Kansas vs Oklahoma Men’s Basketball Highlights – YouTube
I actually called this one with Chris Jackson in Denver the other night on the phone. I said, “Be sure and watch OU on Saturday..they’re going to beat Kansas.” I pretty much Jimmy the Greek-ed it. No points…outright winner.
Here’s the deal…OU after a Covid delay to their season is game by game becoming a dangerous basketball team as each game passes.
I’ll even go a step further… this Lon Kruger team has more depth and more talent 1 thru 11 than the Final Four-Buddy Hield did several years back.
The season started slow for Coach Kruger’s team because of their first two games being canceled. Then there was the rough road loss at Xavier. But since that loss this Sooner team game by game has become a legit Sweet 16 type of team if they can stay away from anymore Covid issues.
This is a deep athletic team which can defend and get out in transition. Coach Kruger has multiple guys who can score and he has three guys in my view who can lockdown defend against anybody in the country… Harmon, Harkless, and Gibson. Plus, Kuath Kur has blossed as an athletic rim protector with a bit of an offensive game as well.
I’d say Devion Harman and Austin Reeves are the two most dependable scorers on the team, but there are seven to eight guys behind them who can play all aspects of the game within the prism of being role players.
Let me put it this way… Brady Manek is about to replace my second favorite Sooner hoopster of all-time Mookie Blalock as the tenth all-time scorer in the program’s history…and quite frankly if Brady doesn’t pick it up his minutes should be cut.
My favorite Sooner of all-time is of course Waymon Tisdale. My third favorite Sooner of all-time was a realtively unknown 6’6″ center Billy had on those those Skeeter Henry teams by the name of William Davis. I to this day love the toughness William Davis brought to the game… as did Billy.
These Lon Kruger guys have bought in on the defensive end and two new additions in Moj Gibson and EJ Harkless give this team a look OU hasn’t had since the Buddy Hield group. You put Buddy on this team and I’d be floating some Elite 8 talk on here.
The thing is though in the rugged Big 12 there’s not much time to celebrate a win over Bill Self’s Jayhawks as a road game at Texas awaits on Tuesday evening.
Texas is now second in the Big 12 standings and very much a national surprise. OU is now third in the Big 12 and this game on Tuesday will be another test to see how much OU’s team defense can travel in a road hoops version of the Red River Rivalry. I would guess Texas at -5.5 or so.
Since the Thunder now appear to understand they are in full tank mode on this West coast road trip…the Sooners and Cade Cunningham should take front and center stage basketball-wise in Oklahoma. I will definitely be in Norman for the Baylor, Texas, and O State games since I won’t be paying for any Thunder playoff tickets this season.
I’ll do my NFC and AFC picks tomorrow before our family gets together in Seminole for a Green Bay watch party.
LET’S GO PACKERS!