**********OU-Kansas Game Thread**********

[WaymanFan]

The no-call on the Hornbeak drive late in the game was atrocious. That said, I thought the officiating was okay overall. If you really want to see a poorly officiated game in Lawrence (ok, there are hundreds), get a hold of the 2006 OU-KU game. It will make you sick to watch that, and I challenge you to find a worse officiated game involving OU.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

This team is going to be very tough next year and compete for the conference title. i think they may have a great shot to win it. And an elite 8 run wouldn't surprise me. it really sucks with no depth in the front court. spangler gets in foul trouble and we are completely different. I do love bennett much we will have much needed depth at every position next year

 

[BoulderSooner]

I didn't think it was a foul. Hornbeak needs to protect the ball better. They knocked the ball loose before he got knocked.

it was 100% a foul .. hacked on the arm and our hole staff went ape ..

lon just about got T'ed up

 

[AdaSooner]

I agree the no-call when Hornbeak was fouled was one of the key plays that ended any chance we had of winning the game. Even the announcers called it a foul, and Fran pointed the finger squarely at one official who had made three other questionable calls or no-calls on that end of the floor.

No doubt about it, that no-call did not help our cause. But that was not the reason we lost. Everyone here could point to several self-inflicted mistakes, from poor decisions and sloppy turnovers to ill-advised fouls that left us scratching our collective heads in the final minutes. You can bet that portion of the game will be replayed in team meetings between now and Saturday.

For some reason this OU team can't seem to maintain their momentum and finish a half or a game. Nothing about that makes sense, because they can be totally focused for an entire half, until the final minutes. The team's inability to finish strong has to be driving our coaches up a wall!

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

I agree. If we played well in the last 2 or 3 minutes of the first half we might have won this thing.

That 10-0 run was a killer. I was proud that we came out to start the half and won that first five minutes. Too many times I've seen KU come out and end the game right there.

 

[oketex]

Ada - while there were several cases of questionable calls and turn overs that really hurt, I still like this team. This team has "guts"! Lon has this team growing, I really didn't think we would play as good as we did at KU, they always get the breaks on calls or no calls but I like how we played up until the last 5 mins or so. Once they learn to stop the stupid turn overs and take the shots that are there and not force some then the sky will be the limit.

We have a good not great team and we all need to stand behind there, fill the house for the balance of the home games.

 

[WTSooner]

One thing I didn't like about our defense last night. We insisted on fighting Embiid for position, and in doing so, we gave up some easy buckets and fouls. Only ONE time all night did Embiid catch the ball in the post, have an OU defender between he and the basket, and make a move that resulted in a shot. And he missed the baby hook.

Embiid is certainly talented, but he isn't all that skilled at this point. I'd like to have seen us push him out to 5-7 feet, then just play post defense. Make Embiid make a move, and shoot over the top of Spangler/Bennett. I'm not sure he could have hurt us that way.

 

[AdaSooner]

Ada - while there were several cases of questionable calls and turn overs that really hurt, I still like this team. This team has "guts"! Lon has this team growing, I really didn't think we would play as good as we did at KU, they always get the breaks on calls or no calls but I like how we played up until the last 5 mins or so. Once they learn to stop the stupid turn overs and take the shots that are there and not force some then the sky will be the limit.

We have a good not great team and we all need to stand behind there, fill the house for the balance of the home games.

I totally agree, oketex!

Some here may not understand when I say that I was as proud as any fan could be when the game was over. Our kids played their hearts out against almost insurmountable odds.

To be honest, I was just hoping we wouldn't get blown out the way UT did. This OU team went way beyond that by taking the #6 ranked team to the wire on their home floor. That game was a lot closer than the final score showed.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I agree the no-call when Hornbeak was fouled was one of the key plays that ended any chance we had of winning the game. Even the announcers called it a foul, and Fran pointed the finger squarely at one official who had made three other questionable calls or no-calls on that end of the floor.

No doubt about it, that no-call did not help our cause. But that was not the reason we lost. Everyone here could point to several self-inflicted mistakes, from poor decisions and sloppy turnovers to ill-advised fouls that left us scratching our collective heads in the final minutes. You can bet that portion of the game will be replayed in team meetings between now and Saturday.

For some reason this OU team can't seem to maintain their momentum and finish a half or a game. Nothing about that makes sense, because they can be totally focused for an entire half, until the final minutes. The team's inability to finish strong has to be driving our coaches up a wall!

