Oklahoma

College Cheerleader of the Day: Oklahoma

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:37:54 -0400

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Poll: Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:17:10 -0500

Poll: Best Sophomore in College Basketball?

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:03:40 -0500

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:15:17 -0500

The first "Big Monday" of the season delivers a pair of undefeated teams (in conference play) in the Big East followed by "Bedlam" in the Big 12. Villanova visits Louisville in a game that should prove to be entertaining given the deep backcourts. Villanova will have to deal with a Louisville defense that pressured full-court only to fall into an active 2-3 zone. But they've got plenty of playmakers and perimeter shooters with Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher leading the way. The key for the Cardinals will be to turn the Wildcats over while limiting their own miscues. The trio of Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles has the experience and talent to handle themselves well against Villanova's backcourt but will they display the required discipline?

Inside Villanova will have to keep Samardo Samuels from getting too involved in the Louisville offense. Luckily for them Antonio Pena has played solid basketball all season and Isaiah Armwood has also earned a spot in the rotation. Jay Wright can also turn to Mouphtaou Yarou, who is expected to see between twenty and twenty-five minutes on Monday as the Wildcats slowly work him back following his bout with Hepatitis B. Look for both team to run so the impact of tempo should be minimal; instead keep an eye on turnover margin and rebounding margin. The winner in those two areas will most likely move to 4-0 in Big East play.

As for the Bedlam Series game between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma this may be "circle the wagons" time for the Sooners, who have struggled mightily and are coming off of a 91-60 beating at Baylor on Saturday. Simply put Jeff Capel has a young team that's been rather inconsistent within games much less their season, but the hope is that the sight of a bitter rival can give this team some life. Oklahoma State will pressure and offensively lean on one of the nation's best small forwards in James Anderson. If Willie Warren and Tommy Mason-Griffin can't deal with the Cowboys' pressure this one could get ugly.

TV GAMES

7p ESPN Villanova at Louisville
7p ESPNU Morgan State at Hampton
9p ESPN Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
9p ESPNU Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama State

OTHER GAMES

7p Iona at Loyola (MD)
7p Canisius at Siena
8p Eastern Illinois at Murray St
9p Belmont at Lipscomb
9:05p Hawaii at Utah St
10p San Jose St at Fresno St

ONE PREDICTION

Villanova over Louisville: Despite the experience of the Louisville guards they have trouble at times taking care of the basketball and not falling victim to poor shot selection. In addition to the play of their experienced guards Villanova has freshman Maalik Wayns, who was named Big East Rookie of the Week last week and has earned more and more playing time. The Wildcats are an extremely difficult team to guard with either man or zone, which will be the difference at Freedom Hall.

College Hoops Monday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:34:02 -0500

With Christmas Day rapidly approaching the nation gets its first look at UTEP forward Derrick Caracter. Of course he's already played in three games for the Miners (two double-doubles) but there will be questions regarding the Louisville transfer's level of commitment. But head coach Tony Barbee has given Caracter a ringing endorsement and if on his game he could give Oklahoma all they want and then some in Oklahoma City at the All-College Classic.

The Miners have four other players averaging double digits in scoring with the explosive Randy Culpepper leading the way at 17.4 ppg, and to be frank they should have taken care of Ole Miss last week. Arnett Moultrie is another impressive forward on the roster for UTEP, and if they can run without turning the ball over too often they've got a good chance to knock off the Sooners. The key for Jeff Capel's team will be leadership, specifically from guards Willie Warren and Tony Crocker.

They can definitely fill it up but on a team that starts freshmen at both the point (Tommy Mason-Griffin) and on the block (Tiny Gallon) being the on-court voice of reason can at times be just as important as scoring. Oklahoma is allowing opponents to score seventy points per game while the Miners allow their opponents to score just over sixty-five per contest. Expect the margins in both turnovers and rebounds to be the deciding factor as both teams have the ability to score points.

As for the other games on the schedule the final of the Aeropostale Holiday Festival should be a competitive affair between Cornell and St. John's at the Garden. Cornell needed a 30-footer at the buzzer from Ryan Wittman to knock off Davidson while the Red Storm needed a late second half run to survive Hofstra. Also, Oklahoma State takes on La Salle in the second game from Oklahoma City with two of the better guards in the country (La Salle's Rodney Green and Oklahoma State's James Anderson) on display.

