NCAA Tournament Thread- Game 1 Sooners VS Great Danes

[Soonerjeepman]

Friday

TRU TV (ATTUverse CH - 164/165)

7:37 Eastern.....6:37 CENTRAL

Although the GD's ranks are low...they will definitely be the crowd favorites. The sad story of the guards mom dying of cancer etc will be played OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Don't get me wrong...tragedy yes, and the ncaa/espn love a good sad story...but it gets old. Once again, we'll be the "bad" guys needing to dethrone Cinderella. I've already heard one guy from cbs, albeit no one...but call for the upset.

OU needs to establish the game tempo and Spang MUST get out of his offensive funk. TT needs to play well. Yes, we can get out of our bracket to at least the Elite 8, like this season, depends on which OU team shows up!

BOOMER

* oh, go bet on Badge's vbet...I won't...when I do OU loses...sorry Badge :-)

[soonerfan69]

Will this be the year they get passed the first round?

[OUmillenium]

Wheres the bracket thread?

[aurorasooner]

So the Big 12 has 3 teams playing tomorrow. It should give us some indication about the conference and thus our game on Friday since KSU didn't make the NIT, which seems a little strange to me with all this "Best BB Conference" spew.
Part of me wants Texass to upset Butler, but I wouldn't shed a tear if they got spanked either. I wouldn't be surprised if ISU was down at the half as that's been their MO. If they come out strong in the 1st and then win in blowout, then the other tourney teams better look out.
L. Eustachy of CSU was on the news the other night being asked questions about CSU being left out and he looked like he had just thrown down a 6 pack and banged of couple of coeds at a party. I've never seen a coach that torn up about not making the Dance.
At least "Gottawallet" isn't on the broadcasting crew for any of these games and I don't know jack about any of these other broadcasters except SEC Verne.

Thursday Afternoon Window

12:40, truTV: No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 UAB (Verne Lundquist, Jim Spanarkel, Allie LaForce)

1:40, TBS: No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Georgia State (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl)

Approx. 2:45, CBS: No. 6 Butler vs. No. 11 Texas (Anderson/Smith/Johnson)

[Soonerjeepman]

yeah, it'll be interesting...I'm not really sold on Big 12-2 being the "best conference" but we'll see. I'll pull for the conf to win at least 1 game. ku's 2nd game against wsu is a big deal due to the fact that self won't play wsu...

If OU can win 2 I'll be elated. Obviously it'll be sweet to go further.

ut can be a nightmare match-up. Maybe Barnes will be accidentally locked in his hotel room...lol. talk about under achieving.

Larry E....talk about a good ol boy network. Dude was caught drinking with coeds at THE VISITORS home school after his game....and he still is coaching D1 ball...wow.

[ouflak]

I'm one of those guys who fills in loads of brackets, and one of my more obscure brackets has the Final Four participants being identical to the Big12 semifinal participants (yes, it is theoretically possible). Enough said.

[Soonerjeepman]

Lol....cool. Never know...
H
The 3's are having a tough time...hopefully OU is watching

[badger]

I'm one of those guys who fills in loads of brackets

So you were that guy who was all like nooooooo I only picked Harvard in two of my brackets! That year Harvard one. LOL that was funny :D


Sooners VS Great Danes
I once encountered an adult Great Dane. It was like staring at a miniature horse. I bet it would have been 7 feet tall if it stood on its hind legs. We weren't looking eye to eye, but he wasn't much shorter than me on all fours, either.

After we win by 30, Albany must provide two great danes to pull our Sooner Schooner. Mush, mini horses, MUSH :P

[Soonerjeepman]

Lol...nice. Every 3/14 is struggling

[Soonerjeepman]

Wow ND got lucky

[badger]

UgsdqrXNzDo

The meltdown I post later will be totally worth my busted bracket :P

[Soonerjeepman]

Lol...sure it will. Bu finally pulling away.

[SoCalBigRed]

I admit, I haven't followed much OU basketball, since that night in April... 1988.

I remember it well. One of the worst, of my life, and life altering.

It was the night I shipped off to bootcamp. I didn't get to watch much of the game. They had TV on the train, but service was spotty. I was young, cocky... made a bet with one of the other boots on the train, a Kansas fan, made our way to Chicago. We didn't get to see the end of the game and found out the score, when we arrived at the train station in Chicago.

