Battle for Atlantis Tourney

[Sooner95]

I'm looking forward to this tourney. Little Sooner hoops and good basketball during the Turkey break!

http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=209604790

Bracket below

http://www.soonersports.com/pdf9/2762608.pdf

Loaded with some good teams, should be a nice early test to see where we stand.

[Soonerjeepman]

yes, definite good teams. Ucla then possible UNC...wow. It'll be interesting to see the Fr and how they respond. I like our backcourt just fine. Need some beef down low though. We'll see.

[Sooner95]

Now with our PS ranking, I am even more intrigued of just how we fair in that holiday tourney.

[8timechamps]

OU should have a solid shot at making the final (championship) game. This team has a ton of promise, and should play well.

Winning that tourney would be a great way to get this season started (we have a few games prior, but none that we *should* lose).

This will be a fun one to watch!

When it was announced, I looked into going. If it had been any other time, I would have gone. Thanksgiving makes it too hard to go, as my extended family doesn't understand that OU hoops is just as important as football to me. May not quite as important, but it's a close second.

[Soonerjeepman]

I LOVE OU hoops, course I have played recreational for 30 years and coach HS....just "my" sport vs football. I don't miss an OU fball game and grew up on it, but hoops is awesome.

Excited to see how we do. I like Lattin's length...he'll get better as he gets older.

Are Cole and Mankin going to even play regular season? they got some time early in exhibition but not sure if that was just exhibition or not

[SoonerorLater]

I too am looking forward to hoops time. Lattin looks like a very good prospect. A natural 4 who looks to have a jumper to stretch the floor to go with his game in the paint. They say 6' 9" but his wingspan makes him look even longer.

[8timechamps]

I LOVE OU hoops, course I have played recreational for 30 years and coach HS....just "my" sport vs football. I don't miss an OU fball game and grew up on it, but hoops is awesome.

Excited to see how we do. I like Lattin's length...he'll get better as he gets older.

Are Cole and Mankin going to even play regular season? they got some time early in exhibition but not sure if that was just exhibition or not

Until the Thomas thing is resolved, I think we could see those two get some time. Maybe in some of the lopsided games. If/when Thomas gets cleared, I don't know that we'll ever see them.

[birddog]

Ok, the battle is finally here. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be parked in front of the toob hoping we limit dumb turnovers that cost us the Creighton game. Ucla is one of the biggest names in college ball and its a great chance to get a good win on the tourney resume. I like this team but they don't finish games out, going back to last season. I'm still bitter about that loss to n Dakota. We choked that one away.

[Sooner95]

Looking forward to it as well. whole tourney has great matchups. Pretty stacked and a good set of early tests for us.

[birddog]

Dinijyl Walker has been a nice surprise. He's not afraid to drive and is strong enough to finish in the paint. I know he's expected to come off the bench but we are much deeper this year with Thomas, walker, lattin etc.

[birddog]

Game on!!! 9-6 ucla waaay early.

[birddog]

If we win, we get butler, unc if we lose.

[freshchris05]

We look ridiculous.

[birddog]

16-15 Sooners.

[birddog]

26-21 Sooners. 550 left in half

[Soonerjeepman]

first off...have been watching...

#1 these announcers are so pro ucla not even funny...

#2...cousins AGAIN driving and losing the ball...

HALF..OU up.

[Soonerjeepman]

wow...interviewing losing coach first...usually not.

[SoonerorLater]

Pretty ragged first half....for both teams.

[Sooner95]

we are good enough to beat them, this would be a nice win. (missed most of the first half)

[Sooner95]

Wow, catching up with the box score. to many 3pt shots. Drive ot the whole, get the frontcourt involved.

[Soonerjeepman]

frickin push off by the tall white stork

[Sooner95]

Good timeout here.

[Soonerjeepman]

again..these fUvking announcers...

[Sooner95]

frickin push off by the tall white stork haha..nice

[Soonerjeepman]

Good timeout here.

surprised K called it..lol

[Sooner95]

Their length is killing us. Need to attack, use the pump fake.

[Soonerjeepman]

course we are killing ourselves by shootin outside against the zone.

