Oklahoma

[milwsport]

damasa said:

What UWM did to Butler in the HL Championship game will more than likely not work against OU. They are simpley too big, and there are several guys to worry about. When we played Butler is was simply Polk in the post with everyone else chucking shots from long range.

But everyone else was not hitting those threes because they were well guarded. Same can happen here. Let Neal have his outside game and take away their inside game. Polk had 27 but it didn't matter because took away their outside game.

This time let them have the outside and take away the inside.

[topdaug]

brewtownbrian said:

The biggest worry playing Oklahoma, or any major conference team, is the size differential.

Kevin Bookout and Taj Gray are both really good in the post. Bookout is a load at 6'8-270...I'm assuming AT will match-up against him.

Gray led the team in points per game as well as rebounds per game and checks in at 6'9-240. That'll be a tough match-up for McCoy, giving up almost 50 pounds.

I think Boo will match-up good with any of OU's guards, Chris Hill will be under-sized, but isn't he always.

Similar to last season, Joah will have to have a big game and I think it's entirely possible seeing how OU doesn't seem to have anyone who's a big-time defensive stopper at either the 2G or 3F spot.

On another note, I think UWM's defense has improved greatly under Jeter and that is key in the NCAA's. Defense and rebounding will be essential.

Also, Derrick Ford, Avery Smith and the UWM bench will have to step up big!

No different from most big games this season...

Okay, I don't know much about UWM, but I was disappointed to see us matched up against y'all because I remember last year's run...I won't state much against what you said here, except that OU has a couple of good defense stoppers at the 3 in Nate Carter and David Godbold....DG is almost an offensive liability at times, but gets the start because of his defensive presence...also, Michael Neal is a good defensive stopper at the 2G and was awarded the best defensive player on the team (as voted by the players)....the 2G/3G is actually our best defensive position....if there have been problems in perimeter defense, it has come because we don't have a very good on-the-ball defender for a PG....

Good luck this Thursday, but I'll still be rooting on my Sooners!!

By the way, sorry to hear you guys have exams this week...this is our Spring Break actually, so maybe there will be a good amount of us in Jacksonville (probably not, though)...

[brewtownbrian]

topdaug said:

Okay, I don't know much about UWM, but I was disappointed to see us matched up against y'all because I remember last year's run...I won't state much against what you said here, except that OU has a couple of good defense stoppers at the 3 in Nate Carter and David Godbold....DG is almost an offensive liability at times, but gets the start because of his defensive presence...also, Michael Neal is a good defensive stopper at the 2G and was awarded the best defensive player on the team (as voted by the players)....the 2G/3G is actually our best defensive position....if there have been problems in perimeter defense, it has come because we don't have a very good on-the-ball defender for a PG....

Good to know...thanks for the info. I've only watched OU this season a few times and didn't look for things like this.

Sounds like it will be a good match up between Tucker and whoever's guarding him.

[brewtownbrian]

uwmbacker24 said:

Digger Phelps just picked Oklahoma to beat us, I did like him but now I think he needs to stop having his highlighter match his tie.

If you watched/listened to Digger he picked almost no upsets. I think of the 32 games being played he only picked a higher seed to knock off a low seed 2 or 3 times.

They call themselves "analysts"...anyone could go through and pick the better seeded team!

Idiots, not analysts, idiots!

[Rawls]

Yahoo:

sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/preview?gid=200603160444&prov=ap

Despite dropping its last two games, Oklahoma earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. Given the first-round opponent, it may not be much of a reward.

The 24th-ranked Sooners (20-8) face 11th-seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee -- which reached the regional semifinals as a No. 12 seed one year ago -- in a matchup Thursday at Jacksonville, Fla.

Oklahoma is making its 25th consecutive postseason appearance, the longest active streak in the nation, and its 11th NCAA tournament appearance in coach Kelvin Sampson's 12 seasons. The Sooners had been seeded No. 4 or higher in each of its last five trips.

Playing as a No. 3 seed in 2005, the Sooners exited the tournament in the second round, losing 67-58 to Utah.


