the trip. The wife put her foot down, otherwise I would've skated up there.

Salt City Sooner
1/27/2009, 12:56 AM
When you embrace an orange that looks like Cheez Whiz, you begin to question your very existence.
I'll take siggy's waiting to happen for $500, Alex. :D

Ton Loc
1/27/2009, 01:19 AM
What a great game.

My Thoughts:

One of my favorite parts of the game was the beginning of the second half where OSU was called for 5 straight fouls. Funny thing is, they were all fouls and they committed them in the middle of the floor. It was if OSU thought there was no way they could be called for five straight. I thought the crowd or the coach was going to mob the refs. :P

Also, Bryon Eaton is one crazy bball player. I can see why OSU fans have a love/hate relationship with him. I would pull my hair out if he was on our team.

Juan Patillo - please play him more. Those dunks were nasty and the defense was outstanding at times. He is going to be great by the end of the year.

AJ - He came up HUGE again. That last 3 he hit was super clutch and he was at least 8-10 feet behind the line. :eek:

Blake Griffin - Another great game. I loved seeing the Thunder GM there. Makes me happy to think about BG staying in state.

Another great road win. We are going to run them out of the gym when they come to Norman. :D

the_ouskull
1/27/2009, 01:34 AM
Also, Bryon Eaton is one crazy bball player. I can see why OSU fans have a love/hate relationship with him. I would pull my hair out if he was on our team.


He WAS... a couple of months ago, going by the name of Austin Johnson. However, in the case of the real Slim Shady; OUR Austin Johnson:

http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/grail/jpgs/villager.jpg

He got better.

the_ouskull

Hella Sideburns
1/27/2009, 03:50 AM
seeing patillo flying around like someone let the air out of a whoopie cushion was a beautiful thing.

seeing him do it against OSU, in Stillwater, was even sweeter

Harry Beanbag
1/27/2009, 07:16 AM
Pattillo playing like that makes this team really really good. I still shake my head when Leary is on the floor though.

oumartin
1/27/2009, 07:19 AM
Did anyone else notice the one time Eaton was shooting 2 free throws and he makes the first one and I believe AJ stepped into the lane and Eaton bowed his chest and Walked right through him. I was like WTF. Why is the person shooting the free throw walking down the lane shoving a guy. They definately tried to intimidate and by physical.

Well this OU team can also be physical and it seems regardless of the circumstances they don't get rattled. This team expects to win!

Partial Qualifier
1/27/2009, 07:27 AM
As I'm watching Patillo talk noise to the aggies as he's stroking his last set of free throws, I'm thinking "this guy probably makes the game 3x more fun for his teammates."

okienole3
1/27/2009, 08:52 AM
As I'm watching Patillo talk noise to the aggies as he's stroking his last set of free throws, I'm thinking "this guy probably makes the game 3x more fun for his teammates."

I was thinking the same thing. I guess we will never know the whole story on Patillo. I don't think that I buy the story that he just decided to come out of redshirt. Surely there is more to that story. Regardless, he is playing and he makes us much better.

I have another plus.....Jeff Capel. The way he substitutes for Blake, as was pointed out on the broadcast last night, is simple but brilliant. Also, slowly but surely the bench is coming together. Patillo helps out a ton and Capel has done a great job of working him in and getting him minutes since the Texas game.

A minus......Ron Franklin. The dude has lost it. I remember when Franklin and Sunvold were the best crew out there. Franklin is just awful now.

picasso
1/27/2009, 10:23 AM
Eddie Muenster, heh. You know I used to play horse with Kieton when he was a little tyke in Hominy. The only way I could beat him was by going outside his range.
Sidorkis' old man is the Super at Southern Hills. Must be rough.

primetime43
1/27/2009, 10:38 AM
My favorite quote of the night is when Fran said it's going to take more than Moses to guard Griffin... it's going to take Jacob and Issau too! That was awesome.

Thank you Austin Johnson! You were an assassin last night!

Juan Patillo is going to be huge for this team. He can flat out jump out of the gym. I can't wait for him and Damion James to go at it.

cheezyq
1/27/2009, 10:43 AM
i think the latter is a big part of Kelvin's lack of success in the NCAA....we used to beat people up in a very physical Big XII and NCAA games were not called that way...and the way we used to defend the perimeter was physical.

the NCAA tournament the perimeter is always called loose and handchecks.

I completely agree. But it wasn't just Kelvin, either. Big 12 teams have had the unfortunate label of being "physical" (read: not-talented) for decades. Heck, we still have to shed that label. Although with players like Durant, Beasley, and Griffin choosing to play in the Big 12, that label is slowly fading.

badger
1/27/2009, 11:23 AM
(this is NP)

OSU BBall is dead to me while Ford is coaching there. No matter how idiotic and asinine the Suttons were, they never put up with the crap that the OSU players pulled on the court last night. Cheap shots, talking trash while down 15, thuggery, and poor sportsmanship. I used to cheer for them when they weren't playing us, but that will stop. Watching Eaton kick Crocker in the ribs while he was down was too much.

soonerhubs
1/27/2009, 11:28 AM
(this is NP)

OSU BBall is dead to me while Ford is coaching there. No matter how idiotic and asinine the Suttons were, they never put up with the crap that the OSU players pulled on the court last night. Cheap shots, talking trash while down 15, thuggery, and poor sportsmanship. I used to cheer for them when they weren't playing us, but that will stop. Watching Eaton kick Crocker in the ribs while he was down was too much.

