Happy Hump Day, friends and fans!

On Wednesday, Oklahoma Sooners senior guard Austin Reaves revealed his intention to forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2021 NBA Draft.

During the 2020-21 college basketball season, Reaves was OU’s heart and soul on and off the court. Not only did he lead the team in points (18.3 ppg), rebounds (5.5 rpg), assists (4.6 apg) and minutes (34.5 mpg), he also took over at the end of close games. For his impressive year, he was named a First Team All-Big 12 selection and was also recognized as an AP All-American honorable mention.

Reaves began his collegiate career at Wichita State in 2016. After two seasons with the Shockers, he transferred to Oklahoma where his stock gradually increased under Lon Kruger and against Big 12 competition.

Individually, the highlight of Austin Reaves’ career at OU came on March 7, 2020. After trailing TCU on the road by as many as 20 points, the Newark, Arkansas native led a second-half charge, poured in 41 points and delivered the game-winning bucket to complete the comeback style.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Cincy holds onto a former Sooner defender, Oklahoma’s search for a hoops coach continues, Colt is tasked with backing up K1 and more!

OU Links

• No surprise here, but Oklahoma Softball (25-0) remains a unanimous choice atop the NFCA DI Coaches Poll. This team is already doing things that haven’t been done with a lot more still to accomplish.

• Reports from spring practice suggest that former UCLA transfer OL Chris Murray is in the running to succeed Creed Humphrey as Oklahoma’s next starting center.

• With the NFL officially expanding its regular season from 16 to 17 games, the Arizona Cardinals have added a road trip against the Cleveland Browns, meaning former OU Heisman Trophy winners Kyler Murray (‘18) and Baker Mayfield (‘17) will face off for the just second time in their pro careers. In 2019, K1’s Cards defeated Baker’s Brownies in the desert, 38-24.
• The Cincinnati Bengals have re-signed former OU DE Amani Bledsoe to a one-year contract after he originally joined the organization as a free agent during last year’s training camp. Congrats, AB!

• You can go ahead and scratch the Maryland Terrapins’ Mark Turgeon off the list for taking over as OU men’s basketball’s next head coach. Although according to how this reads, it doesn’t sound like Oklahoma had much interest in Turgeon as previously perceived.

Around the Sports World

• On Tuesday night, the 11-seeded UCLA Bruins upset the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines, 51-49 to secure a spot in the Final Four after starting the NCAA Tournament in the First Four.

• The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly signed veteran backup QB Colt McCoy to a one-year contract. The former Texas Longhorns signal caller last suited up for the New York Giants in 2020.
• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league expects to house full stadiums during the 2021 season.
• Former Arkansas Razorbacks HC Chad Morris has been named head coach of 6A Texas high school football powerhouse Allen HS.
• ‘Looie’ — the mascot for the Chattanooga Lookouts (minor league) — has reportedly been stolen from the team’s facilities along with hundreds of dollars worth of equipment and merchandise. If you have any tips or information, you can call the number below to help reunite Looie with his Lookout family.

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