OU vs Baylor

[bcsoonerfan]

Need a bounce back win tonight against a good Baylor squad. Get some confidence back after that embarrassing meltdown against a Texas team who just dropped the soap against Kansas.

Looking around the country, the veteran Jayhawks are really coming together. Would be surprised if they don't win it all. If we can't do it, I'll be pulling for the boys from Lawrence.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

Good start. Smart passing leading to open shots. Solid defense.

 

[Plainosooner]

Baylor is the king of the freaky zone, but opened the game in Man D. Good Sooner defense early, now and 8-0 run after the Bears scored first forces Scott Drew's early TO.

Baylor hits the OBoards and though Prince can't hit from the pier right now, he goes to the line for two shots. Makes the second, 8-3 Sooners.

After the TO, Baylor still in Man D.

I don't know about the other two, but we have the best official in the conference tossing the game. The crew looks like they're going to let em play. That won't hurt the Sooners.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

12-3 Sooners at 1st tv timeout with Buddy headed to the line for the 'and 1' when play resumes.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

Sooners must like playing Baylor.

Everything going right.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

26-5 @ under 12 timeout.

Attacking the basketball. Aggressive defense.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

30-13 @ under 8 timeout.

Baylor finally employed their zone and it has effectively stopped our attacking but Buddy is on fire.

Play got a little sloppy when McNeace and Buford came in.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

43-19 with 2 minutes left in the half.

Walker hitting 3s with Buddy getting some rest. Buford really could be a special player.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

46-25 @ the half but a really great executed play by Baylor for a 3 with 2.5 seconds left.

 

[Plainosooner]

46-25 @ the half but a really great executed play by Baylor for a 3 with 2.5 seconds left.

I do not understand why Lon doesn't put Manyang in the game under those circumstances to defend the guy throwing the ball in. Didn't Laettner and Hill teach most coaches to defend the throw in guy in the deep back court with two seconds left? Great half, but a lousy way to end it.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

Idk Plaino. Obviously in that situation you want Gaithers taking the quick, long 3, instead of pulling off the hook and lateral type maneuver to a 3 shooter.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

60-45.

Baylor went on an 11-0 run in under 2 minutes but Buddy stopped the bleeding by driving and dishing to Spangler for the easy dunk.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

67-55 @ under 8 timeout.

Baylor shooting lights out now and we've gotten sloppy. Spangler the only guy playing well in 2nd half.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

67-62

Shades of Saturday creeping in. Not even getting shots.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

68-67 Baylor.

Wow.

 

[PryorFan]

When does spring football start! BB team has given up.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

When does spring football start! BB team has given up.

Turn your tv off and do something else if you can't handle it.

 

[anon_5z68cgtvj4ggn]

Went to watch cartoons with my boys at halftime thinking they would cruise to an easy win. Flipped over at 67-62 with 5 minutes to go and at 71-68 with 20 seconds to go. Very disappointing result given how the first half went.

 

[PryorFan]

Bcs or you can keep your comments to yourself.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

It takes a lot to lose that lead and more to retake the lead and win the game.

No quit. Basketball is probably the game most unfluenced by momentum.

Big win.

 

[Sooners83]

I really hate to pick on players, but Cousins has been a disaster the last several games. If he and Woodward don't wake quickly...it will be a quick in and out.

 

[HERVSTA]

This team kinda sucks!!

 

[bcsoonerfan]

Bcs or you can keep your comments to yourself.

Sounds like you need thicker skin. If it's to much for you to handle that you accuse our boys of giving up then my suggestion might hold some merit. I'm certainly not going to keep my comments to myself because your feelings are in jeopardy.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

This team kinda sucks!!

Was that your opinion at halftime?

 

[Sooners83]

It takes a lot to lose that lead and more to retake the lead and win the game.

No quit. Basketball is probably the game most unfluenced by momentum.

Big win.

Don't get me wrong, loved the win but I switched over to the election crap when we were up by 20 just to tune in late to see the bitter end. I really have a hard time figuring out what the deal is...seems they don't have the killer instinct..aka the last Texas game. I do love this team....as there will not be a better one at OU for some time with the talent we lose.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

I really hate to pick on players, but Cousins has been a disaster the last several games. If he and Woodward don't wake quickly...it will be a quick in and out.

Only Spangler played well in the 2nd half.

