2015 Recruiting Class | Oklahoma Sooners Set To Host First Junior Day

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The Oklahoma Sooners are set to host Junior Day today, February 1st with a handful of top 2015 prospects attending as the Sugar Bowl victory continues to pay dividends. It has become clear that Bob Stoops and his coaching staff have taken an aggressive approach to recruiting. Offers have literally been handed out left and right for the 2015 class and it should make an early impression. Atop the list, here a few names Sooners fans should be aware of courtesy of Blatant Homerism who currently hold offers:

*Justin Hillard, LB – Offer; top 100 player.

*Soso Jamabo RB – Offer; top 100 player.

*Jalin Barnett, OL – Offer; top 100 player.

*Larry Pryor, DB – Offer; Texas A&M commit; top 100 player.

James Lockhart, LB/DE – Offer; top 100.

Deionte Thompson, DB – Offer; Alabama commit; top 100.

Also set to attend are current commits:

*Josh Wariboko, OL – OU verbal commitment; top 300 player.

*Marquise Overton, DL – OU verbal commitment; top 300 player.

*Bobby Evans, OT – OU verbal commitment; top 300 player.

*Du’vonta Lampkin, DL – OU verbal commitment; top 300 player.

Make sure you check out Blatant Homerism’s Sooner Recruiting Update for a full list of attendees!

Regardless of how much talent will be on campus, the focus likely centers around a single player in offensive guard Jalin Barnett. Receiving a 4-star rating, Barnett is the No. 3 guard in the nation according to Scout.com with offers from the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Stanford Cardinal, the UCLA Bruins as well as Oklahoma.

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MBB | Oklahoma Sooners Look To Continue Streak Against Iowa St. Cyclones

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The Oklahoma Sooners are riding a four game winning streak and currently sit second in the Big XII behind Kansas. With three wins in the last six games coming over top 12 programs, Lon Kruger will test his prowess once again against a ranked opponent on the road. This time the opponent is one OU already has a victory over in the Iowa St. Cyclones.

away team logo@ home team logo

Oklahoma Sooners @ Iowa St. Cyclones
84.0
PPG
 84.6
45.5
FG %
 47.7
74.4
FT %
 70.2
37.9
3PT %
 35.2

Leading by as much as 13 in the second half, the Sooners efficient three-point shooting produced an upset. However, Oklahoma made their living off second chance points. Behind a stellar effort on the glass, OU held a 22-2 advantage in second chance points. This stat line alone helped Ryan Spangler and his teammates seal a victory in Norman.

On the other side of the equation sits a struggling Cyclones team. Being one of the last five undefeated teams, ISU has lost four of their last five games in conference play. While this Iowa St. team boasts three of the leagues top scorers in Melvin Ejim, DeAndre Kane, and Georges Niang, the weakness has been defense. Opponents are pouring in 78.7 points per game shoving Hoiberg’s squad to the bottom of the pack.

As Oklahoma comes to Ames, the task doesn’t get any easier. With resilience and tenacity, Buddy Hield and friends are 7-2 on the road. In one of the toughest conferences, that number proves to be impressive. Can the Sooners do it once again as they look climb higher into the rankings?

The stat line to watch continues to be rebounding. In all of the Sooners losses, they have been out-rebounded. Make no mistake, these are two teams that match up fairly well but a difference in physicality can be witnessed at the rim.

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2014 DT Courtney Garnett Commits to OU

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Courtney Garnett visited OU two weeks ago and many thought that he would commit while on the visit. He left Norman uncommitted, but most considered the Sooners to be the heavy favorite. Tonight, Bob Stoops was in Courtney Garnett’s home tonight and his visit was a resounding success as Garnett just tweeted to the world that he committed to Sooners.

Boom504😎👌 http://ift.tt/1jQAEA9

— Courtney Garnett (@ONLYFORAKING) January 31, 2014

And just in case you were wondering Bob Stoops made it official via twitter as well

BOOM 504 and the Gumbo was great #BoomerSooner

— Bob Stoops (@OU_CoachStoops) January 31, 2014

Garnett (a former Longhorn commit) chose the Sooners over offers from Tennessee, USC, Oregon, and Notre Dame. Courtney attends St. Augustine High in New Orleans, Louisiana and is the high school teammate of Sooner commit Joseph Paul. Garnett gives the class of 2014 22 verbal commitments.

Garnett is a 3 star recruit on rivals.com

In case you forgot how violent of a player he is on film, here is a short clip of Garnett in action.

Courtney Garnett – #50 – St. Augustine (LA) (via MaxPreps High School Sports)

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Oklahoma Football Recruiting | Could Michiah Quick Be Down To Two Choice Schools?

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Two weeks after announcing his top six, Michiah Quick eliminated two other programs. The casualties fell upon the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oregon Ducks. However, the recruitment process continues as Quick has chosen to update his remaining choices via his twitter bio (@ItsQuicker). Adding to the conversation, one source has reported the receiver dropping the number to three yesterday.

