Huge 2016 LB Recruiting Overview

It’s no secret (as I have been harping on it for over a year) that the Sooners need to begin to stockpile talent at the linebacker positions. The Sooners will lose 4 linebackers after next season (Bond, Striker, Lindley, and Shannon). So 4 linebacker commitments are needed at minimum to replace those who are leaving. Regardless of what Bob Stoops said on National Signing Day, the Sooners wanted at least one additional linebacker in the class of 2015, which resulted in 2 players (DeBerry and McGinnis). So I would set the number at 5 linebackers for the class of 2016 (although I would like the Sooners to take 6).

The good news is the not only have the Sooners offered numerous linebacker prospects, but appear to be in really good shape for lots of them. Here is the exhaustive list of linebacker offers as of today. (WARNING LONG POST AHEAD)

CURRENT COMMIT(S)

1. Jon-Michael Terry 6-2/225

CURRENT OFFERS

1. Dontavious Jackson 6-2/240

OFFERS: Bama, ASU, Ark, Aub, Baylor, Cal, Colorado, Duke, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Mich St., Mizzou, Nebraska, OKState, Oregon, TCU, Texas, A&M, TTech, Vandy, Washington.

The Sooners have a major advantage with Jackson. He is from the same school and good friends with current Sooner LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. The Sooners will be in on Jackson to the end and many believe he will end up a Sooner.

2. Rahshaun Smith 6-2/225

OFFERS: Any school he wants to go to. He literally has offers from everyone.

The Sooners have again a nice advantage in that Smith is good friends with current Sooners Charles Tapper. I fully expect the Sooners to be in on Smith to the end, but I think they will just miss out on him.

3. Caleb Kelly 6-3/215

OFFERS: Any school he wants to go to. He like Smith has offers from anyone.

The Sooners appear to be Kelly’s favorite as he is good friends with Michiah Quick and has a good relationship with Chip Viney. I expect him to be a part of the Sooners class of 2016.

4. Erick Fowler 6-3/235

OFFERS: Bama, Baylor, FSU, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Mizzou, Nebraska, Oregon St., TCU, Texas, UCLA, and the Sooners.

I expect this to be a Longhorn/Sooner battle probably resulting in Fowler wearing the ugly shade of orange.

5. Marvin Terry 6-2/225

OFFERS: Ark, Cal, Louisville, OkState, Oregon, SMU, TCU, TTech, UCLA, Wisconsin and the Sooners.

He is best friends with 2015 Sooner DB signee Prentice McKinney. It would be a shock if he didn’t end up a Sooner.

6. Bryce Youngquist 6-2/210

ASU, Colorado, Northwestern, Oregon, Utah, Washington St., Wisconsin, and the Sooners.

Youngquist’s recruiting is just now taking off but the Sooners sit in decent position with ASU and Oregon at this point.

7. Jeffrey McCulloch 6-2/230

OFFERS: Bama, ASU, Auburn, Baylor, Cal, Colorado, Duke, UGA, Illinois, KSU, LSU, Mich, Mich St., Mizzou, Neb, Oregon, Purdue, Texas, A&M, TTech, USC, Vandy, and the Sooners.

This is a guy who appears to be zeroing in on the Sooners, Horns, and Aggies. Sadly he probably ends up like Fowler in an ugly shade of orange.

8. Calvin Bundage 6-3/200

OFFERS: Zona, Houston, Iowa St., Michigan, OkState, TTech, Tulsa, and the Sooners

The local prospect barring something unforeseen should end up a Sooner. Because of Bundage’s athletic ability he could also end up at Safety.

9. Mark Jackson 6-3/220

OFFERS: Baylor, Texas, TTech, and the Sooners.

Some recruiting database’s have him listed at 6-4 and as a DE, but in the Sooners 3-4 defense he will surely be an OLB. I expect him to be a Sooner come NSD 2016.

10. Jordan Carmouche 6-1/220

OFFERS: ASU, Ark, Baylor, BC, Colorado, Duke, Kansas, KSU, Mizzou, SMU, Texas, TTech, and the Sooners.

While the Sooners are definitely in the mix, I expect Carmouche to end up a Horn.

11. Pernell Jefferson 6-3/230

OFFERS: Miss St., Mizzou, TCU, TTech, and the Sooners

I expect him to commit to the Sooners and play alongside his former high school teammate and class of 2015 Sooner Arthur McGinnis.