"I think it was a disappointment to go out in the second round," forward Taj Gray said. "This year, I think we're a lot older, a lot more mature and we realize what it's going to take to go far in the tournament."

Gray is the team's leading scorer and rebounder in his senior season, averaging 14.2 points and 7.6 boards per game. He had a team-high 19 points in last season's tournament loss to the Utes.

The Sooners do not appear to be playing their best entering the tournament. Oklahoma lost its final regular season game 72-48 at then-No. 6 Texas on March 5, then suffered a 69-63 upset loss to Nebraska last Friday in the Big 12 conference quarterfinals.

Oklahoma had a four-game winning streak before its last two losses, but all four victories came by one point and none were against teams in the NCAA tournament field.

Sampson, though, does not seem concerned.

"I don't have any doubt that these kids will be fired up and ready to go on Thursday," Sampson said.

Senior forward Kevin Bookout certainly appears fired up. Bookout is averaging 11.1 points per game this season, one of four Sooners in double figures. He has shot 62.3 percent from the field in six career NCAA tournament games.

"I just want to go out with a bang," Bookout said. "If we can win a couple of games, then you never know what could take place. Crazier things have happened. I know a No. 6 seed has gone a long way before, so why can't we?"

Oklahoma hasn't lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament since 2001, when the fourth-seeded Sooners were upset by No. 13 seed Indiana State.

The Panthers (21-8) are back in the tournament as Horizon League champions for the third time in the last four seasons. They return four senior starters from the team which upset Alabama and Boston College in the 2005 tourney, and recorded their fourth consecutive 20-win season for the first time in the program's 110-year history.

"They went right through that thing, and I think they have most of their players back," Sampson said. "Obviously, it is a team that has had a lot of success the last couple of years and they will be a big challenge to us."

Wisconsin-Milwaukee does have a different coach this season in Rob Jeter, hired after Bruce Pearl left to coach Tennessee. The former Wisconsin assistant has succeeded in bringing his mentor Bo Ryan's half-court offensive style to the Panthers.

"To have to accept a new coach, a new style, with their last season, I knew it was scary," Jeter said.

Senior forward Joah Tucker's 16.4 points per game lead the Panthers, and he has scored in double figures in all but one of the team's 29 games this season. Tucker averaged 25.3 points in last season's tournament, including 32 in a regional semifinal loss to top-seeded Illinois.

Guard Boo Davis has complemented Tucker by averaging 16.2 points this season, and 20.2 over his last five contests. His 18 points led Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Horizon League title game on March 7, an 87-71 victory over Butler to clinch an automatic bid.

"We're excited," said forward Adrian Tigert, another returning starter from last year's team. "We're just going to get ready, go down there and play our hearts out."

Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Oklahoma have never faced each other. The winner will face either third-seeded Florida or No. 14 seed South Alabama on Saturday.


Updated on Tuesday, Mar 14, 2006 1:24 pm

[billhaverchuck]

Where is everyone at today???

[Kroener3535]

prolly studying for finals or drinking not trying to think about finals

[mattysch]

Anyone in Minneapolis going to watch the game over hte lunch hour downtown?

- Shot in the dark, I would imagine?

[bball30]

I thought you weird minnesota people call it "uptown"

[mattysch]

Please, I am from Milwaukee/New Berlin, WI - A far cry from a "weird Minnesota person". But moved here for a job.

[mattysch]

I also despise all MN sports teams.

[uwfenske aka hardhat]

Any Indianapolis Panther fans going somewhere for watching the game?

[dylanrocks]

Out of Indiana. Here is a great line from Wayne Larivee moments before calling this year's Indiana-Purdue game: "If you have to be in Indiana, this is clearly the place to be." Ouch!

[aknowsense]

Cheerful Tortoise for any Portland OR. fans.

[stiner55]

i honestly thing this is the best bracket that we can be in to make an elite 8 run. especially how we have been playing lately and that we have AT back. and maybe this playing in jacksonville bunk is a blessing in disguise? we will find out soon enough!

GO PANTHERS!