TGTBTU - Washington State Edition

[BigTime]

I agree with many of my fellow Sooner messageboarders in that it was fantastic to be able to sit and watch our Sooners beat a decent team on a neutral floor and do it by outcoaching and out-hustling the other squad.

Feel free to add your own for each category:

The Good

- Calvin (The Spark [I like it 04]) Newell: The man is absolutely fearless on the offensive end of the floor. He has no range restrictions, type of shot restrictions, shot clock or numbers restrictions. He just has a reservation for the basketball going into the basket. What a gutsy game. I think he has started to really accept and use his role as the first guard off the bench.

- Sam Grooms: 10 dimes and 9 points playing 36 minutes. Impressive. He can push it, stall it, drive it, and dish it. Would like to see him spot up more after he gets the ball down low but other than that, what a nice performance.

- Second half defensive intensity: We made the Cougs wish they had just stayed in the locker room (or better yet - just plain gone home after their 60 foot prayer). It was wonderful to watch our guys literally break them and make them look like Jamaicans trying to bobsled (sorry cool runnings). Our offensive results were coming off of defensive effort and rebounding effort - thats the way it should be...

- Kruger's sub patterns: Thought he managed the game very well. Found out pretty quickly that it wasn't Blair's day. Picked out good spots to get Tyler Neal out there. Got Calvin out at the right time late in the second half. Mixed up the defensive pressure well. Very well coached game imo.

The Bad

Drew/Roe/Cam/Arent around the rim: For the love of Pete - FINISH GUYS

Carl Blair: One he will want to forget. Just looked uncomfortable out there. We need him to do better.

The Ugly

The clanging on our missed FTs: over and over and over again. Could/should have lost us the game. We need to make that a strength.


Cheers on a solid win. I like this group. I hope you will rally your fellow Norman and OKCites and get some butts in the seats for the rest of the home noncon.

On to Santa Clara at 11 PM tonight...

Boomer Sooner

BT

 

[AdaSooner]

You didn't leave much room for adding anything, BT. I can only think of one for the Good side.

_Poise and mental toughness: When WSU went up by 8 or 9 points in the first half, OU could have folded like a cheap tent in a wind storm. And to be honest, I expected it, because the Cougs had everything going for them on both ends of the floor at that point.

But this is a together team that knows how to fight through adversity. They believe in each other, and in their coach. They have the poise and mental toughness it takes to come from behind and to win close games. That was Sooner basketball at its best!

 

[MNsooner]

I always appreciate you TGTBTU break downs BT. I think you're right on about CLK getting the substitution patterns down correctly.