Fresno (Calif.) Central WR Michiah Quick is down to three, maybe done with official visits http://t.co/GQ94BB9XO4 #NotreDame #Oklahoma #UCLA

— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) January 29, 2014

Regardless of Greg Biggins tweet, Quick currently has the USC Trojans listed in his bio…not sure what to make of that. Yet, the situation continues to complicate itself. While I have been watching his bio list, random tweets listing two schools have gone out from Quick as early as January 16th.

Quick_medium

Could the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Oklahoma Sooners really be his top two schools? Keep in mind, this is speculation but it has me scratching my head. It is widely believed by recruiting gurus that the Oklahoma has long been the front runner for the highly touted receiver. If it wasn’t enough to hear it from the gurus, maybe 5-star running back and current OU commit, Joe Mixon can offer a little insight to the situation…

Me and My Future Teammate @ItsQuicker can’t wait To Cause Hell For College Defenses.. Brodie Lets Get It #Boomer http://ift.tt/1a4xfuc

— ⚡PRIMETIME!!!⚡ (@Joe_MainMixon) January 30, 2014

While we most likely will not hear of a decision until National Signing Day, the odds appear ever in our favor! Boomer!

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Two QBs offered for Class of 2015

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With National Signing Day just a week a way, many are asking questions about how OU will finish with the class of 2014. Recruiting however never stops. Offers for many players in the class of 2015 have already gone out to players across the country. Today Sooner fans have a glimpse into the future as OU offered two quarterbacks in the class of 2015.These two players are Jarret Stidham of Stephenville, TX and J.W. Ketchum of Missouri City, TX.

Stidham tweeted earlier today about receiving an OU offer

Just got offered by Auburn and Oklahoma! #WarEagle #Sooners

— Jarrett Stidham (@Jarrett_Stidham) January 30, 2014

Rivals.com broke the news Ketchum’s offer.

The OU coaches offered 2015 QB JW Ketchum earlier.  #TexasTech still focused on 2015 offers to Kyler Murray and Jarrett Stidham.

— Matt Clare (@MattClareRivals) January 29, 2014

Stidham is 6’3″ 188lbs. and his offer list is a who’s who of college football elite. These include Ohio St., Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M, and Auburn along with Oklahoma. He also holds offers from Baylor and Texas Tech (many see these schools as the early leaders). Stidham is a dual-threat QB that possesses many of the same attributes and abilities of current Sooner Trevor Knight.

Here are some highlights of Stidham in action.

Jarrett Stidham Class of 2015 QB – Stephenville (via TexasPreps)

Ketchum is 6’1 190lbs. and currently has offers from the likes of LSU, Texas A&M, Texas, Nebraska, and Baylor along with Oklahoma. Ketchum is much more of a dual threat with the ability to make people miss in the open field, but also has a surprisingly good arm. He is also the type of player that if QB doesn’t work out, he could excel as a WR or even in the defensive backfield.

Here are some highlights of Ketchum in action.

JW Ketchum – Fort Bend Marshall Quarterback – Highlights – Sports Stars of Tomorrow (via GameDaySportsStars)

Both of these offers would also signal the change to a more dual threat QB is permanent. The days of Landry Jones and to a lesser extent Sam Bradford seem to be gone. The future of the QB position is in guys who can not only beat a team with his arm but also his legs.

Both of these players (I would prefer Stidham) would be a great fit for what appears to be the beginning of a stellar 2015 class.

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Mid-Week Roundup: Oklahoma Sooners Lose DT Commit, Pay For Play, Tony Jefferson Missing His College Days

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Sooners commit Brandon Glenn expected to sign with a juco instead – Ryan Aber – NewsOK

Irving (Texas) Ranchview defensive end Brandon Glenn has been committed to Oklahoma since mid-June.

Now it appears the 6-foot-3, 285-pound Glenn will sign elsewhere next week instead of signing with the Sooners on signing day.

Glenn will sign with Navarro (Texas) Junior College for academic reasons, Ranchview coach Terry Smith said Wednesday.

MBB | Sooners doing something no other team in college basketball is doing – Ryan Aber – NewsOK

One of the keys to Oklahoma’s basketball success so far this season has been its solid fortune with players staying healthy.

The Sooners have lost only five games to injury and none by starters. Je’lon Hornbeak missed four games with a broken foot and Tyler Neal missed the Sooners’ Dec. 8 game against George Mason.

Also, with all the tinkering Lon Kruger and staff have done to Oklahoma’s defense, what they haven’t done it juggle the lineup. Sure, Hornbeak played late in a couple games in place of starter Jordan Woodard but Woodard never was taken out of the starting lineup.

In every game this season, Woodard, Cam Clark, Isaiah Cousins, Buddy Hield and Ryan Spangler have been the Sooners’ starters.