TV GAMES

6:30p ESPN2 UTEP vs. Oklahoma
7p ESPNU Drexel at Kentucky
7p MSG Davidson vs. Hofstra
8:30p ESPN2 LaSalle vs. Oklahoma State
8:30p BTN South Carolina St at Iowa
9p MSG Cornell at St. John's
9p FCS Lipscomb at Arizona

OTHER GAMES

7p Furman at South Carolina
7:30p Weber St. at Cal-State Fullerton
8p Appalachian St. at Dayton
9:05p Fresno St. at Montana
10p Pacific at Santa Clara

ONE PREDICTION

UTEP over Oklahoma: The play of Culpepper and Moultrie is the primary reason why UTEP is the pick. Overall the Miners have more experience and if this turns into a track meet they can run without getting completely out of control. Look for UTEP to pull off the mild upset.

College Hoops Thursday Recap: UCLA in Trouble?

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:08:17 -0500

Had you told someone that UCLA lost to Portland the result likely wouldn't have registered much shock. The Pilots have already beaten Oregon and Eric Reveno's team is expected to be a challenger to Gonzaga in the WCC. But 74-47? Portland got off to a good start and their offensive efficiency combined with the Bruins' offensive ineptitude resulted in a game that got out of hand; the margin reached thirty points in the second half. Guards T.J. Campbell and Jared Stohl each scored fifteen points to lead the Pilots, who shot 11-for-20 from behind the arc and 54.2% from the field.

But the question in the aftermath of this result is how big will this win be for Portland at season's end? Name recognition aside, that's a tough question to answer "yes" until the Bruins improve offensively (Tyler Honeycutt should help in this area when he returns). UCLA doesn't have a "game changer" on offense; Malcolm Lee is the guy many have pointed to as that player but can he consistently create for both himself and others? If UCLA is to entertain thoughts of getting back to the tournament in an underwhelming Pac-10 that answer needs to be "yes".

Three Key Happenings

1. Oklahoma loses twice withing 24 hours. It's understood that the Sooners are young and it isn't easy to replace the Griffin brothers and point guard Austin Johnson. But against both San Diego and Houston Jeff Capel's team have suffered breakdowns on the defensive end of the floor. In the early hours of Thanksgiving it was Brandon Johnson who hit the Sooners for twenty-two points in the Toreros' 76-64 victory. San Diego won the battle on the boards 39-30, grabbing fifteen offensive rebounds.

Late Thursday it was Houston scoring fifty-three points in the second half to beat the Sooners 100-93; the Cougars can score but they're the kind of team that you should beat provided you get a couple of stops. Houston shot 46.2% from three (12-26), and the combo of Aubrey Coleman (27) and Kelvin Lewis (28) combined to score fifty-six points. There's a lot of talent in Norman but they're young; as they gain more experience the Sooners will recognize the value of defense and become a better team.

2. Minnesota picks up a solid win. The Golden Gophers were able to rely on their defense to knock off tenth-ranked Butler in the 76 Classic, holding the Bulldogs to 33.3% shooting from the field while also forcing twenty-one turnovers in the 82-73 victory. Starting point guard Al Nolen spent much of the second half on the bench with four fouls but Tubby Smith was able to get help from other sources while Butler wasn't as fortunate once Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward each picked up their fourth.

Damian Johnson led four Minnesota players in double figures with eighteen points and the Golden Gopher bench outscored Butler's reserves 46-8. Big man Colton Iverson added a double-double with thirteen points and eleven rebounds in the win. Butler usually keeps their poise in running their offense but that wasn't the case on Thursday, thanks in large part to a solid effort from Minnesota.

3. Texas A&M has a different indentity...and that's a good thing. The Aggies in recent years have been big-man oriented, not having the speed or perimeter depth needed to get past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. But Thursday's 69-60 win over #19 Clemson may be a piece of evidence that things have changed for Mark Turgeon's program. B.J. Holmes scored twenty points off the bench and while the Clemson pressure did force nineteen turnovers they weren't able to do enough to win the game. A&M was able to attack the basket with Holmes (11-12 FT) and Dash Harris, and without a post player who can be a feature offensive option the guards will need to take on more scoring responsibility. Thursday was a good step in that direction.

Top Three Games

1. #15 Michigan 83, Creighton 76 (OT) Manny Harris was impressive with 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Wolverines, who survived in the extra session. And he also didn't leave the game, playing all forty-five minutes.

2. Alabama 79, Baylor 76 JaMychal Green led the Crimson Tide with 22 points and six rebounds and he was joined in carrying the scoring load by Mikhail Torrance (20) and Senario Hillman (15). Alabama will play Florida State in the semis of the Old Spice Classic.

3. Houston 100, Oklahoma 93 See above.

Three Notable Performances

1. G Manny Harris (Michigan) Harris went for 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in Michigan's overtime win over Creighton. He'll lead the Wolverines against Marquette on Friday.

