Very entertaining women’s game on Wednesday night in Norman as OU came back to beat NC State 103-98 in the SEC-ACC Challenge. Pretty ragged performance by OU as they trailed much of this game until late in regulation, but in the end of regulation and overtime the Sooners got their defense and rebounding issues in order after two NC State starters fouled out.
No. 9 OU improves to 8-1 and I think their game versus ranked Bedlam rival O State should be an interesting game on December 13th at Paycom where there will be a womens/mens doubleheader. Both games should be good as O State’s mens’ team is much improved from last season. I can’t wait to attend. This should be an annual event taking the place of the old OKC Holiday Classic which was hosted in OKC as well back when I was younger.
I would think the O State fan base should be pretty stoked given the current condition of their football prorgam and the fact they haven’t won a conference football game in the passive /submissive Big 12 the last two football seasons and are a collective 4-20 in Mike Gundy’s last two Brightest Shade of Orange Legacy seasons.
Yeah, it was Boone’s money, no doubt. If you don’t have a sugar daddy or two cash flowing….you really don’t have all that much despite what Mike Gundy tried to project to the end. MJ is still waiting to see what SEC program Mike Gundy ends up with since the Lane Kiffen deal has been done. That was sarcasm in case you’re an O State donor who owns a mobil home, right?
Back to hoops. OU should be pretty good once they get their younger players coming off the bench more in sync with what it will take to play in the always super competitive…and physical SEC.
The starting five should be excellent though with super freshman point guard Aaliyah Chavez leading the team. She is exceptional and was the Gatorade National Player of the Year her senior season in hih school. Alongside her is Raegan Beers, Peyton V, Sahara Williams, and Zya Vann…younger sister of Sklar who both played at Deer Creek High School just two miles from MJ’s mini-ranch.
Off the bench the Sooners return center Beatrice Culleton, and freshmen Brooklyn Stuart, Kezial Lofton, and sophmore Caya Smith. It will in my view be the bench which either does or doesn’t hold this team back from being an Elite 8 type of team.
A very fun team to watch as far as pace goes, but their defense, care of the ball, and rebounding will decide their fate.
I’ve seen them twice in person and both times the crowds were better for the OU women than for the men who are now 6-2 fresh off two big road wins at Marquette and Wake Forest.
Porter has the makings of a sneaky good team now that Jadon Jones is healthy and has given his team a much stronger defensive rotation. This team is 4-0 since Jadon made his OU debut. He’s the West Coast Athletic Dfeneive Player of the Year from two season ago. He’s like JJDub in that he has a very strong lower body coupled with almost freakish reach. Jadon is a big deal for this team moving forward. Kind of what I would call a Kenrich Williams type who shoots left-handed.
The rest of the top ten are all good and seem to be learning how to play together in that only Mo Wague and Dayton Forthyse returned from last year’s squad which won 21 games and made it to the NCAA Tournament.
It should be a very fun year for Porter and Jennie’s teams this season. It will help me from skipping out on so many non-competitive Thunder games here on the leading OKC hoops underground blog for those serious in reading quality hoops content versus so much of the homer-driven nonsensical drivel available on the internet.
A Christmas song seems right on this cold December day.
Love and tranquility.
MJ