GDC
3/6/2006, 10:53 AM
and no, it wasn't me, but he's my new personal hero.:texan: :D
OU's 'A' game nowhere in sight
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
3/6/2006
AUSTIN, TEXAS -- One-on-five is never a fair fight. Especially in basketball, and particularly when the one guy taking on five is a fan in the stands instead of a player on the court.
But those were the steep odds Oklahoma encountered Sunday against Texas. The only Sooner who showed up at the Erwin Center looking for a fight was a red-clad OU supporter. He refused to be intimidated by the more than 15,000 burnt-orange wearing Longhorn faithful who surrounded him.
Perched high in the second level of the arena, the OU booster was relentless. Every time there was a quiet moment, his lone voice was loud enough that everyone could hear his simple message: "Texas sucks."
While his taunting angered those around him, it didn't help his favorite team. The Sooners also seemed happy to also be spectators as they sat back and watched Texas roll over them, 72-48.
"They came out and hit us right in the mouth and we never hit them back," OU forward Kevin Bookout said. "When you play a team like Texas, you've to keep receiving their blows and keep firing back at them."
Even OU coach Kelvin Sampson got into the spirit of surrender. Sampson benched his best players, the senior trio of Bookout, Taj Gray and Terrell Everett, for much of
the second half, content to watch sixth-ranked Texas' starters toy with his reserves.
And it wasn't like there wasn't anything at stake. In the final game of the Big 12's regular season, the Sooners could have tied Texas for second in the league with a win and earned the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, which opens later this week in Dallas.
But Sampson apparently thought sending a message to his frontline players was worth it, even if it meant being embarrassed on national television. Although 13 minutes still remained in the game, Sampson swept his bench as Texas wrapped up a tie with Kansas for the Big 12 title and earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
"There's a huge difference in playing hard, versus competing," said Sampson, when asked why he yanked his starters. "We just didn't have it today."
Sampson and the Sooners have four days to find it. As the No. 3 seed, OU will open tournament play at 8:20 p.m. Friday at American Airlines Center against the winner of Thursday's first-round matchup between No. 6 Nebraska and No. 11 Missouri.
The way the tournament bracket sets up could make for a very intriguing weekend for OU.
The Sooners (20-7, 11-5 Big 12) lost back-to-back games to Nebraska and Missouri this season. If they avenge one of those losses and advance to the semifinals, they'll probably play KU, which rallied from 16 points down in the second half to defeat the Sooners, 59-58, last month.
And if OU gets another lead on the Jayhawks and holds on to it, the Sooners would probably play Texas in the title game on Sunday. It would be the third meeting between the two, with OU whipping the Longhorns in Norman on Jan. 28, 82-72.
"The easy thing to do today (Sunday) is overreact to this (loss)," said Sampson, who obviously is still miffed over the criticism he received after the collapse at KU when he added, "It's like judging us based on losing to Kansas. We'll be fine."
Perhaps OU can regroup by Friday. And if they play Kansas and Texas again, it will be at a neutral site instead of the home courts of the co-champions.
Texas has been a bear at home, but a paper tiger on the road. After pounding KU 80-55 10 days ago at the Erwin Center, the Longhorns lost five days later at Texas A&M, 46-43. Then they rebounded to whip OU by 24.
"Texas was good today," Sampson said. "But I was more disappointed in our team than I was impressed with Texas. And that's the thing we've got to get fixed."
Is it really fixable? When Everett and shooting guard Michael Neal struggle together, like they did against the Longhorns, the Sooners seldom find a third scoring option. It should be Gray, but the power forward hasn't always lived up to the Player of the Year honor received in the preseason. Against Texas on Sunday, Everett had just five points after scoring 25 in the first Texas game
"There was a lot of difference in Terrell today and how he played last time," Sampson said. "He's a big part with how we play."
Still, Sampson remained defiant and confident about OU's future in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments.
"Texas is good. I think they are going to go a long way in the (NCAA) tournament," Sampson's said. "But if both teams are competing at a high level, I don't think there's a huge difference in Texas and Oklahoma."
So, Sampson is confident OU can make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament? Even though the Sooners were manhandled by Texas after winning each of their four previous games by a single point?
"When our team gets after it and we're playing hard and we're really competing, I think we can play with a lot of people." Sampson said. "Texas is good. But we're good too, and we've got to get back to being good."
