Longhorns Use Second Half Run To Down Rival Sooners 69-58

by OnlyOneOU on Feb 15, 2012 12:12 AM CST in Basketball

No surprise here as many expected a young but talented Texas Longhorns team to come into Norman and come away with a win. The Longhorns were the favored team, but the Oklahoma Sooners challenged them through the first half. Like we have seen before, the Sooners come out flat at the start of the second half and let teams build a lead too big to overcome. Such was the case once again tonight.

Oklahoma looked to be up to the challenge in the first half. With a just under a minute to play, OU led 33-25. The Longhorns made a late surge that carried over into the second half as J' Covan Brown hit 3-ball after 3-ball which sparked the offense. The Horns took a 54-42 lead after mounting a 19-5 run to open the second half. Brown hit his season marks as the leading scorer in the Big XII and finished with 19 point while Myck Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan both added 13.

For Oklahoma, Steven Pledger struggled at the start and Andrew Fitzgerald found himself in foul trouble. It is never a good sign when two of your only scoring options are having off nights. However, Pledger would lead Oklahoma in scoring once again as he posted 18. Cameron Clark had one of his better nights as he and Romero Osby finished with 13 a piece.

While Oklahoma shot better from the field than Texas did, the difference was at the charity stripe. The Longhorns gave away a total of 10 fouls the entire game, limiting the number of times Oklahoma made the trip to the free throw line. In total, OU shot eight free throws. On the other hand, the Sooners committed 22 fouls and Texas found a player standing at the charity stripe 29 different times.

Oklahoma needed to stay aggressive in attacking the rim and drawing the foul. Tonight was an unsuccessful attempt at doing so.

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I've run out of ways to express my frustration with this team

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by Jordan Esco on Feb 15, 2012 6:35 AM CST reply actions

My word was "frustrated" too

I’m trying to figure out what went wrong, or is going wrong, and here’s what I got, see if you agree or disagree:

1) lack of scoring talent in general. We need too many guys to get “hot” or shoot over their talent level to compete.
2) Pledger looks to be the team shooting wise, and too much of the rest of the team expects him to carry their offensive production. The other guys don’t work to get open when they are off the ball. When he’s cold…the team is cold
3) Base Defense. Not enough push bodies, lack of awareness on back side cuts, too many ally oops, and lay ups
4) lack of height. He we knew this one would hurt coming in. Our guys fight for rebounds great, but after Osby, the talent level of the “bigs” isn’t really there. We play small on top of that (see 3)
5) Fitzgerald is too damn inconsistent.

by Redhawk on Feb 15, 2012 10:35 AM CST up reply actions

I’d add, lack of hustle seems to be setting in now. The team gets down, and something negative happens. There was a lot of quit in last year’s team. I worry we are seeing some of that leach through like graffiti under a new paint job.

by Redhawk on Feb 15, 2012 10:37 AM CST up reply actions

This is also 1000% accurate

They’ve fought against it all year, but now that and their lack of depth is really starting to show. Playing in front of 500 people every home game doesn’t help either. I think a bigger more “into it” crowd could keep them in a game as opposed to nobody being there and thus making it easier for them to get down on themselves.

by Jordan Esco on Feb 15, 2012 11:36 AM CST up reply actions

Way to see the strategy of make grooms try to create

Then converge. Turnover. Almost every time in the paint.

by OU JJ on Feb 15, 2012 11:12 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

He doesn't seem to be too agressive going to the bucket.

I think he gets too safe and tries to turn around wants he gets into the lane and that’s where his turnover problems arise.

by 40A on Feb 15, 2012 1:55 PM CST up reply actions

Most times he can't even get there

Because his defender is playing so far off thanks to his “jumper” that there is no lane to drive thru.

by Jordan Esco on Feb 15, 2012 2:42 PM CST up reply actions

It seemed like, last night,

the high screen right there at the top worked pretty well. He would drive left, get right passed the free throw line, and then turn around and look to pass.

by 40A on Feb 15, 2012 5:10 PM CST up reply actions

My take

1) Couldn’t agree more. We basically have three guys (Osby, Fitz, Pledger) who can be relied on to score and even then that’s using the word “rely” loosely. Any points from Grooms/Clark are a bonus at this point. And as we’re all aware we have absolutely nothing off the bench.

2) I think that’s probably fair. I do think Clark moves, but he’s just not a guy I want taking jumpshots so that’s not really an argument in my favor. But yeah, Pledger is literally our only threat from outside and every team in the conference knows it and that shows.

3) This couldn’t be more right. We give up a ridiculous amount of easy baskets and to me this is coaching/effort more than it is talent. So the fact that it continues to happen so frequently this late in the season is on Kruger as much as anyone IMO.

4) No question. Plus the size we do have doesn’t work in our favor often times b/c both guys like to hang out around the perimeter. Just last night, both Fitz and Osby are constantly shooting jump shots and when they missed there is nobody down lown to get a rebound.

5) He is, but he’s just so limited. He’s just not athletic enough and really can’t play in the low post. So, to his credit, he’s developed that 15 foot jumper and he can hit it fairly regularly. But when he’s off, that’s just one of our “big” bodies that’s not down low so we’re almost always one and done.

by Jordan Esco on Feb 15, 2012 11:34 AM CST up reply actions

after reading your reply

I can’t help but think 3-5 are kinda the same related issue. Bigs, not playing like bigs, but like small forwards.

That to me looks/sounds like a talent issue. After Osby, we really don’t have any “bigs”, or even guys that play like a “big”

by Redhawk on Feb 15, 2012 12:11 PM CST up reply actions

What about Neal?

He seems to be a liability athleticially, but he can shoot the ball well.

by 40A on Feb 15, 2012 1:56 PM CST up reply actions

He's more athletic

Than I think you’re giving him credit for, but last night was the first time he’s made a shot (only kind of kidding) in conference play.

by Jordan Esco on Feb 15, 2012 2:43 PM CST up reply actions

I do want to say,

that your guys hustled around all night. They lack positional awareness on defense but your zone did give us some fits during the game.

But I do have a question. What the hell is wrong with Cam Clark’s jump shot? The ball comes off sideways?! I’ve never seen that live before.

by 40A on Feb 15, 2012 1:54 PM CST reply actions

He has a turrible jump shot

Always has, or at least as long as he’s been at OU. That’s not his game, but he seems to think it is and it drives a lot of us crazy.

The talent disparity between the two teams became more and more glaring as the game wore on. We just look ridiculously slow compared to you guys IMO, and Kabongo is freaking legit.

by Jordan Esco on Feb 15, 2012 2:45 PM CST up reply actions

Kabongo,

has a long way to go. Definitely not trying to devalue what you are saying, but he makes about 5-10 head scratching moments in games. I would love for him to get more confident in his shot and get a bit more agressive going to the cup, because nobody can guard him one on one.

You guys got some good looks on us, and hit early in the game.

by 40A on Feb 15, 2012 5:14 PM CST up reply actions