OTHER OFFERS (SOONERS HAVE NO REAL CHANCE)

Lokenia Toailoa 6-0/213

Krys Barnes 6-2/220

Keion Joyner 6-4/220

Michael Divinity 6-2/205

Daniel Bituli 6-2/220

Brendan Ferns 6-2/220

Jalee Laguins 6-2/210

FINAL CLASS OF 2016 COMMIT PREDICTIONS

Jon-Michael Terry

Marvin Terry

Calvin Bundage (taken as a safety commitment)

Pernell Jefferson

Caleb Kelly

Dontavious Jackson

Mark Jackson

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MBB | 3 Questions As The Oklahoma Sooners Take On The Iowa State Cyclone

The Oklahoma Sooners currently stand one game behind Kansas in sole possession of second place in the conference. Hoping to climb the ladder and claim at least a share of the Big XII crown, a ver good Iowa St. Cyclones program stands in the way. As the two are set to clash on Big Monday, here are a few questions that must be answered.

Can Iowa St. Consistently Stop The Sooners?

We all know the Cyclones can score with a nation leading six players, headlined by Georges Niang, averaging double digits. Making the most of transfers from other Division I programs, Fred Hoiberg has this squad playing at a high level…on the offensive end of the court behind a league leading 79.1 points per game. However, defense is another story as Naz Long and the rest of the crew find themselves in the basement as far as the conference is concerned. On average opponents have scored 69.4 points against this squad. The last time these two teams met, ISU allowed their opponent to put up 94 points. Will they be able to stop the Sooners in Ames?

Can Oklahoma Secure A Win In Ames?

Road wins are difficult to come by. On the season, Oklahoma boasts a 5-5 record in true road but has not had great success in Ames since the inception of the Big XII. Sure, the Sooners own a 15-10 record over the Cyclones in that span. Yet, only 4 wins have come in Iowa. On the other hand, ISU dropped their first home game to Baylor this past week and now sports a 14-1 record in front of their home crowd. Riding a two game losing streak, this group looks for redemption with a win on Big Monday. Will Oklahoma be able to hand them a third consecutive loss?

Will The Sooners Move The Ball Efficiently?

Undoubtedly, Oklahoma has not been the most efficient team in moving the ball. Trailing Iowa St. in Norman, TaShawn Thomas kicked things into high gear consistently finding the open man from wherever he was on the floor. The senior forward recorded five assists while the team finished with 17, a number above their average 13 per game. Ball movement helped overcome a deficit, wore out a talent Cyclone squad, and eventually secured a win. The Sooners likely need a similar performance in Ames to continue holding sole possession of second place in the Big XII.

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Sooner Flashback: Antonio Perkins hits three against UCLA

Flashback: Antonio Perkins bruises the Bruins

For the youngins….  You know what it’s like, in those later rounds of your fantasy football draft, when Ted Ginn, Jr. pops up?  Let me introduce you to the Sooner who had as many punt returns for touchdowns as Ginn.

It was one of those days that, every time the punt team zigged, Perkins zagged.  His last two scampers went largely uncontested.  Think of punt retuns like “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” except playing at a disadvantage.  The Sooners guessed right three times in a row.

Perkins would go on to be a fourth round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns before getting cut.  His comeback bid in the CFL would end almost as soon as it started.  But for one day in 2003, he would electrify, setting an NCAA record that still holds.

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Geneo Grissom: Combine and Draft Overview

Geneo Grissom was a player that never really found a home on the football field during his time in Norman. Switching from TE to DE to LB surely led a player that never really reached his full potential while in a Sooner uniform. Grissom had some brief flashes of dominance as he utterly destroyed the Alabama offensive line in the Sugar Bowl and had an INT return for a TD against Tulsa. In addition to position moves, he also had several injury setbacks which cut short his senior year. The biggest question for Grissom is where does he fit at the next level? Does he find a role as an OLB in a 3-4 or a DE in a 4-3. His is the definition of a tweener and therein lies the problem. Here is Grissom’s combine overview as well as draft prediction.

HT: 6-3

WT: 262lbs.

