OU @ Baylor 6pm CST on ESPN2

[WichitaSooner]

Great effort by the team tonight! Arguably the closest anyone has played baylor since before Gonzaga last year. And it was in Waco. Moser is going to take us to heights unseen. A natty is en route.

I’m as bullish as anyone on Moser but we have played tons of close games in Lawrence and Waco and other tough places against great teams. Heck, we had a shot in the air at the buzzer to beat (or maybe tie) Baylor at their place two years ago. But actually winning one is the step we have to take. This game actually reminded me a lot of some of the close but no cigar games under Lon. Competed our butts off but got killed on the glass and couldn’t get enough loose balls. But I absolutely agree that big things are on the horizon.

 

[TheMont]

Nothing to hang our heads about regarding our effort. The ball and players were moving on offense, and it was the smoothest it’s looked all season. Remember, a top 5 Villanova team only managed 38 points in Waco.

The game was lost because of the rebounding margin. Second chance points were 18-0. They didn’t miss very often but when they did, we REALLY struggled to grab the board. I know Baylor is incredibly long and athletic, but I didn’t expect the rebounding discrepancy to be that large because rebounding has been a strength of this sooner team this far.

Lets get ‘em in Norman!

 

[AZOUFAN]

If Mo pumps there, he could've drawn a foul. But that's easy to say in slow motion.

He has utilized the pump fake really well so far this season. That block Mayar made on him and then finishing it off with an acrobatic lay-up was also another huge play for them. Nevertheless, an impressive effort against the top-ranked team in the country.

 

[TINY]

I’m as bullish as anyone on Moser but we have played tons of close games in Lawrence and Waco and other tough places against great teams. Heck, we had a shot in the air at the buzzer to beat (or maybe tie) Baylor at their place two years ago. But actually winning one is the step we have to take. This game actually reminded me a lot of some of the close but no cigar games under Lon. Competed our butts off but got killed on the glass and couldn’t get enough loose balls. But I absolutely agree that big things are on the horizon.

Lon is a GOAT and he had us right on the precipice several times. It was a helluva run under Lon.

I trust those wins are coming. Moser faced insane adversity upon arrival not dissimilar to what BV is currently facing in football. He cobbled this team together in a matter of months and after most good players had signed. To think they just went toe to toe with baylor in Waco is surpasses all my expectations from April 2021. He has already landed some more really quality recruits which should only continue/improve. We are so lucky to have him (and Joe C).

 

[WichitaSooner]

Lon is a GOAT and he had us right on the precipice several times. It was a helluva run under Lon.

I trust those wins are coming. Moser faced insane adversity upon arrival not dissimilar to what BV is currently facing in football. He cobbled this team together in a matter of months and after most good players had signed. To think they just went toe to toe with baylor in Waco is surpasses all my expectations from April 2021. He has already landed some more really quality recruits which should only continue/improve. We are so lucky to have him (and Joe C).

Agree all the way around! If the offense can operate at anything close to that level on a consistent basis, we will win a lot of games. Still need to clean up the turnovers; if we do that, and play our normal defense, we will be dangerous.

 

[Eielson]

Great effort by the team tonight! Arguably the closest anyone has played baylor since before Gonzaga last year. And it was in Waco. Moser is going to take us to heights unseen. A natty is en route.

I'd actually think this was closer than the Zags game.

 

[pnkranger]

Iowa State gave them a pretty good run in game 1.

 

[Zimwillett]

I'm not much for moral victories, but I think this team showed that it can definitely compete at the highest levels. General lack of size and athleticism in the post was a known weakness coming into the season so it's not really a surprise to me that the rebounding is what sunk them last night. The problem I had was when OU did have critical opportunities to squeeze rebounds or win 50/50 balls and just didn't get it done. If you have any designs on upsetting the #1 ranked defending national champs at their place, you can't let those opportunities go to waste.

But I remain very encouraged. I think this team is going to get some big upsets this season.

 

[WTSooner]

Starting to see more of the offense that I expected or hoped for. Some more sets, and more plays to get guys open looks. I like it. Talent is what it is right now. That will have to improve, but I like seeing this team fight and claw, and win the games they should.

Still think Noland needs more minutes. He is probably the most natural scorer on the team.

 

[pnkranger]

Starting to see more of the offense that I expected or hoped for. Some more sets, and more plays to get guys open looks. I like it. Talent is what it is right now. That will have to improve, but I like seeing this team fight and claw, and win the games they should.

Still think Noland needs more minutes. He is probably the most natural scorer on the team.

Cortes, Noland, and Tanner Groves are the three most natural offensive players on the court.

 

[pnkranger]

Here's where I'm at on that game: If Baylor had played badly, and we lost by 10, I would be pretty upset. That was one of the best games Baylor has played in their 20 game winning streak offensively. We stuck with them in every facet of the game except rebounding.

They're MUCH longer than we are, and that was the difference last night. That's a razor thin margin. We can compete with them on any given night. If we play like we did last night consistently, we're going to be happy come tournament time.

 

[AdaSooner]

Here's where I'm at on that game: If Baylor had played badly, and we lost by 10, I would be pretty upset. That was one of the best games Baylor has played in their 20 game winning streak offensively. We stuck with them in every facet of the game except rebounding.

They're MUCH longer than we are, and that was the difference last night. That's a razor thin margin. We can compete with them on any given night. If we play like we did last night consistently, we're going to be happy come tournament time.

Agreed. I watched most of the KU-OSU game last night. KU is not nearly as good as Baylor. If OU plays equally as well against the Jayhawks, we’ll snap our losing streak in the Phog.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Here's where I'm at on that game: If Baylor had played badly, and we lost by 10, I would be pretty upset. That was one of the best games Baylor has played in their 20 game winning streak offensively. We stuck with them in every facet of the game except rebounding.

They're MUCH longer than we are, and that was the difference last night. That's a razor thin margin. We can compete with them on any given night. If we play like we did last night consistently, we're going to be happy come tournament time.

I largely agree, with one caveat: Baylor turned it over a ton last night, far more than usual. So while they definitely shot well, I’m sure they also feel like they have a lot of room for improvement from that standpoint.

I knew we would likely get beat on the boards. They are a great rebounding team and have a big size advantage. But I didn’t think it would be that lopsided. And as others have said, the inability to grab more of the 50-50 balls really hurt. Fran was spot-on in pointing out the play early in the second half when Goldwire reached down to try to grab a loose ball rather than diving. Our talent doesn’t match up to a lot of teams, so we need to play balls to the wall to beat teams like that.