2011: A Baylor Odyssey.

In a previous article, I already covered a budding star in Oklahoma freshman Aaryn Ellenberg (read "In Ellenberg we trust").  During Sunday afternoon's game between Baylor and OU, there was another star freshman on the court; Baylor guard Odyssey Sims.

When covering the Lady Bears, usually all the attention is turned - and understandably so - toward 6'8" Brittney Griner, who no doubt is a force to reckon with.  Defensively, teams have to find a way to account for her and Sunday was no exception.  Every time she touched the ball, there were no less than three defenders crowding her.  She still managed to put up 21 points, which is right about what she is averaging this season.

However, the star of the game was Odyssey Sims.  She scored 37 points including the go ahead jumper with 8.3 seconds left that turned out to be the game winner.  Baylor needed every single one of those points as they edged OU by a final score of 82-81.


Griner should dunk more often

When the Sooners were crowding Griner, the perimeter was left open and Baylor went 13 of 27 from the 3-point line.  Sims alone converted 9 of them, tying a school record.  She was coming of two sub par games (against Texas A&M and Kansas State) in which she was a combined 2-13 from the field.  Judging by the way she played, you could not have guessed it (unless you follow Baylor basketball, in which case you'd probably know a lot more than I do).


Her 14 points (13.8 if you're really keeping score) currently rank second on the team behind Griner (22 points).  If anything, Sunday's game served notice to those who thought that Baylor is composed of Brittney Griner and 4 other players (I am guilty as charged).  In an earlier season loss to Connecticut, Sims put up 17 points (second on the team behind Griner's 19) as Baylor nearly ended the Huskies winning streak (which at the time stood at 79).

Baylor, who made the national semis last season, will be a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament.  They are looking every bit like a team capable of bringing home another national title; their first since 2005.  Should Griner and Sims team up like they've done for most of the season, who's to say that it' can't happen?

A measure of revenge.

Last weekend when Nebraska held on to upset Texas 70-67, not only did they ruin the Longhorns chance at reclaiming the #1 ranking, but it also brought another thought to my mind; REVENGE!!! 

Husker fans couldn't bear another loss to Texas

After all that Nebraska has been in the least year (plus a few months give or take), they were finally able to come up with a win against Texas.  Maybe I'm the only who saw it, but I'm sure Husker fans were kind of feeling it too. 

Let's face it, Nebraska isn't exactly known for their basketball prowess; they're a football school.  So to deal a defeat to Texas (and a darn good Texas team too) on the hardwood wasn't really expected by anyone outside of Lincoln, NE.  Nebraska fans, please don't take it personal if nobody thought that you'd win.  For what it's worth, Nebraska has played well down the stretch, and that form really counts for something.

(R-L) Hunter Lawrence nails the game winning fg in the 2009 Big 12
title game, while Garrett Gilbert led Texas to an upset win in Lincoln.

One can only wonder what Kinnie is thinking

Nebraska fans can still remember the 1 second that was added back to the clock at the end of the 2009 Big 12 Title Game; enabling Texas to kick the game winning field goal and advance to the National Championship game.  Then to rub salt onto the wounds, Texas (who were on a 2 game losing streak) beat #5 Nebraska in Lincoln.  What's crazy is that Texas (who are 9-1 against Nebraska in the Big 12 era) only won one more game after that; against Florida Atlantic (from the vaunted Sun Belt Conference).

As if that wasn't enough, there was that game against A&M in College Station, where all the calls just seemed to go against Nebraska.  Big Red couldn't even get any love in the last ever Big 12 Title game; fans preferring the other Big Red (more like crimson, but you get the point).  

Nebraska wanted to leave the Big 12 with a bang!!  Win the last ever title game, then stick it to Texas and Dan Beebe a.k.a the Commish.  That didn't happen.  Their reward for losing?  A second consecutive trip to the Holiday Bowl to play against Washington; a team that Nebraska had torn to shreds earlier in the season.  They couldn't even get Boise State in there??  It didn't matter because when Nebraska lost, they all of a sudden became the punchline to any and every joke.  They just could not catch a break.

