C'mon along for the ride, just a couple of more times. I really feel like Bama and Bedlam will be the last stand for OU fans this season. 0-2 and they're out, and I'll give my take on how 9-3 became 11-11 and where it needs (IMO) to go from there.
No. 2 Alabama vs. OU, 1 p.m., ESPN.
Porter Moser
Everybody needs to act like Jalen Hill?
Absolutely. Everybody has to follow Jalen's lead. Jalen has been the most consistent guy day in and day out. Practice, offensively and defensively, he's by far our most consistent. We've got to have other guys following his lead. He just has such a determination. Winning is forefront in his mind, and we've got to follow his lead. He's been our glue and our most consistent player. We just need people to follow his lead with consistency.
I ask about how in the world you navigate a Tues film session?
No. Our film session was very to the point. These guys have been resilient, bouncing back. With the competition we're playing and the short turnarounds, every game I felt we've come back and fought and fought and fought. And we just got out of the gates so bad. That starts with me. I always take the credit – or, the blame – to how we start. We worked against the press, we got out there and were just straight-legged and we threw two turnovers. We know we're not supposed to foul jump shooters. We fouled three jump shooters early on. Right out of the gate, it was 11-0 on fouling jump shooters and two turnovers against the press. We really talked about that, and then we said we've got to move on. We've got to move on. Let's get ready for Alabama. We don't have time to sit there. We got beat down. It was the first time I've said that we didn't compete and have a belief. I think when we got down, it snowballed on us. We've gotten down. We got down huge against Iowa State and went on like a 20-2 run. This team has kept on being resilient, and we were not that game. And yes, we were up against a team that can win it all. So I don't want to act like we did it – I mean, TCU is on a downward snowball. I mean, they were rolling at Kansas. They're as hot as any team, so we let that team get out to a start like that and then they snowballed it.
I ask if the starting lineup will finally be changed?
Well, for sure not last game. We didn't start either half very well. It was 11-0 to start the game and 11-0 to start the second half. That's obviously not what we want. I'm looking at it, but right now it's just more of why. Is changing the starting lineup going to be the magical answer? No. I don't suspect that yet. But if there's a need to be a change, I'm going to make a change.
Nate Oats is doing at Bama what you'd like to do at OU?
I think he’s recruited high-level athletes to his system. He’s got shooters, speed and has length. They try to make more threes than you, get to the foul line more than you. And they’re going to rebound and get their misses. Defensively, they’re trying to not let you get a lot of threes. They have elite, quick guards. They have length that can shoot. I think Brandon Miller, the freshman – we’ve played against a lot of people we’ve talked about that are going to be in the lottery and first round. I don’t know if anyone is going to go higher than Brandon Miller. He’s a Kevin Durant-type player to me. I think he’s elite. He lets the game come to him. As a freshman, he doesn’t force a lot. He makes the extra pass and then he can score at all levels. I think he’s really, really good.
Nobody believes you're gonna win this one?
For us, it’s what we believe in our own locker room. We know that TCU game was our worst performance. We’ve got to put that aside. And why not Oklahoma? Why not us? Coming in there and believing that we can do it. We’ve gone into venues, we’ve played some of the top teams in the country already. We’ve got challenges with Alabama’s athleticism, their high-octane offense. We’ve got to get stops. That’s a big challenge for us. But I think our guys put that one aside. We know that’s not how we’ve played this year, and we’re up for the challenge.”
Benefit to stepping out of the Big 12?
“I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that question if there is a benefit or not a benefit. We’ve had a nice draw. The No. 1 team, Auburn, last year. We have the No. 2 team that could be No. 1 this year, Alabama. I think that’s been a heck of a draw for us. But I don’t know. I don’t look at it. My mind hasn’t gone to whether it’s a benefit or not. My mind’s gone to how are we going to stop Alabama? That’s all I’ve been thinking about the last 48 hours, is how we are going to stop their offense and score against their length.”
No. 2 Alabama vs. OU, 1 p.m., ESPN.
Porter Moser
Everybody needs to act like Jalen Hill?
Absolutely. Everybody has to follow Jalen's lead. Jalen has been the most consistent guy day in and day out. Practice, offensively and defensively, he's by far our most consistent. We've got to have other guys following his lead. He just has such a determination. Winning is forefront in his mind, and we've got to follow his lead. He's been our glue and our most consistent player. We just need people to follow his lead with consistency.
I ask about how in the world you navigate a Tues film session?
No. Our film session was very to the point. These guys have been resilient, bouncing back. With the competition we're playing and the short turnarounds, every game I felt we've come back and fought and fought and fought. And we just got out of the gates so bad. That starts with me. I always take the credit – or, the blame – to how we start. We worked against the press, we got out there and were just straight-legged and we threw two turnovers. We know we're not supposed to foul jump shooters. We fouled three jump shooters early on. Right out of the gate, it was 11-0 on fouling jump shooters and two turnovers against the press. We really talked about that, and then we said we've got to move on. We've got to move on. Let's get ready for Alabama. We don't have time to sit there. We got beat down. It was the first time I've said that we didn't compete and have a belief. I think when we got down, it snowballed on us. We've gotten down. We got down huge against Iowa State and went on like a 20-2 run. This team has kept on being resilient, and we were not that game. And yes, we were up against a team that can win it all. So I don't want to act like we did it – I mean, TCU is on a downward snowball. I mean, they were rolling at Kansas. They're as hot as any team, so we let that team get out to a start like that and then they snowballed it.
I ask if the starting lineup will finally be changed?
Well, for sure not last game. We didn't start either half very well. It was 11-0 to start the game and 11-0 to start the second half. That's obviously not what we want. I'm looking at it, but right now it's just more of why. Is changing the starting lineup going to be the magical answer? No. I don't suspect that yet. But if there's a need to be a change, I'm going to make a change.
Nate Oats is doing at Bama what you'd like to do at OU?
I think he’s recruited high-level athletes to his system. He’s got shooters, speed and has length. They try to make more threes than you, get to the foul line more than you. And they’re going to rebound and get their misses. Defensively, they’re trying to not let you get a lot of threes. They have elite, quick guards. They have length that can shoot. I think Brandon Miller, the freshman – we’ve played against a lot of people we’ve talked about that are going to be in the lottery and first round. I don’t know if anyone is going to go higher than Brandon Miller. He’s a Kevin Durant-type player to me. I think he’s elite. He lets the game come to him. As a freshman, he doesn’t force a lot. He makes the extra pass and then he can score at all levels. I think he’s really, really good.
Nobody believes you're gonna win this one?
For us, it’s what we believe in our own locker room. We know that TCU game was our worst performance. We’ve got to put that aside. And why not Oklahoma? Why not us? Coming in there and believing that we can do it. We’ve gone into venues, we’ve played some of the top teams in the country already. We’ve got challenges with Alabama’s athleticism, their high-octane offense. We’ve got to get stops. That’s a big challenge for us. But I think our guys put that one aside. We know that’s not how we’ve played this year, and we’re up for the challenge.”
Benefit to stepping out of the Big 12?
“I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that question if there is a benefit or not a benefit. We’ve had a nice draw. The No. 1 team, Auburn, last year. We have the No. 2 team that could be No. 1 this year, Alabama. I think that’s been a heck of a draw for us. But I don’t know. I don’t look at it. My mind hasn’t gone to whether it’s a benefit or not. My mind’s gone to how are we going to stop Alabama? That’s all I’ve been thinking about the last 48 hours, is how we are going to stop their offense and score against their length.”
