Category Archives: Oklahoma Sooners

General, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma Sooners

Weekly Wrap

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap where we dissect recent happenings across the local sports scene and generally whatever is on our minds. Look for the Weekly Wrap published every Friday.

• March Madness got underway yesterday and started off with a bang. Despite my urges to rip into the Sooner basketball team, I'd better stay away from that one. The Sooner basketball team is making strides in the right direction, but their March Madness lasted all of one day before losing to 12-seed North Dakota State. It was the Bison's first ever NCAA tournament victory. I'm leaving this one alone, I promise.

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• Speaking of March Madness, go check out Caleb Hixon's recap from day one. Good stuff in there and quite the bold prediction. Look for more pieces from Caleb in the coming weeks as a contributor here.

• The Thunder took on the Cavs last night and did their best to blow a 24-point 4th quarter lead. KD had taken a seat, the 2nd unit players had checked in for the remainder of the game, and it looked like the Thunder were putting the finishing touches on a solid night of work. Then the Cavs went on a 16-0 run. Durant was forced to check back into the game to secure the victory. A win is still a win, but the end of the bench players nearly got run out of the gym by the Cavs. I'm trying to stay positive today, I really am.

• Last night was win number 50 for the Thunder. Despite the recent negativity, 50 wins still means something. OKC takes on Toronto tonight and Westbrook returns to the line-up once again. The Raptors are currently the third seed in the East, so this would be a nice opportunity for the Thunder to flex their muscles.

• Take the plunge and join Yahoo and Quicken Loans' Billion Dollar Bracket? What's that? Your perfect bracket didn't even make it out of day one? Man…I just knew this was going to be the year of the perfect brackets! Hey, there's always next year for the first ever perfect bracket and new billionaire.

• The kind folks over at Welcome To Loud City wrote up a nice little review on the recently released Sports Insider – Thunder Edition app. If you are a Thunder fan with an iPhone and haven't checked it out yet, well what are you waiting for?

• Jake Trotter thinks the Sooners could have a "scary three-headed monster" in the backfield next season with running backs Keith Ford, Alex Ross, and Joe Mixon. It's crazy to think that Oklahoma is graduating three senior running backs who all played major roles in the offense, yet may not skip a beat with the upcoming young guys.

General, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma Sooners

Weekly Wrap

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap where we dissect recent happenings across the local sports scene and generally whatever is on our minds. Look for the Weekly Wrap published every Friday.

• Seems like it's been a bit of a rollercoaster for the Thunder since the all-star break. Lost three in a row. Won three in a row. Lost two in a row. Won two in a row. There's a little more meat to those wins a losses though. Such a two losses sandwiched in there to absolutely terrible teams (Cavs and Lakers). Then there's the win over Houston who had been red-hot coming into the contest. I'm not sure if this Thunder bunch are lacking motivation towards the tail-end of the season or what it is, but they've got to remain focused and motivated or risk losing a top seed in the West. For the first time in awhile, they looked motivated vs the Rockets and it was good to see. I'm sure the whole story regarding James Harden now playing in Houston and the Patrick Beverely/Russell Westbrook incident from the 2013 playoffs was still fresh on the Thunder's minds. Speaking of Beverely/Westbrook…

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• Let's go ahead and add Patrick Beverely to the list of most disliked/dirty players in the NBA, ok? He and Ron Artest are on my short list off the top of my head (though I'm open for further suggestions). Everyone knew it was an unwritten rule Beverely broke when he crashed into Russell Westbrook during the playoffs last year while Westbrook was dribbling across half court to call a timeout. Some wrote it off as "playing to the whistle" or whatever bogus excuse they could come up with, but Beverely removed all doubt of his intentions when he tried the exact same thing again on Tuesday night. Beverely knew exactly what he was doing and the refs immediately T'd him up for his shenanigans. There's a difference between playing hard and just being an idiot. But, of course, Bill Simmons applauds him.

• Can't say enough good things about Blake Bell. Despite taking the backseat to Landry Jones for a couple of years and then having a freshman named the starter over him after Jones departed for the NFL, Bell has seemingly never wavered. He's now set to move to tight end to try and help the team however possible. I'd imagine most college other young college kids would throw a temper tantrum and go searching for a new school. Check out the excellent piece on Bell from my partner in crime penned this week. Highly recommended.

• Are NBA team really tanking? Royce Young over at Daily Thunder has a great piece on team tanking. I think most fans agree that, at a minimum, certain teams start eyeing draft position vs overall record in the latter parts of a season. Royce Young does a good job of breaking down different kinds of tanking and why the whole thing has likely been blown out of proportion.

• Former Oklahoma running back Damien Williams says he has no hard feelings towards the school or coach Stoops after he was dismissed from the team last November. In a classy move, Stoops allowed Williams to return to Norman for OU's pro day on Wednesday. When asked, Williams refused to elaborate on the nature of rule violations that got him suspended and ultimately dismissed from the team.

• While Durant may not be able to repeat his insane 50/40/90 performance of 2013, Ben Golliver at SI.com thinks Durant is on pace to join the possibly more prestigious 30/30 club.

