Yes
There are some people who feel the Sooners don’t deserve to be the No. 2 team in the nation; maybe they should take a second look.
Questions arose about how good the Sooners were after the scare Texas A&M gave them Wednesday night, but I ask, ‘Why?’ That game actually answered a lot of questions I had throughout the season.
When it comes down to a close game, do the Sooners have what it takes to get the job done? Can they hit the clutch free throws and make the stops on defense?
And will somebody step up so sophomore forward Blake Griffin doesn’t have to score 30 points and grab 20 rebounds just to get a win?
Clearly, the answer is yes.
The team tightened up on the defensive end as senior forward Taylor Griffin and freshman guard Willie Warren turned it on and hit big free throws that essentially won the game.
Winning tight games shows the Sooners have that X-factor that few teams in the nation have.
It makes the Sooners an elite team in college basketball, and gives a solid reason why they deserve to be the No. 2 team in the country.
Many haters will say it was just one game against a so-so team, but let us keep looking, shall we?
The Sooners are 22-1. That is better than No. 1 UConn who is 20-1 on the season and college basketball powerhouses North Carolina (19-2) and Duke (19-3).
The argument could be made that right now, based on records, the Sooners are the best team in the nation.
If we break down the roster, this team has everything it needs to be a true threat come March and can easily be considered a top team.
It starts with Blake. He is a beast, the LeBron James of the college game. He gets to the rim and can make a poster out of anybody. You don’t average 22.4 points and 14.1 rebounds per game on accident.
Then you have his supporting cast: Warren, junior guard Tony Crocker, senior guard Austin Johnson, brother Taylor and sophomore guard Cade Davis and junior Juan Patillo off the bench.
This team has all the pieces to be considered the No. 2 team if not No. 1. Warren is an obvious No. 2 option who can shoot, drive and dish. Crocker and Davis provide solid outside shooting.
Johnson provides above average point guard play and the Griffin brothers are rebounding machines.
They have everything they need to make a run in the tournament.
However, there are people who are concerned that the Sooners haven’t had any big tests against the elite teams in the nation. Teams in the ACC and Big East play top competition every night.
For all those concerned fans who are worried about the lack of quality teams in the Big 12, I say: don’t worry.
Because when the time comes to play those elite teams, the Sooners will be more than ready to prove they are not only deserving of No. 2, but they are the best team in the nation period.
-James Roth is a journalism senior.
No
We may be living in the heartland of Oklahoma where the water runs red, but let’s not forget the facts.
Currently, OU is clearly not deserving of the No. 2 spot in the AP polls.
I know what you’re thinking: but what about the mammoth team composed of players such as the monstrous forward Blake Griffin averaging more than 22 points a game, or the quick guard Austin Johnson swishing trees from four feet behind the line?
But the Sooners’ issues don’t stem from a lack of talent, the truth is they simply don’t have a tough enough schedule.
The Sooners have played teams like the Coppin State Eagles (7-15) and the Mississippi Delta Devils (3-19) which doesn’t exactly help their case.
OU has beaten several top 25 teams, but when it comes down to it, the Sooners have yet to play a comparable team.
Don’t get me wrong, head coach Jeff Capel has done a great job and his team has more that enough potential to make The Final Four.
However, compared to other top 10 teams, the Sooners are taking a stroll through the park.
For example, look at No. 8 Marquette (19-2). The team has beat more top 25 teams than OU, has a similar record, and still has to play No. 6 Pittsburgh (19-2), No. 5 Louisville (17-3), and No. 1 Connecticut (20-1) before the season ends.
In the Big 12, OU won’t face a schedule like that.
Currently, No.1 Connecticut holds complete supremacy over the league. The Huskies have seven credible wins against ranked teams, one of which came from knocking off No. 7 Gonzaga.
Excluding their only loss against Georgetown, the Huskies have yet to end a game with anything less than a 5-point victory.
Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun isn’t about to start kicking back either. He destroyed Rick Pitino’s Louisville team by 17 at home, as well as ending Louisville‘s nine-game winning streak.
There are, of course, no absolutes with college basketball, especially when there has been a new No. 1 team each of the past four weeks.
When it really comes down to it, being in the lead in pre-March Madness basketball means nothing more than bragging rights.
Let’s just hope OU and Connecticut don’t meet in the tournament, the Sooners may be exposed by a team that’s been tested.
-Colin Curley is a journalism junior.
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georgesabodash 3 years, 3 months ago
OU is worthy of #2 in the AP polls. Just because ESPN is biased towards ACC and Big East does not mean that OU has had easier schedule by any means. In the end all that matters is RPI and W & L. AP and Coaches Poll is biased because they will pick the team that gets the most exposure. OU is #1 in RPI with a SOS of 14 nationally. The mere fact that OU doesn't face as many AP top 25 does not mean a thing.
If OU is not number two then who ranks ahead of them? 3 loss Duke? 2 loss UNC? The #2 ranking is a snapshot of what are the best teams this week. And OU with UCONN and Utah State holds the best record in the nation. If OU would not be #2 it would be the most East Coast biased poll I have ever seen. And to say the Big 12 does not have any "quality teams" would directly contradict the fact that the National Champion for last year came out of the Big 12.