It was Cousins who put us back ahead with a clutch pull up.

Woodard has been a ghost so much lately it's really hurting.

 

[bcsoonerfan]

Don't get me wrong, loved the win but I switched over to the election crap when we were up by 20 just to tune in late to see the bitter end. I really have a hard time figuring out what the deal is...seems they don't have the killer instinct..aka the last Texas game. I do love this team....as there will not be a better one at OU for some time with the talent we lose.

Really sloppy play in the 2nd half. It happens a lot in basketball. You think you're going to cruise to the win so there's a bit of a letdown in intensity.

Baylor is not chopped liver.

 

[Sooners83]

Really sloppy play in the 2nd half. It happens a lot in basketball. You think you're going to cruise to the win so there's a bit of a letdown in intensity.

Baylor is not chopped liver.

yeah I know BC...but it is becoming a trend. Last let down costs us a game. I wished I would have watched the second half.

 

[SoonerTulsan]

I lost track of the number of consecutive turnovers. Looked "funny" to me...especially after what happened in Austin last weekend.

 

[Plainosooner]

Don't get me wrong, loved the win but I switched over to the election crap when we were up by 20 just to tune in late to see the bitter end. I really have a hard time figuring out what the deal is...seems they don't have the killer instinct..aka the last Texas game. I do love this team....as there will not be a better one at OU for some time with the talent we lose.

I don't think that's it at all. I think that OU doesn't have enough reliable players and said so eight weeks ago. We are playing our top three more minutes than just about everybody in the country, Certainly as much or more than anybody in the top ten. It's not December any more. The season has taken its toll on their legs and when they play more than 33 or 34 minutes, they aren't full speed at the end. I still think there is a little aftermath of three overtimes in Lawrence, not necessarily from that night per se. But from everybody playing extra minutes every game since.

The game really changed direction not long after Lattin got his quick second foul. It didn't show up immediately. But Spangler played a few extra minutes because of that. And when Lon tried to play Buford and McNease together, it was almost a disaster. Manyang has to be pretty bad to not be getting minutes ahead of McNease. Jamuni has some offense, which Akolda can only dream about, but McNease rebounds like some high school kid playing with men. And that little giveaway three just before the half turned out to matter more than a little.

I thought that Cousins was a lot more effective than Woodard. I also think that guys use up a lot of energy on a senior night, and they just ran out of gas at the end. Bite my tongue, but I thought that we got ten calls for every one that Baylor found to their advantage, and without that, I don't think we'd have won on senior night, which would have really sucked.

I really hope OUr guys don't make the conference final. Two games next weekend and they ought to have fresh legs in the NCAA's. Three, and we'll need two good matchups to survive. Lon has tried to bring the younger guys along, and it's not like we're getting nothing from the bench. But it is barely enough right now. Saturday, it wasn't and we ran out of gas with seven minutes left. Did tonight to, but we started with more advantage. We don't have anybody who can put their backs to the basket and make the defense double them. And when Buddy has to work really hard for his shots in the first 30 minutes, his legs and his shot start to be affected late. It wasn't like that earlier in the year. But with the wear and tear of a long season, it's not just him, it's the whole group.

We need Lattin to stay on the floor, while not having to play Ole' defense worried about fouling.

 

[K2C Sooner]

How close are we to this team? They ran the court and never seemed winded..........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987–88_Oklahoma_Sooners_men's_basketball_team

 

[fortworth4ou2]

It's about balance.

Take a more strategic and balanced approach and we can perform to a higher level allowing for players to rest more. We could've coasted and created more scoring in the second half and blown the Bears off the court if our guards took it to the paint. BU would've racked up a ton of fouls and we would've been on the FT line most of the 2nd half.

Lattin's 2 baskets were from the 8-12 foot range. His shots looked sweet. Then, we made him absent. Anyone notice that Cousins is much more accurate in his shooting when he is 2 inches inside the arc as opposed to 2 inches beyond the arc?

Texas beat us pure and simple by their guards attacking the basket. Cheap, easy buckets and FT's. Baylor got back into the game in the 2nd half by attacking the basket.

We're an outside shooting team that is highly, highly reluctant to attack the paint. When the 3's stop dropping, our opponents magically go on extended runs (Texas 25-5 in the last 6 minutes and Baylor 22-3 in the same time period).