Pay for play for college athletes? Debate is only getting started – John Klien – Tulsa World

College coaches and administrators have long said that collegiate athletes are getting paid.

Those student-athletes get scholarships worth thousands of dollars and perhaps millions in future earnings.

However, that ignored some basic facts that may now become a major issue as a group of Northwestern University athletes filed Tuesday to become certified as a college players union by the National Labor Relations Board.
This is a legal issue that will no doubt stir a heated debate for obvious reasons.

OU Sports: Does Tony Jefferson miss playing for the Sooners? “Hell yes” – Guerin Emig – Tulsa World

I thought this was pretty cool. Former Sooner Tony Jefferson was doing his laundry recently, and decided to take questions from Twitter followers. A sampling of the Q and A follows.

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Memorial Stadium Mock Up | Oklahoma Sooners $300M New Fantasy Home?

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The Oklahoma Sooners‘ Memorial Stadium is one of the most recognizable in the nation. However, rumors continuously pop out of the woodwork in relation to multimillion dollar renovations. Most recently, a $300M mock up has started circling the web after originating from LandThieves by an admin who goes by Nuked (@Nuked_LT on Twitter). Here it is in it’s full glory…

Rumors of a 300 million renovation of Owen Field sparked this rendering from a poster on @LandThieves message forum. http://ift.tt/1mVY30h

— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) January 28, 2014

Keeping in mind that this is simply a creation from the imagination of a guy who possesses mad photoshop skills, I pose a question. Would you, as a fan, be in favor of such renovations?

Poll

Would you, as a fan, be in favor of such renovations?

  • Yes

  • No

  0 votes | Results

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2014 Recruiting Update | Adoree Jackson Eliminates Oklahoma Sooners

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It should come as no surprise that the top uncommitted recruit in the nation has whittled down his list of potential schools to four. National Signing Day is just around the corner and Adoree Jackson will make his decision then. However, it wasn’t exactly welcomed news for the Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma Sooners who were eliminated from the list of six. Such is the recruiting world.

Final Four For Signing Day #Gators #Tigers #Trojans #Bruins

— SWEET PEA (@AdoreeKnows) January 29, 2014

While the Oklahoma Sooners had a hand in the cookie jar until today, a majority of the experts believed Jackson the talented defensive back/wide receiver to OU was a long shot at best. Now that we have the final word, it makes sense as to why the coaching staff has continued to hard sell the university to Steven Parker.

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MBB | Big XII Power Rankings

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The Big XII Conference remains one of the strongest conferences from top to bottom in basketball. With Big Monday shaking things up, here are my current power rankings for the conference.

1 Kansas Jayhawks Although the Jayhawks proved to be inconsistent during non-conference play, they seemed to have found a rhythm. Currently at 6-0, Kansas remains the only unbeaten team in the Big XII and has rightfully earned the top spot.
2 Oklahoma Sooners Lon Kruger may have his hat in the mix for National Coach of the year. With low expectations, this Oklahoma team has beaten 3 programs ranked inside the top12 nationally in the past six games.
3 Texas Longhorns Texas may be the hottest team in the Big XII right now. On a five game winning streak with three consecutive wins over ranked opponents, they continue to build momentum. I would not want to be Kansas on Saturday.
4 Oklahoma St. Cowboys The biggest weakness of this team continues to be Travis Ford. During his tenure, the Cowboys are 12-34 on the road in conference. Something needs to change if Oklahoma St. plans on winning the conference outright.
5 Kansas St. Wildcats Boasting wins over the Oklahoma teams, Bruce Weber appeared to be on track to challenge Kansas. But, the Wildcats are on a two game slide as a trio of players struggle to carry this team.
6 Iowa St. Cyclones Things are once again going well for the Cyclones with a return home and a win over a top 25 opponent. We’ll see if they can keep the ball rolling and pick up steam as a tough Oklahoma team comes to town next.
7 Baylor Bears The Bears jumped out of the gate with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats. However, since then, things have spun out of control. On a four game skid, Baylor remains 1-5 in conference and is desperately attempting to right the ship.
8 Texas Tech Red Raiders Undoubtedly, Texas Tech is a team that is improving. Putting a mark in the win column against the Baylor Bears certainly helps there case. But, the depth of the Big XII will likely keep this team below the .500 mark.
9 West Virginia Mountaineers While the Mountaineers are 3-4 this season during conference play, they have yet to log the big win some of the other programs already have. With wins over TTU (2) and TCU, you have to wonder if this team will be able to surprise a few down the stretch.
10 TCU Horned Frogs Simply put, the Horned Frogs are 0-7 in conference play. It doesn’t get much worse than that.

