Sooners badly need that NCAA No. 1 seed
Published: 2/26/2009 9:39 AM
Last Modified: 2/26/2009 9:39 AM
The difference between a No. 1 and No. 2 seed in this year's NCAA tournament? Gynormous, in my opinion. Here's why:
Five teams have cleared themselves of the field – UConn, North Carolina, Pitt, Louisville and Oklahoma-with-Blake Griffin. (I don't count Memphis, which has gotten fat off a lazy Conference USA and could get exposed as early as the NCAA second around.)
Three of the four No. 1 seeds, therefore, should have a pretty good-looking draw all the way to Detroit and the Final Four.
The unlucky one of the "big five" that slips to a No. 2 seed, however, will run into a monster in the regional final. It is assured, unless the monster goes down in an earlier round. Thus the Sooners would love their Final Four chances a heck of a lot more as a No. 1.
So will it happen? Some worry OU has already slipped after suffering back-to-back losses to Texas and Kansas. I say as long as Blake Griffin returns and the Sooners reassert themelves by winning out against Texas Tech, Missouri and Oklahoma State, then at the Big 12 tournament, they'll be fine. The Missouri game next Wednesday is huge. The Tigers play better with every game; I wouldn't be surprised if they win at Kansas Sunday.
OU goes to Columbia and wins, you can officially stamp that asterisk on those Griffin-less losses to Texas and Kansas, something the NCAA selection committee will no doubt recognize. The Sooners lose at Mizzou, they'll get a No. 2 seed at best, depending on what follows against OSU and at the Big 12 tournament.
Check out a couple more opinions on the subject…
"Oklahoma's resume with Griffin -- 25-1 with wins over Purdue in overtime in New York, a 18-point win over Mountain West leader Utah, a four-point win over Southern Conference leader Davidson, a one-point win over USC and early-season dominance in the Big 12 -- could still be enough to warrant a No. 1 seed for the Sooners," writes Andy Katz of ESPN.com. "Yes, even if Kansas were to win the Big 12. The Jayhawks don't have the same resume, especially in nonconference games with losses to Syracuse, Arizona and Michigan State and a loss to UMass in Kansas City."
"The Sooners should be solid (for a No. 1 seed), especially because two of their three losses have an injury asterisk after Griffin was knocked out," writes Pat Forde of ESPN.com. "Still, if Griffin's return is delayed any longer, you wonder whether Oklahoma could permanently misplace its mojo."
One more thing -- Even after the Sooners' loss to Kansas, RPI guru Jerry Palm listed Carolina, UConn, Pitt and OU as top seeds in his NCAA mock bracket.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