We play a funny game and style. And, it's on video for all future opponents to see.

Boomer Sooner

 

[JConXtsy]

I don't think that's it at all. I think that OU doesn't have enough reliable players and said so eight weeks ago. We are playing our top three more minutes than just about everybody in the country, Certainly as much or more than anybody in the top ten. It's not December any more. The season has taken its toll on their legs and when they play more than 33 or 34 minutes, they aren't full speed at the end. I still think there is a little aftermath of three overtimes in Lawrence, not necessarily from that night per se. But from everybody playing extra minutes every game since.

I'll never be able to agree with you about your fatigue theory.

The Sooners play 32 games over the course of a 120 day schedule. That's a game every 3.75 days or about 1.867 games per week. Buddy Hield averages 34.75 MPG this year, so he's averaging about 65 minutes of game play per week. He's 22, I believe. An age of boundless energy and nearly instant recovery.

The NBA plays 82 games over the course of a 166 day schedule. That's a game every 2 days or about 3.45 games per week. NBA stars also average about 35 MPG, so your typical NBA star averages about 121 minutes of game play per week. Most of them are in their late 20s, and require much more recovery time and conditioning.

What I think is more of a factor in college is stress and ability to focus. NBA players have one thing to think about from sun up until sun down. They get to retreat to luxury homes or hotels. They're not worried about class. They don't have same issues with travel. I imagine it's extremely difficult for a college basketball player to handle the issues staying focused when they are traveling on a weekly basis, often during the school week, missing classes and homework time, worrying about grades and girls. I think it's a lot to ask a college basketball player to remain focused and on top of their game for an entire year. I didn't play a collegiate sport, and I remember what a whirlwind college was for me. I had trouble focusing too when you're constantly barraged by homework assignments, tests, women, parties. How many people have the recurring nightmare of forgetting they enrolled in a class only to find out at mid-semester they had not been attending all year? I've never had a nightmare of missing work. It's a different kind of stress.

 

[SoonerTulsan]

I don't think that's it at all. I think that OU doesn't have enough reliable players and said so eight weeks ago. We are playing our top three more minutes than just about everybody in the country, Certainly as much or more than anybody in the top ten. It's not December any more. The season has taken its toll on their legs and when they play more than 33 or 34 minutes, they aren't full speed at the end. I still think there is a little aftermath of three overtimes in Lawrence, not necessarily from that night per se. But from everybody playing extra minutes every game since.

The game really changed direction not long after Lattin got his quick second foul. It didn't show up immediately. But Spangler played a few extra minutes because of that. And when Lon tried to play Buford and McNease together, it was almost a disaster. Manyang has to be pretty bad to not be getting minutes ahead of McNease. Jamuni has some offense, which Akolda can only dream about, but McNease rebounds like some high school kid playing with men. And that little giveaway three just before the half turned out to matter more than a little.

I thought that Cousins was a lot more effective than Woodard. I also think that guys use up a lot of energy on a senior night, and they just ran out of gas at the end. Bite my tongue, but I thought that we got ten calls for every one that Baylor found to their advantage, and without that, I don't think we'd have won on senior night, which would have really sucked.

I really hope OUr guys don't make the conference final. Two games next weekend and they ought to have fresh legs in the NCAA's. Three, and we'll need two good matchups to survive. Lon has tried to bring the younger guys along, and it's not like we're getting nothing from the bench. But it is barely enough right now. Saturday, it wasn't and we ran out of gas with seven minutes left. Did tonight to, but we started with more advantage. We don't have anybody who can put their backs to the basket and make the defense double them. And when Buddy has to work really hard for his shots in the first 30 minutes, his legs and his shot start to be affected late. It wasn't like that earlier in the year. But with the wear and tear of a long season, it's not just him, it's the whole group.

We need Lattin to stay on the floor, while not having to play Ole' defense worried about fouling.

I agree about the conference tourney. Would not hurt to have some rest going into the tourney, especially the big guys. Still agree about depth issues with our bigs. We got production from our bigs and won...again...but, our porous defense and mindboggling TO's down the stretch almost cost us. And yes, both of those could be tied to fatigue. Only Coach Kruger knows for sure.

