If it's a given that both teams match up pretty evenly, I'd give an edge to coaching to Izzo.
Still, this Tourney has seem a pile of upsets.
I still can't quite understand how Mich State was a 7 seed in the first place.
5-0
If it's a given that both teams match up pretty evenly, I'd give an edge to coaching to Izzo.
Still, this Tourney has seem a pile of upsets.
I still can't quite understand how Mich State was a 7 seed in the first place.
5-0
BOY HOWDY !!!!
Not a lot of media spew coming out about OU or for that matter about the tourney, considering the 16 starts tomorrow. Sure hope our guys are ready to take no prisoners come Fri PM and that ridiculously late east coast start time doesn't bother them any. Still scratching my head about the ridiculous 10 PM east coast start time and then a quick turn-a-round for the winner on Sunday. Should be a fun tailgate for Mookie and Orange since they should be all drunkytown by a 10PM start.
About the best press quote that I've seen came out of the OU Daily.Hopefully our guys will play with a chip on their shoulder.Even if you think sports betting is a load of fughazi, try this on for size — ESPN “re-seeded” the remaining 16 teams on the bracket. Oklahoma, which had been ranked at No. 9 overall by the selection committee before the tournament even began, fell all the way to No. 15.
Next to last, after two victories.
Even TCU football can’t believe it.
7 hours away...
I'm excited.. I just hope the guys play a clean hard game. If we do and don't come out on top nothing to hang your head for. I'm sure the talking heads will be all over izzo, and rightfully so. Maybe being the underdog for all the games being a 3 seed will spark something in the boys tonight.
BOOMER!
I'll be at sports bar watching, so no posting...but I'm sure I'll have happy and sad thoughts throughout the game! lol
How do you know if you get there, if you don't know where you are going?..oh and I had 1,713 post on the "other board"..I hate being a rookie again!
I haven't spent a ton of time breaking down the Spartans, but it doesn't take long to recognize three players that will certainly play big roles for Michigan State:
#45 Denzel Valentine (6'5" Jr. Forward)
This kid is kind of the Jack of all trades for Izzo's squad. On the year he's a 45% shooter (41% from 3) with an average of 6 rebounds per game. He is second in scoring for the Spartans, but his real stregnth is defense. He's the best defender MSU has, and can guard big men or smaller guys alike. It's hard to say who he'll be matched against tonight, but if I were to guess, I'd say Tashawn Thomas. Even though Hield has been the scoring threat for most of the year, Thomas has actually been more of a threat to opposing teams during the tournament. While Valentine could pull Hield, I think Izzo keeps him inside and puts him on Thomas. Valentine may be the best overall player for the Spartans, but if Thomas plays the way he is capable of playing and uses his size advantage, I give a slight edge to the Sooners. The Sooners will need to play good defense all night, but contesting every shot Valentine trys will go a long way in easing the burden.
#22 Brandon Dawson (6'6" Sr. Guard/Forward)/ #20 Travis Trice (6'0" Sr. Guard)
If Valentine is the best defender for the Spartans, then Dawson (and #20 Travis Trice) are the best offensive weapon. Dawson is shooting 51% for the year, and averages about 12 points a game (Trice leads the team with 15 p/g). Dawson can also play defense and is very active on that side of the ball. Trice runs the offense, and will set up the Spartans on that end of the floor. Surprisingly, Trice doesn't shoot the three ball. He literally hasn't taken a three point shot all year. That duty falls primarily to Denzel Valentine.
The Spartans are pretty similar to the Sooners when on offense. They're comfortable playing a half court set, or pushing the pace, and they average about 71 points per game (compared to the Sooners 71 ppg). They are a solid rebounding team, however, the Sooners have an edge in that department (due, in part, to size differences). MSU has one player over 6'6", and it's junior forward Matt Costello (#10). Between Spangler and Thomas, Costello shouldn't provide a huge factor in the game. Otherwise, OU has a slight size advantage over the Spartans.
The biggest difference between OU and MSU right now is their previous two games. OU has faced scrappy teams in Albany and Dayton, but MSU has faced better competition in Georgia and Virginia. That doesn't necessarily mean MSU is the better team, just that they've played a couple of "better" teams (on paper). However, I believe (and not because I'm a homer) that OU has an overall better team than MSU.
For OU to win this game, there are a few key things that need to happen:
1. Buddy has to show up as the Big XII player of the year. He hasn't been horrible in the tourney so far, he just hasn't been the conference POY. It does feel like he is getting his rhythm back, and he's due for a big game. Tonight would be a great time for that to happen.
2. No sloppy/lazy basketball for the Sooners tonight. In that past two games, we've seen sloppy/lazy passing that has lead to points for the opponent. Michigan State is too good of a shooting team to give them help on the offensive end. We have to limit turnovers better than we have in the past two games.
3. Defense. OU has played good defense thus far, and they'll need it again tonight. The Sooners can't afford to let MSU get too many good looks at the basket.
4. Finally, play big inside. Between Thomas, Spangler, Bennett & Lattin the Sooners have to own the paint on both ends of the court. Make it hard for the Spartans to play inside, and get them to think twice before driving or kicking it down low. We have the man power to do this, it's just a matter of making it happen. This may be one of the last times we'll have a size advantage inside, we need to take full advantage of that.
I don't need to tell you how good Tom Izzo is in March (the media has already done that all week). Just about every prognosticator I've heard/seen this week is picking MSU in the "upset". So, it's going to be a battle to get out of this one with a "W". We have the personnel and coaching to win this game, but as we know, anything can happen.
We just need to "survive".
As Marcus Trice goes so will MSU.
I didn't do a damn thing ALL week just to void all non-OU related stress. No way can I deal with sports AND real world stress in the same week unless its football season. Think I'm goin with some pints of Guinness tonight, starting about 730. OU 64 msu 68. After Guinness prediction OU 77 msu 75.
At least you're not in a nosebleed section.
I was just over looking at that BB seating map of the dome, http://www.carrierdome.com/maps/default.aspx?etype=5, and I guess they move bleachers in on the court-side that's away from the enclosed stadium end (FB EZ). Just looking at the TBS broadcast of the early game, it must really suck to play BB in any football arena where the court is on only one end, and there's only darkness on the other end. It looks like the camera angle(s) in the 1st game are predominately facing the section where you're sitting (from the press side and and towards the bench side) don't know. We may have an advantage of playing in a more than half empty arena, if the TV pics of the LNC this season are any indication.
There are too many good BB only arenas in the US, imo, to have any sweet 16 tourney game in a football dome. Hell, I'd rather watch a game on a Hi-Def big screen or projector than watch a BB game from the nosebleed section in a FB dome.
BOOMER!! Here we go! Already proud of our team!
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Bleeding Sooner Red on the East Coast since 2000.
Great start!
Should have been a charge...but I'll take the early foul on Trice + FT's!
And now we're trying to weather our 4 minute scoring drought....
Woodard ends the 5 minute scoring drought! Great game so far fro him.
Get Bennett out of the game, and don't ever bring him back. He's WAY too soft.
So "Tum Tum" has a sick tum tum?
Ironic isn't it?
Looks like Trice went to the bench for a little. Time to make a run...
Glad to know Michigan state brought their own commentators for this game...
this is bull****