ARM LENGTH: 33 3/8″

HANDS: 10 1/4″

40 YARD DASH: 4.81 seconds

BENCH PRESS: 20 reps

VERTICAL: 37″

BROAD JUMP: 9’8″

3 CONE DRILL: 7.24 seconds

20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.38 seconds

60 YARD SHUTTLE: 12.44 seconds

DRAFT PREDICTION:

RICH: 4th Round

MATT: 4th Round

DONNIE: 5th Round

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Oklahoma Sooners 67 – TCU Horned Frogs 60 | Beyond The Box Score

The Sooners reached that magical twentieth win on Saturday with a 67-60 defeat of TCU. With it, Oklahoma stays in the thick of the Big 12 championship race with just two games to go, including a trip to Ames, Iowa on Monday night. At 11-5 in conference play, the Sooners stand alone in second place in the conference standings and just a game back of Kansas. Here are a few things that you may, or may not, have noticed during OU’s win on Saturday.

* For the third consecutive year now the Sooners have reached at least twenty wins on the season.

* With 21 points and 13 rebounds, Buddy Hield recorded his fourth career double-double and third of the season.

* Eleven of TaShawn Thomas’ fifteen points came in the second half.

* Ryan Spangler grabbed just one rebound which is the fewest he’s ever recorded in his Sooner career.

* Jordan Woodard was 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

* The Sooners were outscored 13-12 off turnovers.

* Oklahoma has used the same starting lineup in every game this season. No other school from a “Power-5” conference has been able to do that.

* The Sooners are 8-0 against TCU in Norman.

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Four Home Runs Power Sooners Past BYU And To Series Win

The long ball was working for Oklahoma on Saturday and they took full advantage of it. Heading into game four of their series with BYU, the Sooners had a 2-1 lead in games and were just one win away from taking a series that was moved to Las Vegas because of winter weather in Oklahoma.

Seizing the moment, OU rocked BYU starter Maverick Buffalo for three runs in the first inning thanks to a pair of back-to-back home runs by Sheldon Neuse and Anthony Hermelyn. A one-out walk by Taylor Alspaugh allowed Neuse’s shot over the right field wall to be a two-run blast. Oklahoma tacked on another run in the fourth when a single by Kyle Mendenhall brought Craig Aikin home.

The final pieces of Oklahoma’s explosive offensive puzzle came in the eighth when a two-run homer by Hunter Haley scored both himself and Hermelyn and then three batters later Chris Shaw sent a solo shot over the left field wall. In all the Sooners scored seven runs off nine hits to take the final game, and the series from BYU, by a final of 7-1.

@HuntHaley4 with the bomb! @OU_Baseball http://ift.tt/18batjS

— anthony hermelyn (@anthonyhermelyn) February 28, 2015

In a series where each of the first three games were decided by a single run, Saturday’s blowout was a welcome change of pace. Starter Adam Choplick earned his first win of the season by going six strong innings and keeping the Cougars off the board until the sixth when Court Iorg scored their lone run on a passed ball. Choplick’s final stat line read 1 run, 4 hits, and 7 KO’s. Four Sooner relievers came in to close out the game for Oklahoma, including Thomas Mcllraith who fanned three BYU batters in two innings.

Oklahoma returns home to Norman to play against Arkansas Little Rock on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Notables

* Oklahoma’s four home runs was the most they’ve hit in a game since they recorded six against Kansas State in 2010.

* The Sooners also turned four double plays in the game which is a season-high.

* Craig Aikin’s new hitting streak is now up to eight games. He went 1-for-4 on the day.

* Sticking with the number four, Saturday was the fourth time this season that Oklahoma has held their opponent to just one run.

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The Final Score 67-60 | Oklahoma Sooners Earn 20th Win On The Season

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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Oklahoma Sooners Baseball | Alex Wise Strikes Again To Lead OU To Late Victory

If you like dramatic baseball and haven’t caught any of the series between Oklahoma and BYU then you’ve absolutely missed out. On Thursday night junior Alex Wise scored in the eighth inning, as a pinch runner, to give OU a 7-6 come from behind win. Friday afternoon it was BYU’s Derrick Whitney who delivered a ninth inning home run that allowed the Cougars to snap Oklahoma’s four-game winning streak by a final of 4-3.

On Friday evening it was Wise again, in the eight inning, who scored as a pinch runner to lead the Sooners to a 3-2 win. Three games. Three one-run victories. One game left on Saturday afternoon with Oklahoma having a 2-1 advantage in the series.

For the third consecutive game, BYU struck first when Brennon Lund scored off a Parker Starr single. Oklahoma got one back in the second when Hunter Haley came home on a double-play ball hit by Austin O’Brien. The Sooners took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth on a called balk that allowed Craig Aikin to score from third. Aikin led off the inning with a double and then advanced to third on a Taylor Alspaugh sacrifice bunt.

