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John Roberson scored 22 points, Darko Cohadarevic added 12 and Texas Tech barely held off a second-half rally to beat Oklahoma 72-71 Tuesday night, snapping the Sooners' 31-game home winning streak against unranked opponents. Willie Warren and Tommy Mason-Griffin each missed potential game-winning 3-pointers in the final 5 seconds as Oklahoma (13-10, 4-5 Big 12) absorbed a disheartening blow to its postseason hopes. Texas Tech (16-7, 4-5) built a 12-point lead early in the second half and was able to stave off a series of comebacks to break a six-game losing streak and sweep the season series from the
Sooners. Warren had 18 points while playing his most significant minutes
since missing two games with a sprained ankle, and Tony Crocker
added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma.
The Sooners played without suspended freshmen Steven Pledger and
Andrew Fitzgerald.
After becoming the first Oklahoma player to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, the start of Blake Griffin's professional career has been delayed by injuries. His college teammates, meanwhile, have struggled at times to adapt to life without him. For one night, they'll reunite and reminisce about better times, and then try to make the best of what's ahead. He's scheduled to be honored during ``Blake Griffin Night'' in
Norman on Tuesday. The former Sooners star told reporters Monday it's been tough to miss his entire first NBA season but wanted to get his knee fixed so he won't have to ``deal with it in the future.'' While he's been out, he's been trying to encourage the Sooners as they're stuck in the middle of the pack in the Big 12.
Blake Griffin is an Oklahoma guy and we're all proud of him. For now,we'll have to be proud of his rehab. Griffins's first season with the Los Angeles Clippers is over but it never really began
Griffin will have surgery on his broken left kneecap, keeping the No. 1 draft pick out for at least more four months, the eternally star-crossed Clippers announced in a statement Wednesday.
Griffin hasn't played a regular-season game yet for the Clippers after injuring his kneecap in their final preseason game Oct. 23, wincing in pain as he landed after a dunk. After resting the stress fracture for several weeks, the former Oklahoma star recently increased his workload in rehabilitation by running on an anti-gravity treadmill.
The power forward developed pain in his knee, and an examination Tuesday revealed his recovery wasn't progressing properly. The Clippers said more details would be announced soon.
After a loss in Memphis on Tuesday, the Clippers will play at New Orleans on Wednesday night before returning to Los Angeles for a road game against the Lakers on Friday.
The top pick hasn't been such an honour in recent NBA drafts. Griffin is the second No. 1 selection in the past three years to miss his entire first season with an injury.
Greg Oden, the Ohio State centre chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007, had microfracture surgery on his right knee three months after the draft. Last month, Oden also broke his left kneecap and was lost for the rest of this season.
Griffin was the consensus college player of the year with 22.7 points and an NCAA-best 14.4 rebounds per game last season for the Sooners, and the Clippers eagerly chose him in last June's draft.
Griffin averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds during the preseason, and coach Mike Dunleavy and his new teammates all expected him to be a major part of their comeback season. Instead, Griffin has never been fully healthy in Los Angeles, even straining his right shoulder during summer league play in Las Vegas.
Griffin's woes sadly can't be surprising to fans of a team with just two winning seasons in the last 30 years and just one playoff series victory since moving to town in 1984.
The Clippers also have a long history of disappointing draft picks, including a pair of No. 1 overall choices that didn't dazzle.
Griffin was assigned to Iowa on Dec. 7. He played two games with the Energy, averaging 13.5 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Griffin, who has appeared in two games for Phoenix, was the Suns' second-round pick -- 48th overall -- out of Oklahoma. He is the brother of the draft's No. 1 overall pick, Blake Griffin, who was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Blake Griffin's NBA debut has been pushed back indefinitely after the Clippers revealed late Monday night that their No. 1 overall draft pick has a broken left kneecap.
The stress fracture could sideline the Oklahoma star for six weeks, the team announced, promising further information Tuesday.
Griffin, who averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during the preseason, won't be in the Clippers' lineup when they face the Lakers in their opener tonight at Staples Center, and he could be out much longer. The Clippers play 20 games in their first six weeks of the regular season.
Griffin apparently broke his kneecap during the Clippers' final exhibition game against New Orleans last Friday, perhaps after a dunk that left the power forward wincing in pain. The team initially said Griffin only had a sore left knee, making him questionable for the opener, before revealing the break.
Griffin was the consensus college Player of the Year with 22.7 points and an NCAA-best 14.4 rebounds per game last season for the Sooners.
After the Clippers won the draft lottery and selected him, Griffin strained his right shoulder during a summer league game in July. The team brought him back cautiously, and Griffin said he was totally healthy in the preseason.
His latest injury is a sadly unsurprising setback for the star-crossed Clippers, who won just 19 games last year in an injury-plagued season. Los Angeles has just two winning in the last 30 years and just one playoff series victory since moving to town in 1984.
Los Angeles was mostly healthy going into this fall, with point guard Baron Davis and center Chris Kaman both ready to play after missing chunks of last season. The Clippers actually have solid frontcourt talent with Marcus Camby, Al Thornton and Rasual Butler alongside Griffin.
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Oklahoma sophomore guard Willie Warren is one of 50 players on the pre-season list of candidates for the Wooden Award. The award is given each season to college basketball's top player. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin won the award last season before becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-4 Warren averaged 14.6 points and 3.1 assists per game last season as the Sooners advanced to a regional final in the NCAA tournament. He shot a team-high 37.2 percent from 3-point range. Five other Big 12 Conference players are on the pre-season list, including Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins of Kansas, Craig Brackins of Iowa State, Damion James of Texas and J.T. Tiller of Missouri.
Former Oklahoma star Blake Griffin has pulled out of USA Basketball's mini-camp because of a strained right shoulder, possibly hurting the No. 1 pick's chances of playing next year in the world championships. Griffin told USA Basketball officials Wednesday that he was unable to play because he was injured during the third of the Los Angeles Clippers' five summer league games. He will spend the next three to four weeks resting the shoulder. U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said Tuesday he was looking forward to seeing Griffin play this week. The mini-camp is being used to identify candidates for available spots on the U.S. team in the world championships. Griffin could still be invited to compete for a spot next summer with a strong NBA season.
Blake and Taylor Griffin have always been team mates. The brothers played together from childhood through their college days at The University of Oklahoma in Norman.
But now the Griffins are in the NBA and on Sunday for the first time in a long time, they met on opposing sides.
It was the Los Angeles Clippers taking on the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, see how it came out in the video below!
Los Angeles Clippers center Blake Griffin didn't wait long Monday night to show why he was the top pick in last month's NBA draft. The former Sooners star had seven points in the opening 75 seconds of the Clippers' first NBA Summer League game and finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 93-82 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. He says he's trying to show the Clippers' coaches and players what he's can do. He says he felt relaxed and enjoyed himself. NBA commissioner David Stern was sitting court-side at the Thomas & Mack Center as the 6-foot-10 Griffin went 6 of 6 from the field in the first half. He didn't miss a shot until the third quarter. He finished 11 of 15 from the field and played 29 minutes. Griffin led the NCAA last season with 30 double-doubles for Oklahoma, and he couldn't have asked for a better start to his professional career.
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The Los Angeles Clippers today signed rookie forward Blake Griffin, the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.
A dominant power forward and a commanding physical presence, Griffin was the consensus National Player of the Year following a sophomore season where he averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds for the Sooners.
The 20-year old Oklahoma City native dominated college basketball last season, winning every major postseason player of the year award. Griffin led the nation in rebounding (504 rebounds) and double-doubles (30) and helped the Sooners advance to the Elite Eight in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot-10, 251 pound Griffin was named to the All-Big 12 Team as a freshman in 2007-08, and continued to improve last season, finishing second in the nation in field goal percentage (.659) and 11th in scoring (22.7 ppg). Griffin's 504 rebounds last season was the highest season rebound total in college basketball since Larry Bird grabbed 505 boards in 1978-79.
Griffin is a member of the Los Angeles Clippers' entry in the 2009 NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports. The Clippers begin summer league play on Monday, July 13th vs. the Lakers in a game played at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, tipping off at 5:30 PM.
The Los Angeles Clippers signed Blake Griffin Thursday, the #1 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.
A dominant power forward and a commanding physical presence, Griffin was the consensus National Player of the Year following a sophomore season where he averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds for the Sooners.
The 20-year old Oklahoma City native dominated college basketball last season, winning every major postseason player of the year award. Griffin led the nation in rebounding (504 rebounds) and double-doubles (30) and helped the Sooners advance to the Elite Eight in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot-10, 251 pound Griffin was named to the All-Big 12 Team as a freshman in 2007-08, and continued to improve last season, finishing second in the nation in field goal percentage (.659) and 11th in scoring (22.7 ppg). Griffin's 504 rebounds last season was the highest season rebound total in college basketball since Larry Bird grabbed 505 boards in 1978-79.
Griffin is a member of the Los Angeles Clippers' entry in the 2009 NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports. The Clippers begin summer league play on Monday, July 13th vs. the Lakers in a game played at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, tipping off at 5:30 PM.
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The 6-foot-10 Griffin was coming off a spectacular sophomore season as he led the Sooners in scoring and rebounding, averaging 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds in 35 games. He also had a team-best 41 blocked shots and finished third on the squad with 80 assists, while shooting 65.4 percent from the field.
Griffin established an Oklahoma record with 25 double-doubles during the regular season and set a Big 12 mark with 13 games of at least 20 points and 15 rebounds.
The move for the Clippers figures to help them in an area where they've had plenty of talent, but that hasn't transferred to making the postseason. In fact, the Clippers have won just one playoff series since moving to Los Angeles in 1984 and recorded an minus-8.75 average point differential per game last season, worst in the league.
"I'm not worried about what's happened in the past," said Griffin. "I'm only looking forward to the future. We're not going to think about what's happened in seasons past. I'm just excited about the opportunity to make the best out of whatever situation that I'm put in."
Griffin is the first player in Oklahoma history to be No. 1 overall. The late Wayman Tisdale was selected by Indiana with the second pick in the '85 draft.
It was also the third No. 1 pick in Clippers history, joining Danny Manning (1988) and Michael Olowokandi (1998).
Blake Griffin becomes a wealthy man tonight just after 6:30 Oklahoma time. That's when the Los Angeles Clippers will make Griffin the #1 lottery pick in the 2009 NBA draft. Griffin is a known pick but once he is chosen, there are a lot of possibilities about who will go where. Take a look below at one of the mock drafts and how it may play out.
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1. Clippers: Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma
Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley telling folks he's still attempting to pry Griffin from Mike Dunleavy's grip sounds nice, until you realize how much that says about the perceived drop-off between No. 1 and everyone else. Chris Kaman rumors have never been hotter, by the way.
- 2. Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn
Beyond the Griffin dreams, Memphis has been tied to a few key prospects. Ricky Rubio seems like a lost cause no one but Chris Wallace and the fans (remember them?) really want. Thabeet canceled a Sunday workout, blaming injury. James Harden reportedly sucked on Saturday, and Tyreke Evans is possibly too similar to O.J. Mayo. The trade market surrounding No. 2 has dried up as the Kings have apparently refused to play ball. Tough week in Memphis, with a tough choice coming Thursday night.
- 3. Thunder: Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain
The Thunder snuck in a trip to Los Angeles on Saturday to meet Rubio after a week of speculation the franchise had hired a lawyer to look into the point guard's contentious Joventut buy- out. Smoke begets fire and all that.
- 4. Kings: Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse
There is one available prospect Sacramento's internal forces do not disagree on: Flynn. Some scouts in the organization dislike Rubio, while others bristle at Evans (who isn't particularly charismatic on the court and may not be an effective point guard next to big scorer Kevin Martin). But everyone likes Flynn, an engaging, fearless slasher who will never be as quick as Brandon Jennings or as creative as Rubio, but can be a solid NBA point guard. (If Flynn doesn't go here, he probably slips out of the top nine. Word is he requested to be added to the Kings' crazy point guard workout with Evans and Stephen Curry.)
- 5. Wizards: James Harden, SG, Arizona State
I have a feeling those rumors of a Washington trade will come through, if only because there's no perfect fit on the board beyond ... well, Griffin. Dallas has been rumored to be interested in No. 5; Donnie Nelson said all options are on the table the coming week. We'll see.
- 6. Timberwolves: Brandon Jennings, PG, Italy
Jennings reportedly wowed the crowd at Friday's point guard battle royale during the scrimmage portion ... going up against guys like Flynn, Evans and Holiday. New GM David Kahn apparently hates Randy Foye's game, and Jennings adds some backcourt firepower to help out Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. If nothing else, pray Jennings goes high so we can avoid the cocksure bleating of anti-Jennings analyst Jay Bilas.
- 7. Warriors: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona
You keep picking thin power forwards in the lottery until you find one who works out, okay Golden State? In all seriousness, Don Nelson has so many starting perimeter players and so little he trusts up front. We all love Anthony Randolph and Brandan Wright, but Nellie ain't in our club.
- 8. Knicks: Stephen Curry, G, Davidson
Curry falling down to New York is the best situation for everyone. Well, everyone but Eastern Conference defenders. And Nate Robinson, who will surely have to find a contract in some other town. Golden State is apparently claiming they'll take Stephen if he's available at No. 7, even though he refused to work out for them. But Nellie knows not to mess with Dell Curry. He knows.
- 9. Raptors: Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis
Toronto is one of the few lottery teams who can pick a player at any position without anyone blinking an eye. Thankfully, Tyreke Evans has no position. It's a win-win! I'm still sussing out whether Evans did enough Sunday to beat out Flynn for Sacramento's No. 4. The answer isn't clear, though we'll likely know Thursday, unless Rubio slips by Oklahoma City.
