Your all time Sooner Hoops team:

[WTSooner]

Until proven otherwise.. Mine will always be

Stacey King
Harvey Grant
Dave Sieger
Ricky Grace
Mookie Blaylock

I would pay a lot of money to watch that team play the 2002 team.

 

[cvangild]

Going a different route here:

Price
Skeeter
Slim Patterson
Jackie Jones
Bryan Sallier

Bench:
John Ontjes
Angelo Hamilton
bryatt Vann
Jeff Webster
Cheese Davis

 

[daqman]

All Nickname Team

Skeeter Henry
Charles " Big Time" Jones
Raymond " Juice" Whitley
Wonderful Wayman Tisdale
Mookie Blaylock.....
Rickey " Amazing" Grace
Off the top of my head from listening to the radio broadcasts as a kid.

my memory is getting kinda sketchy but how bout hootie wiley and helicopter bell

 

[WaymanFan]

I would pay a lot of money to watch that team play the 2002 team.

I'm guessing you were too young to remember the 1988 team...it was clearly superior to the 2002 team. Billy Packer wrote a book shortly after that season and in it was a section stating that the OU 1988 team was the best college team EVER to not win a Natty. Granted, that would be debatable with the 1985 Georgetown team...and eventually the 1991 UNLV team...but that's really all you need to know how great they were if you weren't old enough to appreciate that team. What I would have loved is to see Kelvin coach two of the best defensive players who ever played at OU - Mookie and Harvey Grant (GREAT NBA defensive players as well). As great of a coach as Kelvin is, he's not slowing down Grant and Stacey King with J Brown and A McGhee (or Daryan Selvy)...I loved the 2002 team (especially their memorable wins over Maryland, Arizona and Kansas), so it's not a knock on them. They're just not winning that game.

To this day, when I'm asked if I could have a do-over for ONE game out of any one of my favorite teams losses, college or pro, and I don't hesitate. 1988 OU-Kansas final is my choice...and OU has lost a lot of big football games through the years. I'm also a lifelong LA Lakers and D Cowboys fan...try to imagine all the games I can pick from either of those two...I want the 1988 Final and I want refs who won't worship Danny Manning.

Back on topic, as for favorites who I enjoyed watching, I'm picking these 5 guys from the 1990 team - Anthony Martin, Kermit Holmes, Terrance Mullins, Terry Evans, and Mike Harris. Along with Roland Ware (when he was eligible), these guys were the DEPTH on the undisputed DEEPEST team in OU history (starters were Jackie Jones, Skeeter Henry, William Davis, Damon Patterson and Smokey McCovery). It was the only year in my lifetime when 11 guys could be easily rotated. Practices must have been unreal with redshirted Brent Price and Jeff Webster. It remains the only OU team to enter the NCAA Tournament as the overall #1 seed...got a bad matchup in Round 2 playing an underachieving North Carolina team with 9 Burger Boys that came together for one game...we lost at the buzzer.

 

[Landthieves]

Jackie Jones would’ve been an all time Sooner great.. If he could’ve kept his damn grades up.

@WaymanFan ] I feel exactly the same way about the 1988 game.. I drive by Kemper (now Hy-Vee Arena) every damn day going to work.. And I always think about April 4,1988.. And yes the UNC game (Rick Fox ) and to make it worse, it was in Austin

 

[jmizzy4ou]

I'm guessing you were too young to remember the 1988 team...it was clearly superior to the 2002 team. Billy Packer wrote a book shortly after that season and in it was a section stating that the OU 1988 team was the best college team EVER to not win a Natty. Granted, that would be debatable with the 1985 Georgetown team...and eventually the 1991 UNLV team...but that's really all you need to know how great they were if you weren't old enough to appreciate that team. What I would have loved is to see Kelvin coach two of the best defensive players who ever played at OU - Mookie and Harvey Grant (GREAT NBA defensive players as well). As great of a coach as Kelvin is, he's not slowing down Grant and Stacey King with J Brown and A McGhee (or Daryan Selvy)...I loved the 2002 team (especially their memorable wins over Maryland, Arizona and Kansas), so it's not a knock on them. They're just not winning that game.

