While it is no secret that OSU is down this year, and that Gallagher isn't the Tomb of Doom that it once was, a conference, Senior Night, road win is special. Anyone who has ever played this game can find so many things to like about this ball club and the future of the program. Yes I do remember Monday night; and there are times that you just run into a buzz saw. A buzz saw that has won 12 straight conference titles. This team had 5, five, cinco turnovers tonight. That is thinking man's basketball. I also believe we lead the league in fewest turnovers. And I stand corrected we had 6 turnovers. OSU had one player in double figures, rebounds even, 80% FT. All players come to you with these abilities, but you have to have a complete buy-in to make it work. Shaka is so far making it work. Does he wake up at night in cold sweats over the game at TCU? I sure as hell hope so. Baylor and the Rock Chalks at our house? Yep bet he does too on those. A first round win in KC gives us another game against KU where we have nothing to lose. We will be a 5 or 6 either way. Pull a miracle and win the tournament and they could be a 4. When was the last time we went to the Conference tournament with this kind of optimism? Well I guess last year until the last minute of the Iowa State game. All of which to say, even with 11 loses this team has been as enjoyable to watch as any team that we have had in a long time. If Shaka can handle the politics that comes with a HC job at UT, the future is very bright. Much like Mack Brown, I think this guy could sell a ketchup popsicyle. Congrats on a great first season. With coaches like Tubby, Self, Krueger, Huggins, etc, you have more than held your own. "The Wizard Of Aus!"
Good win that we needed to reach 20 games regular season. Great coaching job by The Wizard of Aus this season. Most thought that when Ridley went down we were toast (or "forked") and NIT bound. Not me. Hope that Ridley can come back for the NCAA Tourney first round game. I think that this team is Sweet Sixteen bound, especially if we can get meaningful contributions from Cam. I'm looking forward to the B12 tourney to see if we can get revenge on (edit: Baylor and) Kansas and to the NCAA tourney to see how far we go.
Strong finish wth that 14-2 run at end to beat an OSU team that just has no depth. All about the seeding now, one or two wins in KC may push the Horns to the five seed line and a more favorable matchup in first and second rounds.
That game in Stillwater was a freaking foul fest. After we got called for four (4!) fouls at the 18 min mark in the second half, with Lammert (two fouls within 30 seconds) having to sit, Ibeh with three (sitting), Taylor with 3 (you get the message) I was within a hair of coming to this board and blathering some non sense about how this was a trap game and we were over confident, not focused, etc etc. I mean, osu was in the double bonus in a close game with 10 min left in the game. BUT, I tightly gripped the armrests on my lazyboy, ate another tangerine, breathed deeply. Then I began to hear the song, ("We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Aus") growing louder in the recesses of my addled mind, while telling myself to have faith. The grip eased to normal levels, the horns erased a three point cowboy lead (my god! that was an incredible "and one" three point play in the lane floater off the backboard Roach somehow willed in--or were the the Wizard of Aus' magic spells at work again? So Roach scores something like 9 of the last 12 points for the horns. And like a very cool game of musical basketball chairs, the freshmen just fill the empty chair one after another, rotating the spotlight to shine on whichever one happens to be hot. There is no curtain for Toto to pull back. We do indeed have a real Wizard right here in Aus.
The only thing I fear about an extended run in the Big 12 Touney is another big injury. You can tell Taylor is not healthy and he limps very noticeably at times. Every time he goes on one of those drives to the hoop and gets fouled hard or lands awkwardly, I think that he may not get up. I have have read that limited rest won't really help his condition with his foot. That only a long period of time will be needed, if he is to get over it. I wonder how and if this will affect his draft status. Anything we can get from Ridley from here on out is a bonus. Since he isn't available, to hopefully the NCAA Tourney. You really wonder how good this team would have been, with both Ridley and Taylor healthy. It's been a great first season for Coach Smart and it's not over yet. The future looks bright, as his recruits start to come into his system.
I woke up this morning and checked what time the game would be on. Oh, it was last night. Color me oblivious. Road conference wins are never easy (Tech, TCU). Looks like we'll finish 4th in conference, not bad in a conference this deep, and without our best big man. Not bad! Win two games in the Big 12 tournament and we're in the finals. Only three wins and we win the tournament championship. Let's make it happen!
I'm just glad Texas most likely get's another shot against Baylor in the first round (6/8 possible scenarios today will match Texas with Baylor in the first round). I kinda like the new hatred from that rivalry, and definitely want Isaiah to get another shot at them
The 1-6 seeding scenarios: The locks so far are: 1. Kansas 7. Texas Tech 8. Kansas State 9. Oklahoma State 10. Texas Christian
And speaking of Wizards, for most of the last 15 years of his life, John Wooden very seldom went to see the men's games at Pauley Pavilion. He went to watch the UCLA Women play instead. Because women understand that "the game is won and lost below the rim, not above it." You know, like no turn overs, hitting free throws, getting rebounds and blocking out in the paint. I think I see a pattern here.........
Remember that time an Okie-lite fan grabbed TJ Ford and threw him down? And the team ran into the stands with fists a-flying? Yea, that was great.
Was stilling on the first row of the level above when that happened. Most of the people around were 65+ years old and all of them apologized for the incident. One much older lady behind me said she would have thrown a punch too! And she was a......stout......woman who could probably lay out anyone with one punch. That game was a really big deal cause OSU was very very good. There were several hundred UT folk scattered around in that big crowd. After all of those people apologized and were so gracious, I thought "can you imagine this reaction in Hooterville, Tech, Waco or Norman"? Was a hell of a game.