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Oklahoma Football Recruiting | Bedlam Gives 2014 Recruit, Deondre Clark, Negative Impression

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With Bedlam Basketball taking place on Big Monday, a top recruiting target decided to drop in. The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to round out the 2014 class with a few late commitments just before National Signing Day. Deondre Clark, the brother of Oklahoma St. Cowboy’s point guard, Stevie Clark, remains at the top of the list.

During the stint of the game, Deondre witnessed his brother collecting five fouls sending him to the bench. Per tradition of any college basketball venue, the student section chanted out “left, right, left, right” in unison with Stevie’s steps. When he finally reached the bench, a “sit down” was belted out from the students.

The move may have given Deondre a negative impression.

That’s some BULL..Is this what SoonerNation is All About??? Good Game Bro!!!!

— Dre Clark (@ClarkBoy_2) January 28, 2014

Deondre is currently committed to the LSU Tigers as the Sooners have really come on hard as of late. After a change of plans, the prospect made an unexpected official visit to the university last weekend. Still sitting on the fence, could the outcome of a basketball game sway Deondre? Only time will tell but until then, he remains a want and need at Oklahoma.

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Oklahoma Sooners Make It 10-Straight At Home Against Oklahoma St. Cowboys With 88-76 Victory

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For the tenth consecutive time, the Oklahoma Sooners have defended home court against in-state rival, the Oklahoma St. Cowboys. While the bench sparked an early 20-10 behind a 12-0 run, it was a team effort keeping the little brother at an arms distance due to foul trouble. Tyler Neal stepped in and contributed 15 points as OU sealed an 88-76 victory over a quality opponent. The resume continues to build!

Oklahoma St. found a rhythm thanks to solid guard play. Hitting a pair of three balls, Marcus Smart scored the Cowboys first six points as they strayed away from attacking the rim. Markel Brown followed suit hitting a long two before throwing down a vicious dunk for OSU’s first points inside the paint. Knowing the Sooners lacked depth in the blocks, analysts considered to question Travis Ford’s decision to stick with perimeter game. Then it struck…

Ryan Spangler, considered to be a crucial piece of this team, found himself on the bench with 9:42 left in the first half. After a successful outing, questions surfaced as to how well this team would perform without him on the floor. However, the Sooners found a bit of relief as Le’Bryan Nash and Marcus Smart picked up two fouls a piece in the first half relegated them to the bench. Three of the biggest names in the game now sat on the sideline while a familiar name took over.

Possessing the ability to hit from anywhere on the floor, Phil Forte III single-handedly willed the Cowboy to within five at 33-38. Despite his efforts, O-State never regained the lead an trailed 38-46.

The second half played witness to a resurgence of Jordan Woodard. Scoring just a single point in the first half, Woodard continued to take advantage of his counterpart, Smart, being in foul trouble as he consistently drove the lane offensively and created turnovers on defense. The game may have been summed up in a single play as Woodard got Brown in the air hoping to draw contact. Instead, he tosses up a prayer that dropped in from behind the arc. The rest was history as Woodard dropped 17 of his 18 points in the second half.

Spangler was not to be outdone by the frosh though. Pulling down a career high 17 rebounds after missing 11 minutes in the first half is almost unheard of. There is no denying it, Spangler sets the tone for this team and will continue to be counted on to play bigger than he truly is.

Often playing from a double-digit deficit. Forte came alive once again as he pouring in three-pointer after three-pointer on 6-of-6 attempts to finish with 20 points. The stars of the squad, Nash had a disappoints outing as he fouled out with just 8 points while Smart dropped a game high 22.

Up next, the Sooners will have a rematch with the Iowa St. Cyclones on February 1st.

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MBB | Sooners host Cowboys – Preview

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Both teams ranked for the first time since 2005

Who: Oklahoma Sooners (16-4, 5-2 Big 12) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (16-3, 4-2 Big 12)
When:  p.m. – Saturday, January 25th
Where: Lloyd Noble Center
TV: ESPN – Big Monday

For the first time since 2005 the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys meet ranked. Both teams moved up in this week’s AP rankings, raising the stakes even higher.

Oklahoma reported last week that they’ve already sold out tonight’s game.

Oklahoma is coming off a big 74-65 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and moved into a tie for second place in the Big 12 Conference. Senior Cameron Clark and Sophomore Buddy Hield have been doing really well for the Sooners lately. Hield has been the leading scorer for the Sooners over last couple of games.

“This group is growing,” Sooners coach Lon Kruger said. “We’re still learning. We’re still growing. But we’ve done a good job finishing ball games.”

For the Cowboys, they survived a scare from West Virginia Mountaineers. The Cowboys had to deal with draft phenom, Marcus Smart having one of his worst games of his collegiate career. He finished with just four points on 1-of-7 shooting. The Cowboys won, moved up in the rankings and help set up this huge game we’re about to see tonight.

Smart, a consensus top 5 draft pick isn’t the only real threat Oklahoma State will throw at the Sooners tonight. Le`Bryan Nash and Markel Brown can score in bunches for the Cowboys. Nash is a late to second round pick in the latest DraftExpress.com projections. Brown is as well.