I feel the same way. Those players should be ashamed of the way they played. Playing physical is much different than intentionally trying to injure players.

RonMexico7
1/27/2009, 11:44 AM
MINUSES:

2. Turnovers: 23. Several of those came at times when we really stood a chance of separating ourselves from the Aggies.


Thanks for the post 04. I'll add another plus:

Rebounding: Blake single-handedly out-rebounded the entire aggy team 19-16. Overall we had a rebounding edge of 37-16.

This in my mind was what was able to overcome the high turnover count in this one. I'm not too worried about turnovers becoming a trend. All the little guys swarming around slapping at the ball and reaching into passing lanes caused several of those (11 aggy steals). However, we were able to take advantage of the size difference on the boards to overcome the turnover margin.

Another poster mentioned the potential for a Patillo and Damion James match up. I thought one of the big advantages we had over texas in the first half of our game was how well we matched up with them. We were able to guard their big white stiffs with our athletic forwards, while still maintaining speed at the 2/3 spot. I think if we use Patillo at guard more, we give Damion somebody more his size to guard instead of trying to guard A.J.....However it plays out, it should be exciting.

Sooner04
1/27/2009, 12:01 PM
I didn't list rebounding as a plus because there were a couple of times in the second half where we let a couple defensive boards slip through our fingers and it directly led to points.

I'm a little petty over stuff like that, but we were awfully good otherwise.

OUSKINS
1/27/2009, 12:06 PM
Again, superb analysis 04, I have very little to add, other than these two little nuggets:

--Maybe I've missed it, but we seem to have an official word on why Crocker wears the sleeves-- it violates NCAA rules, but he apparantly has been granted a waiver due to a medical condition that leaves him unable to stay warm....basically, he's always cold. I think he now qualifies for a nicknmae...have at it.

--OSU's small town white boy is better than OU's small town white boy, but OU's small town white boy has better hair. Not that I pay attention to such things.....

Soonerus
1/27/2009, 12:18 PM
OU's road wins this year with relative ease have been amazing...special year...

OUSKINS
1/27/2009, 01:28 PM
Battling cabin fever today, so I decided to go ahead and add some analysis:

I guess I am now officially set up for a letdown, because I really "believe" in this OU team. Before the year, I knew they'd be good-- top 15 type of team. Early in the year, I knew they had a chance to be more than good-- a top 5-8 type of team. After watching them over the past couple of weeks, I now FIRMLY belieive they are one of the 4 best teams in the country.

I think we're right there with Duke, UNC, and Pitt. I believe OU is better than UCONN, Wake Forest, etc.... Of course, there are any number of teams that "could" beat OU in a one game situation. By no means am I declaring that we're some sort of unbeatable force and the three teams mentioned above may still be better than we are. But the point is that this OU team has a good chance to win a national title as any team since 1988. The Final Four SHOULD be the goal.

--I really like what Travis Ford is doing at OSU. That's a fun style to watch and I think by playing that style, he gives his current roster their best chance to compete. They are never out of a game, and I have a feeling they are going to squeek into the Tournament this year and maybe give someone a scare.

--But much like Baylor, an up-tempo game is NOT beneficial against OU. Blake had a lot of "space" on the floor last night and took advantage. Easy buckets, great passes, and he totally frustrated the OSU players who attempted to guard him. The cheap shots keep coming at Blake by the way...I really think teams are trying to get him to "snap." If he does, someone is going down, but it may cost the Sooners, so hopefully Blake continues to take it in stride. But at some point, if I were Capel I just might take one of our little used bench guys and send a message right back to someone. Some of the hits Blake is taking are total bush league.

--Longar Longar, Nate Carter, and now Austin Johsnon. Those three players the MAIN reasons I love coach Capel. The guy obviously knows how to recruit star high school players, which is necessary. But he is also showing a great knack for having marginal or underachieving players improve drastically under his watch. Capel seems to get the most of the guys-- and AJ has been phenomenal since Big 12 play started. They kept mentioning it last night, and I think it's true-- he is first team all Big 12 material right now-- he's been better than AJ Abrahms, and even Curtis Jerrells so far. By FAR the biggest moment last night was after OSU cut the lead to 1 and AJ responded with that dagger of a deep three pointer. That totally took the life out of the Cowboys and we never looked back.