- 10. Bucks: Jrue Holiday, PG, UCLA
Rumor has it Milwaukee desperately hopes Flynn falls past Sacramento, which should give the Bucks a clear path to point guard salvation. If that doesn't happen, Holiday works. He can caddy for Luke Ridnour for a year before becoming the post-apocolyptic Terrell Brandon we know him to be.
- 11. Nets: DeJuan Blair, PF, Pitt
While the Nets do need a bruising power forward, it seems like this pick will be made for Chicago, who would rather have Blair guaranteed than two lower picks. The Nets need some depth, and their dude could be available at Chicago's No. 16 pick.
- 12. Bobcats: Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke
While the double point guard look wasn't bad in stretches last season, Raymond Felton could be out (he's a restricted free agent) and a bit more scoring prowess than Raja Bell is necessary with a frontcourt inconsistent in the ledger. I'm not convinced Henderson will be a 20-point scorer in the league, but when has Michael Jordan every listened to me?
- 13. Pacers: DeMar DeRozan, F/G, USC
Indiana likes Roy Hibbert, one of its 2008 selections. That prevents the choice of B.J. Mullens. (Also, B.J. Mullens prevents the choice of B.J. Mullens.) I'm not exactly where DeRozan fits on the Pacer roster, but then again I'm not really sure where any Pacer fits on the Pacer roster. Mike Dunleavy will miss a few months again, so DeMar should get some valuable minutes. But he doesn't shoot the three well, and Indiana takes a lot of threes. Hmph.
- 14. Suns: Earl Clark, F, Louisville
Is Earl Clark the steal of the draft no matter where he goes? Outside of Rubio, he's the only 2009 prospect who could win the MVP some day. (You think I'm joking ...)
- 15. Pistons: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State
Legit 7-foot centers don't grow on trees. They grow on mountaintops, and they eat huckleberries and chalk for breakfast. (Detroit has a history of "quasi-promising" players in the mid-first -- see Rodney Stuckey -- so the post-"promise" workout schedule for Mullens with teams picking lower than No. 15 seems more like ass-covering than legitimate auditions.)
- 16. Bulls: Terrence Williams, G/F, Louisville
Here goes New Jersey's target. I think there's a wide understanding that Williams is a really good prospect and deserves to be in the top 10 conversation. But there's also the matter of need, and more teams need big men and point guards than defensive-minded wings. New Jersey can capitalize on that to a) get Williams cheaper, and b) pick up another asset (Chicago's No. 26).
- 17. 76ers: Ty Lawson, PG, UNC
Among the cadre of point guard prospects, Lawson fits especially well in Philadelphia: he can shoot, and he's ready to go at the pro level more than the younger fellows.
- 18. Timberwolves: James Johnson, PF, Wake Forest
- 19. Hawks: Patrick Mills, PG, St. Mary's
This would have been a good year for a lottery pick, given all the point guard talent. Unfortunately for Rick Sund, Mills and Eric Maynor aren't quite of the readiness or quality (respectively) which make Mike Bibby irrelevant. That means three more years of Team Dime in Atlanta, methinks.
- 20. Jazz: Tyler Hansbrough, F, UNC
It's like Romeo and Juliet.
- 21. Hornets: Eric Maynor, PG, VCU
- 22. Mavericks: Chase Budinger, G/F, Arizona
- 23. Kings: Derrick Brown, PF, Xavier
Brown will make his second visit to Sacramento Monday. Assuming Thabeet or Hill don't get picked at No. 4, the Kings need another decent big man to round out the young frontcourt. He's a poor defensive rebounder, but has deceptive strength and great length. The Kings aren't afraid to take a player they like too early, even with the No. 31 pick in hand.
- 24. Blazers: Omri Casspi, G/F, Israel
- 25. Thunder: Jeff Pendergraph, F, Arizona State
- 26. Bulls: Austin Daye, F, Gonzaga
If we continue to assume the Nets-Bulls trade, we can assume this is a bit of a steal for New Jersey, as Daye could have been in play at No. 11 if he weren't, you know, Austin Daye.
- 27. Grizzlies: Danny Green, G/F, UNC
If Darrell Arthur and Donte Greene were any indication, this pick will be traded 14 times on draft night.
- 28. Timberwolves: Wayne Ellington, SG, UNC
- 29. Lakers: Nick Calathes, PG, Florida
- 30. Cavaliers: Sam Young, SF, Pitt
Sam Young is six months older than Dwight Howard.
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Thunder.nba.com will feature the following Thursday night during the 2009 NBA Draft:
· Up-to-the minute stories from Thunder Basketball writer Chris Silva
· First reaction from the Thunder's draft pick(s) from
· Videos and photographs from the Thunder's Draft Party at Riverwind Casino
· Live NBA draft board with updates on each selection through both rounds
· Interview and impressions with Thunder TV color analyst Grant Long, who will be at the Draft in
· Video feeds from NBA Entertainment throughout the night
· Thunder broadcasters Brian Davis and Matt Pinto, who will be at the Thunder Draft Party at Riverwind Casino, will give draft analysis on the website
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Griffin won the Naismith Trophy as the nation's top collegiate men's basketball player following his sophomore season while Paris was an honorable mention All-American as a senior on the women's basketball team.
The Sportspersons of the Year Award was started in 2000-01 to annually recognize student-athletes who displayed an extraordinary degree of sportsmanship and/or community service during the academic year. Paris and Griffin were selected by a media panel. The Big 12's recipients are nominated for the NCAA Sportsmanship Award.
Griffin, often the focus of opposing defenses, routinely walked away without retaliation in response to overly aggressive fouls aimed at limiting his impact, with several of these "hard" fouls resulting in ejection for the offending player. The sophomore forward became the face of Oklahoma basketball while continually deflecting the spotlight to his teammates. Griffin never refused an autograph request and often had to be led through back doors to reach the team bus.
Projected to be a top NBA draft pick, the Oklahoma City native did not neglect his academic responsibilities or role as a team leader. Griffin participated in several community service projects including stops at Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City and weekly visits to Norman elementary schools to read to children and perform other activities as requested by the teachers. He also served with Rebuilding Together, a local group that builds homes for the underprivileged.
Paris was voted by her peers as winner of the squad's Foxhole Award the past two seasons. The honor is bestowed on the player that is considered to be the best teammate on and off the court. The senior forward made the commitment prior to her final season to recreate herself in order to assist with the team's goal of reaching the Final Four. The goal was met as Oklahoma reached the national semifinals.
A last-second attempt that rolled off the rim kept the Sooners from advancing to the national championship game. In her final moments as a collegiate player, Paris rushed to console her teammate who had missed the final shot. She is credited with guiding OU's younger players throughout all facets of a successful program from practice to conditioning to game preparation.
The Piedmont, Calif., native has taken an active role in community service projects throughout the Norman-Oklahoma City metropolitan area. She has made visits to Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City and participated in child advocacy activities at Mary Abbott House in Norman, a non-residential shelter for abused children. Paris served as a "Sooner Big Sis" with weekly visits to Norman elementary schools while also volunteering for Special Olympics, Race for the Cure and Sooner Spectators.
BIG 12 SPORTSPERSONS OF THE YEAR
Female
2001 -- Kim Woodlee, Kansas State; basketball
2002 -- Natalie Ritchie, Texas Tech; basketball
2003 -- Laura Pilakowski, Nebraska; volleyball
2004 -- Jessika Stratton, Baylor; basketball
2005 -- Richelle Simpson, Nebraska; gymnastics
2006 -- Jodie Heinicka, Missouri; gymnastics
2007 -- Amanda Costner, Kansas; golf
2008 -- Katie Martincich, Kansas; volleyball
2009 -- Ashley Paris, Oklahoma; basketball
Male
2001 -- Dan Alexander, Nebraska; football
2002 -- Cael Sanderson, Iowa State; wrestling
2003 -- Jeff Leise, Nebraska; baseball
2004 -- Mark Clayton and Lynn McGruder, Oklahoma; football
2005 -- Ahmard Hall, Texas; football
2006 -- Parker Dalton, Texas A&M; baseball
2007 -- Carl Pendleton, Oklahoma; football
2008 -- Mamadou Diene, Baylor; basketball
week. And he wasn't sure he would meet with any teams while in Chicago. The Clippers hold the No. 1 pick in the draft and both assistant general manager Neil Olshey and coach Mike Dunleavy have told reporters they were taking Griffin.
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Oklahoma's Blake Griffin will be the big prize for the team that emerges as the winner from tonight's NBA draft lottery. The lottery is in its 25th year and has become an NBA staple. NBA Commissioner David Stern says the lottery now is accepted by fans and the teams get into it. He says the lottery is just another way for the league to promote the potential for next season, particularly among the teams that have the most need for improvement. Sacramento, after finishing with a league-worst 17-65 record, has a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. The Kings shouldn't prepare a jersey for Griffin just yet, though, as the team with the worst record has not won the lottery since 2004, when the Orlando Magic ended up with Dwight Howard. The Oklahoma City Thunder had the league's fourth-worst record and have an 11.9 percent chance of landing the top pick.
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OU senior Courtney Paris was also in attendance for the Wooden ceremonies as one of two women's finalists. Connecticut's Maya Moore won the award on the women's side.
"What an incredible honor it is to accept an award with Coach Wooden's name on it," said Griffin following the presentation and before a trip to the new ESPN studio in Los Angeles for an interview. "From what I've read about him, he's an amazing person and was an amazing coach.
"Like I said last week in Detroit, I've had a lot of help this season -- and throughout my life for that matter -- in terms of my development as a basketball player. Once again, I thank my teammates, coaches and parents for everything they've done for me."
Griffin, who announced Tuesday that he will forego his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility to turn pro, averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this year while shooting .654 from the field and registering 30 double-doubles. He paced the Big 12 Conference in scoring, rebounding, double-doubles and field goal percentage, and ranked 11th, first, first and second nationally in the categories, respectively.
The 6-10, 251-pound forward, who was the Big 12 Player of the Year and the only unanimous first-team league selection, set OU and Big 12 single-season records for rebounds (504), rebounding average, field goal percentage and double-doubles. Griffin also set school records for free throw attempts (324) and free throw attempts per game (9.3).
Griffin led the Sooners to a 30-6 record this season and to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 28.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists over OU's four NCAA Tournament games while shooting a staggering .780 from the field.
The Oklahoma City native also earned national player of the year honors from the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Award), the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (Oscar Robertson Trophy), the Associated Press, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, CBS/Chevrolet and the Commonwealth Athletic Club of Kentucky (Rupp Trophy).
It won't surprise anyone to find out that Blake Griffin has played his last game at Oklahoma. The Sooner sophomore and AP player of the year made his announcement in Norman Tuesday afternoon saying it was time "to move on and take my game to the next level."
Most believe Griffin will be the first pick in the draft on June 25. Griffin led the Sooners to a 30-6 season and a spot in the Elite eight. Griffin averaged 22.7 points and a nation-leading 14.4 rebounds. He shot 65.4% from the field.
After assembling one of the most successful individual basketball seasons in University of Oklahoma history that culminated with Sunday's acceptance of the Naismith Trophy as the national player of the year, sophomore Blake Griffin met with reporters Tuesday afternoon to announce that he will forego his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility to enter the 2009 NBA Draft.
Griffin will leave OU as one of the program's most accomplished and decorated players, despite playing just two seasons. As a sophomore, he averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting .654 from the field and registering 30 double-doubles. He paced the Big 12 Conference in scoring, rebounding, double-doubles and field goal percentage, and ranked 11th, first, first and second nationally in the categories, respectively.
The 6-10, 251-pound forward, who was the Big 12 Player of the Year and the only unanimous first-team league selection, set OU and Big 12 single-season records for rebounds (504), rebounding average, field goal percentage and double-doubles. Griffin also set school records for free throw attempts (324) and free throw attempts per game (9.3).
Griffin led the Sooners to a 30-6 record this season and to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 28.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists over OU's four NCAA Tournament games while shooting a staggering .780 from the field.
The Oklahoma City native grabbed more rebounds than any Division I player since Larry Bird in 1978-79 and averaged more rebounds than anyone since Tim Duncan in 1996-97.
Griffin's biggest game statistically this season came Feb. 14 against Texas Tech in Norman when he finished with career highs of 40 points and 23 rebounds to become the first player in Big 12 history to register at least 40 points and 20 boards in a contest. Remarkably, he had a double-double in each half. His 40 points were the most by a Sooner in 15 seasons while his 23 rebounds were the most by an OU player in 20 years.
The NBA Draft will be held June 25 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It will begin at 6 p.m. CDT and be televised by ESPN.
| Blake Griffin Career Statistics | |||||||||
| Year |
G-GS |
FG% |
3FG% |
FT% |
RPG |
Ast |
Blk |
Stl |
PPG |
| 2008-09 |
35-35 |
.654 |
.375 |
.590 |
14.4 |
80 |
41 |
39 |
22.7 |
| 2007-08 |
33-28 |
.568 |
.000 |
.589 |
9.1 |
61 |
28 |
33 |
14.7 |
| Totals |
68-63 |
.618 |
.300 |
.589 |
11.8 |
141 |
69 |
72 |
18.8 |
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the year. Maya Moore of Connecticut and Courtney Paris of Oklahoma are finalists for the women's award. The winners will be announced Friday at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Hansbrough and North Carolina beat Michigan State 89-72, winning the national championship last night. Moore and her UConn teammates will play Louisville for the
women's national title tonight in St. Louis.
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Sophomore Blake Griffin of Oklahoma is a unanimous selection for The Associated Press' All-America team, and senior Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina is on the first team for a second consecutive year.
Rounding out the team Monday are sophomores DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh, James Harden of Arizona State and junior Stephen Curry of Davidson.
Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet leads the second team and is joined by Ty Lawson of North Carolina, Luke Harangody of Notre Dame, Jodie Meeks of Kentucky and Jerel McNeal of Marquette.