That’s not counting Phil Forte, who can drain it from deep from the bench and a straight dead eye from the chairty stripe. Stevie Clark, a top 100 high school prospect out of Douglass high school in Oklahoma City. He’s had some off the court issues but has seemed to have resolved them. He had 10 points in the win off the bench versus West Virginia.

“It’s Bedlam,” Nash said after Saturday’s win. “It don’t get no better than this. It’s two good teams. We’re going into their house. We really want to win. We’ve got to give it to Oklahoma, they’ve got some good wins, and it’s going to be tough.”

Rich DeCray gives his key to tonight’s game.

Oklahoma needs to find a way to drain the three ball tonight. If they are missing like they did in the first half against Baylor Bears, the Cowboys have the potential to run the Sooners out of the building. This offense that Lon Kruger runs is predicated on using the three-point shot to open up some scoring in the paint. Even against Baylor, the three-point attempts allowed the paint to be expanded due to the 2-3 zone that Baylor threw at them.

A quick start for the Sooners, getting a sold out LLoyd Noble involved could be instrumental for the Sooners upsetting the No. 8 ranked Cowboys. However, if the Sooners come out and lay an egg, it could mean a long night. One thing we can count on is the experience Oklahoma has already dealt with here in the Big 12. They played Kansas Jayhawks and the Iowa St. Cyclones, who were ranked in the top 15, at home. So, they’re getting accustomed to playing really good teams.

Make sure you visit Cowboys Ride For Free for their view of tonight’s Bedlam contest.

Bedlam has happened 224 times in this history of the two schools. Oklahoma owns the 129-95 advantage over the time frame. Last season, the two schools split, and won on their home floors. Oklahoma State won, and rushed the court after the overtime victory. As stated, the Cowboys haven’t won in Norman since 2004 and the Sooners are a lifetime 81-26 versus the Cowboys. Oklahoma has won 12 of the last 13 in Norman.

A limited amount of standing room only tickets can be purchased at the box office for $15.00 starting at 6:30pm

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Bedlam Basketball | It Could Come Down To This

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This evening, the Oklahoma Sooners are set to host the Oklahoma St. Cowboys in the first round of Bedlam Basketball. In one of the most highly anticipated games this side of the Mississippi, a single factor may decide the outcome. At 8 PM CST, all eyes will be on the undersized bigs of Ryan Spangler for the Sooners and Kamari Murphy for the Cowboys. While both are similar in size at 6-8, it will be their differences at the forefront of the scene.

Kamari Murphy may very well be a talented player but lacks experience. Being thrust into a starting role after senior, Michael Cobbins sustained a torn achilles and was relegated to the sideline for the remainder of the season. With the ability to face up against anyone in the nation, Murphy often lacks a consistent aggressive mentality. The mindset manifests itself when going up against a more physical defender as the sophomore tends to back down. Sure, Murphy is coming along as evidenced by the game against West Virginia, but in the words of Marcus Smart, he needs to “prove it” more often.” On Big Monday, Murphy faces possibly the most physical forward in the Big XII…Ryan Spangler.

After not being recruited by Jeff Capel, Ryan Spangler found acceptance in the eyes of Head Coach Lon Kruger. Although this talented sophomore lacks experience as well, he has proven his worth over and over. Behind multiple double-doubles, Spangler is a major cog of this machine on the hardwood. No matter where he is on the floor, Spangler has a knack for positioning himself well on the glass. There is potential for a career type night in rebounds being matched up against someone of equal size, a rarity in today’s game.

The key for Murphy is to attack the rim while forcing Spangler to guard him in the face up game. When Spangler gets in foul trouble, the Sooners struggle and it could lead to the first win for the Cowboys in Norman since 2004. Of course, that is tougher said than done as Spangler is smart player. How it all ends, we will soon known. Until then…BOOMER!

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Weekly Roundup | Far Reaching Effects, No Redshirt Ty, 2014 Expectations

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Still riding high, Sooners could land big recruits – The Norman Transcript

There are 10 days remaining until National Signing Day. There is just enough time for Oklahoma to close what could be a monumental five-week period in the program’s history.

The Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama on Jan. 2 clearly elevated the Sooners’ perception on the recruiting trail.

The biggest impact – recruiting wise – will likely be felt in 2015. OU has a junior day scheduled for next Saturday and it will include many high-profile recruits.

But there are ramifications that have been much bigger than a ripple.

Center Ty Darlington won’t receive redshirt season for 2013, will be classified as a junior next year – NewsOK

Oklahoma center Ty Darlington has been informed that he is not eligible for a redshirt season despite barely playing in 2013, and will be classified as a junior next season, according to a source close to Darlington.

Darlington was active for nine plays in the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe, then played a few snaps on special teams in wins over Notre Dame and Texas Tech.

