How’s it going, Sooner fans? Tonight marks the final true road game of the season for Lon Kruger and the Oklahoma Sooners basketball squad. The first meeting against Baylor nearly saw both teams reach triple digits in regulation, so don’t be surprised if the intensity and pace of this rematch in Waco is cranked up a few notches. The Sooners still have a ton to play for, from a seeding perspective. Currently, ESPN’s Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi projects Oklahoma as a No. 8 seed as of yesterday.

Of course, a lot can change between now and Selection Sunday, especially if the Sooners have really found their groove again. Anywhere above an 8 seed would be in the top half of any given bracket. There’s no home court advantage to be gained from that, but it could make the first round or two a bit less difficult. Still, one game at a time should be all this team is focused on.

Now onto today’s edition of Hot Links. Below, you’ll find out how close Trae Young is to another amazing record, what the true test for Baker Mayfield will be during the NFL Combine, how many DB techniques Jalen Ramsey learned at FSU and more!

OU Links

• That’s a young Damian Lillard and a young Trae Young, but one looks considerably younger here than he does today. Puberty is a hell of a drug.

• OU basketball SID Ben Coldagelli puts Young’s incredible freshman season into perspective with some incredible notes on the number of total points and assists he has recorded (and will record) in 2017-18. Yep, Young will set the Big 12 scoring regular-season record on Tuesday night in Waco and will also join elite company when he reaches the 800-point mark.

• Head coach Lon Kruger is a veteran in the realm of college basketball. After the Sooners’ on-court struggles, many began to question the long-time coach’s philosophies. If the Sooners have truly righted the ship, those beliefs could be put to bed. The challenge now for Kruger is recapturing that fire that made this Oklahoma team so formidable early on.
• Kameron McGusty has had several ups and downs this season, but he has a support system that’s rarely seen these days: his childhood friends Ty and Otis. They aren’t afraid to tell Kam what he did wrong in a game, but they’re always encouraging and supporting him through it all.
• The highly anticipated NFL Combine (or at least the on-field portion) returns this Friday. Stay tuned to find out how Baker Mayfield, Orlando Brown, Mark Andrews, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Dimitri Flowers and Jordan Thomas all perform over the weekend.

• NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock believes the true test for Baker Mayfield will be in the interview process and not the on-field drills.
• After being adopted at one month old, former Sooner safety Ahmad Thomas has been reunited with his biological mother and father. Thomas’ mother was only 13 when she was forced to give him up for adoption, and she was also separated from the father all this time, as well. Now everybody is reunited. Incredible.

Around the Sports World

• Current Jacksonville Jaguar cornerback Jalen Ramsey apparently isn’t shy about his feelings towards his former coaches at Florida State, Jimbo Fisher and Tim Brewster. This is another bad look for Brewster, who has been quite vocal on Twitter over the past few weeks.

@jalenramsey on Twitter

• So this FBI investigation of college basketball probably has many people wondering what exactly can and/or will happen to those who are found guilty. Rest assured, check out this list of that and other frequently asked questions regarding the latest scandal in college hoops.
• Check out these eight storylines to watch out for during the 2018 NFL Combine. Sam Darnold’s hand size wasn’t on my radar before, but it is now. Wouldn’t that be something if he largely underwhelmed there?
• The NFL Draft is mostly about the future of a franchise, building for long-term success. But who are the very best free agents a team can get this off-season? Take a look at the top 100 NFL free agents that can help a team win right away.
• Is this the first time in NBA history that somebody’s mom forced a turnover in a game? Hilarious stuff. But seriously, c’mon, ref.

Stick to Sports!

• Today is National Pancake Day, and courtesy of IHOP, everybody is entitled to one free short stack of pancakes until 7 p.m. tonight. I know where I’m going for dinner! Don’t judge me.

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