The teams were selected by the same 71-member national media panel that votes on the weekly Top 25. The balloting was done before the NCAA tournament.
Griffin is also the winner of the Oscar Robertson Award. The trophy comes from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and it goes to the nations best player. Griffin received the most votes from all nine of the group's geographical districts.
Griffin led the Sooners to the regional finals of the NCAA tournament where they lost to North Carolina on Sunday. He averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds this season and had 30 double-doubles.
Griffin will receive the trophy Friday at the writers association's annual awards breakfast in Detroit, where this year's Final Four will be played.
He is the first Oklahoma player to receive the award.
Blake Griffin scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds but got very little help from his friends as North Carolina beat Oklahoma 72-60 in the South regional final. The Sooners, who shot so well in a Friday night win over Syracuse went stone cold on this Sunday in Memphis. OU shot just under 11% from three and sealed their fate with 15 turnovers. See all the stats by clicking here.
Carolina advances to their record 18th Final Four and will face Villanova in Detroit.
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Oklahoma State is playing it's best basketball and it led to an upset Thursday. The Cowboys edged Oklahoma 71-70 to move on to the semi-finals of the Big12 tournament.
James Anderson hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to back up Byron Eaton's 16 points and seven assists for OSU. The win ends a five-game losing streak against Oklahoma and all but clinched an NCAA tournament berth.
Blake Griffin had 17 points and 19 rebounds for Oklahoma, but was whistled for fouling Anderson as several players tussled for a rebound after a missed shot by Eaton in the final seconds.
After Anderson's free throws, Griffin caught a long pass from Taylor Griffin, but missed a well-guarded 3-point attempt. Tony Crocker missed a follow shot.
The clock didn't start until after Blake Griffin's shot, and officials used television replays to determine that time had expired, giving Oklahoma State the win.
The Cowboys will face the winner of the Missouri-Texas Tech game Friday night at 8:30 pm.
While the Pokes pulled a big upset, so did Baylor. The Bears send home number one seed Kansas with a 71-64 shocker. BU will face Texas, the Longhorns slipped by Kansas State 61-58.
VISITORS: Oklahoma State 22-10
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
33 Moses, Marshall..... f 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 5 0 0 2 0 0 8
00 Eaton, Byron........ g 6-12 0-0 4-5 1 1 2 2 16 7 1 0 3 32
01 Harris, Terrel...... g 5-12 3-5 0-0 0 3 3 2 13 3 2 1 1 33
12 Page, Keiton........ g 4-11 4-10 3-4 0 2 2 2 15 1 0 0 1 36
23 Anderson, James..... g 4-9 1-4 2-3 2 6 8 4 11 1 1 0 2 30
02 Muonelo, Obi........ 4-11 1-6 3-4 2 5 7 4 12 0 2 0 2 28
04 Brown, Anthony...... 2-2 0-0 0-0 2 2 4 3 4 0 2 0 0 29
44 Kirkland, Malcoln... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 25-60 9-25 12-16 8 21 29 22 71 12 10 1 9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-29 41.4% 2nd Half: 13-31 41.9% Game: 41.7% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-15 40.0% 2nd Half: 3-10 30.0% Game: 36.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-5 60.0% 2nd Half: 9-11 81.8% Game: 75.0% 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Oklahoma 27-5
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
23 Griffin, Blake...... f 6-9 0-1 5-8 4 15 19 3 17 0 5 0 0 38
32 Griffin, Taylor..... f 3-6 0-1 0-0 1 3 4 2 6 0 3 1 1 19
05 Crocker, Tony....... g 3-9 1-5 2-2 1 1 2 3 9 3 1 0 0 28
13 Warren, Willie...... g 5-11 2-6 1-1 1 3 4 4 13 2 4 0 1 30
20 Johnson, Austin..... g 3-6 0-3 7-8 0 4 4 1 13 3 2 0 2 38
11 Leary, Omar......... 1-3 0-2 1-2 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 14
12 Patillo, Juan....... 3-6 0-0 1-1 0 2 2 3 7 0 2 2 0 22
34 Davis, Cade......... 1-2 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 1 2 0 2 0 0 11
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 25-52 3-19 17-22 9 30 39 18 70 8 19 3 4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-25 44.0% 2nd Half: 14-27 51.9% Game: 48.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-10 20.0% 2nd Half: 1-9 11.1% Game: 15.8% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 10-12 83.3% 2nd Half: 7-10 70.0% Game: 77.3% 2
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma's dominant, record-smashing sophomore, is a unanimous choice for The Associated Press Big 12 player of the year for 2008-09. Bill Self of Kansas, who lost every starter from last year's NCAA championship team but still molded the young Jayhawks into surprising regular-season champions, outpolled Missouri's Mike Anderson for Big 12 coach of the year. A panel of 18 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the conference also named Denis Clemente of Kansas State as the Big 12's newcomer of the year and Oklahoma guard Willie Warren the freshman of the year. Kansas guard Sherron Collins and Griffin were unanimous picks for the first team as chosen by the AP panel. Joining them on the first unit were DeMarre Carroll of Missouri, Craig Brackins of Iowa State and Cole Aldrich of Kansas.
Tags:
DeMarre Carroll had 15 points and 10 rebounds, helping No. 15 Missouri wind up a perfect season at home and grab a share of second place in the Big 12 with a 73- 64 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma. Leo Lyons added 15 points and J.T. Tiller had 13 last night for Missouri (25-5, 12-3), which went 18-0 at home after regaining its footing from a 25-point spanking at Kansas three days earlier. Missouri fans typically find their seats after the school's first basket, but most in a raucous sellout crowd of 15,061 on senior night remained on its feet throughout. Blake Griffin had 16 points and 21 rebounds, his nation-leading 24th double-double of the season, for Oklahoma (26-4, 12-3), which has lost three of four. Taylor Griffin added 14 points and eight rebounds, while the rest of the Sooners were a combined 12-for-40.
Oklahoma is looking for a late season run that will send them into the Big Twelve tournament on a roll. They will continue that search tonight when they take on Mike Anderson's Missouri Tigers. Mizzou is coming off a loss against rival Kansas and won't be easy to deal with.
Oklahoma is alone in second place in the Big 12 race, a game behind Kansas in the league standings while the Tigers, who are 17-0 at home, trail OU by a game. Wednesday's contest will be regionally televised by the Big 12 Network (KOCB Ch. 34/Cox 11 in OKC; KJRH Ch. 2/Cox 9 in Tulsa; ESPN Full Court) with Mitch Holthus and Jon Sundvold announcing. The game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KRXO FM 107.7 in OKC; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa; Sirius 118) with Bob Barry, Sr. and Mike Houck calling the action.
SERIES WITH MISSOURI
Oklahoma holds a 111-93 series lead against Missouri but trails 58-29 in games played in Columbia. The Sooners, who are 12-7 against the Tigers since the formation of the Big 12 Conference, have lost five of the last eight in the series after winning nine straight. Missouri has won five of the last six regular season meetings.
| Missouri's Projected Starters (based on last game) | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
1 |
DeMarre Carroll |
6-8 |
225 |
Sr. |
17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 57.0 FG% |
|
F |
5 |
Leo Lyons |
6-8 |
244 |
Sr. |
14.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 50.2 FG% |
|
G |
4 |
J.T. Tiller |
6-3 |
200 |
Jr. |
7.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg |
|
G |
11 |
Zaire Taylor |
6-4 |
189 |
Jr. |
5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.4 apg |
|
G |
24 |
Kim English |
6-6 |
200 |
Fr. |
6.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.2 apg |
| Oklahoma's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
23 |
Blake Griffin |
6-10 |
251 |
So. |
21.9 ppg, 13.9 rpg, 62.7 FG% |
|
F |
32 |
Taylor Griffin |
6-7 |
238 |
Sr. |
9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 52.8 FG% |
|
G |
5 |
Tony Crocker |
6-6 |
206 |
Jr. |
10.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 37.7 3FG% |
|
G |
13 |
Willie Warren |
6-4 |
207 |
Fr. |
15.1 ppg, 2.9 apg, 38.4 3FG% |
|
G |
20 |
Austin Johnson |
6-3 |
176 |
Sr. |
8.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.3 apg |
BIG 12 BULLETS
• Oklahoma has clinched a first-round bye in the upcoming Big 12 Championship (March 11-14 in Oklahoma City). It marks the Sooners' second consecutive bye and 10th in the 13-year history of the event. OU will be the No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 seed.
• The Sooners won their first 11 league games for the Big 12's second-best start ever (Kansas finished 16-0 in 2002).
• OU has won at least 12 Big 12 games six times in the 13-year history of the league. Its best conference record was 13-3 in 2001-02.
"NOTE"WORTHY
• At 26-3, Oklahoma entered the week tied with Memphis and Pittsburgh for the nation's second-best record. Connecticut is 27-2.
• OU has played 13 games against teams that already have at least 20 wins this year. It is 11-2 in those games.
• Oklahoma is 8-2 in road games this year. That's the most road wins for the Sooners since they went 8-2 in 1983-84. The last season they won nine road contests was 1946-47 (9-2).
• The Sooners own a 111-93 series lead against Missouri and have won 12 of the last 17 meetings. They are 12-7 versus MU since the formation of the Big 12 (2-4 in Columbia). OU's last win at Missouri came in 2001 (63-61).
• Blake Griffin and Willie Warren have accounted for 51 percent of OU's points in its 10 road games. Griffin is averaging 20.1 points (shooting .590) and 11.9 rebounds in those contests while Warren is averaging 18.0 points (.491 from long range).
• Griffin set the OU record for rebounds in a season Saturday at Texas Tech. The sophomore's 18 boards in Lubbock gave him 390 for the year in 28 games. Wayman Tisdale held the record with 378 caroms in 37 games in 1984-85.
• With his career-high 22 points Saturday, Taylor Griffin became the fifth Sooner this year to score at least 20 points in a game.
• In OU's five games against ranked opponents this year, Taylor Griffin is averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots. He is shooting .684 from the field and .783 from the free throw line in those outings.
• OU's 13-game winning streak that ended Feb. 21 at Texas was the fourth longest in school single-season history. The Sooners also won their first 12 games of the year, giving them two of the seven longest single-season winning streaks in school annals.
• Warren has seven games of at least 20 points this year, the most by an OU true freshman since Tim McCalister recorded nine of them in 1983-84. Warren has registered at least 27 points four times and has broken the 30-point barrier twice.
• Warren already ranks sixth on OU's freshman scoring chart (438 points), second in 3-pointers (53), fourth in free throws made (99), fifth in assists (83) and sixth in steals (35). He needs six more treys to take over the top spot from Terry Evans (58 in 1989-90).
• Warren, a seven-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week, is shooting .491 from 3-point range (28-for-57) in OU's 10 road games compared to .301 (22-for-73) in its 15 home games. He's averaging 18.0 points per road outing and 13.8 per home contest.
• Oklahoma used the same starting lineup in its first 27 games but has used different lineups in each of the last two.
• Over the last 16 games (14-2 record), the Sooners are outshooting their opponents from the field, .503 to .399. They are 14-0 during the span when outshooting their foes and 0-2 when being outshot.
• In Big 12 play, Oklahoma ranks second in the league in field goal percentage (.501), 3-point field goal percentage (.412) and field goal percentage defense (.409). It ranks third in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.334).
• Junior college transfer Juan Pattillo, who came out of a redshirt season in time for the Jan. 12 Texas game but totaled just four minutes over the next three games, is averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots in an average of 19.7 minutes over his last nine outings. He is 31-for-54 from the field (.574) and 22-for-26 at the foul line (.846) during the stretch.
Crazy? Griffin won't argue with that.
"I am a little bit, I guess," said Griffin, who had 20 points and 19 rebounds. "I feel fine. I feel back to normal. I didn't think twice."
OU coach Jeff Capel, who dashed over to ensure his star was OK, said that show of hustle is not unusual for Blake. Griffin said he did not hit his head when he landed.
"He only knows one way to play," Capel said. "You're talking about a kid who hadn't played because of a concussion. He was just so happy to be out there playing today. Just glad to see that he was OK because that one over the scorer's table was a pretty nasty fall."
The Sooners never trailed, but Tech made it 50-49 midway through the second half. But the Sooners pulled away steadily and ended a two-game skid.
Griffin did not play in the Sooners' loss to No. 15 Kansas on Monday night, and was injured in the first half of their loss to Texas last week.
Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel says All-American Blake Griffin is still recovering from a concussion and it's not clear when he will be healthy enough to return to the lineup. No. 3 Oklahoma plays at Texas Tech tomorrow. Capel said yesterday that Griffin, hurt in the Sooners' loss to Texas last Saturday, will not be allowed to play until he shakes the nausea and headaches that he's been having. Oklahoma lost to No. 15 Kansas on Tuesday. The sophomore is Oklahoma's leading scorer and rebounder. He averages 22 points and 13.8 rebounds per game and leads the country with 22 double-doubles.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has announced finalists for the 2009 Oscar Robertson Trophy, to be presented to the association's national player of the year.
Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin, who leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and double-doubles, is one of 15 players selected as finalists.
North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, among three senior finalists, was the 2008 Oscar Robertson Trophy winner. No player has won back-to-back USBWA Player of the Year awards since Virginia's Ralph Sampson won three straight from 1981-83.
The presentation of this year's award will take place on Friday, April 3 at the USBWA's annual awards breakfast at the downtown Detroit Athletic Club in conjunction with the Men's Final Four. The breakfast will also honor the winner of the Henry Iba Award, the association's coach of the year, as well as the 1979 Michigan State national championship team that was led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is voted on by the entire membership of the association, which consists of nearly 800 journalists. The ballot will be distributed to the membership on Mon., March 2.