My next memory, that stands out of that night, was my introduction to bootcamp (before you got to wear computer measured, custom-fitted, specially designed, marching boots), and they didn't care if your feelings were hurt, or how tired you were. You were less than the scum, on the bottom of their boot.

Fitting, after having to face Kansas 3 friggin' times in one season, beating them twice... then having to face off against them in the Tourney for all the marbles.

After that, its been painful disappointment, after disappointment. Sampson, the ugly exit, truths that came to light... yuck. Wanted so much, for Capel to do well. Liked him, as a player and liked the youthful enthusiasm, he said all the right things. Bah.

We're back in. I hope we do well. So used to Sampson. I don't expect we'll win... but with the bracket they're in, they have a chance to get pretty close, make some noise... look like a fresh up-and-comer to the rest of the country and help recruiting... and well, you never know.

EDIT: Oh, it was April in Great Mistakes, IL... which sits right on Lake Michigan. So had a real ugly lake, early spring storm to introduce us to our new lives.

[Soonerjeepman]

Lol....I was in ku heaven that night....next to Lawrence....prairie village ks..Johnson county. You couldn't buy a ku fan before that game. Brown rolled the dice and matched ou's hustle.

Ya would have thought it was nye...fireworks...pots pans...my phone wouldn't stop...no cell phone then. Yes it was horrible...but we've had some good seasons and great players since.

[Mookie91]

Really scared for tomorrow. Another one of those games where they go 5 minutes without scoring or Buddy has another 6-20 night and OU ends up like ISU, Baylor and Texas.

[Soonerjeepman]

Yup

[hawaii 5-0]

Ou's gonna when.

It's just a matter of 'will it be pretty or ugly' ?


5-0

[8timechamps]

The most recent spread has OU -13. I wouldn't bet on basketball if you paid me, but I think that spread is too high.

On paper, OU should have a fairly easy time with Albany, but as we've seen today, nothing is guaranteed.

I spent a little time watching some Albany highlights/games and looking through their stats, and this is what my unprofessional eyes saw:

The Danes have two main threats on offense, F Sam Rowley (6'6") and G Evan Singletary (6'1"). I'm not too concerned with Rowley (although, he's arguably their best player), because I think we match up very well with the inside. Singletary is the guy we really need to keep in check. He's a 40% 3 point shooter, and isn't afraid to let 'em fly. The other guy that can cause problems is Peter Hooley (the kid that hit the final shot to get Albany in the tourney). He's also a solid shooter.

Like anytime the Sooners play a less talented team, the key will be the bench (for both teams). OU's starting 5 can outplay/outscore Albany's starting 5, but there will be bench players that are involved. OU has a huge advantage there, but again, that's no guarantee.

If we come out and play like we have the majority of the last part of the season, we'll win comfortably. If we are sluggish, or it takes Hield too long to get in his rhythm, it'll go down to the wire.

We're going to need a really good defensive performance from Thomas and Spanger to mitigate their inside game.

[8timechamps]

Really scared for tomorrow. Another one of those games where they go 5 minutes without scoring or Buddy has another 6-20 night and OU ends up like ISU, Baylor and Texas.

Albany is a good team, but they're no ISU, Baylor or even Texas. However (as all three of those teams found out), the most talented team doesn't always win. I will agree that we can't afford to let Albany stick around late in the game, so we can't have Buddy out of sync or a bad shooting night.

I'm anxious, but I'm not too worried about losing. Tashawn Thomas (during today's presser) said that he "expects the game to be close late". I don't know if he truly believes that, but it does tell me they are not overlooking Albany. I also think the last two years (really just last year) have taught these guys how to play in an opening game they are favored to win. 4 of our starting 5 know what it's like to lose to a much lower seeded team, and I suspect they won't let that happen.

[Soonerjeepman]

IF I was to bet I'd take OU, but not 13..maybe 8. Like you said, IF OU plays like we did against the Big 12 we should win but 10+. Hopefully the boys will be focused.

[Eielson]

I'm getting more excited for this game than I've been since we had Blake.

[Blue]

BOOMER!!!

Lets do this!

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I got 50 after the hour...when/where's the effing game?!?!

[Eielson]

I got 50 after the hour...when/where's the effing game?!?!

It was supposed to tip at 6:27, but got delayed until 7:00...which isn't all that uncommon in tournaments like this. It just got delayed again until 7:17. I'm not sure what the hold up is, as I don't think we're waiting on another game.

