Happy Friday, friends and fans!
Episode 3 of the Oklahoma Sooners’ mini docuseries ‘The Standard’ dropped on Thursday night. The theme of the week focused on perseverance, and OU certainly stayed true to that message during the Red River Showdown. Next came a trip to Amon G. Carter Stadium, where a capable TCU squad awaited Lincoln Riley’s reinvigorated group.
Episode 3: Perseverance#TheStandard | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/wuR9fnKaWB
— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) October 30, 2020
True freshman WR Marvin Mims is featured heavily in this episode, as are his parents. After directing most of his attention to basketball in high school, he eventually realized his ceiling on the football field is much higher. And although he’s just beginning his collegiate career, his maturity has helped him become the star that he already is.
Senior LB Caleb Kelly also sat in the show’s spotlight this week. He’s currently on the road to recovery after going down with yet another significant injury at the start of fall camp. As usual, he’s in good spirits, and he’s still making strides in the classroom as a graduate student.
Whether it’s first year players or seasoned veterans, this Oklahoma team has a unique blend of leaders. Best of all, it’s finally starting to pay real dividends on the field.
Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! Still no word from the NCAA on OU’s suspended trio, Alex Grinch has his prototype at RUSH LB, Clemson’s T-Law is out for the next week and more!
OU Links
- On Friday, Lincoln Riley shared some of his final thoughts heading into Oklahoma’s upcoming road game against his alma mater — Texas Tech.
.@OklahomaNatural | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/8kWgK3YZag
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 30, 2020
- Speaking of Riley, he says he has yet to receive an official ruling from the NCAA on the suspension status of WR Trejan Bridges, DE Ronnie Perkins and RB Rhamondre Stevenson. The fourth-year head coach also voiced his frustrated with the inconsistent rules and negative stigmas around marijuana use that led to this mishandled case in the first place, writes the Tulsa World’s Eric Bailey.
- Redshirt sophomore LB Nik Bonitto is the ideal outside edge rushing backer that Alex Grinch wants on his defense, and this season the Fort Lauderdale product has clearly taken the next step in his development, writes the Norman Transcript’s Joe Buettner.
- SI Sooners’ Parker Thune recently wrote about the mentality that has allowed sophomore H-back Austin Stogner has become such a dominant weapon for Oklahoma’s offense.
- On Thursday, the OU men’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the 2020-21 Big 12 preseason poll. Last season, Lon Kruger’s Sooners finished third in the standings after being picked to finish eighth in the conference.
The 2020-21 #Big12MBB Preseason Poll ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/q4ZgsFFkJZ
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 29, 2020
- On a very sad note, thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Billy Tubbs, who is currently in hospice care. Tubbs is OU men’s basketball’s all-time winningest coach and was the architect of the program’s fast-paced “Billy Ball” teams — notably the legendary 1987-88 squad that reached the National Championship game.
Keeping Billy Tubbs, our great coach, friend and mentor to many, in our thoughts and prayers. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/oTh3XDADD9
— Joe Castiglione (@soonerad) October 30, 2020
- In case you missed it, Allen Kenney put together the good and bad news for OU as it reaches the midway point of the 2020 college football season.
Around the Sports World
- Clemson Tigers QB Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be available for this Saturday’s game against the Boston College Eagles. His status for next week’s top 10 showdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is also up in the air, depending on how quickly he can return to his team while following all ACC protocols.
- The Brooklyn Nets have hired Mike D’Antoni as an assistant coach, reuniting him with his former player Steve Nash. The former two-time MVP point guard for the Phoenix Suns is entering his first season as a head coach.
- After 16 seasons with the organization, the Milwaukee Brewers have declined to extend outfielder Ryan Braun’s contract, making him a free agent for the first time in his complicated MLB career.
- The Tulsa Golden Hurricane are dedicating Friday night’s home game versus the East Carolina Pirates to the legacy of Black Wall Street. As of 2020, it’s been 99 years since the infamous Tulsa Race Massacre saw one of the most affluent, predominantly Black communities in the nation wiped out. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
- With the 2020-21 men’s college basketball season approaching in just under a month, which head coaches are currently sitting on the hottest seats? CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish takes an educated guess.
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