2. F/C Jason Love (Xavier) Love nearly went 20/20 against Marquette, scoring 21 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in the Musketeers' 71-61 loss to the Golden Eagles.

3. G Kelvin Lewis (Houston) Lewis scored 28 points, shooting 6-for-11 from behind the arc, in the Cougars' 100-93 win over Oklahoma in the Great Alaska Shootout.

Thoughts? Other standout performances? Feel free to post them below.

College Hoops Thursday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:17:46 -0500

There are just eleven games on the Thanksgiving Day schedule with tournaments beginning in both Orlando (Old Spice Classic) and Anaheim (76 Classic) while play continues at the Great Alaska Shootout. The showcase game: #16 Minnesota taking on #10 Butler in the third quarterfinal of the day. This is going to be the first test of the season for Tubby Smith's team, who hasn't won any of their three games by less than 25 points. Four Golden Gophers are averaging in double figures, led by guard Lawrence Westbrook's 18.5 ppg.

The perimeter play should be outstanding with Westbrook, Devoe Joseph, Rodney Williams and Damian Johnson going up against a deep group of Butler perimeter options. Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack get the bulk of the national hype and with good reason, but the Bulldogs can also look to players such as Willie Veasley, Zach Hahn and Ronald Nored. Inside look for Minnesota's Ralph Sampson II to have his hands full with Matt Howard, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year. This should be a very good game to watch while digesting all that food.

As for the Old Spice Classic a good game to check out could be Creighton taking on #15 Michigan in the first quarterfinal of the day. The Blue Jays, led by P'Allen Stinnett and featuring five players scoring at least ten points per game, are expected to be in the thick of the Missouri Valley title race. But they're going to have to deal with Manny Harris, Courtney Sims and an offensive attack that has brought John Beilein success in every stop of his coaching career. The Valley hasn't been a two-bid league for a couple of seasons, but a win here could mean something down the line for both the Blue Jays' and the conference's profile.

TV GAMES

Creighton vs. #15 Michigan (Orlando) - Noon - ESPN2
#8 West Virginia vs. Long Beach State (Anaheim) - 2PM - ESPNU
Marquette vs. Xavier (Orlando) - 2PM - ESPN2
Texas A&M vs. #19 Clemson (Anaheim) - 4:30PM - ESPN2
Alabama vs. Baylor (Orlando) - 6:30PM - ESPN2
#16 Minnesota vs. #10 Butler (Anaheim) - 8:30PM - ESPN2
Florida State vs. Iona (Orlando) - 9PM - ESPNU
Portland vs. UCLA (Anaheim) - 10:30PM - ESPN2

OTHER GAMES

North Carolina A&T @ New Mexico State - 9PM
Nicholls State @ Alaska-Anchorage (Great Alaska) - 9PM
Houston vs. Oklahoma (Great Alaska) - 11:30PM

ONE PREDICTION

Butler over Minnesota: It's tough to see either team winning in a blowout; in fact, this game looks to be a toss-up that will likely come down to the final possession. Look for the versatility of Gordon Hayward to win out in the end; Minnesota could also have issues with the Sampson II/Howard matchup due to the difference in experience and Howard's ability to step away from the basket. Bulldogs by three although it wouldn't be a surprise if the Golden Gophers won.

College Hoops Saturday Recap: VCU Upends Young Sooners

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:03:37 -0500

Despite nearly 100 hundred games on the schedule college basketball took a back seat on Saturday. Such is life during college football season but there were some talking points to be had. I'm sure there are some who wonder why a ranked team such as Oklahoma would take on a challenging road trip such as the Sooners' voyage to Richmond and there's an answer. VCU had it written into former head coach Jeff Capel's contract that the school that if he were to leave for a BCS job he'd agree to a home-and-home series. It's a way for schools in non-BCS league to shore up their scheduling if they're unable to keep their guy in town.

The game was also a win for the highly-successful Villa 7 Consortium, begun in 2004 by VCU with the idea of bringing together athletic administrators with some of the promising young assistants in the coaching industry. If you get a chance click on the link and check out some of the success stories, one of whom is first-year VCU head coach Shaka Smart. As for the game, the Rams won due to some cold shooting from the perimeter by Oklahoma (5-19 from three) and a 20-point outing from Jay Gavin, who sat out last season after transferring from Marist. Larry Sanders scored seventeen points in just twenty-one minutes due to fouls, and Oklahoma was led in scoring by Tony Crocker (19 points).

