Hello once again, friends and fans! The New Year is approaching fast, and five days from now, the Oklahoma Sooners will continue on their quest for a national championship. Last week was another great one for Sooner hoops, as Trae Young and Brady Manek received player of the week honors once again. Congratulations, guys!

Now if you haven’t done this already, it’s probably time to start talking about this team’s tournament potential. So the Sooners have the coaching experience of Lon Kruger. They also have the superstar player in Young. The last piece to a legitimate title run is depth, and the Sooners are proving week after week that they are more than just the Trae Young Show. As conference play gets underway this Saturday, more questions will be answered as tournament résumés are built.

For today’s edition of Hot Links, Dede Westbrook talks about his journey at Oklahoma in The Players’ Tribune, Trae Young is being touted as the most exciting player in all of basketball, Mike Leach muses about thin crust pizza and a pet Raccoon named Bilbo and more!

OU Links

• Dede Westbrook, while only in Norman for two seasons, had quite the long journey as an Oklahoma Sooner. In the beginning he was a good player who regularly became extremely nervous before games. By the end, he was taking home national hardware. Yet throughout it all, he remained humble and ever-appreciative. Boomer Sooner.

• You better believe the football team hears all the “analysis” on certain sports networks and how OU will struggle to compete defensively against the Georgia Bulldogs. Linebacker Emmanuel Beal is one of those players who is eager to get out there and prove why he and the rest of the defense deserve more respect.
• Baker Mayfield’s goal for this season has always been winning a national championship, but can the Heisman winner overcome the Heisman curse?
• Riley Nolan, a former OU walk-on offensive lineman, says he saw Mayfield winning the Heisman way back in 2014, when Mayfield was only the scout team quarterback.
• At least one NFL scout has already admitted he was wrong about Baker Mayfield’s pro potential. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of this as the draft nears.
• ICYMI, Graham wrote about a few of OU’s remaining 2018 targets.
• Is Trae Young the most exciting basketball player to watch in either the college or pro game? CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander says YES.

Around the Sports World

• So this happened last night. Buzzer beaters are always entertaining, especially in the NBA. But when it’s something like this (that’s actually a legal play, oddly enough), it becomes epic.

• So the New England Patriots have signed ex-Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison. What are some things you should take away from this intriguing development?
• After Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC, former Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said UT’s bad years are better than Mizzou’s good years. Tonight, the two schools meet in the Texas Bowl. Things just became a lot more interesting.
• Looks like even Manu Ginobili was surprised by his dunk against the Brooklyn Nets:

• Mike Leach, the gift that keeps on giving, shares his thoughts on five things that have nothing to do with football. I could honestly listen to a weekly Mike Leach podcast, or watch a talk-show starring Mike and a studio audience. The guy is pure gold.

Stick to Sports!

• At the Oklahoma City Zoo, it has been revealed that the new baby on the block is a girl. Baby animals being born at the zoo is always a monumental moment, and when it’s a species that is in need of growing, it’s even more special.

• Now this is pretty darn cool. Just make the necessary adjustments to your screen, grab some shades and follow his instructions. Then you, too, can experience the Pulfrich Effect.

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