It’s game day, Sooner fans! The Kansas Jayhawks are coming down to the Lloyd Noble Center where the Oklahoma Sooners will attempt to add another tally in the win column. Before you watch the game tonight, make sure to check this out. With Trae Young being from Norman, he and his father, Rayford Young, routinely spend time together throughout the week to refine Trae’s game and maintain focus. In a game of this magnitude, Rayford’s advice to Trae is concise and straightforward; “Just go hoop, man.”

And don’t forget to check out our Q&A with Rock Chalk Talk’s Mike Plank ahead of the monster matchup tonight!

Now onto the Hot Links, which includes some Cale Gundy/Arizona stuff, an update on Nick Basquine’s recovery, Marquise Overton is wrestling and winning and a whole lot more!

OU Links

• As you’re probably aware, Shane Beamer is reportedly heading to OU as assistant head coach for offense while co-offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator Cale Gundy is a possible candidate to join Kevin Sumlin’s staff at Arizona. Gundy has been an assistant coach at Oklahoma since ‘99, when Bob Stoops first arrived as head coach. This would be a major change if Gundy is to leave for the Wildcats because not only has Gundy been a solid coach for nearly two decades, but he’s also been one of Oklahoma’s best recruiters. But then there’s this, which.... well, I don’t know what to think. Maybe he’s sticking around. Maybe he’s just doing his job.

• So what does the departure of running back Abdul Adams do to the Sooners’ backfield going forward? Also, how will his transferring affect the current recruiting class?
• Lon Kruger has coached hundreds of players in his coaching career. It goes without saying that Trae Young is already among the best of the best he’s ever coached. Because Kruger is so experienced, he understands what he needs to do to maximize Young’s potential while he’s here, and that message mustn’t change.
• It’s easy to forget just how young Trae Young is. The dude is only 19 years old, but he’s capable of performances usually seen from seasoned veterans. That being said, Young is fully aware of the areas he needs to continue to grow in.
• Trae Young almost chose to play his college ball in Lawrence instead of Norman. Now he has his first chance to play against the Jayhawks, and a chance to shut up his naysayers.
• You said it, Toby.

• Looks like wide receiver Nick Basquine should be ready to go come spring practice. Basquine was one of Oklahoma’s rising stars on offense in 2016, but suffered an Achilles injury in fall camp just before the 2017 season. It remains to be seen if Basquine will seek or be granted an additional year of eligibility since he has already used his redshirt. Regardless, it’ll be great to have him back.

• Baker Mayfield will be arriving to Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl a little later than expected. The reason that is being reported is it’s for a family matter. A part of me actually wonders if I’ll start to hear more “expert” takes on how Mayfield isn’t punctual and therefore can’t be relied upon as a franchise QB. Sorry, I’ve just grown cynical when it comes to Baker and draft talk.

• With the Baker Mayfield era complete in Norman, does the rest of the Big 12 stand a better chance at dethroning the Sooners as the conference’s team to beat?
• Speaking of Mayfield...

• Defensive tackle/wrestler Marquise Overton earned himself his first collegiate win on the mat. Congratulations, Que!

Around the Sports World

• Now this is a great chart that reflects the significance of recruiting rankings. While I personally believe stars matter, I only believe it to an extent. To my point, check out the starters for each of the Super Bowl participants and how they were rated as high school recruits.
• The Milwaukee Bucks have fired head coach Jason Kidd. After an inconsistent season with a roster that ought to be competing at a higher level, there were several people in the organization, including some players, who were at odds with Kidd.
• Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea and Washington Wizards guard John Wall got into a little discussion during a game and an interesting war of words broke out after the game. Check the link for the quotes, but a heads up, some of the language may be deemed distasteful.

• So these are the NBA All-Star jerseys? Seems a little lazy, but I guess they’re running out of ideas or something.

• You’ve gotta check out USC long snapper Jake Olson throwing some deep balls. If you recall, Olson is the young man who lost his eyesight as a boy, but he’s now fulfilling his dream as a football player for the USC Trojans.
• Kobe Bryant’s short film ‘Dear Basketball’ has been nominated for an Academy Award. That’s some pretty neat stuff, even for the Mamba.

Stick to Sports!

• Hundreds of Alaskans have been asked to evacuate the city of Kodiak as a precaution for a potential tsunami. What caused this in the first place was a massive earthquake that registered with a 7.9 magnitude. The tsunami warnings have since been cancelled, but there are still many people who are dealing with major property damage.

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