--The Chupacabra! What else can you say? Adding Patillo is like making a deal in the NBA at the trade deadline. How many college teams significantly IMPROVE the rotation at mid-season? Talk about a ringer. My goodness that guy is athletic and he looks like a real in-your-face defender. And it's funny, but it looks like adding Patillo may actually HELP Davis. I think there is a little less pressure on Cade to be "the man" off the bench and he can just sort of do what he does out there. And I'll say it again, Davis is a GREAT rebounder for his size and where he plays on the floor. Again, he was second on the team (tied) in boards behind Blake.

I still don't see us going 16-0 in confernece, but I'm also having a really hard time seeing anyone beat us right now...I think OU would have to basically not show up in order to drop a game at this point. Maybe at Baylor or Texas?

We play in Ames Saturday, which shouldn't be an issue. However, Craig Brackens may be the best player in the country no one knows about. He's just about as big as Blake, but he has more of an outside game. He lit up Kansas for 42 points and 14 boards last week-- apparantly, the NBA scouts are all over him. The rest of Iowa State's team stinks, but I suppose if Brackens gets going and we play sluggish (which we usually do in Ames), then the Cyclones could give us a game.

cheezyq
1/27/2009, 01:28 PM
Pattillo playing like that makes this team really really good. I still shake my head when Leary is on the floor though.

Pattillo is that perfect 'tweener that gives us even more athleticism than before. He's versatile. I'd like to see how well he shoots the outside shot, but I guess I can live with layups and dunks, too. :) I honestly think he ties this whole team together and can be the one missing piece to put us into the level of a Duke/UConn.

Regarding Leary, I think he's fine for what we ask of him. He's the 9th player in the rotation (with the addition of Pattillo) and is just there to spell the guards when things get hectic and does a little cleanup at the end of a blowout. He handles the ball well and doesn't turn the ball over. He'll make an occasional shot or two when needed. Really, he's perfect for the role he plays.

What's great about this team is that they've faced nearly every type of team, and nearly every type of challenge, and have won every time. There is no panic in this team. They're confident and even when things get a little bumpy, they have the right players to dig deep and pull off a dagger shot, or get the ball in low to have Blake take control.

We have essentially everything we need to go all the way - a superstar, a strong inside presence, guards that can handle the ball and drive the lane, guards that can shoot threes, good athletes at every position, guys that do the dirty work, great coaching and now - depth. Our depth isn't necessarily filled with guys that can take over a game, but they are filled with role players that can fill key spots to keep our starters fresh and keep another teams from making a run. Guys like Ryan Wright, Cade Davis, and Omar Leary won't be stars, but they fill the right spots. And Pattillo is a great guy to have come off the bench.

I'm gaining in confidence with this team with every game I watch. Even when they aren't playing well, they still find a way to win.

Bourbon St Sooner
1/27/2009, 02:04 PM
Why is it when OSU cut the lead to 1 that I just wasn't worried about losing this game (OK, maybe marginally worried)? AJ is just money right now. It's unbelievable some of the shots he's made in the clutch in the past few weeks. If that continues for 2 more months, we're going to be a real tough out.

20 wins before the calendar turns to February.

Overtime
1/27/2009, 03:33 PM
--The Chupacabra! What else can you say? Adding Patillo is like making a deal in the NBA at the trade deadline. How many college teams significantly IMPROVE the rotation at mid-season? Talk about a ringer. My goodness that guy is athletic and he looks like a real in-your-face defender. And it's funny, but it looks like adding Patillo may actually HELP Davis. I think there is a little less pressure on Cade to be "the man" off the bench and he can just sort of do what he does out there. And I'll say it again, Davis is a GREAT rebounder for his size and where he plays on the floor. Again, he was second on the team (tied) in boards behind Blake.


So true. I doubt there's a player on the team that isn't happy Juan is playing. Davis looked great out there last night; he makes a great 7th man. Leary always makes me nervous but he doesn't actually turn the ball over as much as it looks like he's going to. Next game, if Willie isn't in foul trouble like he was this time, I'd like to see him play point when AJ is resting and give Gamma Ray some of those minutes that Omar's been getting.

ouleaf
1/27/2009, 04:41 PM
I really like the energy and more importantly the versatility Pattillo brings. He's gonna be a bigger factor as he starts getting more minutes. Only criticisms of last night were some suspect transition D towards the end, and we need a little work at passing out of double teams or triple teams for Blake.

I'd like to see some more screens set up for either AJ or Warren. I think that will help give the offense a few more wrinkles for defenses to deal with.

OU1988
1/27/2009, 04:58 PM
Love the recap.

okienole3
1/27/2009, 07:48 PM
(this is NP)

OSU BBall is dead to me while Ford is coaching there. No matter how idiotic and asinine the Suttons were, they never put up with the crap that the OSU players pulled on the court last night. Cheap shots, talking trash while down 15, thuggery, and poor sportsmanship. I used to cheer for them when they weren't playing us, but that will stop. Watching Eaton kick Crocker in the ribs while he was down was too much.

I am pretty sure it was that Moses guy that kicked Crocker, but the point remains. They are cheap and have lost a lot of class in the post-Sutton era.