[aurorasooner]

I got 50 after the hour...when/where's the effing game?!?!don't know. Hurried home, and all I get is a bunch of talking heads yapping on TruTV...and you can tell they're picking their (*& trying to stall. I guess they had an OT game earlier or a power failure..... been watching the Stool State game until ours comes on

[Eielson]

Also, it's on TruTV...WhateverTF that is. I don't have it, so I'm streaming it through the laptop via HDMI.

You can watch it here if you don't TruTV:

http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live

[Blue]

Valpo vs Maryland went long. Reason we're late. Saul Good man!

[Eielson]

AHHHHH!! I'm so ready.

Toby Rowland setting the scene (1:39 video)...

https://soundcloud.com/sooner-radio-network/ou-albany-ncaa-scenesetter

[Blue]

Good to see Spangs made the trip. we need "Good" Spangler.

5-3 OU

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

the NCAA wrestling tourney is on ESPeNis right now as well. They're into the semifinals, and we have one wrestler. I want to see his match, but of course, don't know exactly when it will be.

[Blue]

the NCAA wrestling tourney is on ESPeNis right now as well. They're into the semifinals, and we have one wrestler. I want to see his match, but of course, don't know exactly when it will be.

Cool story bro. This is the OU march madness thread...;)

[Blue]

Play some D boys. And get in the game Buddy and Isaiah!! 16-10 OU

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

the NCAA wrestling tourney is on ESPeNis right now as well. They're into the semifinals, and we have one wrestler. I want to see his match, but of course, don't know exactly when it will be.Our wrestler still in contention for a title,Cody Brewer, just beat the undefeated guy from MN, to advance to the finals tomorrow.

[Blue]

Slooopy! Why should I be surprised? 29-23 OU. Luckily theyre not hot either. We play so dumb sometimes. 31-23 OU

[Blue]

Big 12 continues to shat the bed. peace out Ok state.

[aurorasooner]

This aussie Ohooley or Hooley or whatever his name is, has a tendency on the start of his drive to hook his elbow around the back of our defenders. Surprised he hasn't got an offensive foul yet.
Our shooting percentage can't be very good....Holy cow..Bennett needs some more minutes. Guy came to play tonight. Thought he played pretty good for his limited minutes in the Big 12 tourney, too.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Phfkk poke. Goodbye mofos

[Blue]

Uuuuugly! but up 9 at the half.

Booker, walker, and Woodard are about worthless. And Hield needs to step up.

[Mookie91]

Decent half. Thomas great half as well as Woodard. Spangs may need to see more pine in favor of Bennett and if Booker and Walker play at all in the second half I'm turning the channel. Glad to see Buddy get to the basket and not just toss threes. Gotta get a WHOLE lot better on defense and limit the "sleep walking". Albany will come out firing so OU has to weather the first 10 minutes.

[Sooner95]

Really not bad. Albany is playing off the emotion ride still, we need to just stay consistent, knock down the open shots and we will begin to pull away.

[Sooner95]

Alot of missed layups and to many 2nd chances are keeping Albany around.

[SoonerorLater]

OU is better than these guys. Just play fundamentally sound ball.

[Blue]

Woodard has regressed.

[Sooner95]

That's what we must have in the tourney. Bench players making plays when given the opportunity.

12 point lead.

[Eielson]

Outcoached and outplayed...we're just that much more talented than them.

[Eielson]

Woodard has regressed.

I ge the hate for Booker and Walker, but not Woodard.

[Eielson]

If we lose this game, I'm ready to fire Kruger on the spot.

PUT. THEM. AWAY.

[Blue]

he turns the ball over more than he does any good.

[Blue]

If he's that dumb in things we see, how much more dumb does he play in things we cant see? Nobody defends him bc they don't respect his shot. he doesn't drive enough. We'll see night and day when that pg from Oregon comes in.

[Eielson]

If he's that dumb in things we see, how much more dumb does he play in things we cant see? Nobody defends him bc they don't respect his shot. he doesn't drive enough. We'll see night and day when that pg from Oregon comes in.

No way will Pritchard beat out Woodard.

[Blue]

I like Woodard but he needs to get better. Limit the mistakes, be more confident, and hit shots.

