NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Gameday Thread

[OUHoops]

http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=210852099

SETTING THE SCENE
Making its fifth-ever trip to the NCAA Final Four, No. 2 seed Oklahoma out of the West Region (29-7 overall, 12-6 Big 12) will take on No. 2 seed Villanova out of the South Region (31-6 overall, 16-2 Big East) in Saturday’s national semifinal in Houston. The contest, to be played at the 72,220-seat NRG Stadium, will tip at 5:09 p.m. CT.

Should it advance to finals, Oklahoma will face the winner of Saturday’s North Carolina (No. 1 seed, East) versus Syracuse (No. 10 seed, Midwest) matchup Monday night Houston.

ON THE AIR
All of OU’s NCAA Tournament games will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM in Oklahoma City; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland (play by play) and Scott Thompson (analyst) calling the action. Saturday’s game will be televised nationally by TBS with Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery and Tracy Wolfson announcing. It will also air on the Westwood One Network (Sirius 84, XM 84) with Kevin Kugler, John Thompson, Clark Kellogg and Jim Gray on the call.

FAST FACTS ON THE WILDCATS
• Villanova is making its second Final Four appearance (first since 2009) under head coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats advanced to the national semifinals by topping No. 1 seed Kansas, 64-59, last Saturday. Villanova’s 33 victories are tied for the most in school history. In the last 10 games, the Wildcats have earned nine wins, with their loss coming to Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament championship game on March 18.

• Wright, the Co-Big East Coach of the Year, is 352-157 at Villanova and has led the Wildcats to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. He was recently named a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year award.

• The Wildcats have made 37 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and are making their fifth trip to the Final Four. Villanova is 2-2 all-time in national semifinal games. The Wildcats claimed their lone national championship in 1985.

• Villanova won its third straight Big East regular season championship, the first team to accomplish the feat since Connecticut won the league title for three consecutive years (1994-96). Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Wildcats are 95-13 (.880).

• Junior guard Josh Hart leads Villanova with a team-high 15.3 points per game on a .506 shooting percentage. Junior forward Kris Jenkins averages 13.5 points a contest and has knocked down a team-best 94 3-pointers this year. Senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono is third on the club with 12.3 points per game and averages a team-high 4.3 assists per game.

• Senior forward Daniel Ochefu chips in 10.1 points a game and is the team’s leader averaging 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.

SOONER STORYLINES
• BACK 2 THE FINAL 4: Making its fifth-ever trip to the NCAA Final Four (first since 2002), No. 2 seed Oklahoma out of the West Region (29-7 overall, 12-6 Big 12) will take on No. 2 seed Villanova out of the South Region (31-6 overall, 16-2 Big East) in Saturday’s national semifinal in Houston. The contest, to be played at the 72,220-seat NRG Stadium, will tip at 5:09 p.m. CT. This will mark the fifth all-time meeting between OU and Nova (series tied 2-2), including the second this season. The Sooners downed the Wildcats, 78-55, in Hawaii on Dec. 7 (Pearl Harbor Game). OU head coach Lon Kruger is making his second appearance in the Final Four, 22 years after leading Florida to college basketball’s biggest stage (1994).

• SOONERS HEADED HOME: OU players Christian James and Khadeem Lattin are both headed home for the Final Four. Both Sooners hail from Houston. In total, OU has six players from the Lone Star State.

• KEEPING IT (OVER) 100: The Sooners aren’t short on experience or leadership this season. OU’s quartet of Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard has started every game (104 consecutive) for OU the past three seasons, tallying 416 combined starts during that span. With the addition of Khadeem Lattin (36 starts), OU boasts a starting five with 479 combined career starts. Each member of the 'core four' has at least 1,000 points in his respective career at Oklahoma.

• GETTING OFFENSIVE: OU currently ranks second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.428) by hitting 376-879 of its shots from downtown. Oklahoma’s all-time record for 3-point field goal percentage in a campaign is .414 (1986-87). OU has connected on at least 10 treys in 24 games this year (a school record) and it’s 10.4 3-point makes per game ranks sixth nationally (first in Big 12). OU's 376 total 3-point field goals made this season ranks third in the country (first in the Big 12).