Gesus age christ...seriously? "you can retreat as long as you keep your position.." another ex of the bias announcing

[Soonerjeepman]

umm...no that shot was not "all net"...

I normally don't GAS about announcing but these clowns are so far up ucla's butt...wow

[Soonerjeepman]

Wow, catching up with the box score. to many 3pt shots. Drive ot the whole, get the frontcourt involved.

5/25 I believe, maybe 6/26 with booker's last one

[Soonerjeepman]

yes jay bials...it was waved off because it was GOAL TENDING....

[Sooner95]

Pile up the fouls! And yes these announcers are loving them some bruins..

[Soonerjeepman]

at least they have foul trouble...

[Sooner95]

True, nit going to matter if we can't make anything... this is frustrating.

[Sooner95]

FEELING IT!!

[Soonerjeepman]

wow, I thought it was going to get ugly...lol we got away with some pushing....and getting some fouls called for us.

[Soonerjeepman]

cmon sooners

[birddog]

Nice kick by Thomas.

[birddog]

Up 3. 448 left

[Sooner95]

Big shot there by Hield..

[Sooner95]

YES YES YES. Close it out boys!

[SoonerorLater]

I think we best be hittin some free throws

[birddog]

Yeah!!! Head strong in 2nd half. Really proud of the boys.

[Sooner95]

Kickass!! Nice win! 75-65 OU

Get Butler tomorrow @1pm est in the semis.

Well done!

[Soonerjeepman]

very nice win...

[Soonerjeepman]

I think we best be hittin some free throws

came through...5/6? under 1 min...I think

[Sooner95]

Wisc had no problem. FL/Gtown in a battle

[Sooner95]

FL/Gtown to OT.

[Salt City Sooner]

G-town nipped UF by 1.

[Sooner95]

Nice first half by OU. 36-24 over Butler at the half.

[Sooner95]

44-28 OU 10min to go.

[Sooner95]

Time to close them out boys!

[birddog]

Score?

[SoonerorLater]

A really nice duke it out kind of win for OU.

[Sooner95]

Final 59-46. We get winner of G'town/Wisconsin in tomorrows championship game.

[mojorisen2014]

I'm pretty jacked for tomarrows game

[hawaii 5-0]

Nice to see the Sooners keep up the pressure in the 2nd half. They guarded the three very well.


5-0

[Sooner95]

Got our work cut out for us tomorrow against #2 Wisconsin. I'm pretty happy with our results so far in this tourney. Beating the Badgers would be icing on the cake.

[SoonerMarkVA]

umm...no that shot was not "all net"...

I normally don't GAS about announcing but these clowns are so far up ucla's butt...wow

Agreed. Especially that color guy. I wanted to punch him in the mouth.

And then it continued with the Butler game, which made me think they're just up anti-OU's butt.

[Eielson]

Cousins has been great this tournament. If we win here, I'm sure they'll make Hield the MVP, but Cousins has been big for us. He's still shaky offensively late in games, but he's been great in every other aspect.

[SoonerorLater]

Cousins has been great this tournament. If we win here, I'm sure they'll make Hield the MVP, but Cousins has been big for us. He's still shaky offensively late in games, but he's been great in every other aspect.

Yes he has been very good. I'm wondering how Kruger is going to find a way to keep him on the floor against Wisconsin. I don't know if we can play 3 guards for extended periods of time. This is going to be a really tough personnel match-up for OU.

[Eielson]

Yes he has been very good. I'm wondering how Kruger is going to find a way to keep him on the floor against Wisconsin. I don't know if we can play 3 guards for extended periods of time. This is going to be a really tough personnel match-up for OU.

What kind of lineup changes were you thinking?

I think Cousins can pull off playing the 3 pretty well for a guard against a team like Wisconsin. He gives up a little size down low, but he's got long arms, and he really battles down there. This is probably the toughest team we've had since Hollis was here, and I think Cousins is leading that charge. Another plus is that he's athletic enough that he'll almost always be able to get in position. I think Cousins' numbers will inevitably drop off in conference play, but I wouldn't be shocked if he was our 2nd leading rebounder, and perhaps even lead out starting lineup in blocked shots.

