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



Sooner04
3/7/2009, 08:05 PM
Oof.

We didn't play very well today. We shot well, but we didn't play well. If James Anderson wanted to score, he did. If E-tahn wanted to get into the paint, he did. I give O-State credit for responding to every run we threw at them. It seemed like we'd bump our lead to nine, ten or 11 often in the second half only to glance at the scoreboard a minute later and see the margin had shrunk to five or six.

I give our guys all the credit in the world for fighting when their backs were against the wall. I hear you now, "04, how were their backs against the wall when they led for the final 31 minutes?" I read you loud and clear, but you could tell we were struggling. There were so many crucial possessions where we scored when leading by four or five. Empty trips there, and the Aggroids could come down and REALLY make things interesting. As good as Blake was today, and he was incredible, he had help from his supporting cast.

Omar Leary hit two clutch threes; both of them came after O-State cut the lead to five. His bombs pushed it back to eight. The crowd got restless earlier when the Aggies cut it to seven, but Taylor brings them to their feet with a monstrous "and one" dunk. Three-point game with less than two minutes to go, and Austin Johnson goes to the line and calmly sinks two free throws to keep the orange-clad goobers at bay.

Three seniors. 32 points and 11 rebounds. James Anderson had 37, but he had no help. Blake had 33, but he had his seniors, and THEY were the difference in our 82-78 victory today.

I felt dirty rooting for the Longhorns in Lawrence, but I wanted a share of the conference pie. I'd like to add to that banner, but I think we might add to another one and right a wrong if we take care of our business. Oklahoma City should be a ton of fun.


SCORING BREAKDOWN:
1st - 17 [Once I was swimming 'cross Turtle Creek.]
2nd - 25 [Man, them snappers all around my feet.]
3rd - 20 [Sure was hard swimming 'cross that thing.]
4th - 20 [With both hands holdin' my ding-a-ling-a-ling.]


LEADING SCORERS:
33 - Blake Griffin [animal, and Drexler-esque on that lonesome dunk.]
15 - Taylor Griffin [rare in a game involving Blake, but he had the dunk of the day.]
11 - Austin Johnson
11 - Willie Warren [and the coup de grace at the end. his trey made it 82-76.]

LEADING REBOUNDERS:
14 - Blake Griffin
7 - Taylor Griffin
3 - Tony, Austin and Cade


PLUSES:
1. Resiliency: The reports of our demise may not be completely exaggerated, but we're not the team we were a month ago. Can we get it back? I don't know. Will the Crock Pot ever cook again? Will the Chupacabra ever come back out of hibernation? These questions have yet to be answered, but in spite of all that, we banded together and made the plays down the stretch. We could've sulked, lost this game and entered the postseason in a death spiral. Instead, we're the #2 seed in the RUGGED ;) Big 12 Conference.

2. Blake Griffin: 33 and 14 in what was probably his last game as a Sooner inside the Lloyd Noble Center. What's better? 9-13 from the charity stripe. Those freebies were huge.

3. Taylor Griffin: I've often compared O-State's frontcourt to a bunch of clowns piling out of a Volkswagen, but Taylor's still got to be competent enough to put together a solid game. Today he delivered in big fashion. 15 and seven on Senior Day. Delicious.

4. Austin Johnson and Omar Leary: Our starting senior backcourt was really good. They weren't as aggressive as I'd like, but they protected the basketball. We turned it over 21 times in Stillwater, but only 15 times today. Our two starters accounted for a measly two. And they hit big shots too, with Omar's particularly troubling for the Aggies.

5. James Anderson: The dude has been awesome lately, and he was awesome today. That said, go home, loser.


MINUSES:
1. Aggressiveness: Taylor seemed to get the memo, but everyone else seemed reluctant to attack. When the started trapping us at half-court, I desperately wanted to see us take it right to the rim. Taylor did it a couple of times, but most of the time we allowed them to reset and we had a real tough time getting good looks late in the second half. In Stillwater, we kept them at bay during that stretch by turning the game into a dunking contest. I thought we had to work too hard today. We'll probably see the orange tie brigade again on Thursday, so maybe we'll work on that.