Thank goodness it wasn't a loss in OT or we would have to stomach another post by Krugerfan about Lon's OT deficiencies and Capel's OT prowess. :woot :ez-laugh:

 

[AdaSooner]

Thank goodness it wasn't a loss in OT or we would have to stomach another post by Krugerfan about Lon's OT deficiencies and Capel's OT prowess. :woot :ez-laugh:

:ez-roll: There's always a silver lining if you look hard enough to find it.

 

[IndySooner]

I totally agree, oketex!

Some here may not understand when I say that I was as proud as any fan could be when the game was over. Our kids played their hearts out against almost insurmountable odds.

To be honest, I was just hoping we wouldn't get blown out the way UT did. This OU team went way beyond that by taking the #6 ranked team to the wire on their home floor. That game was a lot closer than the final score showed.

Similar, that way, to the Michigan State game earlier this year.

I think this team can play with anyone. On the right night, they can beat anyone. It's been a long time since we've been able to say that around here.

 

[AdaSooner]

Similar, that way, to the Michigan State game earlier this year.

I think this team can play with anyone. On the right night, they can beat anyone. It's been a long time since we've been able to say that around here.

Absolutely true! To further prove your point, the MSU loss by 11 was our biggest margin of defeat this season. All of the others have been by single digits.

This team is tough, mentally and physically. If our defense continues to improve (and yes, it's getting better), and we can learn how to overcome the brief lapses in concentration in the final minute of halves, I like our chances in post-season play.

 

[campbest]

One thing I didn't like about our defense last night. We insisted on fighting Embiid for position, and in doing so, we gave up some easy buckets and fouls. Only ONE time all night did Embiid catch the ball in the post, have an OU defender between he and the basket, and make a move that resulted in a shot. And he missed the baby hook.

Embiid is certainly talented, but he isn't all that skilled at this point. I'd like to have seen us push him out to 5-7 feet, then just play post defense. Make Embiid make a move, and shoot over the top of Spangler/Bennett. I'm not sure he could have hurt us that way.

He had a lot of catches last night in that range, but no shot ever came from it because OU was doubling quick from the weak side and dropping a guard for the skip pass...which OU has the luxury of doing because they basically run a 4 guard set so the recovery becomes pretty painless.

In order to "push" Embiid out to that range, you're going to be borderline on some foul calls, something OU couldn't afford with Spangler. Hell, in actually played to OU's advantage because Embiid picked up two quick personals on displacement calls.

 

[Section31]

They say guard play wins tournament games...I love our guards. I love our post guys too, but we're just undersized.

 

[MercedeSooner]

He had a lot of catches last night in that range, but no shot ever came from it because OU was doubling quick from the weak side and dropping a guard for the skip pass...which OU has the luxury of doing because they basically run a 4 guard set so the recovery becomes pretty painless.

In order to "push" Embiid out to that range, you're going to be borderline on some foul calls, something OU couldn't afford with Spangler. Hell, in actually played to OU's advantage because Embiid picked up two quick personals on displacement calls.

Refs tried to send a message on those 2 calls because they let Embiid do whatever he wanted in the first half in terms of physicality - I'm sure our staff spoke to the refs about it as it looked like he was wrestling at times out there with Spangler.

Thought we were really sound in our strat in doubling the post, our rotations in getting to the open shooter were slow at times and we had some confusion as to who was going to get out to the shooter but you have to force them to make shots. Sure a bunch of those long range 3s were open but KU shot the ball well all night regardless.

 

[NMSooner'80]

Refs losing focus and thinking about the bonus payments awaiting them in their locker room

Been that way since way before the current players were born. I loved it when Tubbs called them out in '87 for blowing a key call that helped cost OU a win in the "Big 3 Invitational" (the postseason Big 8 tourney). I'm sure everyone in my age group remembers the three-fourths court shot that Stacey King made before halftime that the blind SOB's waved off (and the horn sounded when the ball was halfway to the basket).

Another specific instance I remember was in a one-point home loss to the Beakers in '78. One of their players, Clint Johnson, basically shoved Raymond Whitley off the foul line, and he was in his proper spot. The refs ignored it until Bliss dropped a profanity that everyone in the LNC heard. And the refs deserved that four-letter word, something fierce.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I wanted to reach through the tv screen and strangle Mushburger early in the broadcast. The score was 8-2 and he insisted OU was about to be blown out by KU just like Texas was.

 

[IndySooner]

I wanted to reach through the tv screen and strangle Mushburger early in the broadcast. The score was 8-2 and he insisted OU was about to be blown out by KU just like Texas was.

For sure. It became a Jayhawk circle-jerk for sure.

That said, Fran slipped up at least once with a little OU cheerleading...