[Sooner95]

I honestly believe, as long as we close this one out, we will have an easier time int he next game. Alot of the pressure will be off and these guys will lossen up and play a bit more free.

[BetterSoonerThanLater]

Just post up a guy at the corner so they can't shoot threes from there .

Damn

[Sooner95]

That will do it!

[Eielson]

I honestly believe, as long as we close this one out, we will have an easier time int he next game. Alot of the pressure will be off and these guys will lossen up and play a bit more free.

Perhaps, but we'll be playing legitimate teams from here on out. This was too hard to feel very good.

A win is a win, though! More than ISU, Baylor, and any one of our teams over the past 5 years can say.

[Blue]

Great win! Boomer Sooner! See ya Sunday punks!

[Sooner95]

Well, Albany was pretty scrappy, and sometimes that uncontrolled play throws teams off.

Providence or Dayton, neither scare me at all. They are decent teams, and based on how Albany played, I would guess they would struggle against them as well.

I would say,I would probably rather face Providence, so it doesn't feel like a road game...

[Mookie91]

Survival is key. Quick takeaways since old people need their rest. Positives: Thomas absolute beast, Bennett gave them a spark and they were able to weather their 4 minute no field goal stretch. Negatives: maybe the worst team in NCAA history finishing the fast break, Hield looking more and more like an overrated shooter and for the love of god quite slapping the floor your defense is still bad.

[8timechamps]

Like Mookie91 ^ said, "survival is key"!

My takeaway from this game:

Positives



Tashawn Thomas had the game of the season. He's had better games offensively and defensively, but he came up big when we needed it most.
I've been hard on Cousins for most of the time he's been at OU, but there's no question that he's very gifted and he is definitely improving. If he sticks with OU for the full four years, he's going to be a very good player. Tonight, he made some shots that were big time.
I continue to be impressed with the way Buddy and Cousins play defense. That's what made the biggest difference in this game.
Although it almost got us in trouble, Lon's decision to go to the bench early will payoff the longer we stick around in the tourney. It was a hard fought win, but we didn't wear anyone out.
I love the way this team plays. Selfless basketball. Getting over the hump and finally winning a tourney game could springboard this team.
Even though the game was close at times, I never really felt like it was close to slipping away. The few times Albany got close, we seemed to answer back (on offense and defense)
The bench looked pretty solid. I always think when two teams that look so mismatched (on paper) play, the biggest difference is with the bench players. Tonight, our bench looked much better than Albany's, and Bennett (and even Lattin) put in some quality minutes. Bennett could be key to a big run in this thing.
We won! It's been way too long since we won our first tourney game. It speaks both to the great job Kruger has done and the quality of players he's attracted to OU. While I would love to see a Final Four run, I already consider this season a success. I think most everyone will feel the same if we get to the Sweet Sixteen.


Negatives



Too many sloppy passes. This has unfortunately been an issue for this team all year. We have to clean up those little things because the further we advance, the less wiggle room there will be for sloppy play. I felt like we kept Albany in the game with some bad decisions.
It's hard to call defense a negative, because we did play good defense overall, but I hate...HATE...when we give up easy inside baskets. We should have dominated the paint all night.
Officiating - I hate basketball officiating. Way too many judgement calls. Anyway, there were some horrible calls tonight (for both teams). Fortunately, it didn't have any impact on the outcome.


Other than that, I don't really have any negatives. We certainly could have played a better game, but I think a lot of that credit goes to Albany. They are a scrappy team, a good team, and they played like it was their last game. We did a really good job of controlling the game and coming away with the W.

When we know who our next opponent is, I'll do the same thing I did for Albany and post some thoughts. Until then...enjoy the win!

[Eielson]

Buddy and Isaiah can slap the floor all they want as long as they keep leading the charge for one of the top 10 defenses in the country. We're able to survive bad shooting nights from Isaiah and Buddy because of what they bring defensively and on the boards. There isn't a better 1-2 backcourt defensive/rebounding punch in the country. I just wish that we could replace Walker and Booker with legitimate scorers, so that we could lighten their offensive load.. Hopefully some of those freshman can shoot next year.

[aurorasooner]

The bench looked pretty solid. I always think when two teams that look so mismatched (on paper) play, the biggest difference is with the bench players. Tonight, our bench looked much better than Albany's, and Bennett (and even Lattin) put in some quality minutes. Bennett could be key to a big run in this thing.