The following players are finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy:
DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh (6-7, 265, Soph., Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Sherron Collins, Kansas (5-11, 200, Jr., Chicago, Ill.)
Dante Cunningham, Villanova (6-8, 230, Sr., Silver Spring, Md.)
Stephen Curry, Davidson (6-3, 185, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Tyreke Evans, Memphis (6-6, 219, Fr., Chester, Pa.)
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (6-10, 251, Soph., Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (6-9, 250, Sr., Poplar Bluff, Mo.)
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (6-8, 255, Jr., Schererville, Ind.)
James Harden, Arizona State (6-5, 218, Soph., Los Angeles, Calif.)
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (5-11, 195, Jr., Clinton, Md.)
Jerel McNeal, Marquette (6-3, 200, Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky (6-4, 208, Jr., Norcross, Ga.)
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut (7-3, 263, Jr., Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania)
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (6-2, 180, Soph., Indianapolis, Ind.)
Evan Turner, Ohio State (6-7, 205, Soph., Chicago, Ill.)
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is awarded to the USBWA's Player of the Year. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player. The legendary Oscar Robertson was the USBWA's first player of the year in 1959. The USBWA renamed its player of the year award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998.
Tags:
Tyshawn Taylor scores a career-high 26 points and Sherron Collins adds 22 of his 26 points in the second half as No. 15 Kansas takes over first place in the Big 12 with an 87-78 victory against third-ranked Oklahoma. Cole Aldrich was able to dominate inside last night with the Sooners missing preseason All-American Blake Griffin because of a concussion. He had 15 points and a career-high 20 rebounds as the Jayhawks took control in the race for their fifth straight conference title. Kansas is 23-5 overall and 12-1 in Big 12 play while OU drops to 25-3 and 11-2. The Sooners deployed a full-court press to eat away at the Jayhawks' lead that reached 20 midway through the second half, but the rally could only cut the deficit to three in the final 3 minutes. Willie Warren led the way with 23 points for Oklahoma, which has lost two in a row.
Tags:
Abrams scored 16 in a row in the final 8 minutes, hitting four 3-pointers, then capped off the scoring with two free throws with 4 seconds to play.
Griffin, the Big 12's leading scorer and leading rebounder, played just 11 minutes and left for good with about four minutes left in the first half, finishing with two points and three rebounds. Griffin appeared to take a shot to the face when he tried to spin for a baseline shot.
Willie Warren scored 27 points to lead Oklahoma (25-2, 11-1 Big 12), which had won 13 in a row.
Abrams finished with 23 points and Damion James scored 16 for the Longhorns ( 18-8, 7-5).
Winner of 14 straight regular season Big 12 games going back to last year, No. 2/2 Oklahoma (25-1, 11-0) plays at Texas (17-8, 6-5) Saturday at 8 p.m. CST. The Sooners are riding a 13-game winning streak and are coming off a 95-74 home victory over Texas Tech Saturday. Texas, which has lost four of its last six after starting 4-1 in league play, dropped an 81-66 decision at Texas A&M Monday. The ESPN/ESPNHD "Saturday Primetime" game will feature Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Erin Andrews announcing. The contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KOKC AM 1520 in OKC; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa; Sirius 123; XM 144) with Bob Barry, Sr. and Mike Houck calling the action. ESPN College
GameDay will also be in Austin on Saturday. The 10 a.m. CST show will include a feature on national player of the year candidate Blake Griffin.
| Texas' Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
1 |
Gary Johnson |
6-6 |
233 |
So. |
11.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 46.7 FG% |
|
F |
5 |
Damion James |
6-7 |
222 |
Jr. |
15.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 48.6 FG% |
|
G |
3 |
A.J. Abrams |
5-11 |
161 |
Sr. |
16.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 39.3 3FG% |
|
G |
4 |
Dogus Balbay |
6-0 |
176 |
So. |
2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.6 apg |
|
G |
24 |
Justin Mason |
6-2 |
194 |
Jr. |
6.8 ppg, 4.0 apg, 4.8 apg |
| Oklahoma's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
23 |
Blake Griffin |
6-10 |
251 |
So. |
22.8 ppg, 14.2 rpg, 63.8 FG% |
|
F |
32 |
Taylor Griffin |
6-7 |
238 |
Sr. |
8.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 51.3 FG% |
|
G |
5 |
Tony Crocker |
6-6 |
206 |
Jr. |
10.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 38.1 3FG% |
|
G |
13 |
Willie Warren |
6-4 |
207 |
Fr. |
14.9 ppg, 2.8 apg, 37.0 3FG% |
|
G |
20 |
Austin Johnson |
6-3 |
176 |
Sr. |
8.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.3 apg |
FOR STARTERS
• Oklahoma's 25-1 start to the season is the best in school history. The program's previous highest number of wins against one loss was 21 in the 1985-86 season.
• Only the 1996-97 Kansas team (34-1) has posted a better start to a season in Big 12 history.
• The Sooners' 11-0 conference start is their best since also beginning 11-0 in the Big Eight in 1985. They have won 14 straight regular season league games dating back to last year.
• Oklahoma's 11-0 conference start is the second best in Big 12 history. Kansas went undefeated (16-0) in 2002.
• OU is one of three teams nationally that is undefeated in conference play. The others are Gonzaga (11-0 in West Coast Conference) and Memphis (11-0 in Conference USA).
• The 22 combined league wins of OU's men's and women's basketball teams are the most to start a conference season in Big 12 history. The previous best combined men's and women's start (12-0) occurred last year (both Baylor and Kansas State).
| No. 2/2 Oklahoma (25-1, 11-0) at Texas (17-8, 6-5) | |
| Date & Tip Time |
Saturday, Feb. 21at 8:05 p.m. CST |
| Location | Austin, Texas | Frank Erwin Center |
| Tickets | OU Athletics Ticket Office |
| TV |
ESPN/ESPNHD |
| Radio |
Sooner Radio Network |
| Series History | OU leads 46-27 |
| Live Stats | SoonerSports.com/GameTracker |
| Game Info | Game Notes (PDF) |
Tags:
Reserve forward Kyle Cannon has been dismissed from No. 2 Oklahoma's basketball team for a violation of team rules. Cannon had played in only nine games in his first season with the Sooners after transferring from San Jacinto Junior college in Texas, and had played just 5 minutes during Big 12 play. He played 4 minutes in Oklahoma's 95-74 win against Texas Tech after the game was out of hand. Cannon was averaging just under two points and two rebounds. Sooners coach Jeff Capel said yesterday he would have no comment on the matter other than to wish Cannon the best of luck in the future.
Oklahoma climbed to the No. 2 ranking with its first-ever pair of McDonald's All-Americans on the team at the same time. Now, the Sooners have two McDonald's All-Americans in the same recruiting class for the first time. Signees Keith ``Tiny'' Gallon and Tommy Mason-Griffin were chosen yesterday to play in the McDonald's All-American high-school all-star game. Both players will be on the West team in the April first game in Miami. Guard Willie Warren was the leading scorer in last year's McDonald's game before joining another former McDonald's All-American, Blake Griffin, on the Sooners this season.
Tags:
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and Willie Warren have once again earned Big 12 honors. Griffin was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week yesterday, while Warren earned the Rookie of the Week honor. For Griffin, it was his fifth player of the week honor this season, which ties the Big 12 record. Warren's rookie of the week accolade was his sixth of the year. Griffin averaged 29 points and 16.5 rebounds as the Sooners posted wins over Baylor and Texas Tech. Warren averaged 14.5 points and 4 assists in the same two contests.
Tags:
Blake Griffin had 18 points and 10 rebounds for his Oklahoma record-tying 21st double-double this season and the second-ranked Sooners beat Baylor 78-63 for their 12th straight victory. Griffin, who had some emphatic dunks, got plenty of help as the Sooners (24-1, 10-0 Big 12) last night won their 30th consecutive game over Baylor (15-9, 3-7), a streak that dates back to December 1977. Austin Johnson added 17 points for the Sooners, including a game-changing run of 3-pointers. Willie Warren and Juan Pattillo each had 14 points. Curtis Jerrells had 19 points to lead Baylor (15-9, 3-7), which has lost six straight games. It is the longest losing streak for the Bears since starting 0-6 in 2005-06, the freshman senior for seniors Jerrells, Henry Dugat and Kevin Rogers.
Off to its best start in school history, No. 2/2 Oklahoma (23-1, 9-0) plays at Baylor (15-8, 3-6) Wednesday at 8 p.m. CST. Winners of 11 straight, the Sooners are coming off a 77-72 home win over Colorado Saturday. Baylor, which has dropped five in a row after a 15-3 start, lost 83-76 at Texas Tech Saturday. Wednesday's game will be nationally televised by ESPN2 with Terry Gannon and Stephen Bardo announcing. It will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KRXO FM 107.7 in OKC; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Bob Barry, Sr. and Mike Houck calling the action.
| No. 2/2 Oklahoma (23-1, 9-0) at Baylor (15-8, 3-6) | |
| Date & Tip Time |
Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 8:10 p.m. CST |
| Location | Waco, Texas | Ferrell Center |
| Tickets | OU Athletics Ticket Office |
| TV |
ESPN2 |
| Radio |
Sooner Radio Network |
| Series History | OU leads 34-5 |
| Live Stats | SoonerSports.com/GameTracker |
| Game Info | Game Notes (PDF) |
| Baylor's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
4 |
Quincy Acy |
6-7 |
205 |
Fr. |
6.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 67.7 FG% |
|
F |
23 |
Kevin Rogers |
6-9 |
250 |
Sr. |
12.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 53.9 FG% |
|
G |
0 |
Curtis Jerrells |
6-1 |
205 |
Sr. |
16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.3 apg |
|
G |
5 |
Henry Dugat |
6-0 |
173 |
Sr. |
12.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg |
|
G |
45 |
Tweety Carter |
5-11 |
185 |
Jr. |
10.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.2 apg |
| Oklahoma's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
23 |
Blake Griffin |
6-10 |
251 |
So. |
22.3 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 63.3 FG% |
|
F |
32 |
Taylor Griffin |
6-7 |
238 |
Sr. |
8.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 51.0 FG% |
|
G |
5 |
Tony Crocker |
6-6 |
206 |
Jr. |
10.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 38.3 3FG% |
|
G |
13 |
Willie Warren |
6-4 |
207 |
Fr. |
15.0 ppg, 2.8 apg, 37.5 3FG% |
|
G |
20 |
Austin Johnson |
6-3 |
176 |
Sr. |
8.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.4 apg |
"NOTE"WORTHY
• Oklahoma's No. 2 AP ranking is its highest since the final poll of the 1989-90 season when it was No. 1.
• At 23-1, Oklahoma is tied with Utah State for the best record in the country. No other team entered the week with 23 wins.
• Only the 1996-97 Kansas team (34-1) has posted a better start to a season in Big 12 history.
• The Sooners' 9-0 conference start is their best since beginning 11-0 in the Big Eight in 1985. They have won 12 straight regular season league games dating back to last year.
• OU owns a 34-5 series lead against Baylor and has won the last 29 meetings. It is the only series in the history of the Big 12 Conference where one team has beaten the other in every matchup (OU is 25-0).
• The Sooners are 135-52 (.722) all-time against Big 12 teams from Texas (Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech). They are 83-26 (.761) against those programs since the formation of the Big 12 Conference (1996-97 was the first year of the league).
• Oklahoma has used the same starting lineup in all 24 games.
• During their current 11-game winning streak, the Sooners are outshooting their opponents from the field, .507 to .390. They have shot better than each of those 11 foes.
• OU is one of five teams nationally that is undefeated in conference play. The others are Gonzaga (West Coast Conference), Memphis (Conference USA), Princeton (Ivy League) and Utah State (WAC).
• Blake Griffin leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.3 ppg), rebounding (14.0 rpg) and field goal percentage (.633), while ranking fourth in blocks (1.3 bpg). The 6-10 sophomore also averages 2.5 assists per contest, more than any other league player taller than 6-foot-5. He has recorded at least two assists in 19 of 24 games and at least three in 13 outings.
• Nationally, Griffin ranks first in rebounding and double-doubles (20), second in free throw attempts (9.7 per game), fifth in field goal percentage and 12th in scoring.
• Griffin has already registered 50 more points (534) and 35 more rebounds (336) this season than he did all of last year.
• Griffin has recorded 11 20-point, 15-rebound games of this season, more than any player nationally since the 1996-97 season. Tim Duncan (Wake Forest in 1996-97) and Paul Millsap (Louisiana Tech in 2005-06) registered nine 20/15 games.
• Griffin has accounted for 28 percent of OU's points, 38 percent of its rebounds and 42 percent of its defensive boards in 16 percent of the team's minutes played.
• Brothers Blake and Taylor Griffin are shooting a combined .588 from the field this year and have teamed to pull down 19.9 rebounds a game (55 percent of the team's total).
• Junior college transfer Juan Pattillo, who came out of a redshirt season in time for the Jan. 12 Texas game but totaled just four minutes over the next three games, is averaging 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in an average of 19.2 minutes over the last five outings. He is 17-for-27 from the field (.630) and 12-for-14 at the foul line (.857) during the stretch.
| Texas Tech's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
15 |
Robert Lewandowski |
6-10 |
240 |
Fr. |
7.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 60.6 FG% |
|
F |
30 |
Michael Prince |
6-7 |
208 |
Sr. |
4.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 68.2 FG% |
|
F |
41 |
Damir Suljagic |
6-9 |
250 |
Sr. |
2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 48.7 FG% |
|
G |
20 |
Alan Voskuil |
6-3 |
181 |
Sr. |
14.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 45.0 FG% |
|
G |
21 |
John Roberson |
5-11 |
165 |
So. |
14.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.5 apg |
| Oklahoma's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
23 |
Blake Griffin |
6-10 |
251 |
So. |
22.1 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 63.2 FG% |
|
F |
32 |
Taylor Griffin |
6-7 |
238 |
Sr. |
8.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 51.0 FG% |
|
G |
5 |
Tony Crocker |
6-6 |
206 |
Jr. |
10.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 38.7 3FG% |
|
G |
13 |
Willie Warren |
6-4 |
207 |
Fr. |
14.9 ppg, 2.8 apg, 37.1 3FG% |
|
G |
20 |
Austin Johnson |
6-3 |
176 |
Sr. |
8.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.4 apg |
FOR STARTERS
• Oklahoma's 24-1 start to the season is the best in school history. The program's previous highest number of wins against one loss was 21 in the 1985-86 season.
