Hottest of OU Womens Basketball (play-in round)

[badger]

What, you say the womens tournament has no play-in game, let alone a billion play-in games that they're adding to the mens tourney next year? Then, just refer to this as the "baj screwed up" poll.

For the next few days, rather than wait for round one to end, I'm giving you the chance to get your favorite and often requested players into the poll after all. Alas, there was absolutely no access to early era players, so I could not accommodate requests for pre-Final Four players (none before 2002) due to there just not being a lot of photos taken of the team before then and available on SS.com, my main resort for last-minute requests.

There will be no more play-in rounds, so if I missed your favorite this year, please send me photos and an angry PM and I'll be sure to include em next summer. If you are just now tuning in, you can vote in round one here.

So... for your final, final judgment, the play-in round!

Stephanie Simon:

I am told that is actually Stephanie's sister, so here are a few of Stephanie, heh:


Stephanie was the most requested after I put up the initial poll. As such, I fully expect you all to vote for her, till you realize that like Whitney Hand, you have absolutely no chance with her, because she, too is with a hot OU quarterback - and yes, I believe that is Nate Hybl in that first picture. After taking us to the Final Four in 2002, Stephanie Simon Hybl lawyered up (read: OU law school), married Nate, and moved to Georgia.

Erin Higgins:

Erin has the distinction of having her own SF.com thread, like Stacey, Sherri and Krista, which meant I really should have put her in the original poll. Alas, "baj screwed up," and this hopefully will right a little wrong. Because I found it difficult to find photos of her, I decided to capture images from the cute little preseason video that they played repeatedly at football games. You might remember it - a player throws a pick on a mailman and the pep band plays Boomer Sooner. Two players are reading a story to little kids and the storybook suddenly turns violent. In Erin's case, she wants the toy the little girl has, so a ref jumps out of a tree and says it's a jump ball, headed the little girl's way. Erin complains and gets a technical.

Britney Brown:

How could I leave Britney Brown out? Allow me to kick myself in the head again for shunning this Sooner. Britney also had her own little fan following during her time at OU (I think she was between the Final Fours). A speedy guard that never quit... and you all won't quit asking for her pic.

Stacy Hansmeyer:

Stacy is an assistant coach who played for both Norman High (yay!) and UConn (boo!). However, she is now at OU, so you can't boo that. Still... UConn... hmmm...

Jenna Plumley:

I highly, highly considered putting Jenna in the first poll also, but decided against it at the last second because of how she left the program (Two words: Walmart makeup). Alas, she provided many fun memories for Sooner fans during her short time in Norman to the point that I was posting her pic with Mighty Mouse's "Here I come to save the day!" So Jenna, sorry things didn't work out in Norman, but we wish you the best of luck.

Abi Olajuwon:

Abi is an example like many of her fellow Sooners that you cannot judge players by how they look on the court, unless they play for Duke.

AHHHH! Returning QUICKLY to Abi...

She was definitely a fan favorite her senior year as she came out behind the Paris twins' shadows and shined on her own, leading OU once again to the Final Four. Alas, we had to part ways as she headed to the WNBA's Chicago Sky, but she definitely continued a tradition of awesome centers at OU.

Voting time!
You may vote for all six, but please at least vote for two. The top two vote receivers after three days of voting (it's a play-in round, so it has to go faster) will face the #3 and #4 vote getters in the second round of tourney (think NFL playoffs, where the top two teams get a first-round bye). So, if you want Sherri, Whitney, or Stacey a guaranteed spot in the Final Four, it's extremely close, so vote over there too!

Boomer Sooner!

[Sooner04]

Badger,

That pic IS NOT a pic of Stephanie Simon.

[badger]

Badger,

That pic IS NOT a pic of Stephanie Simon.

It might be her sister, so I have edited the original post, just in case.

[Mad Dog Madsen]

Finally... Erin Higgins.

[badger]

Finally... Erin Higgins.

oh great... i'm going to have to do an all-out search for pics much like Krista Sanchez. Why can't you men love more recent Sooner stars that have more pictures available?

This should be your motivation to demand more coverage for our awesome, two-Final-Fours-in-a-row womens basketball team from local media. Demand articles, features, video highlights, tons of photos, etc. That way, this stuff won't be impossible to find years later.

And most importantly, support the team.

[NormanPride]

Stephanie, Erin, and Britney are some of the prettiest girls to have played the game.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

So, how does this work?Are you merging this contest with the original poll? Tell us your plan, pls.

1)Higgins
2)Dales
3)Sanchez
4)Coale
5)meh

[badger]

So, how does this work?Are you merging this contest with the original poll? Tell us your plan, pls.

This play-in is my scape goat for excluding some Sooners that were later demanded after the original poll posted.

Whoever the two top vote getters in the first round poll (the one that has been up for two weeks) are will get a free pass to the Final Four.

The third and fourth-place vote getters will be placed in the second round with the top two vote getters of this play-in round.

For example, the top two in the original poll right now are Krista and Stacey. Those two will have a bye till the Final Four.

The third and fourth in that poll, currently Sherri and Whitney, will face the top two of this poll, currently Erin and Stephanie.