I'd like to see Lon play Bennett more and give our midgets some bench time especially if we happen to get to the 16.
Hell, I didn't even know he existed until the Big 12 tourney. A line-up of Spangs, TT, Bennett, Cousins, and Buddy might be pretty good especially against teams with trees or inserted with an early quick TO, when the Jobu magic is gone from our 3s. From what little I've seen (and that's very little), Bennett is a gamer. I don't know if he's in Lon's dog-house, maybe got the asthma which limits his on the court time, or he's just below average, especially on D, outside of about a max of 5 minutes/game.

[Sooner95]

Both Bennet and Lattin may have to play a bit more if we see Providence. They have height.

[Sooner95]

Based on what I am seeing... We should be a 6:10PM EST tipoff on TNT on Sunday.

The other Columbus matchup, WV/MD is scheudled for 8:40 EST on TNT

[Eielson]

I like Lattin more than I like Bennett. Bennett is just too soft for my liking. Bennett is a better option offensively, but neither should ever be doing anything but dunking on fast breaks/o-rebs.

[Mookie91]

Buddy and Isaiah can slap the floor all they want as long as they keep leading the charge for one of the top 10 defenses in the country. We're able to survive bad shooting nights from Isaiah and Buddy because of what they bring defensively and on the boards. There isn't a better 1-2 backcourt defensive/rebounding punch in the country. I just wish that we could replace Walker and Booker with legitimate scorers, so that we could lighten their offensive load.. Hopefully some of those freshman can shoot next year.

This is one of those times I think stats are a bit misleading. We have watched Big 12 basketball for an entire season and the tournament and the top teams appear to be offensively challenged. Watching OU play defense the last few games Cousins and Woodard do a very good job on perimeter defense but they get beat off the dribble and let the man get to the hole. Last night as Hooley went back door on Buddy was a prime example of his mental lapses, at least 3 a game, that he goes through. Spangler is just a flop machine no real interior defense from him.

I know the numbers suggest they are playing good defense but they don't pass the eye test for me. If you've watched Virginia, or even Wisconsin, those teams play very good half court defense

[Soonerjeepman]

Good = #3 seed won...by more than the other #3 seed ND. Used the bench early, TT

Bad = ugh...bad passes, missed lay-ups, officiating...

Woodard, dang sometimes he's the gamer (taking it full court with 5 seconds before half for the layup) then other time big time brain farts (several bad passes)..
Spangler - still think he's lost. He actually had a few points today and some decent passes and defense, but not the same guy he was first half of the season
TT - great game
Cousins - hit some big shots, I actually like him shooting the 3 vs buddy lately
Buddy - quietly got his 15?17? I thought he didn't jack up a bunch of 3's like he does sometimes

Bench - Booker...so so game did couple 3's, Bennett - 2 good put backs but NO your shot is not a 5 ft face up, Walker - lost again

We'll play the HOME town favorite...Dayton Flyers...new thread

Oh, Goitweeb is a total A-Hole...several times I could tell his neg bias towards OU...especially when he was telling his co-announcer what a Sooner was...made sure to add "at my school we called them landthieves"...what a prickk. Overall he adds nothing...he's smarta$$ with a mic.

[SoonerMarkVA]

Good = #3 seed won...by more than the other #3 seed ND. Used the bench early, TT

Bad = ugh...bad passes, missed lay-ups, officiating...

Woodard, dang sometimes he's the gamer (taking it full court with 5 seconds before half for the layup) then other time big time brain farts (several bad passes)..
Spangler - still think he's lost. He actually had a few points today and some decent passes and defense, but not the same guy he was first half of the season
TT - great game
Cousins - hit some big shots, I actually like him shooting the 3 vs buddy lately
Buddy - quietly got his 15?17? I thought he didn't jack up a bunch of 3's like he does sometimes

Bench - Booker...so so game did couple 3's, Bennett - 2 good put backs but NO your shot is not a 5 ft face up, Walker - lost again

We'll play the HOME town favorite...Dayton Flyers...new thread

I'm surprised not to see more discussion of this. That was some of the most incompetent officiating I can recall seeing. Maybe no one was that up in arms since their incompetence seemed to be legitimate and went both ways, but after watching that game I had to reconsider my criticism of XII officiating.