Last year, we lost multiple games where we blew a seemingly comfortable lead down the stretch. Sans Texas last week, we're winning most of those this year. Poise and experience helps, but also the extra little bit of rest we're getting our starters...especially the bigs...could be a factor as well.

 

[PryorFan]

The players are exuasted late in games. Seems Kruger should be playing the bench more but he must have his reasons for not doing so.

 

[Plainosooner]

I'll never be able to agree with you about your fatigue theory.

The Sooners play 32 games over the course of a 120 day schedule. That's a game every 3.75 days or about 1.867 games per week. Buddy Hield averages 34.75 MPG this year, so he's averaging about 65 minutes of game play per week. He's 22, I believe. An age of boundless energy and nearly instant recovery.

The NBA plays 82 games over the course of a 166 day schedule. That's a game every 2 days or about 3.45 games per week. NBA stars also average about 35 MPG, so your typical NBA star averages about 121 minutes of game play per week. Most of them are in their late 20s, and require much more recovery time and conditioning.

What I think is more of a factor in college is stress and ability to focus. NBA players have one thing to think about from sun up until sun down. They get to retreat to luxury homes or hotels. They're not worried about class. They don't have same issues with travel. I imagine it's extremely difficult for a college basketball player to handle the issues staying focused when they are traveling on a weekly basis, often during the school week, missing classes and homework time, worrying about grades and girls. I think it's a lot to ask a college basketball player to remain focused and on top of their game for an entire year. I didn't play a collegiate sport, and I remember what a whirlwind college was for me. I had trouble focusing too when you're constantly barraged by homework assignments, tests, women, parties. How many people have the recurring nightmare of forgetting they enrolled in a class only to find out at mid-semester they had not been attending all year? I've never had a nightmare of missing work. It's a different kind of stress.

I know you are unlikely to agree. But by your view, we should not substitute except for foul trouble. I don't know if you are old enough to remember 40 minutes of hell in the mid 90s at Arkansas, but their whole philosophy was to wear you down for30 minutes, then killing you after. Back to back national finals
One title. Not much different from OUr one finals appearance in the last 75 years in 88.

When the other guys are less tired, they mess with your shot easier. Your NBA theory isn't valid. Totally different dynamic. And your theory ignores the most important factor. We are smaller than just about everyone they play . And everyone is pretty good. It tames very little fatigue to make a difference. A trey in the last 10 minutes is a different shot than early.

You'd have is believe that they're slacking mentally. I will never believe that.

 

[JConXtsy]

I'd argue that the NBA theory is even more valid considering the 24 second shot clock, and the NBA plays infinitely better and higher level defense which is where the real fatigue is generated.

And my argument is only against culminated fatigue which is what I understood your original point was, the team being tired from grueling games earlier in the season. I'm not arguing against acute fatigue and the necessity of a deep bench.

I do remember the Arkansas titles in the 90s.
They had 4 members of that team that eventually played in the NBA, two drafted and two undrafted. Name a college team today that has 4 pro caliber players. I'm not discounting the style of play, but it's not like they were winning in spite of their talent.

Side story - my sister was in grad school at Arkansas during those years. Her and her boyfriend once went to the movies and happened to be sitting by Corliss. He left his wallet behind after the movie, and they picked it up and went through it to see whose it was. They claimed it had some insane amount of cash in it. I can't remember the number today but it was in the several hundreds. Not the kind of cash your typical college student carries around.

 

[SoonerTulsan]

I'd argue that the NBA theory is even more valid considering the 24 second shot clock, and the NBA plays infinitely better and higher level defense which is where the real fatigue is generated.

And my argument is only against culminated fatigue which is what I understood your original point was, the team being tired from grueling games earlier in the season. I'm not arguing against acute fatigue and the necessity of a deep bench.

I do remember the Arkansas titles in the 90s.
They had 4 members of that team that eventually played in the NBA, two drafted and two undrafted. Name a college team today that has 4 pro caliber players. I'm not discounting the style of play, but it's not like they were winning in spite of their talent.

Side story - my sister was in grad school at Arkansas during those years. Her and her boyfriend once went to the movies and happened to be sitting by Corliss. He left his wallet behind after the movie, and they picked it up and went through it to see whose it was. They claimed it had some insane amount of cash in it. I can't remember the number today but it was in the several hundreds. Not the kind of cash your typical college student carries around.

You mean college players are getting cash for playing sports?? No way!!