In the top of the eighth BYU looked to take control of the game again by scoring Andy Isom but an incredible play by right fielder Taylor Alspaugh and the appearance of Jacob Evans on the mound prevented the Cougars from doing any further damage. Alspaugh threw out Lund at home plate, on what would have been the go ahead run, and Evans pitched out of the eighth inning jam and finished the ninth to record his second win of the season.

With the Cougars having scored to tie the game in the top half of the eighth, Wise was now set once again to be the hero in the bottom half. Suffering a broken hand last weekend, Oklahoma’s junior utility guy has been relegated to a pinch runner’s role. All he needed was someone to get on for him and that guy was Robert Tasin who doubled to lead off Oklahoma’s half of the inning. Wise moved from second to third on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Ake and then scored the winning run when Alspaugh reached on a throwing error.

Oklahoma and BYU will play the fourth and final game of their series against BYU on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.

Notables

* Senior pitcher Jeffrey Curran set career-highs in innings pitched (7.1) and strikeouts (5).

* Junior outfielder Craig Aiken is streaking again. Since seeing his 17-game hitting streak come to an end last weekend, he has responded by recording a hit in each of Oklahoma’s last seven games.

* Friday night’s game was Oklahoma’s fourth consecutive in which they’ve recorded two or more doubles.

* The Sooners have split all three doubleheaders they’ve played this season.

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Oklahoma Sooners MBB | Behind Enemy Lines With Andrew Felts & Frogs O’ War

After a week off, the Oklahoma Sooners are back in action on the hardwood with a legitimate shot at winning the conference. Currently in a three way tie for second place, the Sooners must take the remainder of the season one game at a time. The TCU Horned Frogs are the first obstacle standing between Oklahoma and a potential regular season conference title. To preview the game, I reached out to Andrew Felts of Frogs O’ War. Here is what transpired…

CCM – The Horned Frogs earned their first regular season sweep since joining the Big XII. Is it a sign and that the program is headed in the right direction under third year coach, Trent Johnson?

Andrew Felts – Absolutely. There have been a lot of “firsts” this year, and that is a direct testament to the job that Trent Johnson and his coaching staff are doing to build this program. As you mentioned, the Frogs had their first regular season Big 12 sweep, their first Big 12 winning streak, and their first road Big 12 win, all since late January. Most people associated with the program realized going in that this was going to be a long-term project, so it is nice to start to see some dividends in the third season in the Big 12. With a strong finish to the season, TCU could see a return to the NIT for the first time since 2005. Any postseason play for the Frogs would be another big step in the right direction as far as building for the future is concerned.

CCM – Throughout the season, Texas Christian has found themselves in a handful of close match-ups. Unfortunately, the decision has usual gone against the Horned Frogs. With three games left in the season, what is a weakness the Sooners can exploit on Saturday?

AF – Two pretty consistent trends have emerged in most of TCU’s losses this season. First, in several of the Frogs’ losses, there have been long scoring droughts where opponents are usually able to create some separation. TCU has fought to the end in nearly every Big 12 game this season, but the Frogs sometimes go five, six, or seven minutes without a basket, which allows the opponent to pull away. This same phenomenon occurred in the first meeting between Oklahoma and TCU. It took the Frogs nearly five minutes to score from the field against the Sooners to open the game. What kept TCU in it, at least initially, was Oklahoma’s inability to take advantage of the Frogs’ struggles offensively. I think OU committed five or six turnovers during TCU’s scoring drought, or else the game could have been decided much earlier.

Secondly, in most of TCU’s losses this season, the Frogs have struggled to close out games. Many times, TCU will be within striking distance near the end of the game but will fail to grab and hold on to a lead. I think that a big key for the Sooners will be whether or not they can take advantage if the Frogs fall into one of these ruts, especially late in the game. Playing in front of a home crowd should help, as these offensive struggles are usually punctuated when the Frogs are on the road.

CCM – On each screen, the Oklahoma Sooners like to switch often pairing up a 6-0 PG, Jordan Woodard with a much taller guard. Who on the TCU roster can take advantage of such situations and will they?