If the good OU doesn't show up in Dallas, the fan who chanted "Texas sucks" might change teams the next time he speaks up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Sittler 581-8312
[email protected]
OU's 'A' game nowhere in sight
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
3/6/2006
AUSTIN, TEXAS -- One-on-five is never a fair fight. Especially in basketball, and particularly when the one guy taking on five is a fan in the stands instead of a player on the court.
But those were the steep odds Oklahoma encountered Sunday against Texas. The only Sooner who showed up at the Erwin Center looking for a fight was a red-clad OU supporter. He refused to be intimidated by the more than 15,000 burnt-orange wearing Longhorn faithful who surrounded him.
Perched high in the second level of the arena, the OU booster was relentless. Every time there was a quiet moment, his lone voice was loud enough that everyone could hear his simple message: "Texas sucks."
While his taunting angered those around him, it didn't help his favorite team. The Sooners also seemed happy to also be spectators as they sat back and watched Texas roll over them, 72-48.
"They came out and hit us right in the mouth and we never hit them back," OU forward Kevin Bookout said. "When you play a team like Texas, you've to keep receiving their blows and keep firing back at them."
Even OU coach Kelvin Sampson got into the spirit of surrender. Sampson benched his best players, the senior trio of Bookout, Taj Gray and Terrell Everett, for much of
the second half, content to watch sixth-ranked Texas' starters toy with his reserves.
And it wasn't like there wasn't anything at stake. In the final game of the Big 12's regular season, the Sooners could have tied Texas for second in the league with a win and earned the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, which opens later this week in Dallas.
But Sampson apparently thought sending a message to his frontline players was worth it, even if it meant being embarrassed on national television. Although 13 minutes still remained in the game, Sampson swept his bench as Texas wrapped up a tie with Kansas for the Big 12 title and earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
"There's a huge difference in playing hard, versus competing," said Sampson, when asked why he yanked his starters. "We just didn't have it today."
Sampson and the Sooners have four days to find it. As the No. 3 seed, OU will open tournament play at 8:20 p.m. Friday at American Airlines Center against the winner of Thursday's first-round matchup between No. 6 Nebraska and No. 11 Missouri.
The way the tournament bracket sets up could make for a very intriguing weekend for OU.
The Sooners (20-7, 11-5 Big 12) lost back-to-back games to Nebraska and Missouri this season. If they avenge one of those losses and advance to the semifinals, they'll probably play KU, which rallied from 16 points down in the second half to defeat the Sooners, 59-58, last month.
And if OU gets another lead on the Jayhawks and holds on to it, the Sooners would probably play Texas in the title game on Sunday. It would be the third meeting between the two, with OU whipping the Longhorns in Norman on Jan. 28, 82-72.
"The easy thing to do today (Sunday) is overreact to this (loss)," said Sampson, who obviously is still miffed over the criticism he received after the collapse at KU when he added, "It's like judging us based on losing to Kansas. We'll be fine."
Perhaps OU can regroup by Friday. And if they play Kansas and Texas again, it will be at a neutral site instead of the home courts of the co-champions.
Texas has been a bear at home, but a paper tiger on the road. After pounding KU 80-55 10 days ago at the Erwin Center, the Longhorns lost five days later at Texas A&M, 46-43. Then they rebounded to whip OU by 24.
"Texas was good today," Sampson said. "But I was more disappointed in our team than I was impressed with Texas. And that's the thing we've got to get fixed."
Is it really fixable? When Everett and shooting guard Michael Neal struggle together, like they did against the Longhorns, the Sooners seldom find a third scoring option. It should be Gray, but the power forward hasn't always lived up to the Player of the Year honor received in the preseason. Against Texas on Sunday, Everett had just five points after scoring 25 in the first Texas game
"There was a lot of difference in Terrell today and how he played last time," Sampson said. "He's a big part with how we play."
Still, Sampson remained defiant and confident about OU's future in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments.
"Texas is good. I think they are going to go a long way in the (NCAA) tournament," Sampson's said. "But if both teams are competing at a high level, I don't think there's a huge difference in Texas and Oklahoma."
So, Sampson is confident OU can make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament? Even though the Sooners were manhandled by Texas after winning each of their four previous games by a single point?
"When our team gets after it and we're playing hard and we're really competing, I think we can play with a lot of people." Sampson said. "Texas is good. But we're good too, and we've got to get back to being good."
If the good OU doesn't show up in Dallas, the fan who chanted "Texas sucks" might change teams the next time he speaks up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Sittler 581-8312
[email protected]