I'm not saying you're wrong about adding more size, though. I'm just not sure who would fit in that role. I don't feel comfortable with moving any of our bigger guys out to the perimeter. I think size is the big limitation of this team.

[SoonerorLater]

I'm not saying you're wrong about adding more size, though. I'm just not sure who would fit in that role. I don't feel comfortable with moving any of our bigger guys out to the perimeter. I think size is the big limitation of this team.

That's why I'm wondering what Kruger will do. It seems when you are working with a 3 guard offense you might use full court pressure and try not to let Wisconsin turn this into a half court game. I just haven't seen any indication we are that kind of team. Not saying we can't but if it isn't something that is part of a teams DNA or it isn't something you dedicate much practice time to then it will usually create more problems than it solves. This is why Lon Kruger draws a bigger paycheck than me.

[birddog]

9-5 wiscy.

[birddog]

12-12. 8 left in half.

[birddog]

24-23 OU. 5 mins left

[birddog]

Woodard playing a great game. Hes got great vision. 33-32 OU. Close to half.

[birddog]

34-33 wiscy at half. Hield and cousins were ice cold in first half.

[SoonerorLater]

Odd first half. I would have thought OU would have suffered more on the defensive side than on offense. We've been very effective in the paint. 13 turnovers in a half is waaaaay too many to win a game like this. Announcer was saying that other than the turnovers OU has played a really good first half. That's reminds me of the saying "other than that how did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln"?

[SoonerorLater]

Pretty awful basketball.

[birddog]

Been watching arky and mizzou. Just saw were down 15? Dang.

[SoonerorLater]

Turnover, turnover, turnover

[SoonerorLater]

Story of the game. OU 21 turnovers. EOM

[Sooner95]

Yea, to many turnovers. hard to compete with a top ranked team playing that way.

Having said that, we did pretty well at this tourney, knocking off a couple of pretty good teams. We should come out of this back in the top25, and I'm pretty confident we can roll thru our remaining Non-conf schedule.

[Mookie91]

Scary thing for me is Buddy has that look about him, the look of a guy who thinks he's a scorer but is more of a gunner. Just need that go to guy.

[Eielson]

Wisconsin is to college basketball what K-State is to college football. You never walking away feeling like they beat you. You feel like you beat yourself. It's just what they do.

[hawaii 5-0]

True that.

I was in Wisconsin 2 years ago and my bro in law pointed out that when a Badger player makes a turnover he is automatically pulled and has to ride the pine for awhile.

Ever since I've been watching for this action every time I see the Badgers play. It still happens.

Cuts down on turnovers.

I've used the Kansas State analogy as well. Sound solid teamwork with few mistakes.

It coulda been much worse if Kamisky had stayed in the whole first half. Now it gives the Sooners an idea of what they need to improve.

5-0

[Soonerjeepman]

well, not great...but not horrible. To lose to the number 2 team in the country. Wisc has size and play smart ball...bigs can shoot. I like the analogy, Eielson had...def don't beat themselves.

It seems our shooters, get in the mode every now and then...catch and shoot...no matter what.

Cousin's...hmm....I don't somtimes he does good others...ugh...the dribble in on a 1/4 break..him being the 1 isn't smart.

Interesting to see how things go. I'm not sure we'll make top 25. Creighton loss is hurting.

[Eielson]

I'm as enthusiastic about this team as I've been since Blake left. Our biggest question mark is size, and that tournament was loaded with talented bigs. Come next NBA draft, Looney, Decker, and Kaminsky may all have their name called in the first 15 picks. I'm not going to pretend like we dominated those guys, but our bigs weren't the issue. The only reason we didn't come out of there with hardware was because Hield went 2-11, Cousins went 3-11, and Woodard went 1-4. I just don't see that lasting. I know Wisconsin is going to beat us in the turnover department, and they don't allow many easy shots, but that was the perfect storm of horrendous shooting from our best scorers. Even the uncontested shots weren't falling. That's just bad luck.

I think we've all seen this as a Sweet 16 team since last year ended. Who's to say we won't win a Sweet 16 matchup, though? Wisconsin is a Final 4 caliber team, and if they came into Norman a couple weeks from now, I'm not putting any money on them. This is the best defense we've played since Sampson was here, and the shots are bound to start falling eventually.