Five reasons the Sooners must beware the Bison | Tulsa World

[OUHoops]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/spo...cle_973a2242-ad82-11e3-8d09-001a4bcf6878.html

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Wow! I did not realize that 3 of the four #5 seeds lost to #12 seeds last year.

Then I looked up some data here:
http://mcubed.net/ncaab/seeds.shtml

Overall record of #5 vs. #12
(92-44) 67.6%

 

[WTSooner]

Sums up my feelings pretty well. I'd add three point shooting as well. The don't take a lot of them compared to us (722 to 458 edge to OU in attempts on the season), but they do shoot it as well as OU does (our 37% to their 36%).

They are also going to try to slow us down, as they have one of the slower (258th slowest pace according to Ken Pom) paces in college basketball. Given how mediocre their defense is, I'm guessing their offense is VERY deliberate.

Spangler will HAVE to play a lot of minutes. Bennett isn't thick enough to check their 250 pound center for very long.

 

[WTSooner]

Wow! I did not realize that 3 of the four #5 seeds lost to #12 seeds last year.

Then I looked up some data here:
http://mcubed.net/ncaab/seeds.shtml

Yep. That is why I really wanted that 4 seed. Look at the difference in the 12's and the 13's. Pretty big, considering it's just a one seed difference.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

From the TW article:

*** North Dakota State apparently travels some people

An AP story from Sunday included a reminder that 10,000 Bison fans traveled to Frisco, Texas, to watch NDSU win the FCS football championship last December. Late Sunday, an NDSU official corrected that figure to 20,000. Assuming a fraction of that travels to Spokane, the Bison will have a much larger following in the stands than the Sooners.

Based on my experience of traveling to these events in the past, I project that the Sooners may have at least 25 fans there, but no more than 50.

 

[WTSooner]

Also gotta keep Braun off the line. He had 8 games with double digit FT attempts, including back to back games early in the season where he attempted a combined 41 FT's (making 37 of them).

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Yep. That is why I really wanted that 4 seed. Look at the difference in the 12's and the 13's. Pretty big, considering it's just a one seed difference.

Yes it is.

Anyone that thinks this should be an easy game are fooling themselves. NDSU starts 3 seniors and a junior. They have experience and a hunger to prove themselves to the world.

NDSU is very efficient on offense. NDSU is a bit bigger and taller than OU. The Sooners should have a quickness advantage.

I hope the relatively young OU players do not consider this to be an easy opponent. OU will have to play a good game to win, which is the way it should be in the NCAAs.

 

[pnkranger]

Tempo is the key in my mind. If we get them running up and down the floor, we're going to take them out of their comfort zone on offense, wear down their big man, and we should be able to score plenty in transition since we'll have the overall athletic advantage.

 

[Chaser728]

Yes it is.

Anyone that thinks this should be an easy game are fooling themselves. NDSU starts 3 seniors and a junior. They have experience and a hunger to prove themselves to the world.

NDSU is very efficient on offense. NDSU is a bit bigger and taller than OU. The Sooners should have a quickness advantage.

I hope the relatively young OU players do not consider this to be an easy opponent. OU will have to play a good game to win, which is the way it should be in the NCAAs.

The sooners have a hunger as well... They ave been doubted from the beginning of this season and have even more to prove than this NDSU team. They have been disrespected by most of the pundits and I fully expect a similar performance in this tourney that we saw from our FB team in the Sugar Bowl. I saw a tweet from James Fraschilla yesterday that basically said: "I don't think we have a buliten board, but I think we are gonna get one!"

I predict a double digit win with us pulling away midway in the first half.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

Tempo is the key in my mind. If we get them running up and down the floor, we're going to take them out of their comfort zone on offense, wear down their big man, and we should be able to score plenty in transition since we'll have the overall athletic advantage.

I agree, tempo will be key. And if the Bison can do a good job on the offensive boards, they can slow it down and take us out of OUR comfort zone.

We are going to have to do a good job on the boards, both offensive and defensive.

Getting off to a hot start wouldn't hurt, either.

 

[Stikboy]

Them being here doesn't surprise me at all. Their recruiting has been outstanding the last few years.