At the onset of the game, the Oklahoma Sooners lacked focus allowing the TCU Horned Frogs to earn an eight point halftime lead. Continuing to trail throughout the second half OU finally grabbed the lead with 3:46 left in regulation. Making a final push, the Sooners secured a 67-60 win over the Horned Frogs in Norman.
Three Takeaways
Oklahoma’s Starting Five Among Best Units Nationally
Of course, Buddy Hield continues to star on this roster leading the Big XII in scoring. This afternoon, the junior continued to showcase why he is the best the conference has to offer with a 21 point and 13 rebound outing. However, the other four starters consistently contribute to the effort. On any given night, one of the starting five may experience a slump in one area or another. Fortunately, someone always seems to answer the call stepping up to the challenge. Isaiah Cousins fell one shy of his season average adding 10 points of his own while TaShawn Thomas eclipsed his seasonal mark with 15 points. Ryan Spangler collected 10 of his own to stay on average with Jordan Woodard falling a single point shy of his average with 8 points on the afternoon. As a group, the starting five have consistently carried the load on both ends of the court leading to a third consecutive 20-win season.
Lon Kruger Can Simply Coach
With the game coming to a close, Kruger made a calculated risk. Playing man-to-man defense throughout the second half, the decision was made to switch to a zone coming out of a timeout. Expecting to dribble and drive, Trey Zeigler met a crowd in the paint. The missed jumper forced the Horned Frogs to foul Woodard, an 83.6% free throw shooter, who knocked down both to all but seal the fate of the Frogs.
The Disappearing Act From The Bench
After raving about the effort from the bench and more specifically Frank Booker, the sharp shooter drilled a three pointer early. Looking to continue to run into the post season, the bench quickly became a reliable group for production allowing the starters a quick break. Now things have reverted to normal with the starting five carrying the load and pouring in 64 of the 67 total points. There are two tough matchups remaining on the schedule allowing the bench an opportunity to redeem itself. The Sooners certainly need the likes of Booker, Dinjiyl Walker, and Khadeem Lattin if they hope to win the Big XII regular season.
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