Finals week is finishing up for Creighton University this week and the men’s basketball team will be back on the court Saturday afternoon with a trip to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. All the odds seem against the Bluejays in this one.
Last season, the Bluejays bounced back after being down 18 points a few minutes into the second half at the CenturyLink Center and gutted out a victory over a talented Oklahoma team. That was the highlight for the Bluejays last season as it vaulted them into the top 25. Unfortunately for Creighton and the fans, we all know how things went from there.
This season, the Bluejays return the home and home series against an even more talented Oklahoma team. Couple that with playing on the road against a team that has enough members still on it to remember what happened last season and the fact that they beat Villanova, who was predicted to be at the top of the Big East, pretty convincing at a neutral site, many are probably chalking this up as a loss. But if you look at last back at last season’s game, anything can happen.
To catch us up on the Sooners and their plans for Saturday’s game, we reached out again this season to Ryan Aber from The Oklahoman. Here is what he had to say about Oklahoma.
White & Blue Review: Last season, there were high expectations for Oklahoma and this season they are even higher. What pieces are in place to raise those expectations heading into this season?
Ryan Aber: The biggest thing this team has that last year’s didn’t is depth off the bench. Last season, Dinjiyl Walker and Frank Boker were inconsistent streaky guards and Khadeem Lattin and D.J. Bennett were limited offensively when coming in at the forward spots. Now, Walker is much improved all around and though Lattin still doesn’t add much offensively (and has moved into the starting lineup), Akolda Manyang and Jamuni McNeace give some more of a threat to score off the bench. This team can match up in so many different ways because of that.
WBR: So far this season, the Sooners have looked unstoppable. Is it more of a team kind of thing or are there certain players that are really stepping up?
RA: Everybody knows how good Buddy Hield is but the key to what the Sooners have done so far is the production they’re getting from Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard at the other two guard spots. Lon Kruger shifted the pair, moving Cousins to point, just before the season and it’s worked out perfectly for both. Cousins has been a much better decision-maker than he was when he played the point as a freshman and Woodard has been freed up to get shots on the outside.
WBR: Who is someone Creighton needs to watch out for that has been flying under the radar for the Sooners?
RA: Well, I already touched on it a bit but I’d have to go with Woodard. Teams often played off him last year because he wasn’t going to score much himself but he’s been a terrific 3-point shooter so far and someone that defenses have to account for.
WBR: What kind of weaknesses does Oklahoma have that could Creighton exploit that you have noticed?
RA: There isn’t much with this team but if their 3-point shooting disappears, they can get into a little bit of trouble. Hield can force shots at times even when he’s not getting good looks.
WBR: How important is it for Oklahoma to win the Big 12 this season and even be in contention for a national title? Is this the best team that Oklahoma has had assembled since they were in the NCAA Finals against Kansas back in the Danny Manning days?
RA: It is big for this program. Kruger doesn’t bring in the McDonald’s All-Americans that Jeff Capel regularly did but he brings in guys who fit the system and the culture of his program perfectly. This team has a chance to be the best since that 1988 team that included Stacey King, Mookie Blaylock, Harvey Grant and Ricky Grace. Though OU had pretty good teams in 2009 (Blake Griffin’s sophomore season) and 2002-03 as well. The way they perform in Big 12 play—and against Kansas—as well as the NCAA Tournament will determine where they rank with those groups.
WBR: What is the environment like at the Lloyd Nobel Center? Does it get pretty loud in there and are the fans as rowdy as other college venues?
RA: It was pretty rowdy last season late in Big 12 play at the Lloyd Noble when people started getting an idea of how good that team was. It hasn’t been the same so far this season, when unfortunately their best home game (Wisconsin) came on a Sunday afternoon when most students weren’t back from Thanksgiving break. If the students are there, it can get pretty loud but without a strong student section, it can be a pretty genteel place. And with OU’s football team in the playoff, some people aren’t quite ready to flip the switch to basketball season yet.
WBR: Last season, Creighton came back from 18 points down early in the second half to get a win against Oklahoma and even got the Bluejays into the top 25 before Creighton showed their true colors. How much do the players remember that game and do they talk about that game specifically to give them even more motivation into Saturday’s game?
RA: They remember that game a bit. Hield told me earlier this week that he remembers the way they kept turning the ball over and how Creighton seemingly couldn’t miss a 3-pointer for long stretches of the second half. But this is a team that’s looking more at the bigger picture right now. They know what’s at stake if they’re able to keep winning—Oklahoma City hosts the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament this season and they’d love to stay close to home. If they want to do that, they need to win games like this.
WBR: What is your final prediction? What will Creighton have to do in order to steal a win against the Sooners on the road?
RA: I’d say the Sooners since by 15 or so and score in the high 70s, low 80s. For Creighton to pull out an upset, they’ve got to force the Sooners into a few turnovers and go on another hot streak from the outside. It’s possible, this isn’t a perfect OU team, but it’ll be difficult.