It was an excellent week for OU mens basketball. Two quality wins over two quality SEC opponents, plus the passsage of the Norman bond issue which will include a new facility for OU basketball in the Norman Entertainment District.
I tell you what, Porter had a twinkle back in his eyes after OU’s 94-78 win over Georgia. What a day. A popcorn machine caught on fire during the game causing a halt in play, plus it was Joe C’s last official game as the OU athletic director.
When your popcorn machine catches on fire and halts the game—it’s time for a compact, modern arena which will create a pit atmosphere with a genuine homecourt advantage. Like Gallagher-Iba used to be in the days before they did the misguided expansion. I loved that place. That’s the feel you want at a college basketball game.
A smart marketer in this market could point to the fact college game day tickets cost less, there’s no tanking, there’s no fake load management, and there is a pep band, a rabid student section, and pom girls. An intuitive marketer would point out all those factors and lure in the disposable sports entertainment dollar to this new arena.
Is there a way forward for OU to somehow recover from the nine game losing streak? I don’t know. But I do know OU’s current rank in the NCAA Net rankings is No. 68. The Sooners had dropped as low as No. 85 after the loss at Kentucky. But here the Sooners sit on the doorstep of Joe Lunardi relevance if they can win more games coming down the stretch.
But the computer and human eyes will need to see more games won… to at least get to 18 or 19 wins come Selection Sunday.
One game at a time has to be the mantra for this OU team. There has to be a sense of urgency with every game, but OU’s very tough non-conference schedule, plus playing in the SEC will give them an opportunity to be in Joe Lunardi’s discussions if they keep winning games.
You have to win games. You can’t look back at the Missouri, Alabama, and Arkansas losses which should have been wins if the Sooners had taken care of business late.
Instead…you just lock in and take one ten minute stretch at a time and play with complete and total desperation.
OU getting back a healthy Dayton Forsythe has been huge for the simple reason Nijel Pack and Xsayvier Brown aren’t wornout for the final six minutes of the game. It gives Porter Moser three guards who can be paired seamlessly.
Ten days ago it appeared Porter Moser’s and his team were dead in the water together. But maybe not. Next up at Tennessee. After that tough assignment the Sooners have five games which they should have a chance of winning.
I know this sounds crazy for the 13-12, 3-9 Sooners, but there is a pathway here for the Sooners to save Porter Moser’s job. The Committee pays close attention to the NCAA Net rankings. OU played at Gonzaga, at Arizona State, at Nebraska, at Wake Forest, at Marqutee, and at a neutral site in their nine point win over O State.
This path to the Tournament might be improbable, but not impossible. But again, Big Mo (OU’s starting center)…please stop it with the bad fouls early in games. If Big Mo can just stay in the games the rest of the team seems to be coming together in a sense with the return of a healthy Dayton Forsythe coming off the bench.
I have no idea what new OU athletic director Roger Denny thinks in regards to what I just wrote. No idea at all. But regardless of all that…I’m happy for Porter Moser that he and his team have not surrendered.
Next game up…Tennessee.
Mike J