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Basketball Answers
Published: 2/16/2009 5:10 PM
Last Modified: 2/16/2009 5:10 PM

Question: Does OU have a better chance to win a national championship at hoops than it did at football?

Answer: Maybe. Actually, probably. North Carolina plays little defense and lacks a bench. Pitt and Ucon lack finesse. If Memphis got one point for hitting the rim on a free throw, it still couldn't win it all. Outside shooting and point guard dribbling could be serious problems for OU. And Memphis is nowhere near the home court edge the spoiled eastern brats get.

Q: Is there an eastern madia bias concerning college basketball?

A: Big-time. Tired act Vitale didn't have OU or its star player near his pre-season elite.

It's like ESPN is connected at the hip to Ucon.

And guess who won the national title last year: Big 12, KU.

Still, it's OU versus the media world this time around.

Q: Who is the national team that is fun to hate?

A: With Notre Dame and the Dallas Cowboys and the Dukies having faded from view, it's clearly NC's basketball team that is so much fun to cheer against if you're outside the loop.

NC has everything you would want in a heavy: A hambone coach who weeps openly and yanks his glasses off and puts them on more than Horatio Caine on the Miami cop show. The best talent. Great tradition. Fantastic team color. NC's hoop program is far and away the nation's best sports entity.

Q: Is college basketball different than high school basketball?

A: Just ask the two guard phenoms who went from this area to Arkansas and Oklahoma State, respectively. Both freshman can shoot, but are up against it on defense. Designated gunners. But no program-changers, not even close.

Q: Will OU win out?

A: No, Missouri will beat OU in Columbia. OU-KU is a toss-up in Norman.

Q: Why isn't anybody going to the Oklahoma State games in Stillwater? Is there a new museum of modern art? A new pool hall? Where is everybody?

A: Watching TV. The Cowboys aren't winning enough. Period.

Q: What's up at ORU?

A: Nothing. If anybody comes across any elevated expectations out there, run 'em up the flag pole.

Q: What will happen at TU?

A: The center and guard need to come back for another year, and the team needs to get in the NCAA tournament; or the donors will demand the coach's whistle.

If the center went to the NBA this year, somebody would take him and dunk him.

Reader Comments

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Dash Riprock (4 years ago)

North Carolina has the most talent of any team in the NCAA, but I agree, they don't play a lick of defense. Roy Williams knows this, he looks like a father who looks at his son's fauxhawk...and cringes each time he has to take him to church.

It's just amazing that both the OU women and men are ranked 2nd, both behind the ESPN, er, uh, UConn Huskies, and you hardly ever hear anything about the Sooners. Bristol is just too darn close to Storrs for my liking.They are just a Hasheem Thabeet wingspan apart.

Seriously, do you think the Hogs brought in Clarke to play defense? Did the Pokes get Page to press his man all over the floor? Kevin Durant isn't in the NBA because he plays defense is he? These guys got scholarships to D-1 schools because they can shoot, plain and simple.

OU blows out Kansas in Norman, but it will be very tough to get a win at Mizzou, having said that, did any one of us think the Sooners would be 25-1 right now?

The Picker (4 years ago)

Dash, you're edging closer to reason every week, way to go, pal.

If you're a shooter who can't play defense on an average team, it's uphill all the way. Better than average teams pound the gunners into submission. And guess what, they're not even scoring all that much.

It is highly unlikely that OU gets through this triangle without a loss: at Texas Saturday, KU in Norman, then in Missouri. It is not impossible that OU loses two.

OU blows out KU in Norman?

Slow down Dash, the KU center won't faint when the OU star goes into his smack-stare.

BobSmith007 (4 years ago)

Well. Here's hoping that BG gets to mix it up under UConn's basket. Husks might be the best around, but they looked like Olive-Oyl against Pitt. Push back for goodness sake. On the Bristol kids, come on. Who doesn't root for the home team. On that same token, watch for the guys out west as sleepers in the Tourney. They all play each other and they play in the middle of the night. Does anyone know for sure that either of the Zona teams are actually playing. Maybe they're just phoning in a score at about 4 a.m. Eastern.

clun9522 (4 years ago)

I agree with KC here.

The Sooners have been dominate in the last 5 minutes of every game this season aside from the loss to Arkansas. The depth that they have makes it tough for other teams to keep up.

I don't see Kansas beating them at home and I'll bet that they pull out a close one in Mizzou.

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