• Only the 1996-97 Kansas team (34-1) has posted a better start to a season in Big 12 history.
• The Sooners' 10-0 conference start is their best since beginning 11-0 in the Big Eight in 1985. They have won 13 straight regular season league games dating back to last year.
• Oklahoma's 10-0 conference start is tied for the second best in Big 12 history. Kansas went undefeated (16-0) in 2002 and started 10-0 in 2005.
• OU is one of five teams nationally that is undefeated in conference play. The others are Gonzaga (West Coast Conference), Memphis (Conference USA), Princeton (Ivy League) and Utah State (WAC).
• The 19 combined league wins of OU's men's and women's basketball teams are the most to start a conference season in Big 12 history. Baylor's men's and women's squads combined to start 12-0 last year, as did Kansas State's.
His brother, Taylor Griffin, had to hit a tiebreaking layup with 46.4 seconds left to complete the Sooners' rally from a late nine-point deficit in a 77-71 victory over Texas A&M on Wednesday night.
The Sooners (22-1, 8-0 Big 12) blew a 15-point lead and found themselves trailing 68-59 with 6:25 to play before rallying behind the defense of Juan Pattillo.
"For us to play as poorly as we did and for us to come back, it says a lot about our team," said Blake Griffin, the Sooners' preseason All-America. "But at the same time, there's no reason why it should have been that close."
The Sooners' star thought his team relaxed after building the early lead, and only reached their best 23-game start in school history because of some late heroics from a player who was riding the bench less than a month ago.
Pattillo, who only came out of his redshirt season on Jan. 12, blocked a dunk attempt by Josh Carter and a layup by Donald Sloan as Oklahoma reeled off eight straight points to cut into the deficit before Griffin's game-winner.
"It was almost as if he wasn't going to let us lose, and he did it with energy plays," Sooners coach Jeff Capel said. "That's what he does for us, and we need him that way all the time."
Capel had benched Pattillo again for the first part of the second half, only inserting him after Oklahoma had dug itself a nine-point deficit against the Aggies (17-6, 3-5), who had been 16-0 when leading with 5 minutes left.
"He made two big-time blocks. Just big-time blocks," Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon said.
Blake Griffin had 16 points and 14 rebounds for his 19th double-double and Taylor Griffin finished with 13 points. Willie Warren added 12 points and Austin Johnson scored 11 for Oklahoma, which exceeded the previous best start of 21-2 by the 1985-86 team. The Sooners' 1927-28 team finished 18-0.
Carter led the Aggies with 15 points, while Chinemelu Elonu added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Bryan Davis had 13 points. Texas A&M was bidding for its third straight win after a 1-4 start in conference play.
"I love where our team's going right now. I love our effort," Turgeon said. "We'll make a run here late in the season. We're getting better every game, so I was proud of our group."
The Sooners moved up this week to their highest ranking since heading into the 1990 NCAA tournament at No. 1. They got quite a scare from an Aggies team that went 16 minutes without scoring in its last visit to Norman.
Carter and Nathan Walkup combined to score all of Texas A&M's points during a 13-0 run that came largely while Blake Griffin was on the bench and seemed to be struggling to catch his breath. Carter bracketed three 3-pointers around a two-handed, fastbreak dunk by Walkup before Griffin returned and missed two free throws.
Walkup then added a putback off Carter's missed 3-pointer giving the Aggies their nine-point lead.
Blake Griffin hit two free throws to start Oklahoma's comeback, and Elonu fouled out with 5:36 left, clutching both hands to his face after he was whistled for jumping underneath Pattillo on a rebound. The Aggies didn't have another field goal the rest of the way.
"Man, we missed him," Turgeon said. "We didn't score another bucket after he went out of the game."
Pattillo, who finished with four blocks, then came through on the defensive end and also curled around the right side of the lane for a layup that brought Oklahoma within 68-67. Warren tied it at 69 with two free throws with 1:52 remaining, and Carter and Sloan both missed chances to put the Aggies back ahead before Taylor Griffin's tiebreaking basket.
"Their defense picked up, but we still had our opportunities," Carter said.
The Aggies are 0-11 against teams in the top two, including 0-8 against opponents ranked No. 2.
Blake Griffin played part of the game with a sleeve on his right arm, but he took it off as Texas A&M completed its comeback from a 15-point first-half deficit in the opening minutes of the second half.
"There's no excuse for how I played," he said. "We just got outhustled."
Texas A&M took charge on the glass to claw its way back into the game. Davis had a tip-in and a two-handed putback jam in an 11-3 spurt that helped the Aggies cut a 27-12 deficit to eight by halftime. Texas A&M tied it at 42 on Carter's 3-pointer from the right wing that followed two offensive rebounds.
Turgeon complimented Capel for making the tough decision to burn Pattillo's redshirt halfway through the season.
"They put all hands on deck. If they're going to make a run at the Big 12 championship and the NCAA tournament, they're going to need their best players on the court," Turgeon said. "Juan Pattillo's one of their better players, especially defensively, and he made some big plays late."
TICKET INFORMATION
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, less than 200 tickets remain for Wednesday's game. Tickets are available for $10 and $25 at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and here. Lloyd Noble Center ticket windows will open Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
PROMOTIONS
• Wednesday marks Mascot Night at Lloyd Noble Center. The first 1,000 kids (eighth grade or below) through the doors will receive a free mascot growth chart.
• The OU baseball team will also sign autographs on the upper southwest concourse from 7 to 8 p.m.
Warren scored 29 points and Oklahoma closed the game on a 13-2 run to beat Iowa State 78-68 for its ninth straight win.
Griffin was his usual self, scoring 23 points and grabbing 15 rebounds to extend his streak of games with at least 20 points and 15 boards to four. But if it wasn't for Warren, the Sooners (21-1, 7-0 Big 12) probably would have suffered their first conference loss.
Warren was 5-of-10 from 3-point range and finished one point shy of his third 30-point game of the season.
"He's done a great job all year. He really takes a lot of pressure off us inside, and every big game we've needed him to step up for us and he has," Griffin said of Warren.
The Sooners led by as many as 11 points in the first half. But Iowa State -- fresh off a loss to last-place Colorado -- rallied to make quite a game of it.
Oklahoma fell behind 66-65 late in the second half, as Iowa State's Jamie Vanderbeken and Lucca Staiger buried consecutive 3s. That's when Warren and Griffin stepped up to stave off the upset-minded Cyclones.
Griffin threw down a dunk to give the Sooners the lead, and Warren followed with a basket to put Oklahoma up 69-66. Griffin then stuffed Iowa State's Justin Hamilton near the basket, leading to a critical 3 by Austin Johnson that gave the Sooners a 72-66 lead with 1:48 left.
Griffin dashed Iowa State's hopes for an upset by hitting a long turnaround jumper as the shot clock expired to make it 74-68.
Though the Sooners let Iowa State (12-9, 1-5) shoot nearly 46 percent from the field, their defense held the Cyclones to just one field goal over the final five minutes.
"I thought we made some huge plays down the stretch," Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. "I'm really proud of our guys for showing some character and toughness down the stretch and making some plays."
Craig Brackins had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Diante Garrett had 17 points and 10 assists for Iowa State, which has lost 12 straight to ranked opponents dating to 2006.
Iowa State took a 36-33 lead, its first since early in the game, on a 3-pointer by Staiger to open the second half. Warren gave the lead back to Oklahoma on a nifty layup that made it 49-47, and Griffin pushed it to 55-51 with an inside basket.
The Cyclones wouldn't go away though, as Garrett's layup put Iowa State up 58-57. The Sooners then went up 65-60, as Warren hit a 3 and two free throws before finding Griffin for a layup, but the 3s by Vanderbeken and Staiger gave the Cyclones their final lead.
The thought of coming so close to knocking off the Sooners only to lose its fourth straight game stung Iowa State. But the Cyclones took solace in the fact that they put a major scare into one of the nation's best teams.
"I'm proud of my team's effort, and for most part, their execution," Iowa State coach Greg McDermott said. "That was a very talented basketball team and we played toe-to-toe with them after getting punched in the mouth early in the game."
Griffin, one of the favorites to be Big 12 player of the year, showed off the athleticism that has had NBA scouts drooling with a jaw-dropping alley-oop early in the first half. Griffin sprinted the length of the court after an Iowa State miss, leaped from just outside the paint and slammed home a perfect feed from Warren.
That dunk was part of a 21-7 run that put the Sooners ahead by as many as 11 points midway through the first half.
Iowa State closed the half on a 13-4 run to make it 33-33. But the highlight of that stretch came from the 6-foot-4 Warren, who had a spectacular dunk over the 6-foot-10 Hamilton.
Warren had 13 points in the first half, helping the Sooners overcome a sluggish start by Griffin -- at least by his high standards. The Cyclones held Griffin to seven points in the opening half.
"We knew they were a tough team. We made a lot of mistakes early and late. You got to give them credit, they played really well," Griffin said. "We just felt like we did a good job toward the end buckling down and getting it done."
Both coaching staffs wore sneakers and Iowa State wore special pink-and-white warmup shirts as part of the NABC/American Cancer Society Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Weekend.
McDermott's wife Theresa is a cancer survivor.
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18 wins. Griffin broke a Big 12 record with his eighth game with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds last night, surpassing the previous mark set by Kevin Durant of Texas and Michael Beasley of Kansas State. The Sooners (18-1, 4-0 Big 12) needed every bit of his production to get past a disciplined Nebraska (12-5, 2-2) team that kept it close by getting Oklahoma to settle for 3-pointers much of the night. Austin Johnson hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 6:36 remaining to put Oklahoma up for good. He finished with 15 points. Ryan Anderson scored 19 to lead the Cornhuskers, but all but two came in the first half.
Tied for the most wins in the country, No. 6/5 Oklahoma (17-1, 3-0) plays host to Nebraska (12-4, 2-1) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CST. The Sooners, who are off to their best start since 1985-86, have won five straight outings and are coming off a 69-63 win at Texas A&M on Saturday. Nebraska, which is 1-3 in road games, defeated Kansas State 73-51 at home over the weekend. Wednesday's game will be nationally televised by ESPNU with Mike Gleason and Fran Fraschilla announcing. It will air on the Sooner Radio Network (flagship KRXO FM 107.7 in OKC; KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa) with Bob Barry, Sr. and Mike Houck calling the action.
| No. 6/5 Oklahoma (17-1, 3-0) vs. Nebraska (12-4, 2-1) | |
| Date & Tip Time |
Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 8:05 p.m. CST |
| Location | Norman, Okla. | Lloyd Noble Center |
| Tickets | OU Athletics Ticket Office |
| TV |
ESPNU |
| Radio |
Sooner Radio Network |
| Series History | OU leads 103-81 |
| Live Stats | SoonerSports.com/GameTracker |
| Game Info | Game Notes (PDF) |
| Nebraska's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
32 |
Chris Balham |
6-8 |
240 |
Jr. |
2.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 56.0 FG% |
|
G |
4 |
Steve Harley |
5-11 |
200 |
Sr. |
12.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 apg |
|
G |
5 |
Sek Henry |
6-3 |
235 |
Jr. |
9.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 40.5 3FG% |
|
G |
11 |
Ade Dagunduro |
6-5 |
190 |
Sr. |
10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 apg |
|
G |
24 |
Cookie Miller |
5-7 |
205 |
So. |
6.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.0 apg |
| Oklahoma's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
23 |
Blake Griffin |
6-10 |
251 |
So. |
22.0 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 63.2 FG% |
|
F |
32 |
Taylor Griffin |
6-7 |
238 |
Sr. |
9.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 49.5 FG% |
|
G |
5 |
Tony Crocker |
6-6 |
206 |
Jr. |
10.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 34.8 3FG% |
|
G |
13 |
Willie Warren |
6-4 |
207 |
Fr. |
15.5 ppg, 2.9 apg, 49.7 FG% |
|
G |
20 |
Austin Johnson |
6-3 |
176 |
Sr. |
7.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.4 apg |
"NOTE"WORTHY
• At 17-1, Oklahoma is off to its best start in 23 years (the 1985-86 team won its first 17 games). The only team in OU history that won its first 18 games was the 1927-28 squad.
• The Sooners never trailed in their last two games against Texas and Texas A&M. Their last deficit was in the first half of the league opener at Kansas State on Jan. 10 (trailed 26-23 with 1:21 remaining).
• OU owns a 103-81 series lead against Nebraska and is 9-5 against the Huskers since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. Nebraska has won three of the last four meetings, however.
• Senior guard Austin Johnson averaged 17.0 points, 5.5 assists and 1.5 blocked shots against Texas and Texas A&M to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors Monday. He was a combined 12-for-21 (.571) from the field and went 4-for-7 (.571) from 3-point range and 6-for-7 (.857) at the foul line. Entering the week, Johnson averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 assists.
• OU is 19-1 since the start of the 2007-08 season when Johnson scores in double figures.
• The Sooners have held their first three Big 12 opponents to a combined .358 field goal percentage. Kansas State shot a season-low .327 against OU, Texas shot a season-low .338 and Texas A&M shot .420.
