Austin Reaves game winning shot vs TCU – YouTube
It’s not OU Senior Night…so I can write this now.
When OU was at 14-5 and winners of eight of nine the formula was simple….play dogged defense for forty minutes and put the ball in Austin Reaves’ hands the last six minutes of the game.
Since 14-5 the Sooners have lost four straight close games and the defense hasn’t been what it needs to be for the Sooners to win some post season games in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.
Defense is a team deal. Lon Kruger’s team as a team has to get their collective energy back on the defensive end of the floor. They have to get better defensive rebounding as well and start winning the fifty-fifty loose balls again. EJ Harkless has to be an elite defender.
Devion Harmon…step up. You’re a helluva player. Start playing like it again.
Moj Gibson…shoot the damn ball.
In a word OU needs to start playing with a chip on their shoulder again with something to prove. They need to get something from the center position as well whether it be Kuath Kur or Brady Manek.
It wouldn’t hurt for Jalen Hill, Olandis Williams and Victor Iwuakor to give the Sooners quality bench minutes like they were doing at 14-5 either. It’s a team deal, guys.
But most of all Lon Kruger needs Austin Reaves to once again be clutch in the game’s final six minutes and make free throws and make every offensive possession count.
Austin Reaves isn’t Cade Cunningham, but he’s a damn good basketball player who made First Team All-Big 12 and in my estimation at 6’5″ could be somewhat like what Ty Jerome from Virginia is showing for the Oklahoma City Thunder as of late. Ty Jerome btw was a key piece in that Virginia national championship team of two seasons ago when we last had a basketball national champion.
OU should be rested…they’re still in the Top 25 because of their brutal strength of schedule and they still have a shot at being a No. 4 seed in March Madness if they can get their game sharp again in Kansas City and play well.
Nothing is easy in the Big 12. OU better be ready to play Iowa State tonight at 8:30pm because this is Iowa State’s season tonight at the Sprint Center in a play-in game on Night One of the Big 12 Tournament.
I’m excited to see all of the Big 12 teams in this year’s tourney. It should be a great tournament.
Coach Kruger…hope you don’t mind.