First of all let's make it clear that Memphis is a really good team and super athletic. They were able to run the floor very well and created several wide open shots with their motion offense. A twelve point loss to a team like Memphis shouldn't be demoralizing and the key now will be to see how Oklahoma bounces back against Purdue.
Through this game we wanted to find out exactly what kind of team Oklahoma was and we did. The Sooners are young, athletic and show potential but they are still very raw. The Tigers shot 49% from the floor mostly because OU just couldn't keep up with the Tiger's motion offense.
At some points in the game Oklahoma had the "deer in the headlights" look which contributed to the 20 turnovers and the 35% shooting. If the Sooners are still struggling here in February and March then it could become an issue but at this point of the season with a young team against a Top 15 team it's not. As the season moves on and this team matures these problems should correct themselves. After two cupcake games to start the season Oklahoma needed to know where their weaknesses were so they could begin to address them. Now they know where they need to improve.
Along with the areas of improvement there were also a few positives that need to be pointed out. OU shot 95% from the free throw line! There isn't much more to say about that other than if they keep it up that stat alone will win them some games this season.
There still hasn't been the emergence of a go-to-guy on this team yet but two possibilities emerged today. Michael Neal and Taylor Griffin put up 18 and 16 points respectively. The Sooners did get out rebounded but by only six (39-33). It was a strong enough performance on the glass to keep Oklahoma in the game. Finally, while OU did commit 20 turnovers they forced Memphis into 18.
When you step back and look at the big picture poor shooting is what cost the Sooners this game. Keep in mind that we are looking for consistency and improvement over the course of the season. Poor shooting nights are going to happen but hopefully they will come less frequently.
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