2. Tony Crocker: Last two games.......four points.

3. The Chupacabra: I used to say Tony was the difference, but I think it's Juan. When he brings energy off the bench and puts up 10 and 7, we become a MUCH better basketball team.


And, with that, the regular season is complete. 27-4 and 13-3 in the RUGGED ;) Big 12 Conference. I think our guys felt like they left a few things on the table, but we're far from through. In the grand scheme, all our major goals are still out there. Win the Big 12 Tournament, and you're probably looking at a 1-seed or the #1 2-seed. We've made a Final Four from that perch, and this team has all the pieces to make it to Detroit.

There may be some hints of doom and gloom surrounding the program, but I think they're overblown. We lost one game with Blake in 2009, one game to a team that failed to lose a game at home. We've battled through adversity, and it's time to wipe the slate clean and get down to grittiest of the nitty business. The marathon is over, it's time for the sprint. It'll be weeks before we play a team that we shouldn't beat. We will not face a team we cannot beat. It's all there in front of us. Let's go out and take it.


Thank you for your time.

KC//CRIMSON
3/7/2009, 08:16 PM
Looks like we're getting Aggy again on Thursday. This time let's try and bury them early. Go straight for the jugular.

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&ATCLID=1628010&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=10410&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=

Rock Hard Corn Frog
3/7/2009, 09:55 PM
Well we will probably get Aggy again but they do have to get past ISU first. Not saying I wouldn't mind playing them again but I'm all for ISU pushing them for 40 minutes since they are wafer thin inside.

TopDawg
3/8/2009, 01:03 AM
There may be some hints of doom and gloom surrounding the program, but I think they're overblown. We lost one game with Blake in 2009, one game to a team that failed to lose a game at home. We've battled through adversity, and it's time to wipe the slate clean and get down to grittiest of the nitty business. The marathon is over, it's time for the sprint. It'll be weeks before we play a team that we shouldn't beat. We will not face a team we cannot beat. It's all there in front of us. Let's go out and take it.

The thing that worries me is that while we don't have any bad losses since the Arkansas game, we also don't have many (if any) quality wins. It's not really doom and gloom for me...just doubt. The Big XII has me confounded this year. I don't know how good it is, so it's hard for me to gauge how confident I should be with this group.

Frozen Sooner
3/8/2009, 01:21 AM
I'll answer your question, TD:

The Big 12 isn't very good. The fact that Kansas won this league shows how weak it was this year. The Beakers got beat by a bad Syracuse team (though they did beat a good Washington team.) They lost to a bad UMass. They got creamed at Michigan State. Mizzou finished third in the conference and they lost to Illinois and Xavier. Hell, we lost to a TERRIBLE Arkansas team.

I don't know what RPI says (and it probably disagrees with me) but near as I can tell the Big 12 is a slight step above the SEC this year, which is a slight step above CUSA.

TopDawg
3/8/2009, 01:40 AM
But Kansas was really young and a lot of those losses were early this year. They may still be a pretty bad team, but the Kansas team we've seen over the past month isn't the same Kansas team that lost those games you mentioned.

I mean, I'm inclined to agree with you that it's not as good as we might think...but at the same time I'm not sure. It's something I've been worried about all year...that our conference was going to leave us ill-prepared for tourney time. Now that tourney time is here, I'm hoping it's not true.

tommieharris91
3/8/2009, 01:49 AM
I'll answer your question, TD:

The Big 12 isn't very good. The fact that Kansas won this league shows how weak it was this year. The Beakers got beat by a bad Syracuse team (though they did beat a good Washington team.) They lost to a bad UMass. They got creamed at Michigan State. Mizzou finished third in the conference and they lost to Illinois and Xavier. Hell, we lost to a TERRIBLE Arkansas team.

I don't know what RPI says (and it probably disagrees with me) but near as I can tell the Big 12 is a slight step above the SEC this year, which is a slight step above CUSA.

Yea, it disagrees with you. It says we're better than the Pac 10 and SEC. Pomeroy's numbers say the same thing. Both of them say there is a big dropoff between the Pac 10 and SEC.

Then again, Pomeroy sees Mizzou and Kansas as top 10 teams...

Frozen Sooner
3/8/2009, 03:24 AM
But Kansas was really young and a lot of those losses were early this year. They may still be a pretty bad team, but the Kansas team we've seen over the past month isn't the same Kansas team that lost those games you mentioned.