Oklahoma football: Dallis Todd: Class of 2014 has high expectations – The Oklahoman

Throughout the recruiting process, Todd has gotten to know several of his fellow OU commitments, and said the group has very high expectations for itself.

“We want to win national championships and the Big 12,” Todd said. “Those are the expectations that everybody is talking about. There are a lot of expectations, but we don’t let it get to us. We want to carry on the tradition that they left in the past, and keep Oklahoma the way it’s been.”

Big XII well represented in Super Bowl XLVIII – CFBNation – ESPN

Super Bowl XLVIII will have a certain Iowa State flair.

That’s because both heads coaches in the game, Seattle’s Pete Carroll and Denver’s John Fox, are both former Iowa State assistants.

Carroll was an assistant defensive backs coach with the Cyclones in 1978. Fox was also a defensive backs coach for Iowa State in 1984.

Fox’s one season in Ames, Iowa, however, didn’t go quite as well as Carroll’s. The Cyclones finished 2-7-2 with Fox as secondary coach.

But with Carroll, Iowa State went 8-4 and made the Hall of Fame Classic bowl. It would be 22 years before the Cyclones would make another bowl game.

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WBB | Tough defense leads Sooners to 63-52 victory

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Aaryn Ellenberg gets hot in the second half, finishes with 19 points

It wasn’t pretty, but the Sooners got the victory. TCU gave a little scare, but there was a win tonight.

Oklahoma (13-7, 4-3 Big 12) fought off a really stingy Horned Frogs (12-7, 3-4 Big 12) in what is considered a typical Big 12 basketball game. The game was a contest of floor diving and tough, hard fouls with some clutch shooting that helped put the game away.

The Sooners jumped on the Horned Frogs early, grabbing their first double digit lead when Kaylon Williams hit the lay up to give the Sooners the 17-6 lead. they would push it to as much as 21-9 before the Horned Frogs would finally start to make a charge in the game.

Senior, Aaryn Ellenberg continued her scoring streak, she finished with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting. She hit three 3-pointers that moved her closer to the NCAA record 391 three-pointers. She is 48 away from the record.

After the Sooners grabbed the 21-9 lead, The already tough Horned Frog defense held the Sooners to just eight points over the final 6:58 of the half.

While the Sooners played decently in the first half, shooting 52.6 percent on 10-of-19 shooting. It was the turnovers that hurt Oklahoma. They committed 12 turnovers, which limited to their offensive opportunities. Most of those turnovers came when Morgan Hook had to sit with two fouls. She only played seven minutes in the first half.

“I think we controlled the game better.” Hook on taking care of the ball in the second half. “We pushed it when we wanted to push it. I don’t feel anything was forced.”

After shooting just 2-of-6 from three-point range, the Sooners were very impressive in the second half from beyond the arc. They were 6-of-12 in the second half. It was part of how Oklahoma was able to build their lead to as much as 20 points in the second half.

TCU didn’t give up. Give those Horned Frogs credit. They fought hard. It was very sloppy, but hard. They were able to cut the Sooners lead to as low as nine late in the second half when Donielle Breaux drained a three-pointer. They held the Sooners to no field goals in the final 5:45 of the game. They forced bad shots by the Sooners, but Oklahoma was able to hit their free throws which put the game away.

Oklahoma’s ability to change up their defense. They changed it from zone to man-to-man and then back to zone. Really pushing up the contested shots.

“I credit Aaryn [Ellenberg] she just had that look in her eye from the get go,” head coach Sherri Coale said. “She limited their touches and they got deep into the shot clock several times and forced somethings. Our attention to detail was really significant.”

Ellenberg responded by hitting a some free throws and a jumper to close out the victory.

For the Sooners, they’ll now travel to Manhattan, Kan. to take on the Kansas St. Wildcats in their second match up of the season. Oklahoma won their previous game 61-50 back on January 11th.

It’s the first time Oklahoma has won back-to-back game since Oklahoma beat Samford and Texas Tech around New Year’s Day.

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No. 25 Sooners roll in Lubbock – Beat Red raiders 74-65

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The Sooners show their Top 25 worth by leading wire-to-wire.

In his previous game, Cameron Clark struggled against the TCU Horned Frogs. He shot just 4-of-13 in the game and the Sooners struggled to hold on and get the win.

However, against the Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-10, 2-5 Big 12), Clark redeemed himself in the best way. The senior shot 8-of-12 from the floor, scoring 17 points as the Oklahoma Sooners (16-4, 5-2 Big 12) led wire-to-wire over the Red Raiders for their fifth Big 12 win of the season.

The win helped the Sooners continue in a tie for second place in the Big 12 with the Texas Longhorns who are also 5-2 in the conference. Both teams trail Big 12 undefeated Kansas Jayhawks, who are 5-0.