• Oklahoma leads the league (all games and Big 12 games only) in field goal percentage defense (.377 and .358).
• OU has held eight of its last 11 foes to a field goal figure under .360 and four to a mark under .333.
• Blake Griffin leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.0 ppg) and rebounding (13.4 rpg), while ranking second in field goal percentage (.632), fourth in blocks (1.4 bpg) and 11th in steals (1.4 spg). The 6-10 sophomore also averages 2.4 assists per contest, more than any other league player taller than 6-5. He has recorded at least two assists in 14 of 18 games.
• Nationally, Griffin ranks first in rebounding and double-doubles (14), second in free throw attempts (9.7), ninth in field goal percentage and 13th in scoring.
• Griffin has already tied the Big 12 single-season record for number of 20-point, 15-rebound games (seven). With 13 games remaining on the regular season schedule, he shares the record with Texas' Kevin Durant (2006-07) and Kansas State's Michael Beasley (2007-08). Griffin also has an 18-point, 21-rebound game and a 21-point, 13-rebound outing.
• Over the last eight games, the Sooners are shooting .397 from 3-point range and averaging 7.5 treys. Over the first 10 games this season, they shot .311 from behind the arc and averaged 6.4 3-pointers.
• Tony Crocker and Willie Warren have combined for 39 treys over the last eight games. Warren is 19-for-39 (.487) in those outings while Crocker is 20-for-48 (.417). Prior to the six-game stretch, each owned a .273 season 3-point figure (12-for-44).
• Despite a modest .673 team free throw percentage (they rank ninth in the Big 12), the Sooners have made five more foul shots than their opponents have attempted. OU has shot 170 more free throws than its foes, good for an average of 9.4 more per game. Griffin has attempted 35 percent of the team's free throws (174 of its 504).
Blake Griffin has been chosen the Big 12 Player of the Week for Jan. 5 - 11 in voting by a panel of media covering the conference. It is the fourth player honor of the season for Griffin who averaged better than 24 points and 15 rebounds per game last week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, F, So., 6-10, 251, Oklahoma City, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School
Griffin led the Sooners to two victories this week against Maryland-Eastern Shore (100-64) and at Kansas State (61-53). The sophomore forward averaged 24.5 points and 15.5 rebounds, while shooting 57.9 percent (22-of-38). He had double-doubles in both contests, with 20 points and 16 boards versus UMES and a 29-point, 15-rebound effort at K-State. Griffin has 13 double-doubles this year, more than any player in the nation. On the season, he leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.5 ppg), rebounding (14.1) and field goal percentage (.647), while ranking fourth in blocks (1.4) and eighth in steals (1.6). He also has seven outings this season with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in the same game. The four Big 12 player awards this year ties for the sixth-most in conference history and the most for an Oklahoma player.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Lucca Staiger, Iowa State, G, So., 6-5, 220, Blaustein, Germany/Urspring Academy/Decatur Christian (Ill.)
Staiger was a top performer in Iowa State's 1-1 week, as the Cyclones registered a 64-56 win over Houston Baptist and dropped a 75-67 decision at No. 7 Texas. The sophomore guard averaged 10.5 points in two games and had seven assists. Against the Longhorns, he was second on the team with 15 points, shooting 6-of-14 from the floor with a career-high five assists. Staiger was 5-of-16 from 3-point range in two contests. He extended his streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 10, including six in a row with multiple field goals from beyond the arc. He leads Iowa State in 3-point shooting, connecting at 42.4 percent this season.
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TICKET INFORMATION
Reserved seats are available for $30 (upper north and south) and $45 (upper east and west) at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and online here. Lloyd Noble Center ticket windows will open at 5 p.m. on Monday.
| Texas' Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
5 |
Damion James |
6-7 |
222 |
Jr. |
14.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 50.9 FG% |
|
F |
32 |
Connor Atchley |
6-10 |
228 |
Sr. |
6.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 37.8 3FG% |
|
C |
34 |
Dexter Pittman |
6-10 |
298 |
Jr. |
9.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 62.5 FG% |
|
G |
3 |
A.J. Abrams |
5-11 |
161 |
Sr. |
17.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 41.3 3FG% |
|
G |
24 |
Justin Mason |
6-2 |
194 |
Jr. |
7.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.3 apg |
| Oklahoma's Projected Starters | ||||||
|
Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Year |
2008-09 Stats |
|
F |
23 |
Blake Griffin |
6-10 |
251 |
So. |
22.5 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 64.7 FG% |
|
F |
32 |
Taylor Griffin |
6-7 |
238 |
Sr. |
9.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 50.5 FG% |
|
G |
5 |
Tony Crocker |
6-6 |
206 |
Jr. |
10.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 33.7 3FG% |
|
G |
13 |
Willie Warren |
6-4 |
207 |
Fr. |
15.8 ppg, 2.9 apg, 50.6 FG% |
|
G |
20 |
Austin Johnson |
6-3 |
176 |
Sr. |
6.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.3 apg |
"NOTE"WORTHY
• At 15-1, Oklahoma is off to its best start in 23 years (the 1985-86 team won its first 17 games).
• OU has lost six straight games to Texas, all by double figures. Its last win against the Longhorns came in 2006 when the 24th-ranked Sooners handed the fourth-ranked Longhorns an 82-72 defeat in Norman. Despite the six-game skid, Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 45-27, and has won 27 of the last 42 (16-14 since the inception of the Big 12).
• Blake Griffin averaged 18.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in three games against Texas last year as a freshman.
• The Sooners have held their last nine opponents to a combined .354 field goal mark. They have held seven of those foes to a figure under .360 and four to a mark under .333. OU paces the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.377).
• Griffin leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.5 ppg), rebounding (14.1 rpg) and field goal percentage (.647) while ranking fourth in blocked shots (1.4 bpg) and eighth in steals (1.6 spg). The 6-10 sophomore also averages 2.5 assists per contest, more than any other league player taller than 6-5. He has recorded at least two assists in 13 of 16 games.
• Nationally, Griffin ranks first in rebounding, double-doubles (13) and free throw attempts (10.1), and 14th in scoring.
• Over the last six games, the Sooners are shooting .388 from 3-point range and averaging 8.3 treys. Over the first 10 games this season, they shot .311 from behind the arc and averaged 6.4 3-pointers.
• Tony Crocker and Willie Warren have combined for 35 treys over the last six games. Warren is 18-for-33 (.545) in those outings while Crocker is 17-for-42 (.405). Prior to the five-game stretch, each owned a .273 season 3-point figure (12-for-44).
• Warren has scored 105 points over the last five games (31, 35, 14, 15 and 10), the most over a five-game span by an OU true freshman since Tim McCalister 25 years ago (1983-84).
• Despite a modest .665 team free throw percentage (they rank ninth in the Big 12), the Sooners have made seven more foul shots than their opponents have attempted. OU has shot 160 more free throws than its opponents, good for an average of 10.4 more per game. Griffin has attempted 35 percent of the team's free throws (161 of its 457).
| ||||||
SATURDAY'S KANSAS STATE RECAP
• Blake Griffin posted his nation-leading 13th double-double to lead the Sooners to a 61-53 road victory over Kansas State on Saturday. Griffin made 13 field goals (one shy of his career high) and finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and three assists.
• The win snapped a nine-game losing streak against Big 12 North opponents on the road.
• The Sooners held the Wildcats to 28.5 points below their season average and to 10 points below their previous season low (63 versus Iowa). K-State's 53 points tied as the second fewest surrendered by OU in a regular season conference game during the Jeff Capel era. Oklahoma also held Kansas State to a season-low .327 field goal mark (its previous low was .364 versus Kentucky). The Wildcats shot just .257 (9-for-35) in the second half.
• Trailing 26-19, the Sooners went on a 10-0 run over the final 2:57 of the first half. Kansas State was scoreless the last five minutes of the stanza.
• Freshman Willie Warren was 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range to finish with 10 points. It was the fifth straight double-digit scoring game (13th of the year) for the four-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week.
• Junior Tony Crocker (seven points) was held to single figures in scoring for just the second time in the last nine games. His career-high-tying four steals, however, were a factor defensively as Kansas State committed a season-high-tying 20 turnovers (it entered the game averaging 13.4 turnovers).
• The Sooners outscored the Wildcats 42-14 in the paint. Thirty-seven of those OU points came from Blake and Taylor Griffin.
• The win was OU's fourth in its last five trips to Manhattan.
WHO'S HOT
• A strong candidate for national-player-of-the-year honors, sophomore forward Blake Griffin has scored at least 20 points in 11 of 16 games this season, at least 25 on six occasions and at least 30 points twice. The 6-10, 251-pounder has registered 13 double-doubles (last year he had 10) and has led OU in rebounding 14 times. Griffin now leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.5 ppg), rebounding (14.1 rpg) and field goal percentage (.647). Big 12 players who rank second in the respective categories are Iowa State's Craig Brackins (18.4 ppg) and Kansas' Cole Aldrich (9.9 rpg and .619). Griffin also ranks fourth in the Big 12 with his 1.4 blocked shots per game (12 of his 23 rejections have come in the last five outings) and eighth with his 1.6 steals per contest.
• Freshman guard Willie Warren, who has scored in double figures in 13 of 16 outings, is averaging 17.7 points and 3.6 assists over the last nine games while shooting .564 from the field and .500 (22-for-44) from 3-point territory. His .506 season field goal percentage is tops among the team's guards and ninth among all Big 12 players.
• Over the last five games, Warren is averaging 21.0 points and 3.8 assists while shooting .579 from the field and .533 (16-for-30) from 3-point range.
• After scoring in double figures once in OU's first seven games, sophomore guard Tony Crocker has done it in seven of the last nine. He is averaging 13.4 points over the nine outings and is shooting .389 from 3-point range (21-for-54). By comparison, Crocker averaged 6.6 points and shot .250 from 3-point territory over OU's first seven games this year.
• Even though his scoring average has dropped over the last six games (7.3 ppg during the stretch), senior forward Taylor Griffin has seen his rebounding numbers increase during the span (7.3 rpg).
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OU Fast Fact |
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Oklahoma ranks fourth in the country with its 28.6 free throw attempts per game (Xavier leads with 30.1 per contest). |
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
• Oklahoma has used the same starting lineup in all 16 games (guards Austin Johnson, Willie Warren and Tony Crocker, and forwards Taylor Griffin and Blake Griffin).
• Despite its solid .388 3-point field goal mark over the last six games, Oklahoma ranks only 10th in the Big 12 in season percentage (.340).
• Oklahoma has made at least one 3-pointer in 400 consecutive games (last one without a trey was at Memphis on Dec. 23, 1996).
• Freshman guard Willie Warren is shooting .506 from the field on the season. The last OU guard to shoot at least .500 from the field for an entire campaign was Nolan Johnson (.559) in 1999-00.
• Brothers Blake and Taylor Griffin are shooting a combined .601 from the field this year and have teamed to pull down 20.8 rebounds a game (56 percent of the team's boards on the year).
• Blake Griffin has accounted for 28 percent of OU's points, 38 percent of its rebounds and 42 percent of its defensive boards in 16 percent of the team's minutes played.
• Blake Griffin has registered at least three assists in 19 of 49 career games (eight times this year). He has recorded at least two assists 32 times in his career (13 times this season).
• Registering 54 blocked shots over his sophomore and junior seasons combined (the most ever during a two-year period by a Sooner standing under 6-foot-8), Taylor Griffin has 17 blocks already this year.
• Forty-one percent of Taylor Griffin's rebounds this year (44 of his 108) have come on the offensive end of the floor.
• Cade Davis made all 23 of his free throw attempts last year as a freshman and canned his first three attempts this year before finally missing against Davidson on Nov. 18. He is now 34-for-38 (.895) in his career but has not attempted a free throw over the last eight outings.
• OU will play 21 of its 31 regular season games against teams that made the 2008 postseason (15 against NCAA Tournament teams, four against NIT squads and two against College Basketball Invitational teams). As of Sunday, the Sooners are ranked No. 9 nationally by CollegeRPI.com.
NOTING OU'S 30-POINT PERFORMANCES
• Sophomore Blake Griffin and freshman Willie Warren have each posted back-to-back 30-point performances this season. Griffin netted a career-high 35 points against Gardner-Webb Nov. 22 before scoring 32 four days later against UAB. Warren went for 31 at Rice on Dec. 22 before pouring in a career-high 35 on Tuesday at Arkansas. No other team in the country has had a player combo accomplish the feat this season.
• The last time two Sooners each had back-to-back games of at least 30 points in the same season was in 1993-94 when senior forward Jeff Webster and junior guard/forward Calvin Curry did it.
• The last OU player to register two 30-point games his true freshman season was Tim McCalister in 1983-84. The last OU true frosh to register at least three 30-point games was Wayman Tisdale in 1982-83 (he had a freshman-record nine).
PREVIEWING TEXAS
• Texas comes to Norman with a 12-3 record and a 1-0 Big 12 mark after notching a 75-67 home win over Iowa State on Saturday. It is 1-1 in road games, beating Wisconsin 74-69 on Dec. 23 and losing at Arkansas 67-61 last Tuesday. The other two losses came to Notre Dame (81-80 in Hawaii on Nov. 25) and Michigan State (67-63 in Houston on Dec. 20).
• The Longhorns are outscoring opponents by 12.0 a game and outrebounding them by 5.3 per contest. They are shooting .443 from the field (rank 11th in Big 12), .332 from 3-point range (12th) and .638 from the free throw line (11th). Opponents are shooting .387 from the field and .307 from 3-point range against them.
• Senior guard A.J. Abrams leads three Longhorns who average double figures in scoring. Abrams scores 17.5 points a contest to rank sixth in the Big 12 and averages 3.0 treys to rank third in the league. He's shooting .413 from deep and .843 at the foul line. He's scored in single digits in each of the last three games (averaging 8.0) and has shot .250 from long range (5-for-20).