[Soonerjeepman]

lol...I totally agree. I've watched a lot of games, it's amazing how poor it is. no traveling calls, fouls (no fouls)...EVERY smack to the head is checked for a flagrant, which was NOT the intent of the rule...so much flopping.. the players know if you get hit in the head, drop immediately and roll on the floor...

I think the game has become too fast for the old guys on the court...

[Eielson]

I'm surprised not to see more discussion of this. That was some of the most incompetent officiating I can recall seeing. Maybe no one was that up in arms since their incompetence seemed to be legitimate and went both ways, but after watching that game I had to reconsider my criticism of XII officiating.

They "let them play" to a degree I haven't ever seen at such a high level. It was comparable to a pickup game. Like you said, though, it was both ways, so I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

[Eielson]

This is one of those times I think stats are a bit misleading. We have watched Big 12 basketball for an entire season and the tournament and the top teams appear to be offensively challenged. Watching OU play defense the last few games Cousins and Woodard do a very good job on perimeter defense but they get beat off the dribble and let the man get to the hole. Last night as Hooley went back door on Buddy was a prime example of his mental lapses, at least 3 a game, that he goes through. Spangler is just a flop machine no real interior defense from him.

I know the numbers suggest they are playing good defense but they don't pass the eye test for me. If you've watched Virginia, or even Wisconsin, those teams play very good half court defense

Technically, OU is now #11 on defense after yesterday's games. Virginia is #2, so yes, they are better. I never said we were the best defense in the country. There are a few teams in the country with better defenses than us (such as Kentucky and Virginia), but we're still one of the best there is. I don't think you can draw conclusions on an entire conference based one day of playing. I'd venture to say that Texas passes the eye test for you defensively (and they should, as they're the #2 defense in the Big XII), and they only come in at #22. Next is Baylor at #39, West Virginia at #46, Kansas at #59, and OSU at #84. None of the others are in the top 100. If we're an offensively-challenged conference, then those numbers suggest our defenses are also incredibly lackluster, so it's tough to make that argument unless you think we're in the worst major conference.

[Mookie91]

Technically, OU is now #11 on defense after yesterday's games. Virginia is #2, so yes, they are better. I never said we were the best defense in the country. There are a few teams in the country with better defenses than us (such as Kentucky and Virginia), but we're still one of the best there is. I don't think you can draw conclusions on an entire conference based one day of playing. I'd venture to say that Texas passes the eye test for you defensively (and they should, as they're the #2 defense in the Big XII), and they only come in at #22. Next is Baylor at #39, West Virginia at #46, Kansas at #59, and OSU at #84. None of the others are in the top 100. If we're an offensively-challenged conference, then those numbers suggest our defenses are also incredibly lackluster, so it's tough to make that argument unless you think we're in the worst major conference.

This I know for sure, there wasn't one game this year in the Big 12 that I was worried that the team OU played would shoot them out of the game. Not sure if I'd say that if we played Duke, Gonzaga, UNC, Villanova etc.. In conference play in almost every game OU seemed to on at least a 4-5 minute scoring drought and they never seemed out of the game. The OU at ISU game summed it up. I wouldn't say ISU played great second half basketball defensively, it was more offensive ineptitude.

[Eielson]

This I know for sure, there wasn't one game this year in the Big 12 that I was worried that the team OU played would shoot them out of the game. Not sure if I'd say that if we played Duke, Gonzaga, UNC, Villanova etc.. In conference play in almost every game OU seemed to on at least a 4-5 minute scoring drought and they never seemed out of the game. The OU at ISU game summed it up. I wouldn't say ISU played great second half basketball defensively, it was more offensive ineptitude.

You're right about one thing; we weren't likely to get shot out of any game. That's because we play some of the best perimeter defense in the country.

[8timechamps]

Buddy and Isaiah can slap the floor all they want as long as they keep leading the charge for one of the top 10 defenses in the country. We're able to survive bad shooting nights from Isaiah and Buddy because of what they bring defensively and on the boards. There isn't a better 1-2 backcourt defensive/rebounding punch in the country. I just wish that we could replace Walker and Booker with legitimate scorers, so that we could lighten their offensive load.. Hopefully some of those freshman can shoot next year.

Booker is hit and miss. If he's on, then he can be one of our best perimeter shooters, if he's off, he's a liability on the floor. Walker is simply too young to expect much out of right now. Unfortunately, we're not deep enough to keep him on the bench until he improved a little more. I think Walker will end up being a good player for us down the road, and Lattin is already playing well.