Of course, round one doesn't end till about 7:30 p.m. tonite, and voting is tight for second through fourth places. Krista fans can probably rest easy though, since it looks like she will stay far, far in the lead... this round, at least

Voting for this play-in round ends Tuesday around noon, I think. Remember that you can vote for everyone or just one, but I would prefer that you vote for two.

However, I would far prefer that you all show this much interest in womens basketball during the season, though

Hell, I bet 04 would love it if you all would show this much interest in mens basketball during the season instead of just during scandals

Be interested in Sooner basketball - mens and womens alike - dammit!

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Apology about not reading all of your post #1 in this thread.

[badger]

I would draw out an easy-to-follow bracket, but I have no idea of knowing how you all would vote... my rankings in the first round were way off. I basically doomed the ones I named as #5-#8 because people thought they were voting against the #1-#4 like a normal bracket. Then, there were the ones I left off that I had to do a play-in round for... oh boy. Can you tell I'm a chick that doesn't judge these players on their hottest levels like you guys do? I'm probably least qualified... ah well. I might do a full bracket next year, assuming the following:

1- I receive absolutely no complaints from any Sooner basketball players or coaches. Sorry guys, I love them more than I love you... but you'd say the same about the football team, so there

2- No disrespectful, derogatory or demeaning remarks about any Sooners. I've said it before, I'll say it again - you make a fellow Sooner cry, I will make you cry.

3- People actually want it. You vote with your votes and your interest. This gets a lot of page views, responses and votes, I'll keep it up.

4- No modador objection. Seeing how modadors are participating, I think we can safely assume they do not disapprove... yet???

I'll try to be a little more timely and organized next time if this ever returns. Till then, keep on votin'

[Mad Dog Madsen]

oh great... i'm going to have to do an all-out search for pics much like Krista Sanchez. Why can't you men love more recent Sooner stars that have more pictures available?

This should be your motivation to demand more coverage for our awesome, two-Final-Fours-in-a-row womens basketball team from local media. Demand articles, features, video highlights, tons of photos, etc. That way, this stuff won't be impossible to find years later.

And most importantly, support the team.

Jenny Vining was hot! Whitney Hand ran her off though... (transfer)

[badger]

Jenny Vining was hot! Whitney Hand ran her off though... (transfer)

I think it wasn't just Whitney Hand, but rather, a lot of players that were getting a lot better and the fact that every time she stepped on the court, she was turnover prone and often seemed to really, really miss long distance shots. It was the same thing that plagued Carlee for awhile, but Carlee didn't transfer... she hustled on defense to make up for when her shots weren't falling and her minutes improved.

I think Jenny could have had the same result, but when you get limited minutes your froshie year due to being mistake-prone, especially when you were a highly touted recruit outta high school (4-star), it can be tough to gut it out.

Plus... the improvement of some Sooners was just astounding. Abi went from benchie to superstar WNBA-bound. Nyeshia went from unreliable shooter to sharpshooter. Tank Thompson went from injured reserve to 40 minutes a night. D-Rob remained unstopable and even seemed to get faster and more efficient (and less turnovers! woot!) Whitney... well... we love Whitney.

That left no positions up for grabs at the beginning of the season (nobody foresaw Whitney's injury... poor Whitney). Jenny knew where she fell on the depth chart at that point and left.

But like Jenna, I wish Jenny the best of luck, even as an ex-Sooner that transferred

[soonerloyal]

Did you make this poll for players only because you know that Sherrie would probably sweep the election?

They're all adorable, though. Fun thread, you rock! Thanks!

[badger]

You didn't see the original poll, did you? Two of Sherri's players beat her at a game she's dominated for years, the game being you guys filling in the "_____ is hot!" blank.

So, this poll closes in about an hour, because play-in rounds are quick like that. Round two will start tomorrow with Sherri and Whitney facing the top two of this play-in round, which looks to be Erin and Stephanie.

As mentioned, Team Krista and Team Stacey will have to wait a week, because their overwhelming support gave them a bye.

[badger]

The people have spoken! You have demanded that Erin Higgins and Stephanie Simon get a chance to compete with the original 8 from round one for the title of "Hottest of OU womens basketball!"

Return Wednesday (or tonight if I'm not lazy) for round two of voting, which will include Erin, Stephanie, sophomore star Whitney Hand and the greatest womens basketball coach in state history, Sherri Coale!

1- Voting will last 10 days, allowing ample time for everyone to participate and setup the Final Four.
2- Krista Sanchez and Stacey Dales, the top two vote receivers of round one, will get free passes to the Final Four.
3- My unending pitch for OU fans to follow basketball as much as football and even our CWS-bound baseball team will persist.
4- Same voting as previous rounds, where posters can cast only one ballot, which is secret, but posters can vote for multiple candidates again.

[NormanPride]

You could do a hottest of the baseball team poll as well, for the ladies.

I think we might have more than five on the site now.

[badger]

You could do a hottest of the baseball team poll as well, for the ladies.

I think we might have more than five on the site now.

I should just for fun, but not till baseball offseason. Too bad that coincides with football on-season.

[badger]

I'm lazy. Wait till tonite for round 2