AF – The biggest mismatch that can arise from this situation is likely with Trey Zeigler. The 6-5 guard often excels at exploiting mismatches and driving to the basket. He has been on fire lately, scoring in double figures in three of his last four games, including a 20-point night against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. The Sooners did a good job of keeping him in check during the first meeting, allowing just four points and four rebounds in limited minutes. Much like in the first game, it will be important for the Frogs as a team to exploit mismatches and really work the ball inside.

CCM – Oklahoma has dropped a single game at home this season. What does TCU need to do in order to keep this one close?

AF – The Sooners have been very good at home this season, while the Frogs have struggled on the road. Two big keys for the Frogs will be whether or not they can keep their confidence levels high, and whether or not they can keep their hot shooting going. As of late, this TCU squad has been riding a confidence high unlike anything we’ve seen this season. Winners of three of the last four, the Frogs are finally putting everything together and team confidence has boosted as a result. On the offensive end, things are finally clicking. In the last four games, the Frogs’ shooting percentage has risen from 37.3% to 47.5% while average points per game have increased from 59.7 to 70.5. To keep things close in Norman, I think the Frogs need to jump out to an early lead to keep their confidence high, as well as shoot around 50% to be able to compete with the Sooners’ offense.

CCM – Give us your score prediction once again.

AF – I really like the way that this TCU team is playing right now. Last weekend, the Frogs gave Kansas all they could handle inside Allen Fieldhouse, and I expect TCU to do the same to the Sooners today. The TCU offense is going to be the key, and if things are clicking, I think the Frogs could pull off a big road upset. I’m going to go out on a limb and take TCU, 70-65. (Why not, right?) I think the potential exists for Oklahoma to overlook TCU with their Big Monday showdown in Ames looming. However, with that being said, the Sooners are a very talented team, and they play great basketball at home, so I would not be surprised if Lon Kruger has his guys ready to go and they come away victorious.

The game tips off tomorrow at 1 PM CST. Make sure you join us here for the game thread as we discuss the on goings of all things Sooners.

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Oklahoma Baseball | Winning Streak Snapped By Ninth Inning Home Run

BYU left fielder Derrick Whitney took all of the air out of what was shaping up to be a second consecutive Oklahoma Baseball comeback in as many days. Approaching the the plate with two away in the top of the ninth of a tie game, Whitney took a 1-1 offering from Oklahoma’s junior righty Keaton Hernandez and sent it over the right field fence for the go ahead run.

After falling behind 3-1 in the top of the fifth, Oklahoma rallied in the bottom of the seventh when Sheldon Neuse and Anthony Hermelyn knocked in Josh Ake and Taylor Alspaugh. Having taken the momentum in the game it appeared as if the Sooners were going to repeat Thursdays come from behind win, until Whitney’s ninth inning swing.

Alec Hansen went seven innings for OU and was responsible for three runs. He fanned eight Cougar batters and gave up six hits. Because of Oklahoma’s seventh inning rally, the loss is credited to Hernandez rather than Hansen.

The 4-3 loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Sooners that ran back to last weekend’s appearance in the Big 12/Pac 12 Challenge.

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Sooners Rally Over BYU To Win Fourth Straight

The magic was back for Oklahoma in Las Vegas on Thursday night and the Sooners needed every ounce of it in their come from behind win over BYU. In his worst start of the season, Jacob Elliott was rocked for six runs in 4.2 innings. Fortunately he was relieved by Robert Tasin and Jacob Evans who kept the Cougars off the board, and hitless, the rest of the way. Evans picked up the win by striking out five BYU batters over the final two innings of the game.

For Cougars starter Kolton Mahoney it was feast or famine. He kept Oklahoma’s batters at bay through the first half of the game and then gave up runs in chunks. After a four-run top half of the fifth inning by the Cougars, OU struck for two in the bottom half and then exploded for three more in the fifth to tie it up and bounce Mahoney from from the game.

The decisive run came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Alex Wise crossed home plate on a Craig Aikin sacrifice to left field. Wise, playing with a broken hand, entered the game as a pinch runner for Chris Shaw who led off the inning with a double. Wise went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Ake and then became the unsung hero ninety feet later when Aikin pushed him across to complete the rally and a 7-6 Sooner win.

Taylor Alspaugh was huge from the plate for Oklahoma in the game. The senior was 3-of-5 from the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Aikin and Anthony Hermelyn were the only other Sooners to record multiple hits with two each. BYU shortstop Hayden Nielson was big for the Cougars by going 3-of-4 from the plate with an RBI and 2 runs scored.