[8timechamps]

I'd like to see Lon play Bennett more and give our midgets some bench time especially if we happen to get to the 16.
Hell, I didn't even know he existed until the Big 12 tourney. A line-up of Spangs, TT, Bennett, Cousins, and Buddy might be pretty good especially against teams with trees or inserted with an early quick TO, when the Jobu magic is gone from our 3s. From what little I've seen (and that's very little), Bennett is a gamer. I don't know if he's in Lon's dog-house, maybe got the asthma which limits his on the court time, or he's just below average, especially on D, outside of about a max of 5 minutes/game.

I was a little surprised we didn't see more of Bennett. Keeping Thomas on the court was a no brainer considering the way he was playing, but when Spanger went to the bench early, I would like to have seen Thomas and Bennett on the floor together (I don't know that we've seen that since the regular season). Bennett has a great baseline game, and he's a better defender than Thomas, but Thomas is more physical and (I think) has a little better range.

I don't think we'll see any more of Bennett in the next game (Dayton looks very similar to Albany), but past that game (should be we fortunate enough to advance), we're definitely going to need him fresh.

[Eielson]

Walker is a Jr., so I don't expect to ever see much from him. He showed an ability to score early in the season, but I haven't seen it in a while, so I'm not optimistic. Booker is streaky, but he's off a lot more than he's on. Shooting under 30% just isn't acceptable when that's the only reason you're on the court. I really hope our two freshman coming in next year will be able to score the ball, and take some of the load off of Buddy. That, along with the development of Lattin, and the eligibility of Buford, are going to be the keys as to whether or not we can make a Final 4 run next year.

[8timechamps]

Walker is a Jr., so I don't expect to ever see much from him. He showed an ability to score early in the season, but I haven't seen it in a while, so I'm not optimistic. Booker is streaky, but he's off a lot more than he's on. Shooting under 30% just isn't acceptable when that's the only reason you're on the court. I really hope our two freshman coming in next year will be able to score the ball, and take some of the load off of Buddy. That, along with the development of Lattin, and the eligibility of Buford, are going to be the keys as to whether or not we can make a Final 4 run next year.

That's right, I forget he was a JUCO kid. Well, that pretty much tells you everything you need to know. If he hasn't "figured it out" by now, the chances are pretty good he never will. He had some moments during the season, but nothing major. I remember thinking early in the season that he had the making of a really good 2 guard. He's all but been invisible since.

Next year will be interesting. Losing Thomas could hurt, but like you said, with the development of Lattin and if Buford can play, we could be okay. I'm assuming Buddy will be back for his senior year, so 4 of the starting 5 return. If we can find a replacement for Thomas/Bennett, we could be very good.

[OUmillenium]

Walker has some scoring ability but I think opponents have him scouted. He is a shoot first, drive second guy who rarely if ever passes. Defenses started guarding him close and helping hard at the beginning of conf season and he has not adjusted well.

Cousins is a great athlete but I see him get beat and get lost on defense a lot. ISU destroyed him, especially in Ames, and he was losing the best shooter on the Albany team late the other night. Not a real heady defender. Likes to slap the floor when guarding the ball then give up a right handed layup. ugh

Hope they all tear it up but a few things need to get better fast.

[Soonerjeepman]

agree on Walker...ah well.

I thought Buford was supposedly a stud tearing it up in practice?

I think our post will be fine, we have the 6'10 kid (McNease), 7 ft juco coming in (who in his videos actually looks like he can move not just stand there), Spangler back...

LOL, Cousins...slapping floor comment...YES...I just laugh when they do that...2 reasons, they all do it in a row, 1 then another then another...it's like, oh ah got to slap the floor...then usually something bad happens for us.

I do love my Sooners but that $hit has got to go. Just play defense.

[Eielson]

If we're going to be a Final 4 team next year, we need 3 things (assuming Buddy and everybody else is coming back):

1) Rim protector - I expect we'll get that from Lattin...perhaps Manyang?
2) Low post scorer to replace Thomas - hopefully Buford. He probably won't be as good of a low post threat, but should have more range.
3) A scorer off the bench to lighten Buddy's load (and Cousins') - it could be Booker or Walker - also might be one of the two SG's we're bringing in

Everything is in place if all goes as planned. Nothing ever goes as planned, though.