• Junior forward Damion James is averaging 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting .509 from the field.
• Sophomore forward Gary Johnson has come off the bench in all 15 contests to average 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds. Johnson, who recorded 17 points, nine boards and three blocks against Iowa State, shoots .485 from the field and averages 1.2 blocks.
• Junior center Dexter Pittman averages 9.3 points and 4.9 boards in only 13.9 minutes a game. He shoots .625 from the field and .780 from the free throw line.
• Junior guard Justin Mason, who was a high school teammate of OU's Austin Johnson, contributes 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 5.3 assists per game (ranks fourth in Big 12).
• Rick Barnes is in his 11th year as Texas' head coach and owns a 259-96 (.730) record there. The 1977 Lenoir-Rhyne graduate is in his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach and owns a 461-230 (.667) career mark.
SERIES WITH TEXAS
• Oklahoma owns a 45-27 all-time record against Texas and is 21-9 versus the Longhorns in Norman.
• The Sooners have won 27 of the last 42 overall meetings, but Texas has won the last six (all by double digits).
• Oklahoma won eight straight games over Texas from 2000 to 2002 before the Longhorns won the next five meetings in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
• OU is 16-14 against UT since the inception of the Big 12 Conference (that includes a 4-2 record in the league tournament).
LAST YEAR AGAINST THE LONGHORNS
• The Sooners went 0-3 against Texas last year, losing 64-54 in Norman, 62-45 in Austin and 77-49 in Kansas City in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.
• Blake Griffin averaged 18.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in three games against the Longhorns. He recorded double-doubles in Austin (16 points, 16 rebounds) and Kansas City (20, 13), while finishing with 19 points and nine boards in Norman.
• Griffin (.526) was the only Sooner to shoot better than .400 from the field over the three games. OU shot a combined .310 from the floor and .238 from 3-point range (15-for-63). Texas shot .416 and .328 (21-for-64).
• Texas guards D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams averaged 18.3 and 17.0 points, respectively, over the three meetings. Abrams drained 11 treys, seven of them in the Big 12 Championship meeting.
MORE BLAKE
• Blake Griffin scored at least 18 points in each of the season's first nine games, marking OU's longest such streak since guard Corey Brewer netted at least 18 in 15 consecutive outings during the 1997-98 season. Griffin's lone games under 18 points this year were an 11-point performance against Utah when he played a season-low 23 minutes (attempted only three field goals) and a 14-point effort against Coppin State on Jan. 3. He registered double-doubles in both contests.
• Lost in Griffin's gaudy scoring and rebounding statistics are some pretty impressive assist numbers. The forward ranks third on the team with 2.5 assists per game this season and has registered at least one handout in all 16 outings. Last season, Griffin became the first Sooner standing 6-foot-10 or taller to ever dish at least three assists in a game 11 times. He has recorded at least three assists eight times already this year.
• Griffin (14.1 rpg) is on pace to shatter the school record for rebounding average in a season. The standard of 13.3 boards per game was set by Alvan Adams in 1974-75. Griffin is also averaging 10.1 free throw attempts a game (ranks first nationally), a figure that would break Stacey King's 1988-89 school record of 8.9 foul shots per outing.
• Griffin has three games of at least 20 rebounds this season. Only one other player in the country (Gardner-Webb's Joshua Henley) has more than one (he has two).
• Griffin has 45 dunks on the season, good for an average of 2.8 per game.
• Griffin owns the best vertical leap (no step) on the team at 37.5 inches, as well as the best max leap (no limit on steps) by reaching 27 inches above the rim. He also owns an 84.5-inch wingspan (seven feet and one-half inch).
UNDERRATED AUSTIN
A Sooner who tends to get lost among OU's higher-profile players is senior point guard Austin Johnson. The 6-3, 176-pounder ranks just fifth on the team with his 6.6 points per outing but ranks among the Big 12's leaders in several other categories. Johnson leads the league (ranks in the top 10 nationally) in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.3-to-1) and ranks seventh in assists (4.3) and and eighth in steals (1.6). He also ranks just outside the top 10 in blocked shots (has 15 in 16 games).
DEFENSE, DEFENSE
• Oklahoma has held its last nine opponents to a combined .357 field goal mark. Seven teams in those nine teams shot below .360.
• OU leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.377) and ranks third in steals per game (8.9) and fourth in blocks per contest (4.5).
DOMINATING THE LONE STAR STATE
Oklahoma has had more than its fair share of success against Big 12 Conference teams from Texas. The Sooners own a 131-52 combined all-time record against Baylor (33-5), Texas (45-27), Texas A&M (26-4) and Texas Tech (27-16). Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, OU is 24-0 against Baylor, 16-14 versus Texas, 21-4 against Texas A&M and 18-8 versus Texas Tech.
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It worked perfectly. Blake Griffin wasn't bad, either.
Griffin had 29 points and 15 rebounds in a rare game against single coverage, and Capel's defensive switch sparked a key run in the first half to give No. 6 Oklahoma a 61-53 win over Kansas State on Saturday in both teams' Big 12 opener.
Capel's switch came with about five minutes left in the first half. The Sooners were struggling to get shots off against Kansas State's swarming defense, so Capel decided to try a 1-3-1 zone to create some easy baskets in transition.
Oklahoma (15-1) hadn't started practicing the defense until Wednesday, but it worked flawlessly. The Sooners forced seven straight turnovers during a 10-0 run to close the first half and used it again after the break to pull away.
Oklahoma earned its first road win against a Big 12 North opponent since beating Kansas State 69-68 on Feb. 19, 2005.
"Going into conference play, we need to be able to have different looks-- we want to be a better basketball team," said Capel, back on the bench after missing Monday's game against Maryland-Eastern Shore with a stomach virus. "We thought this is something we could do because it's something we have done in the past. We thought it could help us out and it certainly did today."
Oklahoma was 9-7 and won just three road games in the Big 12 last season. The expectations are a bit higher now, particularly after the Sooners' best nonconference record since 1987-88, when they went 15-1 on the way to the national championship game.
It doesn't get any easier from here. After a day off, Oklahoma faces No. 7 Texas in its Big 12 home opener Monday.
"We wanted to start conference games with a win," Griffin said. "Obviously, it kind of gets us off in the right direction."
Kansas State (11-4) had an easy run through a relatively weak nonconference schedule, beating up on teams like Emporia State, Gardner-Webb and Idaho State. Oklahoma represented Kansas State's first real test, a chance to see where the team really stands with All-American Michael Beasley now playing in the NBA.
The Wildcats were ready for it early, not giving ground to the physical Sooners, overcoming sloppy mistakes to keep it close. Kansas State just didn't have an answer for Oklahoma's 1-3-1 zone and struggled with its shooting to see its 11-game home winning streak end.
The Wildcats shot 32 percent and were 3-for-14 from 3-point range in the second half--including five straight misses on one possession--after going 5-for-11 in the first. Denis Clemente led Kansas State with 18 points and Fred Brown added 12.
"We had good looks. They just kept rolling off the rim," said Kansas State's Jacob Pullen, who had eight points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Kansas State also had a tough time stopping Griffin.
The Wildcats opened with Luis Colon on the preseason All-American and rotated three others on him in the first five minutes. None of them could stop Griffin, who had 15 points and nine rebounds by halftime.
Kansas State did a much better job on everyone else.
Griffin and older brother Taylor combined for Oklahoma's first 19 points, but the rest of the Sooners missed 13 straight shots before Willie Warren hit a 3-pointer with just over a minute left in the half. The Griffin brothers shot a combined 9-of-15 and the rest of the team was 2-for-15, allowing Kansas State to take a 26-19 lead late in the half.
"I told them that we have to do everything we can to make it hard on him (Griffin) defensively, yet not let the other guys get into a rhythm," Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. "And I thought we did a pretty good job of that."
Turnovers hurt the Wildcats.
Kansas State had eight in the first eight minutes, most on ill-advised passes that went straight to the Sooners or sailed into the crowd. It got worse after Oklahoma switched to the 1-3-1 zone late in the first half, when the Wildcats were barely able to get the ball past midcourt against the long-armed, athletic Sooners.
"They hadn't seen us do it this year so they probably weren't prepared for it," Capel said. "And we were active in it. We had active hands, active bodies. K-State looked a little confused."
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The Sooners reached the century mark for the first time this season, easily beating Maryland Eastern Shore 100-64 on Monday night while Capel was being treated in a hospital for a stomach virus.
Assistant Mark Cline took over the coaching duties for the first time.
Cline visited Capel earlier Monday and said he expected him to be released from the hospital by Wednesday and back on the bench for Saturday's Big 12 opener at Kansas State.
"This isn't the way I wanted to get my first one," Cline said. "Jeff is my best friend. I've known him for 20 years, since he was in the fifth grade. I want him to get back out on the court."
Oklahoma (14-1) broke away with an 11-0 run midway through the first half and went on to lead 48-22 at halftime.
Blake Griffin led Oklahoma with 20 points and 16 rebounds and Tony Crocker and Willie Warren both added 15 points for the Sooners, who are off to their best start since opening 15-1 in 1988-89.
Neal Pitt had 18 points for the Hawks (1-9), while reserve Chris Conner scored 12.
The starters all left the game just 5 minutes into the second half, but Oklahoma's reserves extended the lead to 84-38 with 8 minutes left.
Griffin needed just 22 minutes to record his 12th double-double of the season. He blocked four shots as the Sooners finished with a season-high 11. Reserve center Orlando Allen rejected five shots in his 14 minutes and scored a career-high 10 points as Oklahoma finished with a 52-43 rebound advantage.
Taylor Griffin said Oklahoma is ready to start league play.
"You love the big games like Purdue and Davidson in nonconference, but conference is what you look forward to every season," Griffin said. "You know the guys, you know the teams, you know the gyms, you have the rivalries."
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Freshman Willie Warren scored a career-high 31 points, Blake Griffin added 27 points and 11 rebounds and No. 4 Oklahoma overcame turnovers and bad shooting to beat Rice 70-58 on Monday night.
Warren went 4-for-9 from 3-point range and Griffin notched his ninth double-double of the season for the Sooners (12-0), who matched the program's best start since 1989-90.
But this win wasn't pretty -- the Sooners went 5-for-20 from 3-point range, shot 50 percent from the free throw line (17-of-34) and matched a season high with 17 turnovers.
They have had a few offensive games like this already, and pulled out all of them by clamping down at the other end.
"That's been what our identity is and what we've hung our hat on," coach Jeff Capel said. "We've been in close games, we've been in games when we've been down. So we had a reference point of not to panic. We've done this before."
Griffin reached 20 points for the eighth time this season, but led his team with six turnovers.
"Lack of concentration," Griffin said about the team's miscues. "Our focus was elsewhere. I felt like everybody, myself included, were kind of looking forward to the [Christmas] break. We can't have that. Fortunately, we pulled it together."
Cory Pflieger had 17 points and Lawrence Ghoram added 16 for the Owls (4-7), who have lost their last 17 games against ranked opponents.
The Sooners broke a 46-all tie with a 14-2 run, finally taking control after the Owls defended well and held their own on the boards for 32 minutes.
Both teams also dealt with a faulty clock at Autry Court that repeatedly stopped with the ball in play. The frequent whistles frustrated the Sooners and slowed the tempo to Rice's advantage.
"This is ridiculous," Capel groused after one of the malfunctions early in the second half.
Capel told his players before the game to only worry about themselves and he reiterated the message during the many delays.
"I didn't know at the beginning of the game, that there were going to be clock problems like that," Capel said. "But I thought our guys did a good job. It was frustrating -- a couple of times it happened, we were on a break and it stopped us. It just kind of slows whatever momentum, for both teams. It was something that was very frustrating."
Warren drove for a layup and Griffin scored inside to start the decisive spurt. Rice's Bryan Beasley intercepted a pass, but Austin Johnson blocked his breakaway layup attempt, sending Rice coach Ben Braun into a tirade.
"I was so upset when that happened," Braun said, "I don't think I saw what happened after that."
Warren hit two free throws with 6:20 remaining and Griffin converted a three-point play a minute later to stretch the lead to eight. The Owls went 4 minutes without a field goal, finally wearing down against the bigger, more physical Sooners.
"I actually thought we played pretty well defensively throughout," Capel said. "The way we responded down the stretch, I'm really proud of that."
Warren hit a 3-pointer and Griffin dunked an alley-oop pass from Johnson as the Sooners jumped to a 9-2 lead.
Pflieger hit a 3-pointer and scored nine of Rice's first 11 points -- the rest of the Owls missed 10 of their first 12 shots. But the Sooners led only 16-13 midway through the first half because of nine turnovers.
The Sooners led only 29-28 at halftime despite holding the Owls to 37 percent shooting from the field (10-for-27). Rice scored 14 points off 11 Oklahoma turnovers in the half.
The Owls double-teamed Griffin every time he touched it. The 6-foot-10 sophomore showed off his skills in one sequence early in the second half, grabbing a defensive rebound and dribbling the length of the court for a layup. He also coughed up two turnovers in the first 3 minutes after the break, helping Rice stay close.
Griffin flipped in a turnaround with 15:05 left to put the Sooners up 36-32, but Connor Frizzelle banked in a 3-pointer on Rice's next trip. A few minutes later, Pflieger swished his third 3-pointer to give Rice a 40-38 lead.
The Sooners retook the lead, but poor shooting and more turnovers kept them from pulling away.
Griffin suffered a cut under his right eye going for a rebound and left the game briefly. He returned with 8:11 left and the score tied at 44. Ryan Wright dunked for Oklahoma before Griffin was called for goaltending on a shot by Ghoram with 7:44 left, tying the game again.
Griffin took six stitches for the cut after the game, but said he's already getting used to teams abusing him.
