OU players in the American East

[DenverSooner]

Which OU bigs do not start in the American East on most teams?

Thomas obviously starts for all of them. Spangler obviously starts for all of them. Both of them are First Team All Conference and Thomas is likely conference MVP unless Spangler won it.

I say Bennett and Lattin start at virtually all of those schools. I think Cole and Mankin log serious minutes at virtually all of those schools.

What about guards?

Hield is obviously player of the year. He won it in the Big XII. Cousins would tear that conference up and be first team All Conference. Woodard tears that conference up and is probably all conference. Booker starts. Walker starts.

I just don't see why people are worried. There is absolutely no excuse for OU to lose this game. I will be seriously disappointed if OU loses. In my opinion it will arguably be the worst Tournament loss in the last 30 years.

In 2005 OU played Niagara as a 3 seed and won by 17. In 2000 OU played winthrop as a 3 seed and won by 24.

We focus way too much on the upsets. Yes OU lost as a four seed to Manhatten and as a four seed to Indiana State but those were odd years. In 95 OU had no depth and simply ran out of gas. In 2001, OU kicked JR Raymond off the team and Hollis Price got injured. Plus those schools were better than Albany and OU is better than those teams. OU is way better than that 2001 team without Raymond.

 

[scrybe]

Denver: Entertaining post and provides some food for thought. I agree wholeheartedly with virtually everything you stated.

Still, a loss to Albany, though highly unlikely, is not impossible. If the Sooners simply CAN'T hit their outside shots in BOTH halves, and the Danes lose consciousness and hit everything they throw up, we COULD be looking at a loss – even if we control the paint, which we should.

Will the planets align and allow that to happen? In my opinion…NO WAY!

 

[ChongoChingi]

It would be a major upset if OU lost. BUT! Albany is a good team that knows how to win. They went 15-1 in their conference. They will come with their best game as they have show in the past few years in the NCAA tournament. Anything can happen in March Madness...

 

[OUGenius]

Albany reminds me a lot of North Dakota State. However, I think the toughness we showed in the Big XII tournament makes me feel a whole lot better. I think we could be in for a very tough game...which could go either way...or we could win by 20.

(Or with this team we could be up 20 and be in for a tough game anyway!)

One thing we should all know about the tourney is don't take any team lightly.

 

[ChongoChingi]

Albany reminds me a lot of North Dakota State. However, I think the toughness we showed in the Big XII tournament makes me feel a whole lot better. I think we could be in for a very tough game...which could go either way...or we could win by 20.

(Or with this team we could be up 20 and be in for a tough game anyway!)

One thing we should all know about the tourney is don't take any team lightly.

They are a step down from NDS but they are still a team that was one of the best in the competition they played.

 

[DenverSooner]

OU was a five seed last year. North Dakota State was a 12 seed. There is a difference between a three seed and a 5 seed and an even bigger difference between a 12 seed and a 14 seed. The bottom 16 teams are so bad that the committee never (maybe rarely - never is a dangerous word) gives at-large bids seeds lower than a 12 seed.

I get that a loss is possible but I also get that KSU, Tech and TCu could all win the Anerican East. Look at Albany's schedule. Don't cheat and state the conference affiliation of those schools. Many won't even know UNLV and Providence. If conference games didn't start in January and you didn't know Albany plays in the American East, you might miss 95%.

 

[coolm]

well ... I dont wanna jinx us and tempt the fates.

BUT - I do think that playing in the absolute bloodbath that has been the Big-12 should make this game easier than it might have been otherwise. No slam on these Albany kids intended at all.

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

I don't know your bigs but Jameel Warney from Stony Brook was the America East Player of the Year the past two years and led the nation in double doubles this year. He is a really good player who I think should be in a better conference but he stayed with SBU. Albany did a fairly good job on him in the 3 games we played against them.

 

[DenverSooner]

I don't know your bigs but Jameel Warney from Stony Brook was the America East Player of the Year the past two years and led the nation in double doubles this year. He is a really good player who I think should be in a better conference but he stayed with SBU. Albany did a fairly good job on him in the 3 games we played against them.

Thomas has been all conference in three different conferences because Houston changed conferences and then he transferred to OU. He is a lot better than Jameel Warney. He should have a huge game. He will be bigger, stronger, longer wing span, better vertical, and have better skills than the Albany starter.

 

[AlbanyGreatDanesFan]

Thomas has been all conference in three different conferences because Houston changed conferences and then he transferred to OU. He is a lot better than Jameel Warney. He should have a huge game. He will be bigger, stronger, longer wing span, better vertical, and have better skills than the Albany starter.

Where did I say Warney was better? I was just letting you know who the best big in America East conference is. As I said when I started the post, I don't know your bigs so I can't make that comparison.

 

[DenverSooner]

ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman ranked each starter in the NCAA Tournament, and Oklahoma fared quite well.

Four Sooners were in the top 100 — Hield (13), TaShawn Thomas (60), Cousins (71) and Spangler (84). OU’s other starter — sophomore point guard Jordan Woodard — came in No. 174.

Only 13 other teams — including No. 1 seeds Duke, Kentucky and Wisconsin — had all five starters ranked higher.

Iowa State and Oklahoma State were also in the group, though OSU’s highest player was below three Sooners. Le’Bryan Nash was ranked No. 75.

Albany’s starters were way down the list, with the highest rank being Sam Rowley at No. 255.

That is at the end of the article about Buddy pulling for underdogs.