I mean, I'm inclined to agree with you that it's not as good as we might think...but at the same time I'm not sure. It's something I've been worried about all year...that our conference was going to leave us ill-prepared for tourney time. Now that tourney time is here, I'm hoping it's not true.

See, I'd counter that by saying Kansas magically got less young when they started playing a bunch of games in-conference.

the_ouskull
3/8/2009, 11:44 AM
Dawg, you can't believe in things like "hope" when it comes to basketball; especially when it comes to a team being prepared.

I HOPE that I'm prepared to be a good father, but, until my daughter-to-be starts crying for the first time, I'm never going to really know. Same thing with these top Big 12 teams. We HOPE that they're prepared for the tournament, but, at least in OU's case, almost every time they've gotten hit in the mouth, they've been the ones to stagger. Yeah, I'm nervous as can be over it... I don't think we're as good as our record (and a gang of posters) should lead us to believe. Without solid guard play, we're an easy out, even. Aside from Ellison #5, and AJ the Mad Bomber, Patillo has started playing like a guy who has realized that he was playing way over his head when he first suited up. Without good/great play from those three, we're a middle-of-the-pack team at best, even with 30-20 games from Blake. Do I LIKE that fact? God, no. Am I more comfortable accepting it than most? (GOD, no... :D) Yeah, I guess so, seeing as I'm one of the only ones saying it.

This may be Blake's team, but the season belongs to our guards...

the_ouskull

NMSooner'80
3/8/2009, 01:38 PM
I'd rather pound them, but in a way it's almost more fun to dangle victory in front of their Pistol Pete faces and snatch it away. Just look at this one idiot's comments on the Tulsa World's site (comments board below a Bedlam story):


" crybaby st-OOPS!, (3/7/2009 5:13:56 PM)
Good game for the POKES. We'll see them in the tourney again no doubt. Gotta give the refs props for keeping Oklahoma in it. 2 times under the basket papa gooner (griffin) walked like 5 steps then the no call on the arm bar from Taylor after his bro just got called for it. Truly a lucky game for OU. That in itself is three posessions and would've been different final score but what can you expect right. GO POKES!! You got robbed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

crybaby st-OOPS!, (3/7/2009 5:20:56 PM)
Anyhow...Cowboys have always been the better basketball team and Oklahomans know it. But to ask one conceited O-Who fan/alum right now, you'd think they've been tops in this STATE for the last 20 years. Once a gooner always a gooner. Puhh-leez! Go COWBOYS beat 'em in tha tourney where it matters!OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO......SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSS..... ....UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU COWBOYS!!!!! "

OUSKINS
3/8/2009, 07:32 PM
I'll echo many others saying some serious doubt has crept in-- not outright pessimism, but doubt to be sure.

--I got a text from a friend at halftime of the game on Saturday and he was bemoaning our lack of effort. I disagreed with him and stand by it: Our effort against Mizzou was pathetic, but we played very hard on Saturday-- guys were hustling and doing their best. We just simply aren't nearly as sharp or fluid as we were 3-4 weeks ago. So, the obvious question becomes "why?"

--AJ and Warren were better on Saturday, but not where they need to be. I actually don't worry about Willie very much though-- I trust him and his three late in the game against OSU is why I trust him so much. In EVERY instance this year where we've really, really needed him to step up, he's gotten the job done. I think he's a gamer and I think we'll get good production out of him the tournaments. I'm also hopeful, although less confident, that AJ will return to at least some form of his earlier play this year.

--Crocker has me seriously worried. We all know he's an inconsistent player, but right now he is inside of a slump, wrapped up in a funk, stuffed inside a malaise, topped with a heaping hunk of self-doubt. I hate saying this about college kids, but he is just downright awful right now. He's trying...I could see that on Saturday. He knows his shot isn't falling, so he tries to creat and drive the ball-- but those drives almost always have disasterous results (charge, wild shot, etc.) He is killing us basically every time he touches the ball.

And at this point, there is little that Capel or anyone else can do. I don't think Crocker needs a seat on the bench or tough love-- it's too late in the year for that. All Capel can do is pat him on the back, try to keep his head up, and hope that the "good Crocker" returns sometime soon-- or at leas the "so so" Crocker.