"I guess you could say they were a little more physical," Griffin said, "but not in an overpowering way. Just kind of slapping in, reaching in, grabbing, stuff like that."
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"We win," he said.
But Griffin, handicapped by foul trouble for much of the first half, still found a way to lift No. 5 Oklahoma to a 70-52 victory over the Utes, going 11-of-14 at the free-throw line, grabbing 11 rebounds and routinely passing to open teammates.
Griffin--who entered the game shooting 58.9 percent from the line-- finished with a season-low 11 points in 23 minutes, but Oklahoma (10-0) matched its best start since 2003-04. The Sooners have won 68 of their last 70 home nonconference games.
"He had a tough go because of foul trouble," Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said of Griffin. "... But our guys stepped up. Certainly we don't want to play without Blake in the game for us for extended minutes, but we showed today that we beat a good team and we were able to find a way. We feel like we have some other good players and I think they're starting maybe to find their groove a little bit."
Routinely double- and triple-teamed, Griffin managed only three shots, missing them all. It was only the second time during Griffin's two seasons with the Sooners that he had been held without a basket, and the first carries an asterisk: He injured his knee 5 minutes into a loss at Kansas last season.
"It was hard because it felt like I was getting fouled every time I got the ball," said Griffin, who had scored at least 18 points in each of the Sooners' nine games. "But it helped that everyone else was playing good. ... It's easy to forget how you are doing personally when all your teammates are there to pick you up."
All five starters scored in double figures for Oklahoma. Austin Johnson had 14 points, Willie Warren 12 and Taylor Griffin and Tony Crocker 11 each. The Sooners went 26-of-30 from the line and committed only eight turnovers, while Utah had 10--seven of those in the first 11 minutes.
"If a team beats you from the line, I think you have to live with that, and they are a good basketball team," Boylen said, adding that Griffin "plays with the most force of anybody in college basketball."
Lawrence Borha and Shaun Green led Utah (5-4) with 12 points each as the Utes dropped their third straight. The Utes, who entered the game shooting 50.4 percent, hit 34 percent from the field, their lowest of mark the season.
Utah trailed 30-21 at halftime and pulled within seven three times in the second half. The Utes were within 60-52 after two free throws by Tyler Kepkay with 3:49 left, but layups by Johnson and Crocker started a game-ending 10-0 run for Oklahoma.
"I think the one thing that was pretty consistent for us was our defense," Capel said.
Blake Griffin finished with his eighth double-double of the season, but Oklahoma had to survive while he sat on the bench much of the first half.
Blake Griffin picked up two fouls in the first 4 minutes while guarding Utah's 7-foot-2 Luke Nevill. Oklahoma struggled early with its shooting, not making a basket until the 12:39 mark. But the Utes proved unable to take advantage, missing 10 of their first 11 shots. The teams were tied 4-4 7 minutes into the game.
"Our poor shooting really hurt us," Nevill said. "We were missing some easy shots. We weren't able to make any shots when it counted and they were making some difficult shots."
With Blake Griffin out, reserve Ryan Wright carried the load inside, teaming with guards Warren and Crocker to help the Sooners build a lead. Warren had two 3-pointers, Wright went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and Crocker ignited the Lloyd Noble Center crowd with a steal and breakaway dunk as part of a 12-0 run that put Oklahoma up 16-4.
"It hurt that I had to sit for so long in the first half, but other guys did a good job of coming in and keeping it going," Griffin said.
Utah pulled within 17-14 and Griffin re-entered after a 10-minute absence as Capel tried to jump-start the Sooners' offense again. The gamble worked. When Griffin again went to the bench, with 2:52 left in the half, Oklahoma's lead was back to double digits, 28-17.
With Oklahoma up 41-27 with 15:21 left, Utah's Luke Drca tripped Blake Griffin while the Sooners were on a fast break. Warren and Drca jawed, and officials slapped Warren with a technical foul. Drca was called for an intentional foul.
"I just made a mistake," Drca said. "I tripped a guy, but I didn't mean to. I just wanted to win the game."
Nevill finished with 10 points and has yet to be held under double figures this season.
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Griffin, a 6-10, 251-pound forward from Oklahoma City, led the Sooners to the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off title by averaging 25.0 points, 18.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in wins over UAB (77-67) and No. 10/9 Purdue (87-82 in overtime) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He scored 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against the Blazers before registering 18 points and a career-high-tying 21 boards against the Boilermakers in the championship game.
Griffin also recorded three assists in each outing, and shot a combined .593 from the field (16-for-27) and .667 from the free throw line (18-for-27).
The two double-doubles on the week were the fifth and sixth in six games this season for the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year. Griffin is just the third player in school history to record six consecutive double-doubles. The others are Alvan Adams (three times with a high streak of 14) and Garfield Heard (streak of 11).
Griffin is averaging 25.7 points, a nation-best 19.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a team-high 2.3 steals per game on the year while shooting .692 from the field. He has recorded at least 18 rebounds in five of six games and had 15 in the other. He is on pace to shatter Adams' OU single-season record for rebounding average (13.3 boards per contest set in the 1974-75 season).
Lost among his gaudy scoring and rebounding figures this year is the fact that Griffin has recorded multiple assists in five of six outings. He has handed out at least three assists in each of the last four games.
Warren, a 6-4, 207-pound guard from Fort Worth, Texas, averaged 14.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in OU's two wins. Included was a career-high 22-point effort against Purdue when he went 11-for-13 from the free throw line and added a career-high three steals.
Warren, the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year is averaging 14.8 points, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals on the season while shooting .800 from the free throw line.
The Sooners play their next game this Thursday at 6 p.m. CST when they host preseason top-25 foe USC. A limited number of tickets are available (for as little as $10 apiece) at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) or online here.
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Exhibition game number one was no worries for Oklahoma. The Sooners Blake Griffin had his way as Jeff Capel's team flattened Panhandle State 90-43.
OU led 48-19 at the half and were never threatened in this one. See the story from OU below.
NORMAN, Okla. -- AP preseason All-American Blake Griffin scored 22 points on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting as the Oklahoma men's basketball team cruised to a 90-43 exhibition win over Oklahoma Panhandle State Wednesday night at Lloyd Noble Center.
Griffin, who was the unanimous choice as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, added 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots in 28 minutes to give OU its 40th win in its last 42 exhibition games.
"I think he's the best player in the country," said OU head coach Jeff Capel. "But I still see room for improvement, which is very encouraging. I saw some 'wow' moments out there tonight and I'm glad he's on our side."
Leading 14-4 at the 11:51 mark of the first half, the Sooners outscored the Aggies 16-2 over the next 3:52. The run was capped by a long alley-oop lob from freshman Willie Warren to senior Taylor Griffin that brought the crowd to its feet and pushed the Sooner advantage to 30-6. The elder Griffin completed the reverse dunk while facing midcourt.
Warren, the unanimous choice as Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year, finished his first contest in a Sooners uniform with 15 points on 4-of-8 field goal and 6-of-6 free throw shooting.
Sophomore Cade Davis chipped in with 12 points - all from 3-point distance in the first half. Davis' 12 points and four 3-point makes would have been career highs in a regular season game.
The Sooners led 48-19 at the half after shooting .545 (18-of-33) from the field.
Capel, in his third year at Oklahoma, substituted early and often as 11 Sooners saw first-half action and 10 recorded a bucket in the contest.
OU's defense forced 24 OPSU turnovers and converted them into 23 points. The Sooners also outboarded the Aggies by a 45-27 margin (16-7 on the offensive glass).
Senior guard Austin Johnson recorded a game-high seven assists without committing a turnover. Capel spoke highly of Johnson following the game.
"He feels so comfortable running our offense when he's out there and does such a good job of valuing the basketball."
Aaron Jackson scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting to lead Oklahoma Panhandle State, a Division II program from Goodwell, Okla.
Oklahoma hosts Cameron University, another Division II team, on Saturday at noon in its final exhibition contest. The Sooners open the regular season at home against American on Friday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.
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The 2009 AP All American college basketball team is out and a Sooner is on the first team. Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin makes the team, you can see the entire list and the release from OU below.
Griffin Named AP All-American
NORMAN, Okla. - Two days before the 2008-09 University of Oklahoma men's basketball squad plays its first exhibition game, sophomore forward Blake Griffin was named to the five-man AP preseason All-America team Monday.
Griffin garnered 45 votes (out of 72) and was joined on the team by North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (72 votes), Davidson's Stephen Curry (66 votes), Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (58 votes) and UCLA's Darren Collison (46 votes).
Griffin and Curry could potentially face each other on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in a second-round NIT Season Tip-Off contest at Lloyd Noble Center.
Arizona State's James Harden, with 25 votes, was the only other player named on more than nine ballots.
The 6-10, 251-pound Griffin is Oklahoma's first preseason AP first-team All-American since Ryan Minor in 1995-96.
2009 AP All American team
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina, 6-9, senior, 72 votes (22.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg)
Stephen Curry, Davidson, 6-2, junior, 66 (25.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, 6-8, junior, 58 (20.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg)
Darren Collison, UCLA, 6-1, senior, 46 (14.5 ppg, 3.8 apg)
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, 6-10, sophomore, 45 (14.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg)
Others receiving votes (alphabetical): A.J. Abrams, Texas; DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh; Jon Brockman, Washington; Chase Budinger, Arizona; Earl Clark, Louisville; Sherron Collins, Kansas; James Harden, Arizona State; Jrue Holiday, UCLA; Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin; Damion James, Texas.
Ty Lawson, North Carolina; Patrick Mills, Saint Mary's, Calif.; Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga; Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; A.J. Price, Connecticut; Tyrese Rice, Boston College; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut; Sam Young, Pittsburgh.
Everyone knows Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin is one fine college basketball player. Big 12 has confirmed those feelings Tuesday when they named Griffin he pre-season Big 12 player of th year.
Griffin was a unanimous choice by the leagues coaches. Griffin wasn't the only Sooner honored. Willie Warren was named pre-season freshman of the year.
Take a look below at the complete list of Big 12 honors.
Sophomore forward Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) has been named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, it was announced. Junior guard Mario Little (Kansas) was chosen as Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while guard Willie Warren (Oklahoma) earned Preseason Freshman of the Year accolades. Players honored in preseason voting were selected by the league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.
Griffin is one of two All-Big 12 First Team performers back for this season. The sophomore forward led the Sooners in scoring (14.7 ppg) rebounding (9.1) and field goal percentage (.568) a year ago. The scoring average was the highest by an OU freshman in 24 seasons. He had 10 double-doubles, including his last seven against squads that competed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
Little arrives in Lawrence after leading his junior college team to a 68-5 record over the last two seasons. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists a year ago at Chipola College. Little shot 55 percent from the floor, including 40.3 percent from 3-point range. The junior guard was rated as the No. 1 JUCO player in the country by Rivals.com.
Warren was a consensus top 20 player nationally by the various recruiting services after his senior campaign. The freshman guard finished with 24.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.4 steals per game in 2007-08. The 2008 Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-America selection, he helped his team to a 38-1 record and the Class 5A state title.
Griffin is the third Oklahoma athlete (Taj Gray, 2005-06; Hollis Price, 2002-03) to earn preseason player accolades. Little is the first Kansas newcomer recognized by the Big 12, while Warren is the second from OU (Drew Lavender, 2003-04) touted as the top freshman.
The Preseason All-Big 12 team was also announced. In addition to Griffin, the following players were recognized - Curtis Jerrells (Baylor), Sherron Collins (Kansas), A.J. Abrams and Damion James (Texas). Jerrells is the other returning All-Big 12 First Team choice back from a season ago.
Preseason Player of the Year
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, F, 6-10, 251, So., Oklahoma City, Okla./Oklahoma Christian School**
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Mario Little, Kansas, G, 6-5, 210, Jr., Chicago, Ill./Washington/Chipola CC [Fla.]
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Willie Warren, Oklahoma, G, 6-4, 207, Fr., Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley**
2008-09 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Curtis Jerrells, Sr., Baylor G
Sherron Collins, Jr., Kansas G
Blake Griffin, So., Oklahoma F
A.J. Abrams, Sr., Texas G
Damion James, Jr., Texas G/F
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school): DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons, Missouri; James Anderson, Byron Eaton, Oklahoma State; Connor Atchley, Texas; Josh Carter, Bryan Davis, Texas A&M.
Jeff Capel and his Oklahoma basketball team have their work cut out for them. The 2008-2009 non-conference schedule has been released and the Sooners have some fun match-ups.
Some of the opponents include USC and Arkansas as well as the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Blake Griffin got some good news as well as the Oklahoma forward has been named to the pre-season All American team!
Take a look at what we have so far below;
| 2008-09 Oklahoma Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule | ||
| Date | Opponent | Location |
| Nov. 5 | Panhandle State (Exhibition) | Norman |
| Nov. 8 | Cameron (Exhibition) | Norman |
| Nov. 14 | American | Norman |
| Nov. 17 | NIT Season Tip-Off Game 1* | Norman |
| Nov. 18 | NIT Season Tip-Off Game 2* | Norman |
| Nov. 22 | Gardner-Webb | Norman |
| Nov. 26 | NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinals | New York, N.Y. |
| Nov. 28 | NIT Season Tip-Off Final | New York, N.Y. |
| Dec. 4 | USC (Big 12\Pac-10 Hardwood Series) | Norman |
| Dec. 7 | at Tulsa (BOK Center) | Tulsa |
| Dec. 10 | Maine | Norman |
| Dec. 13 | Utah | Norman |
| Dec. 20 | vs. VCU (All-College Classic) | Oklahoma City |
| Dec. 22 | at Rice | Houston, Texas |
| Dec. 30 | at Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Jan. 3 | Coppin State | Norman |
| Jan. 5 | Maryland Eastern Shore | Norman |
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