To this day, when I'm asked if I could have a do-over for ONE game out of any one of my favorite teams losses, college or pro, and I don't hesitate. 1988 OU-Kansas final is my choice...and OU has lost a lot of big football games through the years. I'm also a lifelong LA Lakers and D Cowboys fan...try to imagine all the games I can pick from either of those two...I want the 1988 Final and I want refs who won't worship Danny Manning.

Back on topic, as for favorites who I enjoyed watching, I'm picking these 5 guys from the 1990 team - Anthony Martin, Kermit Holmes, Terrance Mullins, Terry Evans, and Mike Harris. Along with Roland Ware (when he was eligible), these guys were the DEPTH on the undisputed DEEPEST team in OU history (starters were Jackie Jones, Skeeter Henry, William Davis, Damon Patterson and Smokey McCovery). It was the only year in my lifetime when 11 guys could be easily rotated. Practices must have been unreal with redshirted Brent Price and Jeff Webster. It remains the only OU team to enter the NCAA Tournament as the overall #1 seed...got a bad matchup in Round 2 playing an underachieving North Carolina team with 9 Burger Boys that came together for one game...we lost at the buzzer.

That Kansas game will haunt me for the rest of my life. I was at Ft. Belvoir for AIT Training, and one of my drill sergeants knew I left OU to join the Army. One of my buddies had a brother who played for GTech that year, and he & I were the only soldiers following March Madness. The Drill came and got us from our housing area and told us we had extra duty for being disrespectful earlier. We were stunned & scared because neither of us had done anything wrong. He took us to his office and locked the door. He let us eat snacks, drink Cokes while we watched the game with him. I quietly cheered for the Sooners. I have hated Danny Manning ever since...

 

[WichitaSooner]

That Kansas game will haunt me for the rest of my life. I was at Ft. Belvoir for AIT Training, and one of my drill sergeants knew I left OU to join the Army. One of my buddies had a brother who played for GTech that year, and he & I were the only soldiers following March Madness. The Drill came and got us from our housing area and told us we had extra duty for being disrespectful earlier. We were stunned & scared because neither of us had done anything wrong. He took us to his office and locked the door. He let us eat snacks, drink Cokes while we watched the game with him. I quietly cheered for the Sooners. I have hated Danny Manning ever since...

Sixth grade me will never get over it. Actually, I’ll never get over it. My brother was a high school senior and three weeks earlier, his team lost the state title game. Devastated me since I idolized all his teammates. Then this happened and I had to watch the game with an entire family of KU fans. If I could go back in time and change any event, I’d choose this ahead of a lot of things that most people would consider more important. For a kid who already loathed KU, it was the worst possible way we could lose a national championship game.

After we beat Oregon in 2016, I didn’t know whether I would rather play KU or Nova. Nothing would have been sweeter than beating KU, but losing to them for the third time that year, in the FF, may have sent me to an early grave.

 

[jmizzy4ou]

Sixth grade me will never get over it. Actually, I’ll never get over it. My brother was a high school senior and three weeks earlier, his team lost the state title game. Devastated me since I idolized all his teammates. Then this happened and I had to watch the game with an entire family of KU fans. If I could go back in time and change any event, I’d choose this ahead of a lot of things that most people would consider more important. For a kid who already loathed KU, it was the worst possible way we could lose a national championship game.

After we beat Oregon in 2016, I didn’t know whether I would rather play KU or Nova. Nothing would have been sweeter than beating KU, but losing to them for the third time that year, in the FF, may have sent me to an early grave.

I feel every bit of your pain. We should have won the Natty that night. It will never be ok....

 

[bigfish]

I'm guessing you were too young to remember the 1988 team...it was clearly superior to the 2002 team. Billy Packer wrote a book shortly after that season and in it was a section stating that the OU 1988 team was the best college team EVER to not win a Natty. Granted, that would be debatable with the 1985 Georgetown team...and eventually the 1991 UNLV team...but that's really all you need to know how great they were if you weren't old enough to appreciate that team. What I would have loved is to see Kelvin coach two of the best defensive players who ever played at OU - Mookie and Harvey Grant (GREAT NBA defensive players as well). As great of a coach as Kelvin is, he's not slowing down Grant and Stacey King with J Brown and A McGhee (or Daryan Selvy)...I loved the 2002 team (especially their memorable wins over Maryland, Arizona and Kansas), so it's not a knock on them. They're just not winning that game.