Oklahoma’s win continues a streak of four consecutive wins that goes back to last weekend’s Arizona appearance in the Big 12/Pac 12 Challenge.

The Sooners and BYU will play two on Friday with Alec Hansen and Jeffrey Curran pulling starts for OU.

Notables

* The Sooners used their tenth lineup in eleven games.

* Oklahoma pitchers have struck out ten or more batters in each of the last five games.

* OU Baseball is 3-0 against BYU in Las Vegas and 6-1 overall against the Cougars.

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Weekend Baseball Thread | Oklahoma Sooners vs. BYU Cougars

Escaping the inclement winter conditions that are hitting the Oklahoma City Metro Area this weekend, the Oklahoma Sooners moved their weekend series with BYU to Las Vegas. The two teams will play single games on Friday and Saturday and a double-header on Friday.

Weekend Pitching Match-Ups
Game	Oklahoma	BYU
Thursday 3:00 p.m.	RHP-Jake Elliott 2-0, 0.64, 11 Ks	RHP-Kolton Mahoney 0-1, 4.91, 9 Ks
Friday (1) 3:00 p.m.	RHP-Alec Hansen 1-1, 6.75, 16	RHP-Jeff Barker 1-1, 4.09, 8
Friday (2) 6:30 p.m.	LHP-Jeffrey Curran 0-0, 1.29, 5	RHP-Brandon Kinser 0-0, 0.93, 3
Saturday 1:00 p.m.	TBA	RHP-Maverik Buffo 0-0, 3.86, 3

Oklahoma enters the weekend with a 6-4 record after a successful trip to Arizona for a game against the ASU Sun Devils and then the Big 12/Pac 12 Challenge. After dropping their first two games of the trip, Oklahoma ended the weekend with a three-game winning streak.

Kolby Carpenter leads the team in batting at .400 and is the reigning National Player of the Week. He’s gone yard four times and driven in 11 RBI. Craig Aikin is batting .316 and has crossed home plate a team-high twelve times. Jake Elliott continues to make a strong case to be the ace of the team. In two outings he’s built a 2-0 record and an astonishing 0.64 ERA. He’s KO’d 11 batters in 14 innings of work.

BYU comes into the weekend struggling with a 1-7 record on the season. Shortstop Hayden Nielson leads they way in team batting with a .364 average and despite having a 4.91 ERA, righty Kolton Mahoney has fanned 11 batters in two starts this season.

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Oklahoma Baseball | Sooners And BYU Cougars Collide In Las Vegas

Escaping the inclement winter conditions that are hitting the Oklahoma City Metro Area this weekend, the Oklahoma Sooners moved their weekend series with BYU to Las Vegas. The two teams will play single games on Friday and Saturday and a double-header on Friday.

Weekend Pitching Match-Ups
Game	Oklahoma	BYU
Thursday 3:00 p.m.	RHP-Jake Elliott 2-0, 0.64, 11 Ks	RHP-Kolton Mahoney 0-1, 4.91, 9 Ks
Friday (1) 3:00 p.m.	RHP-Alec Hansen 1-1, 6.75, 16	RHP-Jeff Barker 1-1, 4.09, 8
Friday (2) 6:30 p.m.	LHP-Jeffrey Curran 0-0, 1.29, 5	RHP-Brandon Kinser 0-0, 0.93, 3
Saturday 1:00 p.m.	TBA	RHP-Maverik Buffo 0-0, 3.86, 3

Oklahoma enters the weekend with a 6-4 record after a successful trip to Arizona for a game against the ASU Sun Devils and then the Big 12/Pac 12 Challenge. After dropping their first two games of the trip, Oklahoma ended the weekend with a three-game winning streak.

Kolby Carpenter leads the team in batting at .400 and is the reigning National Player of the Week. He’s gone yard four times and driven in 11 RBI. Craig Aikin is batting .316 and has crossed home plate a team-high twelve times. Jake Elliott continues to make a strong case to be the ace of the team. In two outings he’s built a 2-0 record and an astonishing 0.64 ERA. He’s KO’d 11 batters in 14 innings of work.

BYU comes into the weekend struggling with a 1-7 record on the season. Shortstop Hayden Nielson leads they way in team batting with a .364 average and despite having a 4.91 ERA, righty Kolton Mahoney has fanned 11 batters in two starts this season.

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Blogging The Bracket | Where Are The Sooners Projected To Go Dancing?

