I was there last night, mid-court, first row off the floor. I have this same seat for Texas on Saturday thanks to my excellent ticket agent at OU. My other OU games I’ll be sitting near the pep band, and touching-distance near the crazy students as I did as a young man. But for these two games by me being closer to the floor I’m hoping to be able to transmitt the strongest Al Pacino wave-lengths possible to the players when they were and will be on Saturday… looking me pretty much eye to eye.
If you watched the game you would have noticed…Mo Wague had one of his strongest games in SEC play yet. Mo and I were visually locked-in as I repeatedly was pleading for that intangible which separates winning from losing, from living and f–king dying. That’s the Mo I want to see these remaing ten SEC regular season games.
Porter looks like coaching death right now. I love Porter, but right now I would say his position is not an enviable one. If I thought this team was a piece of shit…I wouldn’t still be on here pleading from them what I think they’re capable.
This team should be 4-3 in SEC play right now. But instead they’re 1-7 in the darkness, in basketball hell. And judging by Coach Cal’s opening statements in his postgame presser he pretty much agrees with MJ. These guys just need confidence in one another. They need an injection of collective mojo. They need to make plays down the stretch.
Its what Michael Jordan and I call make winning plays in the last four minutes of both halves. Especially the ability to make defensive stops when you have to make defensive stops.
Last night Arkansas’s freshman razor-quick starting guards were the catalyst for 56 points in the paint. Both of those dudes were every bit as quick as Jeremiah Fears. And btw…maybe tomorrow or maybe right now I’ll comment on Jeremiah’s misguided notion of fighting Lu Dort after last night’s Thunder game.
Jeremiah…don’t ever do that again. If you want to fight Ajay Mitchell or Isaiah Joe or Chet or maybe even Aaron Wiggins…Mike J would say let it fly. But not with Lu. Lu is gold on this MJ’s blog. He would destroy you. I love the piss and passion, but I wouldn’t do that again.
Now back to OU. Porter and his team are in hell right now…especially Porter. So the only real advice I can give is take one day at a time, don’t give up, and beat Texas on Saturday.
One play, one game, at a time. It may sound cliche, but that’s where this OU basketball team is right now and the crowd last night was unbelievable. Like me, they’re still with you. I didn’t hear one negative or one boo around me. We all feel your pain right now and respect the fact you haven’t quit. This isn’t an effort or dogging it issue.
It’s an issue as a team in beleiving in yourself and collectively making plays at WINNING TIME. Find a way to the light.
Damn, I love being Al Pacino on here from time to time. I genuinely do. Like Coach Calipari…it’s the Italian in both of us. Good luck with the rest of your season, Coach Cal. I’m doing my best in Norman to try to keep this afloat.
Mike J