Tulsa World: Griffins boost court time

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Griffins boost court time
Brothers say hard work over summer, new diet paying off

Blake Griffin (middle) and his brother Taylor cheer for their team during the Oklahoma-Tulsa game on Sunday. In the Sooners' recent five-game stretch, the brothers have played a large amount of minutes. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 12/10/2008 2:26 AM
Last Modified: 12/10/2008 2:40 AM

NORMAN — Over the recent two-week stretch where Oklahoma won five games to shoot toward its No. 5 ranking, the Griffin brothers were the Sooners' constant.

Not necessarily in terms of production — although they take a combined average of 36 points and 23 rebounds into tonight's 7 p.m. game against 5-4 Maine — but presence.

Blake Griffin played 193 out of a possible 205 minutes during that period.

Taylor played 185, including 43 of the 45 minutes in OU's overtime NIT Season Tip-Off championship win over Purdue.

The encouraging news for the 8-0 Sooners?

"I've been out of breath, a little winded," Blake said. "But I feel pretty much the same at the end of games as I do at the beginning."

Said Taylor: "Blake played a lot of minutes last year. It's not too different for him. It's more minutes for me. But as long as I eat right and take care of my body, I think I can do it. It's just a process. You've got to take care of your body every day to get through a season."

The Griffins had a pretty good idea of that before heading to San Francisco with teammate Ryan Wright last summer.

There, the trio underwent workouts under the command of trainer Frank Matrisciano that were more suited for Green Berets than basketball players. It was an experience that shaped them mentally and physically.

"I'd heard so many stories about guys who didn't make it through one workout, guys who didn't last a day or didn't last a week," Blake said.

"Being able to say we went out there for two months and stuck with it was an accomplishment in itself."

Diet was stressed as much as labor. A typical meal plan included oatmeal, egg whites and fruit for breakfast; organic peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches on wheat bread for lunch; and grilled chicken, fish, vegetables and whole-grain pasta for dinner.

For a treat?

"Organic cobblers," Taylor said.

Taylor confesses to hitting Sonic for a cheeseburger upon returning to Norman, and he admits to the occasional scoop of ice cream. But he and Blake have tried to incorporate as much of their San Francisco diet into their college-kid lifestyles as possible while staying in the kind of shape that allows for opening tip-to-final buzzer stretches of basketball.

"I do feel in better condition this year," Taylor said. "It's how much energy you have, how much better you feel day in, day out. It's a big difference. It really is."

Big 12 football championship celebrated: Members of OU's football team will sign autographs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Clinton Lounge on the Lloyd Noble Center's upper east concourse.

The Sooners' last three Big 12 trophies will be on display at Legends Court on the arena's south end.

Players will address fans at halftime of the basketball game, when the Orange Bowl Committee will officially invite the team to the BCS championship on Jan. 8.

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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