To this day, when I'm asked if I could have a do-over for ONE game out of any one of my favorite teams losses, college or pro, and I don't hesitate. 1988 OU-Kansas final is my choice...and OU has lost a lot of big football games through the years. I'm also a lifelong LA Lakers and D Cowboys fan...try to imagine all the games I can pick from either of those two...I want the 1988 Final and I want refs who won't worship Danny Manning.

Back on topic, as for favorites who I enjoyed watching, I'm picking these 5 guys from the 1990 team - Anthony Martin, Kermit Holmes, Terrance Mullins, Terry Evans, and Mike Harris. Along with Roland Ware (when he was eligible), these guys were the DEPTH on the undisputed DEEPEST team in OU history (starters were Jackie Jones, Skeeter Henry, William Davis, Damon Patterson and Smokey McCovery). It was the only year in my lifetime when 11 guys could be easily rotated. Practices must have been unreal with redshirted Brent Price and Jeff Webster. It remains the only OU team to enter the NCAA Tournament as the overall #1 seed...got a bad matchup in Round 2 playing an underachieving North Carolina team with 9 Burger Boys that came together for one game...we lost at the buzzer.

That OU Kansas games haunts me as well. The best OU team ever. I remember the score was 50 all at halftime.

The only year I had season tickets was for the 1990 season. Loved the Skeeter Meter. Also loved that we beat Number 1 Missouri and then two days later Kansas became Number 1 and we drilled them too to end the home season. That place was so loud. It was also very loud when we beat Number 5 UNLV early in the season. Edited to add that UNLV won the title that year. I miss those days.

 

[CoachTalk]

My all juco team if memory serves me right. (I grew up with)

Nolan johnson
Ace mcghee
Romero osby
Ebi ere
Quannas White

 

[ouboomer]

My all juco team if memory serves me right. (I grew up with)

Nolan johnson
Ace mcghee
Romero osby
Ebi ere
Quannas White

lot's of ways this could go i will go with others i grew up with not on my 1st and 2nd team list and guys on your list
G. Terrell Everett/Michael Johnson
G. Kelley Newton/Michael Neal
G. Jason Detrick/Eric Martin
F. Darayn Selvy/Jameel Haywood
F. Taj Gibson/

 

[WaymanFan]

My all juco team if memory serves me right. (I grew up with)

Nolan johnson
Ace mcghee
Romero osby
Ebi ere
Quannas White

I'm obviously a lot older, so my JUCO team destroys yours . Tubbs and Tark were the master JUCO recruiters. Everyone else can argue for third place. Heck, the second-best PG to ever play for Sampson at OU was recruited by Tubbs (Ontjes).

Billy Tubbs - 1st team:

G - Mookie Blaylock
G - Ricky Grace
F - Harvey Grant
F - David Little
C - Bryan Sallier

Billy Tubbs - 2nd Team:

G - Skeeter Henry
G - Anthony Bowie
F - Jackie Jones
F - Andre Wiley
C - William Davis

Honorable Mention: DeAngelo Alexander, Calvin Curry, Bryatt Vann, Mike Bell, Tyrone Jones, John Ontjes

 

[jmizzy4ou]

I'm obviously a lot older, so my JUCO team destroys yours . Tubbs and Tark were the master JUCO recruiters. Everyone else can argue for third place. Heck, the second-best PG to ever play for Sampson at OU was recruited by Tubbs (Ontjes).

Billy Tubbs - 1st team:

G - Mookie Blaylock
G - Ricky Grace
F - Harvey Grant
F - David Little
C - Bryan Sallier

Billy Tubbs - 2nd Team:

G - Skeeter Henry
G - Anthony Bowie
F - Jackie Jones
F - Andre Wiley
C - William Davis

Honorable Mention: DeAngelo Alexander, Calvin Curry, Bryatt Vann, Mike Bell, Tyrone Jones, John Ontjes

That JUCO pipeline was good to us!!!!