--Also curious about Patillo-- he was a beast after his first few games, but now he's much less active all of a sudden. Not sure what that's about-- but this is a spot where I think Capel needs to maybe just roll the dice and give him more minutes---we've seen the difference he can make, and he can't make it from the bench.

--Davis and Leary do everything they can-- both have played well lately and both are extremely hard workers out there. Cade is an excellent rebounder for his size and for his position-- he is always fighting in the paint. And Leary knows what to do-- it's just that his skills and size sometimes prevent him from doing it. Balancing their minutes over the next several games is going to be a tough challenge for Capel-- do you go with the more talented guys, or the guys who are less-skilled, but doing the right things?

--Really happy to see Taylor playing his best ball of the year-- he's doing the opposite of many of his teammates-- elevating his game down the stretch. He and Blake were a wrecking crew on Saturday and they both left good memories for the fans during their last (yes, both of them) game at the LNC.

Three weeks ago, I would have told you that I didn't care much about the B12 tourney-- I was viewing it as a nuisance---something could ony hurt us. Now, I'm thanking the hoops Gods that we have a chance to get things right before the big dance. At worst we are going to be a #2 seed on Selection Sunday, so I am much less concerned about seeding and much more concerned with HOW we play this week. We need to win this tourney to validate this season and feel good about things.

This is a great test for Capel and I think he'll have them ready.

I just want a shot a KU on Saturday night.

the_ouskull
3/8/2009, 10:14 PM
If we don't win the Big 12 tournament, I don't think we'll deserve a number one NCAA seed, regardless of what we are awarded.

the_ouskull

Pricetag
3/9/2009, 09:36 AM
--Also curious about Patillo-- he was a beast after his first few games, but now he's much less active all of a sudden. Not sure what that's about-- but this is a spot where I think Capel needs to maybe just roll the dice and give him more minutes---we've seen the difference he can make, and he can't make it from the bench.

When Patillo first started making noise, it was an embarrassment of riches--anything he did was gravy. He did it so well, though and now the guard play has dropped off to the point that now we want and need that kind of production game to game. I think there's an added level of pressure there, and it's hurting him right now.

NormanPride
3/9/2009, 09:43 AM
I think the Big 12 is better now than it was at the beginning of the season. I think it's better than the Pac-10, as well. We're a legit top 10 team, and Kansas and Mizzou are legit top 15-20.

This game, to me, was plagued by the officials. Not that they were inconsistent or wrong a lot, but the game they chose to call was not what I call basketball. A hand on the hip 25 feet from the hoop gets a call, but 12 slaps and an elbow down low is let fly. We were in the double bonus with 6 minutes left, and we weren't even trying to draw fouls. That kind of game, nobody can make a run, and nobody can get momentum. If the refs call a normal basketball game, neither Griffin nor Anderson go for 30, but I bet we win by 10+.

TopDawg
3/9/2009, 09:47 AM
Dawg, you can't believe in things like "hope" when it comes to basketball; especially when it comes to a team being prepared.

I HOPE that I'm prepared to be a good father, but, until my daughter-to-be starts crying for the first time, I'm never going to really know.

I think I made it pretty clear that I don't know WHAT to believe. I hope this is a good conference, just like you hope you're a good father. Within a couple of weeks, we'll see if that hope is well-founded or not. As for right now, I don't know what to believe.

I think your analysis of the team is right on. And, Froze, while I see what you're saying...we actually beat some good teams out-of-conference (although they might not be as good as we originally thought), so I think there's more to it than "Kansas just started playing crappy teams." Don't get me wrong...their SOS almost certainly dropped once they entered Big XII play, I just don't think it's as big a factor as you made it sound...but maybe you were just saying that for emphasis.

At any rate, although I'm nervous about this team's ability to thrive in the post-season, I'm not worried about the future of the program. At the beginning of the season, I would've been happy with a Sweet 16 berth. The only reason I'd be disappointed in not making the Final Four now is because we were blessed with a favorable schedule this year that fostered hype and made it a little easier to get caught up in it. But I like the way things are going. Once Capel gets some more of his guards in here, I think we'll be really strong.