Willie Warren was just 3-14 from the field in the loss with eight points and six turnovers. Coach Capel is starting a pair of freshmen in Tommy Mason-Griffin and Tiny Gallon, and as freshmen are wont to do they alternated stretches of solid play with reminders that this is their first hostile road trip as collegians. Oklahoma's going to get better and eventually be a threat to get to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. But this was a big win for both VCU and the CAA, who watched some of its members miss on some good upset opportunities by small margins this past week.

Three Key Happenings

1. Houston isn't mentioned with the other Conference USA contenders for one reason. That would be defense; Tom Penders' Cougars can score with anyone but you have to wonder if they're going to be able to stop anyone. Houston gave up sixty-one points in the first half of their game at Nevada and while the Wolf Pack are a good team that should not happen in college basketball. Five Nevada players scored in double figures with three scoring more than twenty while a fourth finished with nineteen points; Joey Shaw led them with twenty-six. Aubrey Coleman (32 points) and Adam Brown (25 points) led the way for Houston but allowing a team to shoot 60.9% on sixty-nine shot attempts isn't going to get it done. Defense is what separates this explosive team from Memphis, Tulsa and UTEP right now.

2. Early returns aren't too good for Pac-10 basketball. The good news for new commissioner Larry Scott is that football has performed extremely well this season. The bad: the basketball could be in for a major fall if today's results are a harbinger of things to come. Oregon losing at Portland isn't terrible but it's not good either; the Pilots were picked to finish second in the WCC but with just about every key contributor back more is expected from Ernie Kent's Ducks. But for USC (Loyola Marymount) and Oregon State (Sacramento State) to lose to teams that combined to win five games last season isn't a good sign.

The Trojans, who are shorthanded to begin with, saw forward Kasey Cunningham go down with a knee injury (the severity of which remains to be seen). Oregon State is still waiting on Roberto Nelson to be cleared and that's been an issue but there's enough back to beat the likes of Sacramento State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Add to this some other results early in the season and this coming week becomes a big one for the league. Arizona is in Maui for the Maui Invitational while UCLA will take part in the 76 Classic in Anaheim.

3. It's early but things are going well so far for Tony Bennett in Charlottesville. You can't accurately predict where most teams will end up in March based on four games, but Virginia is off to a 3-1 start under new head coach Tony Bennett and his offensive system may hold the key as to why. Last season the Cavaliers seemed to use Sylven Landesburg as the centerpiece of a system that lacked structure and that's not good for a team that lacks a prolific scorer in the rotation. Coach Bennett's philosophy stresses ball and people movement, resulting in an efficient offense that may end up being a better fit for this group.

Four players scored in double figures in the Hoos' 76-55 win over Oral Roberts, their second straight over a team expected to contend in its conference by 20+ points. They're also defending far bettern than they did at any point last season, holding the Golden Eagles to 32.1% from the field. It's extremely early but Virginia looks like a different team despite many of the same players being back on campus.

Top Three Games

1. Delaware 97, Pennsylvania 94 (2OT) Hard to believe that a game between winless teams was the day's best, but Jawan Carter's 35 points gave the Blue Hens their first win of the year while dropping Glen Miller's Quakers to 0-3.

2. Northeastern 64, Utah State 61 It was a tight game that came down to the wire, decided on a pair of Nkem Ojougboh free thrown with four seconds remaining. Matt Janning led the Huskies with fourteen while Tai Wesley (Utah State) led all scorers with sixteen points.

3. UL Monroe 74, Morehead State 73 This one edges out Temple's win over Siena. Dynile Forbes led four Warhawks in double figures with seventeen points while Kenneth Faried paced Morehead State with twenty-four points and twelve rebounds. Tony Hooper's shot at the buzzer won it for ULM but keep an eye on Faried as the season progresses.

Three Notable Performances

1. G John Wall (Kentucky) 21 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks in the Wildcats' 92-63 win over Rider. The young man is the truth. Period.

2. G Armon Johnson (Nevada) 22 points, 12 assists and 5 rebounds in the Wolf Pack's 112-99 win over Houston.

3. G Jawan Carter (Delaware) Not sure which is more impressive: scoring thirty-five points or attempting twenty-six free throws (making nineteen). That's what Carter did in the Blue Hens' double overtime win at Penn.

What stuck out to you? Feel free to chime in below.

College Basketball Lines & Predictions: Saturday

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:15:59 -0500

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. Unlike fans, who often ride the wave of media predictions, betting lines tend to be a bit more focused and can give you an objective picture of how teams matchup (though lines too can get caught up in the wave of human emotion).

I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the day's lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

November 21st: College Basketball Lines & Predictions

12:00

Utah St.
at Northeastern

Favorite

Northeastern by 1

Over/Under

1:00

Rider
at Kentucky

Favorite

Kentucky by 17.5

Over/Under

2:00