 

[WTSooner]

I'm guessing you were too young to remember the 1988 team...it was clearly superior to the 2002 team. Billy Packer wrote a book shortly after that season and in it was a section stating that the OU 1988 team was the best college team EVER to not win a Natty. Granted, that would be debatable with the 1985 Georgetown team...and eventually the 1991 UNLV team...but that's really all you need to know how great they were if you weren't old enough to appreciate that team. What I would have loved is to see Kelvin coach two of the best defensive players who ever played at OU - Mookie and Harvey Grant (GREAT NBA defensive players as well). As great of a coach as Kelvin is, he's not slowing down Grant and Stacey King with J Brown and A McGhee (or Daryan Selvy)...I loved the 2002 team (especially their memorable wins over Maryland, Arizona and Kansas), so it's not a knock on them. They're just not winning that game.

I think posts like this are silly. I was going to lay out a long, well thought out response, with facts and stats, but honestly, it won't change your mind and I don't have time.

So I'll just say this.....that 1988 team, great as they were, had losses to teams and close wins versus teams that were "significantly" worse than the 2002 OU team.

It's like of like the Houston/Duke debate on tonight's game. Yes Duke is the better team. Yes Duke is the favorite. Yes Duke will probably win. But to say Houston has zero chance of winning that game is ludicrous. Same with the 1988 vs 2002 OU debate.

 

[daqman]

I think posts like this are silly. I was going to lay out a long, well thought out response, with facts and stats, but honestly, it won't change your mind and I don't have time.

So I'll just say this.....that 1988 team, great as they were, had losses to teams and close wins versus teams that were "significantly" worse than the 2002 OU team.

It's like of like the Houston/Duke debate on tonight's game. Yes Duke is the better team. Yes Duke is the favorite. Yes Duke will probably win. But to say Houston has zero chance of winning that game is ludicrous. Same with the 1988 vs 2002 OU debate.

the 02 team would win one....maybe 2 games out of 10 against the 88 team.
the talent disparity was considerable

 

[WaymanFan]

I think posts like this are silly. I was going to lay out a long, well thought out response, with facts and stats, but honestly, it won't change your mind and I don't have time.

So I'll just say this.....that 1988 team, great as they were, had losses to teams and close wins versus teams that were "significantly" worse than the 2002 OU team.

It's like of like the Houston/Duke debate on tonight's game. Yes Duke is the better team. Yes Duke is the favorite. Yes Duke will probably win. But to say Houston has zero chance of winning that game is ludicrous. Same with the 1988 vs 2002 OU debate.

Again, you obviously were not old enough to remember the 1988 team or you would not have posted that. If someone on here says that Alvan Adams was better than Wayman Tisdale, I could not argue otherwise because I don't remember Adams in an OU uniform. I simply wouldn't be QUALIFIED to comment. For the record, the 1988 OU team destroyed just about everybody...had an OT loss to Missouri and a competitive loss to KSU (who went to the Elite Eight), two outstanding teams. We had a bad road loss to LSU (by 7 points). That was it. Three losses heading into the Dance. Then, we beat 5 teams in the Dance, the first four by double-digits and the fifth one against a fellow #1 seed.

Finally, 20 of our 35 wins that year we scored 100+ points - and in the first 17 of them, no one came within 15 points of beating us. The closest game was literally a 112-95 win over KSU, to avenge an earlier loss. All in all, 19 of our 20 wins which we scored 100+ were by double-digits. As such, there weren't as many close games as you read on Google or someone told you about.

 

[WaymanFan]

the 02 team would win one....maybe 2 games out of 10 against the 88 team.
the talent disparity was considerable

That's my thinking as well. They might win 1 out of 5. Hollis was the best pure shooter from either of those teams, so they would be able to keep it respectable. I'm just not sure he ever faced a defensive player as good as Mookie Blaylock in college. Mookie had 13 steals in a game...TWICE! I can't even comprehend a stat like that. I believe it's still an NCAA men's record.