So when Nebraska beat Texas in the most unlikeliest of venues, I'm guessing all this stuff must have been running through the minds of the Husker faithful as they stormed the court.  I just got this feeling, that they weren't just celebrating an upset of a highly ranked opponent; it was a lot more than that.  It was for the 1 additional second that cost them a conference championship.  It was making up for failing to exact revenge in their next meeting.  It was for the mistreatment they felt they've received, getting kicked to the curb because Texas wields the power.

This was just more than your ordinary upset; it was a measure of revenge.

The State of O...M...G!!

There is a chance that for the first time since 2007, both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will miss out on March Madness.  What on earth has happened to basketball in the State of Oklahoma??

OSU found the going tough against A&M

Oklahoma State who started the season with an 11-1, record have gone 5-9 since.  Their last win was over Oklahoma in Bedlam Showdown.  Quite frankly, there had to be a winner in that game, so it doesn't really tell you much, if anything at all.

The Cowboys have been a "Jekyll and Hyde" kind of a team this season (okay, maybe all the time, but you know what I trying to get at here).  They are quite capable of playing with the best of them (they beat #17 Kansas State convincingly, and also beat #15 Missouri).  At other times, they look clueless and seem to have no fight at all (blowout losses to Texas, Texas A&M; a loss to Nebraska??).

Good thing is that they have a winning record, but to play in the big dance, they'll need to win the Big 12 tournament.  They might be lucky to even earn an NIT berth; a tournament which they played in from 2006-2008, but failed to make it past the first round in each trip.


The going hasn't been any easier for Oklahoma


Oklahoma started off 3-0, then went on a 5 game losing streak that was highlighted by a loss Chaminde, a Division II school.  They are currently riding a 5 game losing streak and by this time next week, it will probably be up to 7 (OU play Texas A&M and Kansas on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively).

Anybody following OU basketball is wise enough to know that this team won't be going places this year.  However, they will appreciate the effort of this squad compared to last year's squad that featured Willie Warren, Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith "Tiny" Gallon; three players who embodied the "me, first" persona to perfection. 

This OU team is still too young (Cade Davis, pictured above, is the lone senior on the team), and it's not really where it needs to be; so for those of you calling for Jeff Capel's head, you gotta have some patience.  Players like Blake Griffin don't just show up to your door everyday. 

I guess when it's time fill in my March Madness bracket, I won't have to worry about being biased toward OU or OSU.  Not good, but, oh well.

And down goes Kansas.

Just a few hours after reclaiming the #1 spot, Kansas fell to Kansas State 84-68.  Jacob Pullen scored a career-high 38 points, in what was the Wildcat's 3^rd win against the Jayhawks in the last 45 meetings.  Can't blame the crowd for storming the court after the game.


Pullen the strings (no pun intended)



Just a little over a fortnight ago, Kansas State was on the tail end of a 90-66 whipping by the Jayhawks.  It was quite a fall for a team that was ranked #3 in the pre-season, with Jacob Pullen (the school's first pre-season All American) gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.  I guess the "SI Cover jinx" is still alive after all.

This win will definitely ease the sour taste of a season that has just gone horribly wrong.  Pullen served a 3 game suspension for receiving inappropriate discounts at a local clothing store and two players left the team.  I'm guessing that's not exactly the way they were hoping things would go when the season started.  That is why you need nights like this, just to remind you that maybe you've still got it in you after all.

The Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, have been rock solid for the Jayhawks, but were missing in action.  They both combined for 16 points and 3 rebounds (Markieff didn't register any rebounds).  With the twins getting into early foul trouble, Kansas State was able to establish an inside game and they never really looked back.

A moment of Self-reflection

Also due to early foul trouble, Kansas couldn't establish their own inside game; something that hurt them in their loss to Texas (who will likely take over the #1 spot).  Shooting 44%, down from their 52.3% didn't quite help their cause.  Still, there's a good amount of basketball left to be played.  Kansas can still make something of what's left in their season.  I wouldn't be too worried.

The Wildcats can only hope that the worst is behind them.  They are a team that is capable of going deep in the tournament, and a win like this is proof of what they are capable of.  The problem with winning a big game like this, is the letdown that usually follows when you play your next opponent (especially if they are trying to make their own statement). 

Knowing how rare wins against the Jayhawks are, I don't blame Wildcat fans if they decide to hold on to this one for as long as they'd like to.