OU popular choice to fall as a 5 seed

[playmakr]

"Seems like they're picking against us just for the sake of picking an upset."

http://www.sportsbook.ag/livesports/ncaab

???

12?

 

[209sooner]

"Seems like they're picking against us just for the sake of picking an upset."

If your point is that we could lose then I agree with you. I don't think it's a crazy pick. If you are saying that it makes sense for the majority of the "experts" to pick ND State to beat us then I don't agree at all. We're talking about our team this year. Not last year or any other year. This year's team has played well enough that we should expect them to win.

 

[Sid]

Yep and the only thing that moves the line that much is the professional's. It's not John and Susan from Ada placing $20 bets.

(the only thing to worry about is if the Pro's are trying to trick the book, but unlikely)

 

[stoopified]

Digger always picks against OU..I do not recall him ever picking OU in any game EVER.

 

[WTSooner]

The lines don't mean much until they are available to the public.

 

[JBaker]

If we make it that far, SDST would probably be the best defense we've seen all season.

There's no probably about it.
Almost every SDSU game this season has been first to 50. They've allowed 70 exactly twice. And they've held more than half of their opponents under 60.

 

[playmakr]

 

[playmakr]

The lines don't mean much until they are available to the public.

That's incorrect.

Ask Sid, and Art.

 

[Section31]

Has their ever been a team like this at OU that was this good, yet commanded as little respect? I even find myself being cautious about my optimism. All they've done is play pretty well all season and play everyone close in the games they didn't play so well.

Its a strange feeling.

 

[WaymanFan]

We're going to continue to get very little respect until we can start winning our fair share of 1st round games when we're not seed #1, #2 or #3. Here's our scorecard over the past 25 years, and it isn't pretty.

1992 : #4 - L
1995 : #4 - L
1996 : #10 - L
1997 : #11 - L
1998 : #10 - L
1999 : #13 - W
2001 : #4 - L
2006 : #6 - L
2008 : #6 - W
2013 : #10 - L

I wouldn't call losing 8 out of 10 as "winning our fair share of 1st round games" which we're not a top-3 seed. Winning cures all.

 

[skyvue]

We're going to continue to get very little respect until we can start winning our fair share of 1st round games when we're not seed #1, #2 or #3. Here's our scorecard over the past 25 years, and it isn't pretty.

1992 : #4 - L
1995 : #4 - L
1996 : #10 - L
1997 : #11 - L
1998 : #10 - L
1999 : #13 - W
2001 : #4 - L
2006 : #6 - L
2008 : #6 - W
2013 : #10 - L

I wouldn't call losing 8 out of 10 as "winning our fair share of 1st round games" which we're not a top-3 seed. Winning cures all.

You'd be making a valid point, except I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that few, if any, of the talking heads making these predictions are able to cite those numbers -- or are even aware that of our general lack of success as a 4 seed or higher over the past 22 years.

You're giving them way too much credit.

Then there's the fact that how we performed as a 4 or higher seed under Kelvin or Capel means less than nothing in predicting how we'll do in this (or any other) tourney under Coach Kruger. You might as well do some research on how we perform on sunny days vs. cloudy days or in odd-numbered years vs. even.

 

[DenverSooner]

Does anyone honestly think North Dakota State would have finished 2nd in the Big 12? Maybe their pick is based on match ups I don't know about. Seems like they're picking against us just for the sake of picking an upset.

That is a descent question but I would ask these questions too:

1. Does anyone think Alabama, A&M, Seton Hall and Tech don't win the Summit? If they don't win it, where do they finish?

2. Does anyone think TCU isn't in the top half of the Summit and possibly winning it?

I truly believe all 5 of those teams could win the Summit this year and would certainly be in the top 3. There is a major difference between Big XII, SEC and Big East basketball compared to the Summit.

 

[POBR25]

That is a descent question but I would ask these questions too:

1. Does anyone think Alabama, A&M, Seton Hall and Tech don't win the Summit? If they don't win it, where do they finish?

2. Does anyone think TCU isn't in the top half of the Summit and possibly winning it?

I truly believe all 5 of those teams could win the Summit this year and would certainly be in the top 3. There is a major difference between Big XII, SEC and Big East basketball compared to the Summit.

I don't think any of the teams you mentioned would win the Summit. They would probably all finish in the top 4. You're underestimating NDSU. Whether or not anyone wants to admit, they present pretty glaring matchup problems for us. I have no clue who is going to guard Braun. I'm assuming these matchup problems will force us to play zone, thus forcing them to make jumpshots, which they're pretty good at doing (51%, #1 in the country from the field). Don't let the brand fool you, this is a top 50 team in the country. If they force us to play their brand of basketball (slow, halfcourt sets), we will not win. Think our game at K-State earlier this year. I hope we get out and run, I have faith in Lon and the coaching staff.