 

[WTSooner]

Again, you obviously were not old enough to remember the 1988 team or you would not have posted that. If someone on here says that Alvan Adams was better than Wayman Tisdale, I could not argue otherwise because I don't remember Adams in an OU uniform. I simply wouldn't be QUALIFIED to comment. For the record, the 1988 OU team destroyed just about everybody...had an OT loss to Missouri and a competitive loss to KSU (who went to the Elite Eight), two outstanding teams. We had a bad road loss to LSU (by 7 points). That was it. Three losses heading into the Dance. Then, we beat 5 teams in the Dance, the first four by double-digits and the fifth one against a fellow #1 seed.

Finally, 20 of our 35 wins that year we scored 100+ points - and in the first 17 of them, no one came within 15 points of beating us. The closest game was literally a 112-95 win over KSU, to avenge an earlier loss. All in all, 19 of our 20 wins which we scored 100+ were by double-digits. As such, there weren't as many close games as you read on Google or someone told you about.

I guess that is one way to look at it. Here's another:

They didn't play a single ranked team in their first 17 games. They still lost two of those. One to a team that ended up being a 4 seed that made the Elite 8. The other to a 9 seed that lost their first game in the Dance. That 4 seed they turned around and beat in the Big 8 Tournament by
Their 18th game, first against a ranked team, they won by 3 in Norman. That team was a 2 seed that lost in the second round.

They beat a 12 seed ISU team by 5.

They beat an osu team that finished under .500 and only won four conference games by 4.

The lost to a 6 seed Mizzou team that got upset in the first round of the Dance. Turned around and beat them in the Big 8 Tournament by 3.

Beat Louisville by 10 and Arizona by 8 in the Dance. Then lost to a 6 seed Kansas team they had beaten twice in close games.

But you don't think one of the best OU teams of all time could give them a game? Where would that 2002 OU team have been seeded that year? Surely as a 1 or 2 seed, right? But they couldn't have hung? Despite having beaten MUCH MORE TALENTED Maryland and Kansas teams themselves earlier in their season?

Just a ridiculous premise to me that what is probably the 2nd best OU team of all time couldn't hang with the best OU team of all time, what, because the 1988 team had more guys that played in the NBA? Because they played a brand of basketball that lead to more points? Was that 1988 OU team any more talented than that 2002 Kansas team?

I found the AP Top 20 at 3/15 that year. During the regular season, OU played 3 games against teams that were ranked on 3/15. They lost one of those games, won one by 3, and won the other by 17.

Just don't see how you can say a team that probably would have been the best team they played that year wouldn't have had a shot to them. That is crazy. I was young, but I remember that team well enough. I think the facts I put above suggest the 2002 OU team could have played with them.

Edit: Forgot to add that during those first 17 games, they beat a 12 seed FSU team by 2 and Georgia team that didn't Dance that year by 3.

 

[WTSooner]

2002 - In the regular season lost 4 games and won 6 by less than 10 points.

1988 - In the regular season lost 3 games and won 7 by less than 10 points.


From what I can tell, the 2002 schedule was noticeably more difficult.

Again, to say what is probably the second best OU team of all time couldn't hang with the best OU team of all time, I just can't get behind that. MULTIPLE teams from that 1988 season that were worse than 2002 OU were able to do just that.

 

[AnotherSoonerInTX]

To this day, when I'm asked if I could have a do-over for ONE game out of any one of my favorite teams losses, college or pro, and I don't hesitate. 1988 OU-Kansas final is my choice...and OU has lost a lot of big football games through the years. I'm also a lifelong LA Lakers and D Cowboys fan...try to imagine all the games I can pick from either of those two...I want the 1988 Final and I want refs who won't worship Danny Manning.

So much this, except for the Lakers.

I've had my heart broken by OU football a lot in my life. But I knew they'd always be back. I knew that night in April 1988 that we'd never be back on that stage again. Sadly, I've been right.

The Jayhawks were not the better team that year. And I still can't stand any mention of Danny and the Miracles.