Get the Texas Tech version of today’s game over at Viva The Matadors.

Buddy Hield continues his hot streak for the Sooners win these games. Hield scored 18 points on 18 points, including four three-pointers.

Jordan Woodard scored 15 points, 11 in the first half. He contributed eight assists. The Big 12 leader in free throw attempts also got to the line three times, making two of them.

Oklahoma created separation between the two Big 12 teams early in the contest. Woodard was feeling it early. He hit a jumper and Tyler Neal hit one as well. All of a sudden, the Sooners led 19-9 with 11:26 left in the first half. They collected their largest lead when Clark drained a contested jumper with 4:22 remaining in the half at 35-21.

Defensively, the Sooners made the Red Raiders pay when turning the ball over. They turned 11 Texas Tech turnovers into 14 points. While the Red Raiders only scored three points off Sooner miscues.

Texas Tech fought back, the closed the half on a quick 8-3 run, cutting the Sooners lead from 35-21 to 38-29 at the break.

Oklahoma was in a comfortable lead until late in the second half when the Red Raiders cut the lead to 56-52 with 6:27 remaining when Jaye Crockett slammed home the dunk.

The Sooners shut it down quickly, responding with an 11-3 run over the 1:19 to put the game out of reach at 67-57.

When it mattered, the Red Raiders couldn’t hit their free throws that could have kept the game closer, while the Sooners were clutch. They hit five of six free throws to seal the deal.

After struggling against the Horned Frogs shooting, the Sooners shot 50 percent for the game and were efficient all around the board. They didn’t take too many three’s and really gave themselves great looks at the rim. Another great benefit of Lon Kruger’s system.

Oklahoma collected their 16th win a lot earlier than last year. It wasn’t until February 20th, also against Texas Tech, when they collected their 16th win.

OU tied a season low with seven turnovers.  They outscored Texas Tech 14-3 off turnovers (the Red Raiders committed 11).

Oklahoma will now get ready for No. 11 Oklahoma St. Cowboys for Big Monday on ESPN. It’ll be the first time since 2005-06 season that both teams will enter the game ranked nationally. The Cowboys haven’t won in Norman since 2004. That was the same year the Cowboys went to the NCAA Final Four.

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WBB | Bring on the Horned Frogs – TCU Preview

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Sooners look to ride momentum to win over TCU

Who: Oklahoma Sooners (12-7, 3-3 Big 12) vs. TCU Horned Frogs (12-6, 3-3 Big 12)

When: 7 p.m. – Saturday, January 25th
Where: Loyd Noble Center – Norman, Okla.
TV: Fox College Sports (699 Cox, 649 AT&T U-Verse, 608/623/626 DirecTV)

Head over to Frogs O’ War for the complete TCU coverage of the game.

How do you keep your fire lit after beating a top 20 team on the road? You bring in a solid TCU team. They’re 12-6 on the season, and 3-3 in the Big 12 Conference.

TCU is coming off a 54-48 win over the Texas Longhorns. It’s the first in TCU history that they were able to beat the Longhorns. So, they’re also riding a wave of momentum.

It’s been a tough go, for the most part here in Big 12 for Horned Frogs. They’ve dropped two out of the last three games, and those two games have been to ranked teams, to the then-No. 11th ranked Oklahoma St. Cowgirls and the then-No. 7th Baylor Bears.They’re 3-0 versus unranked Big 12 teams, and 0-3 versus ranked teams. Will that change Saturday night?

The Horned Frogs don’t score a lot of points, but they are pretty good defensively. They’re ninth in the Big 12 with 53.2 points per game, and are allowing 61.3 ppg. They’ve only scored over 80 points three times this season. All three times against very small conference opponents.

TCU is lead by Sophomore, Zahna Medley. Despite TCU’s offensive woes this season, she’s averaging 15.0 ppg. That’s almost 30 percent of their team scoring. We’ll look for Morgan Hook to try and limit her defensively. Hook’s a solid defender that will be able to body up Medley and hopefully give her fits. Medley was huge in their win over Texas. She had 12 points, six rebounds and six assists in the victory.

Natalie Ventress and Latricia Lovings are two more Horned Frogs that have been able to give teams fits. Ventress is second in scoring with 10.6 ppg and Lovings ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 7.8 rebounds per game. So, looks like Aaryn Ellenberg and Nicole Griffin will have their hands full tonight.

Oklahoma’s Ellenberg will look to be explosive once again on offense. She’s been in the zone the last couple of games. She’s averaging 27.5 ppg on 45 percent shooting the last four games. She’s just be insane since being limited in her first meeting against Iowa St. I don’t think TCU has anyone that can stop Ellenberg.

Between the Horned Frogs and the Sooners, these teams have met 17 times in their school’s histories. The Sooners lead the series 14-3. TCU hasn’t beaten Oklahoma since 2011 and that game was in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU has defeated the Sooners in Norman one time… in 1993. It was a 79-73 Horned Frog victory back when the Sooners weren’t very good and wanted to cancel the program.