 

[WTSooner]

I think everybody agrees that OU should win this game. But I don't understand those of you that think it should and will be easy, and that there is no way OU loses.

We've lost two games this year to teams that Ken Pom have ranked lower than NDST. We lost four games this year to teams with RPI's lower than NDST.

Tulsa is ranked behind NDST in most rankings (I think), just to give you something to go off of. Every year, there are multiple wins by teams like NDST over teams like OU, or better. It happens.

 

[DenverSooner]

I don't know who us is but you have 7 posts so I question whether you are one of us.

I don't know a lot about NDSU but I am wondering which player keeps Woodard out of the lane? Who out rebounds Spangler? Who keeps Cam Clark from going off for huge points like he did against Michigan State and Kansas? Who shuts down Buddy Hield, Who shuts down Cousins?

Lets assume, for the sake of argument, that NDSU's starters can hang with OU's starters. Now you get to the bench. Which bench player on NDSU is more athletic than Booker, Neal, Hornbeak or Bennett? I am pretty confident the answer is no one.

I don't mean any disrespect to the guys that play for NDSU. Everyone of them is a far better athlete than I ever was but they are not guys that had opportunities to play in the Big XII, Big Ten, SEC, Pac 12, etc. There is a reason they signed with NDSU. Perhaps a couple of them could make a major conference team but most of them couldn't.

If OU plays a solid game, OU wins. It is as simple as that.

 

[Chaser728]

I don't think any of the teams you mentioned would win the Summit. They would probably all finish in the top 4. You're underestimating NDSU. Whether or not anyone wants to admit, they present pretty glaring matchup problems for us. I have no clue who is going to guard Braun. I'm assuming these matchup problems will force us to play zone, thus forcing them to make jumpshots, which they're pretty good at doing (51%, #1 in the country from the field). Don't let the brand fool you, this is a top 50 team in the country. If they force us to play their brand of basketball (slow, halfcourt sets), we will not win. Think our game at K-State earlier this year. I hope we get out and run, I have faith in Lon and the coaching staff.

OU has only played Zone once this year, that I can remember, and it was against A&M who shot something like 8 or 10% for the half. NDSU is not a team that shoots poorly. Plus playing a zone takes away from our Offensive game which is our best weapon... NDSU by all accounts wants to work slolwy, and if they do that, I think we could lose this game. We need to dictate pace to them... Furthermore, the question of who guards is a good one, but it also brings up another question: who does Braun guard? If his size will be a problem on our Defensive end, then wouldn't it follow that our speed would lead to problems on their end? That's why we run, run, and run some more!

 

[sperry]

The same old story you see every year. These guys can shoot. If they are really hot, and we are missing, they can and probably will win. There are usually a dozen of these types of teams in the tournament in the 11-15 range every year, so you see a couple upsets every time.

Gotta use our advantage in athleticism to keep them from getting good shots, to minimize the possibility of them shooting 60% from the field and taking us out.

 

[opsooner]

I don't know who us is but you have 7 posts so I question whether you are one of us.

I don't know a lot about NDSU but I am wondering which player keeps Woodard out of the lane? Who out rebounds Spangler? Who keeps Cam Clark from going off for huge points like he did against Michigan State and Kansas? Who shuts down Buddy Hield, Who shuts down Cousins?

Lets assume, for the sake of argument, that NDSU's starters can hang with OU's starters. Now you get to the bench. Which bench player on NDSU is more athletic than Booker, Neal, Hornbeak or Bennett? I am pretty confident the answer is no one.

I don't mean any disrespect to the guys that play for NDSU. Everyone of them is a far better athlete than I ever was but they are not guys that had opportunities to play in the Big XII, Big Ten, SEC, Pac 12, etc. There is a reason they signed with NDSU. Perhaps a couple of them could make a major conference team but most of them couldn't.

If OU plays a solid game, OU wins. It is as simple as that.

I agree with this. On the other hand I can certainly understand why "experts" would look at OU as a team that could falter early. We have no inside go-to guy and if shots are not falling a lesser team can hang with us.

I do like that our first opponent has no big advantage on the inside though. If we don't have to double I feel much better about our chances.

 

[garyeb2]

I think everybody agrees that OU should win this game. But I don't understand those of you that think it should and will be easy, and that there is no way OU loses.

We've lost two games this year to teams that Ken Pom have ranked lower than NDST. We lost four games this year to teams with RPI's lower than NDST.

Tulsa is ranked behind NDST in most rankings (I think), just to give you something to go off of. Every year, there are multiple wins by teams like NDST over teams like OU, or better. It happens.

Who said that there was no chance OU loses? If you would think in terms of probabilities instead of possibilities, you wouldn't fret so much.

 

[scrybe]

Who said that there was no chance OU loses? If you would think in terms of probabilities instead of possibilities, you wouldn't fret so much.

^ This.