• Oklahoma running backs coach Cale Gundy sent out an awesome tweet earlier in the week and then promptly deleted it. The tweet read: "Looks like someone came up short again. You better take that SEC country somewhere else. Let's Play Faster. #Boomer" Wish he had not deleted it as he's 100% right. Nick Saban was lobbying for a dumb rule change to try and slow down the up-tempo offenses. The talk of the new rule didn't seem to stick and Gundy fired off a nice little warning shot to Saban reminding him of the Sugar Bowl beat down from just a couple of months ago.

Oklahoma Sooners

Whatever It Takes

In sports, we recognize players, sometimes, based on their positions alone. We associate Sam Bradford as the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. We recognized Adrian Peterson as the starting running back. At times, we get caught up in where players play, instead of what they actually do on the field.

A lot can be said of Blake Bell, former quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. In high school, Bell was a 5-star quarterback recruit as recognized by Rivals.com. He was a physical specimen standing over 6'5” weighing in over 230 pounds at the time. Bell waited, and waited, and waited behind Landry Jones. 

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In comes Trevor Knight, a scout team superstar the past season at Oklahoma. Coaches raved, players raved, fans wondered. Then, on August 31, 2013, Knight took the field as the starting quarterback vs the ULM Warhawks, leaving Bell waiting, again. You can only imagine the heartbreak from once the guy who was going to change the way Oklahoma played football on offense, to the guy who had to wait some more.

Knight struggled early, giving Bell a chance to play. Bell, not too long into the season, became Oklahoma's starter, and he played very well. Against Tulsa, he was 27-37 for 413 yards and 4 touchdowns. Then, a week later in South Bend, Indiana, Bell was 22-30 for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both of these games were 2 touchdown or more wins. Bell had finally hit his peak. He had found his time. He had cemented himself as the next guy who could possibly have his statue held erect outside the east walls of Gaylord Family-Memorial Stadium.

And then, after a lackluster performance against TCU, struggles became mighty. 

Against Texas, Bell played quite possibly the worst game by an Oklahoma quarterback vs Texas since Rhett Bomar in 2005. It was as bad as it could have been. Something switched off. Something just didn't seem right. Was it the game plan? Was it nerves? Was it too much pressure too soon on the first year starter? We may never know. What we did know is that Bell wouldn't be the answer much longer for the Sooners.

In the coming weeks, Bell's play continued to be less than stellar. 131 yards passing at Kansas. Yes, Kansas. A week later, he played a little better at home against Texas Tech, but nothing short of just average. He piled up 249 yards that night, and OU squeaked out a win. 

The game at Baylor finalized Blake Bell's career as OU's starting quarterback. He threw 2 interceptions. One right before the half that allowed Baylor go go up 24-5 at half. A deficit far too steep to come back on, against a top 10 team, on the road, on national television.

In comes Trevor Knight, again. Against Iowa State, Knight dazzled the crowd with his legs. He had a moxy about him that Bell never did. He was amazing at getting the crowd hype. From there, it was no looking back. Knight led OU to 2 straight wins, then around halftime of the Bedlam game, Knight injured his arm. In comes, again, Blake Bell. He led one of the best drives in OU history, giving Oklahoma a 27-24 lead in the final seconds on a perfectly throw ball to Jalen Saunders in the back northwest corner of Boone Pickens Stadium. 

Something happened in the weeks leading up to the All State Sugar Bowl. Knight evidently won coaches over and he was given the nod vs mighty Alabama and the vaunted SEC powerhouse defense. 

What happened that night would never overturn Bell's future. Knight, again, vs the "best defense ever to take the field," lit the Tide up, leading Oklahoma to a Sugar Bowl win vs Alabama. Knight led the sooners to 45 points. He was 32-44 for 348 yards and 4 touchdowns. Bell was again, watching. Supporting. Cheering. Leading.

Then came the bombshell. 

On Feb 8, 2014, Bob Stoops announced Blake Bell would transition to Tight End. Wait? What? I think the entire Sooner Nation had 2 thoughts. 

1 – This is going to be awesome. He's going to be incredible with his athleticism. He's going to make Trevor Knight even better. He's going to become an NFL tight end.

2 – Wait. Has he ever played Tight End? Ever? 

I was more of number 2. Then I remembered. Bell has waited. He's played. He's waited again. He's played again. He's been the definition of a team player. Not one time, ever, has he complained. He's never questioned the coaching staff. I expect more of the same this time around as well. 

Bell was a receiver in high school, before transitioning to quarterback. He has incredible athleticism. I don't think the speed of the game will give him too much trouble. The only concern I have is this. Is he going to take so much of a beating that he can't backup Knight in a pinch? Will OU have a viable backup quarterback plan? 

I think we have seen some of the most selfless athletes at OU. Paul Thompson anyone? 

Look for Bell to do whatever it takes to bring number 8 to Norman next January. 

Til next time, BOOMER SOONER!

General, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma Sooners

Weekly Wrap

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap where we dissect recent happenings across the local sports scene and generally whatever is on our minds. Look for the Weekly Wrap published every Friday.

