Zimwillett
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Re-watched it on YouTube. A few observations:
1. Not sure you could have a bigger contrast in atmosphere. I forgot how strange it was to watch a college game played in what amounts to a high school gym in front of a couple thousand mildly interested on-lookers. Saturday will be like playing on a different planet compared to Dec. 7.
2. The storyline is that Nova just shot poorly and OU ran away with it. That's true to an extent. They definitely missed several open looks, but OU had a lot to do with it. I think OU's length and athleticism really bothered them. OU's guards, in particular, are noticeably "longer" than Nova's. I don't expect Nova to shoot that poorly Saturday, but I think OU deserves more credit for their defensive effort than they're getting.
3. In fact, OU also missed a bunch of open shots they've been hitting in the tournament. Buddy, in particular, started hot and then lost it. Some credit to Nova locking him down some, but Buddy got a little over-excited after the hot start and lost his touch. I think he's 100% more locked in and under control now.
4. OU did a great job of keeping the ball away from Ochefu in the post and off the offensive glass. That's gotta happen again.
5. Rashard Odomes got a lot of meaningful minutes and actually looked more ready to play than James back then. Buford barely played in mop up. McNease is a different player.
6. Cousins was fantastic. If he plays at that level on Saturday, OU will win, end of discussion.
I'm an extremely amateur observer, so I welcome any thoughts from those with a more seasoned eye.
1. Not sure you could have a bigger contrast in atmosphere. I forgot how strange it was to watch a college game played in what amounts to a high school gym in front of a couple thousand mildly interested on-lookers. Saturday will be like playing on a different planet compared to Dec. 7.
2. The storyline is that Nova just shot poorly and OU ran away with it. That's true to an extent. They definitely missed several open looks, but OU had a lot to do with it. I think OU's length and athleticism really bothered them. OU's guards, in particular, are noticeably "longer" than Nova's. I don't expect Nova to shoot that poorly Saturday, but I think OU deserves more credit for their defensive effort than they're getting.
3. In fact, OU also missed a bunch of open shots they've been hitting in the tournament. Buddy, in particular, started hot and then lost it. Some credit to Nova locking him down some, but Buddy got a little over-excited after the hot start and lost his touch. I think he's 100% more locked in and under control now.
4. OU did a great job of keeping the ball away from Ochefu in the post and off the offensive glass. That's gotta happen again.
5. Rashard Odomes got a lot of meaningful minutes and actually looked more ready to play than James back then. Buford barely played in mop up. McNease is a different player.
6. Cousins was fantastic. If he plays at that level on Saturday, OU will win, end of discussion.
I'm an extremely amateur observer, so I welcome any thoughts from those with a more seasoned eye.