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Oklahoma Football Recruiting | 5-6 More Commits Coming for 2014 Class

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5-6 More Commits Coming for 2014 Class

This is the calm before the National Signing Day Storm. OU is looking to close out the 2014 class in style. Barring any unforeseen offers (this could easily end up being the case) the remaining players in the 2014 class should come from these 5-6 remaining players.

1. Kenyon Frison 6’6″ 290lbs. OT West Valley City, Utah. Frison is down to OU and Arizona St. after he recently decommited from Utah. Frison should make a decision before signing day (likely next week). Frison is a 4 star recruit on Rivals.

Here is a video clip of Frison in action

OL Kenyon Frison (via Hudl Studios)

2. Miciah Quick 6’0 170lbs. WR/DB from Fresno, CA. Quick is down to OU and either UCLA or Notre Dame. OU looks to be the clear cut favorite at this point. Quick could excel at slot WR or Cornerback. Look for him to get his shot at slot WR. Quick is a 4 star recruit on Rivals and a Top 100 player in the nation.

Here is a clip of Quick in action.

2014 WR/ATH Michiah Quick 2013 season highlight remix (via Prep1Force)

3. Steven Parker 6’2 185lbs.S from Jenks, OK. Parker is down to OU and A&M with Auburn lurking but seemingly no real threat. Parker has a chance to play early and often for the Sooners in the secondary at safety. Parker is a 4 star recruit on Rivals and a Top 100 player in the nation.

Here is a clip of Parker in action

DB Steven Parker – Jenks – Highlights (via Scout)

4. Deondre Clark 6’3″ 230 lbs. DE/OLB from Oklahoma City, OK Clark will most likely line up at OLB in OU’s 3-4 Defense. Clark is a current LSU commit but is strongly considering OU. This weekend will go a long way to determining Clark’s future as he visits Baton Rouge. Clark is a 4 star recruit with Rivals.

5. Courtney Garnett 6’2″ 280 lbs. DT from New Orleans, LA. Garnett is down to OU, Tenn, and Oregon. OU leads for Garnett by a large margin. Garnett is a 3 star recruit with Rivals.

Here is a clip of Garnett is action

Courtney Garnett – #50 – St. Augustine (LA) (via MaxPreps High School Sports)

6. Lukayus McNiel 6’7″ 270lbs. OT from Indianapolis, IN. McNiel recently decommitted from Louisville, but is still strongly considering the Cardinal program. OU and Indiana join Louisville as the teams vying for his signature.

Adding these 6 players to the 2014 class would make this good class truly special. The next week and a half should be action packed for the Sooners as we approach National Signing Day on February 5th.

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Report: QB Baker Mayfield leaving Texas Tech to walk on at Oklahoma

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It is not often that a quarterback who started for one team will transfer to a conference rival that following offseason. That looks to be what Texas Tech quarterback Baker Mayfield will be doing. Reports Thursday say Mayfield will enroll at Oklahoma and walk on to the Sooners. The Austin American Statesman reported Thursday Mayfield intends to enroll…

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Six finalists named for Rimington Award

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The six finalists for the Rimington Trophy, presented to the most outstanding center in college football, have been announced. They are: Reese Dismukes of Auburn, Hroniss Grasu of Oregon, Gabe Ikard of Oklahoma, Tyler Larsen of Utah State, Bryan Stork of Florida State and Travis Swanson of Arkansas. The winner of the Rimington Trophy is selected by determining the consensus…

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Oklahoma Football Recruiting | Current Commit Tips Top Target’s Hand

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With a handful of scholarships left to distribute and National Signing Day around the corner, the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff remains on the recruiting trail. It goes without saying one scholarship has been set aside for a top in-state target, 4-star safety Steven Parker. During his official visit, a hard sell was presented…heck, even a few of the current commits decided to get in on the courtship of this talented high school senior. While clearly impressed, Parker continues to remain relatively silent concerning his future decision.

However, conversations with Carson Meier, a tight end commit from Union HS, may have tipped Parker’s hand.

My gut feeling is OU. He speaks more about OU than any other school. – Carson Meier via Scout.com

Wait a second! What relationship do Meier and Parker have seeing as they played on opposing teams in the OSSAA 6A State Championship? Simple. The two have friends dating back to their days of playing AAU Basketball. To go even further, Meier and Parker made several unofficial trips to Norman together.

The notion remains that Oklahoma is a clear front runner, but the Texas A&M Aggies still have a hand in the cookie jar. Head Coach Kevin Sumlin showed up on Parker’s front door the day after the safety returned from his official visit to OU. Left on the tour, Parker scheduled official visits to Oklahoma St. (Jan. 24th) as well as Auburn (Jan. 31st) and fans should not expect a decision to be made until he returns.

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