• I had a nice little opener already typed up. I went on about how refreshing it was to see the Thunder reel off four straight wins even if they were all over middle of the road to bottom feeder opponents. It still felt good to win. It felt good to see Westbrook finding his rhythm. During the third quarter of last night's showdown with the Suns, the Thunder looked to be heading towards another comfortable win and their fourth straight. Then the Suns finished the quarter on a 21-2 run closing out a 40-point quarter and proceeded to win the game. For as good as the offense has looked, the Thunder defense has looked worse. You can say the Suns "got hot" and "couldn't miss," but that excuse only gets you so far. At a certain point you have to look at the recent stretch of games since the all-star break and realize that this team just isn't getting it done on the defensive end. They are not going to be able to out-score every opponent. The three wins prior felt good, but this last loss, especially in the manner in which it was lost, feels miserable.

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• With all the negatively out of the way, how good has Russell Westbrook looked these last few games? He was definitely rusty in his first two appearances back from injury, but has quickly returned to his former self. On Tuesday, he recorded the second fastest triple-double in the history of the game. Woah. Finished 36-9-9 last night including a red hot start going 6-7 shooting in his first six minutes on the floor. Anyone still questioning if Westbrook's return was a good thing for this team? Good, didn't think so.

• SoonersSports.com does a good job breaking down each position heading into Spring practice. Is it football season yet?

• The Thunder will head out to Los Angeles on Sunday to take on the Lakers before returning home for a three-game home stand vs the Rockets, Lakers, and Mavs. All very winnable games. I don't think it's asking too much to see a respectable defensive performance or two in there.

• One last thing on the Thunder defense. I get that they are without Thabo and Perkins right now, but the defensive issues run much deeper. The Thunder aren't contesting open jump shots. Sure Perk can clog up the lane, but that hasn't been where they've been getting beat. If anything, Brooks likely should have countered last night's ultimate small-ball lineup by Phoenix by sitting Ibaka down more than usual. He didn't have a place defensively as the Suns reigned down long jumper after long jumper with a good portion of those going uncontested.

• Brandon Chatmon at ESPN had a solid write-up regarding Stoops trying to keep young Sooner players hungry despite the Sugar Bowl win last season. It was one of the biggest wins in Stoops career. Here's to hoping for a promising follow-up campaign in 2014.

• Anyone checked out this new Thunder app? I'm enjoying the simplicity of the design, but the the ability to customize it to my liking (adding more rss feeds, twitter handles, etc) is a real boost. The Twitter function gets a lot of use from me during Thunder games. I like to follow what people are saying real-time during the game and this sorts out all the non-Thunder chatter. Good stuff, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

• With the use computers, smart phones, and almost everyone using some sort of electronic device to check the time these days, I wonder when the last time Daylight Savings Time actually caused someone problems. Admittedly I still wear a wrist watch, but it's more out of habit than necessity. My iPhone will automatically update the time for me and my alarm clock on my phone will auto-adjust with it, but hey, don't forget Daylight Savings this weekend you guys!

General, Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma Sooners

Weekly Wrap

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap where we dissect recent happenings across the local sports scene and generally whatever is on our minds. Look for the Weekly Wrap published every Friday.

• So that tidbit I snuck in my last post about the optimism level rising in OKC? Yeah, not so much. A home loss to Cleveland? Giving up 42 points in the 4th quarter? Ugh, I have no idea what's going on now. I'm still not panicked, but definitely concerned. This was a prime game to make a statement, yet the Thunder still appeared a bit disinterested in playing any sort of semblance of defense. Here's to hoping that the Thunder take care of their next three average opponents and get their swagger back.

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• My partner in crime knocked out the second part of his 2014 Sooner football signings class this week that I'd highly recommend checking out. This time he digs into the defensive recruits. Get familiar with their names, these guys are the future of the program.

• The Thunder are 0-4 this season without Kendrick Perkins. Make of that what you will. My mind is blown.

• Former Oklahoma quarterback Kendal Thompson is transferring to Utah. This comes as a shock to exactly no one. Despite an injury just before the 2013 season, Thompson battled back was given a shot to prove his worth. It came during a stretch of miserable play from Bell and Knight with the potential to snatch the starting position with a good outing, but Thompson looked less than impressive. Thompson graduates in May so he will be eligible to play immediately for the Utes next season.

• A funny line from Royce Young over at Daily Thunder regarding the loss to the Cavs: "You could put the classification of the way the Thunder lost this one somewhere between bad, and season three of Homeland." Come on! Season three wasn't that bad!

• Former dismissed Oklahoma running back Damien Williams ran an impressive 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, good enough for the 4th best among running backs. Color me impressed. I assumed Williams' chances at an NFL career went down the drain when he was booted off the team last season. A public reason was never given for his dismissal, but with that kind of speed he just might find a place on an NFL roster.

• The Thunder are looking at signing a potential free agent or two. If there is anything just in this world, it will not be Metta World Peace Ron Artest.

• Keep your eyes peeled for a new Thunder basketball app that should be hitting the App Store any day now. I'm told it will be called "The Thunder App" and be a one-stop shop for Thunder fans. Very nice. Will do a review on it once I see it show up.