so what good was it to play in this "overrated" conference?

[coolm]

Why were all the tight games against our supposedly overrated competition worth it?

Why did this team endure all the tough losses and blown leads?

You saw exactly why when Dayton went up by nine points in the second half. We'd been there. We'd been up ... AND down ... and that experience helped us keep our heads. We blew layup after layup and kept making bad passes or fat-handed a catch ... but we'd been there already.

We'd been there and we kept our heads. The kids didn't freak out and lunge after every pass or jack up threes like some Sooner teams of the past have done. They trusted the fact that if we maintained our composure and played defense then we would get our chance and the shots would start falling again.

and we did. and they did. THAT'S why you play those games. THAT'S why you endure those heart-wrenching losses and say "this will make us better down the road". THAT'S why you don't declare the season over when we have a losing conference record a few games in.

MSU is BIG time. I know some people here think "MSU is overrated" and "they're not that good". Those people are wrong. Izzo is that good and his team is playing well. No offense to Albany or Dayton but MSU is a few rungs up the ladder. But we have the experience to hang with them. We just have to show it on the floor.

 

[MNsooner]

Really good post. Our players had been in games where they came from behind and where they came back. They kept calm and turned up the defense and things worked out. That's the mark of team who has played in pressure situations before.

 

[IndySooner]

MSU is BIG time. I know some people here think "MSU is overrated" and "they're not that good". Those people are wrong. Izzo is that good and his team is playing well. No offense to Albany or Dayton but MSU is a few rungs up the ladder. But we have the experience to hang with them. We just have to show it on the floor.

MSU isn't overrated. They're seeded right where they should be seeded. They're hot. I love that they're favored, because we're the better team.

 

[pnkranger]

Good wakeup call for those like myself who panicked during the season. We will hear a lot this week that OU has to worry about Michigan State. MSU has to worry about OU too. Aside from the anomaly @WVU (and MSU had two, one against Texas Southern and at Maryland), no one has felt comfortable playing this OU team. We make it tough on everyone, win or lose.

I get the feeling this is going to go down to the wire between these two teams.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I have to admit, I enjoyed watching Maryland struggle against WVU.

 

[coolm]

I have to admit, I enjoyed watching Maryland struggle against WVU.

I did too. I HOPE they didn't hurt that kid on purpose ... seems a little fishy to me.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I did too. I HOPE they didn't hurt that kid on purpose ... seems a little fishy to me.

I missed the replay of that play.

 

[Section31]

I did too. I HOPE they didn't hurt that kid on purpose ... seems a little fishy to me.

Who did WV hurt?

 

[MNsooner]

Who did WV hurt?

I think they are implying they hurt Trimble.

They did lay him out with a hard screen:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab...-s-pressure-overwhelm-maryland-034928412.html

 

[Section31]

I think they are implying they hurt Trimble.

They did lay him out with a hard screen:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab...-s-pressure-overwhelm-maryland-034928412.html

I know, but he came back after that pretty quickly. The play that caused him to not return was his own player kicking him in the back of the head/neck

 

[Zimwillett]

Outstanding post!

MSU is definitely a step up in competition, but ironically enough, they were plagued by some of the same "issues" a lot of OU fans have with this year's team---inconsistent play, mental lapses, playing "down" to competition, etc. It's going to be a great match up.

 

[coolm]

it wasn't just one play. he just somehow kept getting hit in the head. he went down like 4 times before the doctors said he couldnt go back.

It just seemed fishy to me. it was well-known that Md only had one guy who could handle the ball worth a flip and the WORST thing that could happen to keep them from playing WVU effectively would be for him to somehow be injured.

and he did. after a bunch of different blows to the head. It was just reminiscient of Paul Crewe calling "Ball Breaker" 3 times in a row.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWAQ8rTBLUk

 

[j2d2]

The key is to turn up the defense when the other team makes a serious run and threatens to take over. When we play really good defense then our offense comes back. Then we're tough to beat.

 

[pnkranger]

If we can find a way to get our offense clicking (it hasn't in weeks), we'll be in very good shape to get to the Final Four. If we continue to struggle with offensive flow and can't get the ball in the post to play inside/out, we'll continue scraping by or get beat by a team that makes a few shots late.

 

[Boomtown]

If we can find a way to get our offense clicking (it hasn't in weeks), we'll be in very good shape to get to the Final Four. If we continue to struggle with offensive flow and can't get the ball in the post to play inside/out, we'll continue scraping by or get beat by a team that makes a few shots late.

MSU isn't a good team to find your offense against. I expect this to be a typical MSU thug fest

 

[garyeb2]

With all due respect for differing opinions, if OU wins any more games in this tournament, it will be because Buddy Buckets comes up large.

 

[152219]

With all due respect for differing opinions, if OU wins any more games in this tournament, it will be because Buddy Buckets comes up large.

Agree. He needs to start shooting in the 45% range. Same for Cousins. We need our guards to start shooting the ball better.

 

[1390]

Outstanding post!

MSU is definitely a step up in competition, but ironically enough, they were plagued by some of the same "issues" a lot of OU fans have with this year's team---inconsistent play, mental lapses, playing "down" to competition, etc. It's going to be a great match up.

Not to mention they don't shoot free throws very well..which could be big in a close game

 

[usedtobe1]

Not to mention they don't shoot free throws very well..which could be big in a close game

Good point. I'm sure the coaching staff will put extra attention to blocking out on free throws this week knowing that they will be missing a few shots…….

 

[ben]

I've watched Michigan State play this year. They are eerily similar in how they can give up runs of points. It's going to be a matter of who gives up the long run in the last 8 minutes, kind of like the Dayton game.

Also Cousins is going to have to protect the ball. Their guards do the Kelvin Sampson-type pressure.