Happy Hump Day, friends and fans!

The Oklahoma Sooners are very much in the running to land Texas A&M Aggies transfer shooting guard Jaxson Robinson. As a prep prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, the Ada, Oklahoma native was given a four-star 247 Sports Composite rating.

During the 2020-21 college basketball season, the 6’7 Robinson made four starts in 14 appearances for TAMU. In that time, he averaged 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in less than 10 minutes per contest, with single game-highs of six points and seven rebounds. While this obviously doesn’t jump off the page, it’s worth noting that Robinson reclassified and was originally supposed to be in this most recent recruiting cycle, so he should really be starting his freshman year this fall. With that in mind, a development curve was to be expected this past season.

Since Porter Moser stepped foot on OU’s campus, he’s been extremely active in the recruiting game, both from the high school trail as well as the NCAA Transfer Portal. It goes without saying that gaining a young talent like Robinson would be a major get for the Sooners’ new head ball coach and the future of this hoops program. OU is also still in the running for former Booker T. Washington standout and Kansas transfer Bryce Thompson, so there are a lot of variables at play here.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Patty Gasso’s No. 1 squad drops its first game of the season, Mario Williams’ speed is special, the Beard’s highly anticipated return suffers a setback and more!

OU Links

• On Tuesday, the top-ranked Oklahoma softball team’s 40-game winning streak was snapped as OU suffered its first loss of the 2021 season in a 7-6 defeat (nine innings) to the Georgia Bulldogs. Fortunately, the Sooners quickly bounced back immediately afterward, crushing UGA in familiar run-rule style, 12-3. Experiencing some form of adversity could prove beneficial in the long run, as former OU great Lauren Chamberlain points out.

• Once again, I am telling you that Tre Brown is the most underrated defensive back in the 2021 NFL Draft class, and there are many more stats like this one that reinforce this claim.

• True freshman WR Mario Williams continues to draw praise from his coaches in spring camp. Cale Gundy recently noted that the Florida product is in the running for a role in the return game. With his electric speed, that could make for some exciting moments on special teams this fall.

• Earlier this week, CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee included Lincoln Riley on a list of college football coaches facing the most pressure going into the 2021 season. Of course, the pressure Riley faces is not at all the same as coaches on the hot seat, as Sallee explains. Rather, this pressure comes from CFP expectations for a loaded team.
• Friendly reminder that coming up this Saturday, April 24, OU will kick-off its annual Spring Game. Stay tuned right here on Crimson & Cream Machine for coverage of the game itself and more. The football fun is set to begin at 4 p.m. CT, and if you won’t be attending the event live and in-person, you can watch the Sooners play from start to finish on Bally (formerly FOX) Sports Oklahoma.

Around the Sports World

• Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden has been ruled out indefinitely after suffering a strained hamstring while he was increasing his on-court rehab from a previous injury.
• Former Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward has reportedly joined Willie Taggart’s Florida Atlantic staff in an off-the-field coaching role.
• Indiana Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson has been served a one-game suspension after he headbutted San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills. Indy will be without Sampson’s services on Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
• Earlier this week, former Michigan Wolverines starting QB Joe Milton revealed his plans to transfer to Rocky Top to join the Tennessee Volunteers.
• On Tuesday, veteran second baseman Neil Walker announced his retirement from playing ball after 12 seasons in the majors. He spent the majority of his MLB career with his hometown team — the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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