• BUDDYBUCKETS: Senior Buddy Hield is currently averaging 25.4 points per game, which leads the Big 12 and second nationally (first among Power 5 conferences). The two-time Big 12 Player of the Year has scored at least 20 points in 26 games this season and his 46.5 percent (146-314) shooting from downtown ranks fourth in the country. His 4.1 3FGM per game is tops in the nation. The Bahamas native has 12 games of at least 30 points this season (same total as the rest of the Big 12 combined, most in the nation) and 14 total such games in his career at OU (most in Big 12 history).

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

Bob Stoops spoke to the team before they left for Houston this afternoon:

http://www.soonersports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=5230101&db_oem_id=31000

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

And they're off...

 

[jackson_supersooner]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

Goodness...I just can't even explain what happiness it would bring me to see these guys win Saturday. Can't even explain. So proud of them and what they've accomplished. Final 4 was more then I could ever have imagined. But now that they are here. Win...just win guys.

Booooomer!

 

[tomkar98]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

I believe in these guys!

Boomer Sooner!

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

Landed in Houston...

Coach Crutchfield and family:

 

[jackson_supersooner]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

Crutch's kids are looking old man. What year is the one on the right? And does he play ball? Surely Crutch has got him in the gym day and night!

Well I found him. Looks like a 2018 kidhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hFqM-SOHgIA

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

Villanova knows firsthand about Sooners' strengths: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/villanova/20160331_Webhed_here.html

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

...

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

NCAA offers finanical assistance to players' families heading to the Final Four: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-basketba...ies-heading-to-the-final-four/article/5488588

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

Locker Room in Houston:

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

...

 

[OUReality]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

First of all, Thank you OUHoops for the pictures and articles. For those of us who live out of state, you help us stay connected to what is happening with the team, and it is appreciated.

Question: How much practice time will OU actually get in NRG? I know they have the open to public practice which is a glorified shoot around/media event. But how much real practice time will they get to get use to shooting in such a large venue?

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

First of all, Thank you OUHoops for the pictures and articles. For those of us who live out of state, you help us stay connected to what is happening with the team, and it is appreciated.

Question: How much practice time will OU actually get in NRG? I know they have the open to public practice which is a glorified shoot around/media event. But how much real practice time will they get to get use to shooting in such a large venue?

I honestly don't know. Hopefully someone else can answer. And I appreciate the props.

Looks like they're at the arena shooting stuff for the CBS broadcast.

Check this out:

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/715555027671130113

https://twitter.com/OU_MBBall/status/715550247192276992

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

Buddy and Grant Hill.

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

...

 

[Zimwillett]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

First of all, Thank you OUHoops for the pictures and articles. For those of us who live out of state, you help us stay connected to what is happening with the team, and it is appreciated.

Question: How much practice time will OU actually get in NRG? I know they have the open to public practice which is a glorified shoot around/media event. But how much real practice time will they get to get use to shooting in such a large venue?

On his radio show, Toby Rowland said they'll have an hour and a half closed practice in NRG Thursday (I actually think it's happening right now). They'll have an off-site practice Friday morning followed by a 45 minute shoot around in NRG in the afternoon. Then they'll get another full practice session inside NRG Saturday morning.

All together, the team will get close to 4 hours inside NRG before Saturday evening.

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Thread

On his radio show, Toby Rowland said they'll have an hour and a half closed practice in NRG Thursday (I actually think it's happening right now). They'll have an off-site practice Friday morning followed by a 45 minute shoot around in NRG in the afternoon. Then they'll get another full practice session inside NRG Saturday morning.

All together, the team will get close to 4 hours inside NRG before Saturday evening.

Thanks for the info, Zim.

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Stuff

Practice Pics.

 

[OUHoops]

Re: NCAA Final Four /// Oklahoma vs. Villanova /// Pregame Stuff

Buddy shooting in practice at NRG today:

https://twitter.com/mhouckOU/status/715585559620530176