A quick look at the Big 12 basketball standings shows that Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa State, and West Virginia are all separated by just a single game. That means that the likely possibilities for the Sooners are to finish anywhere from first through sixth in the final conference standings. What this means for OU in the post season is that they could be anywhere from a #2 to a #8 in the NCAA Tournament.

Big 12 Standings

TEAM	CONF	OVERALL
Kansas	11-4	22-6
West Virginia	10-5	22-6
Iowa State	10-5	20-7
Oklahoma	10-5	19-8
Baylor	9-6	21-7
Oklahoma St	7-8	17-10
Kansas St	7-9	14-15
Texas	6-9	17-11
TCU	4-11	17-11
Texas Tech	2-14	12-17

Obviously a #8 seed would mean that Oklahoma dropped their final three regular season games (TCU, at Iowa State, Kansas) and went one-and-done in the conference tournament. The good news is, while possible, that’s the least likely scenario for the Sooners which just goes to show how far Lon Kruger has brought this program in just a few years.

The formula is simple for OU if they win out. Go 3-0 over the final stretch of conference play and the Sooners will travel to Kansas City with at least a share of the conference crown. Lose a game or two, or three, and the formula gets a whole lot more Einstein crazy like.

ESPN’s Bracketology currently has Oklahoma as a #3 seed in the West and taking on Louisiana Tech in Louisville. SB Nation also has the Sooners as a #3 seed in the west but playing Georgia State in Columbus.

Here’s how the two entities have have the rest of the conference projected.

School	ESPN	SB Nation
Baylor	#4 East	#4 South
Iowa St	#3 Midwest	#3 East
Kansas	#2 South	#2 Midwest
Oklahoma	#3 West	#3 West
Texas	#12 Midwest	#8 South
West Virginia	#5 South	#5 Midwest

Personally I think it’s still a bit of a long shot that the Big 12 gets seven teams in. Baylor did themselves a solid by beating Iowa State on the road Wednesday night but just about anyone would be extremely reluctant to place a wager on Texas and Oklahoma State making it. Both of those schools would need to both finish strong and then make a deep run in Kansas City.

As for the Sooners and everyone else? They’re pretty much locks and just playing for seeding.

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Big 12 reportedly raked in a record $225.9 million in 2013-14

In college sports, the rich never do anything but keep getting richer. According to federal tax records uncovered by CBSSports.com‘s Jon Solomon, the Big 12 distributed $225.9 million to its 10 members during the 2013-14 fiscal year. That’s up from a then-record $213 million provided a year ago. The league’s contracts with ESPN and Fox accounted…

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Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting / 3 New Offers Go Out for Class of 2016

This has been a busy day for the class of 2016 as multiple new offers were extended this evening. Here is an overview of the eventful night.

1. RB Trayveon Williams 5-9/190 C.E. King High School in Houston, TX.

OFFERS: ASU, Boise St., Colorado, KSU, Minnesota, Mizzou, Nebraska, OkState, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, TTech, and now the Sooners.

Had A Good Talk With The New Offensive Coordinator & Blessed To Say I Received An Offer From The New Staff
#Sooners http://ift.tt/1BQVAk2

— Trayveon Williams  (@TrayveonW) February 25, 2015

Trayveon would fit the new Sooner offense under Lincoln Riley pefectly.

2. DB Nigel Kott 6-0/170 Madison Central High School in Madison, MS.

OFFERS: Bama, FSU, Louisville, LSU, Miami (Fl), Michigan, Ole Miss, Miss. St., UNC, Tenn, Texas A&M.

Offer from The University of Oklahoma! #Boomer #BoomerSooner #Sooners #SoonerNation http://ift.tt/1BQVysx

— Nigel Knott (@nigelk09) February 25, 2015

3. DB Parrish Cobb 6-1/170 from La Vega High School in Waco, TX

OFFERS: Baylor, SMU, Tulsa, and now the Sooners

Just received offer #6 from OU !
#Sooners #Blessings

— That DB Dude (@PctheDb4) February 25, 2015

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Sam Bradford Headed to the Bills?

Sam Bradford is probably my favorite Sooner of the Bob Stoops era. I still remember him lighting up teams, breaking records, and his full out flip into the endzone against Oklahoma State. When drafted first overall to the St. Louis Rams, I was excited thinking that in time Bradford would be surrounded by an OL and WRs to compete at the highest level. That dream has all but died as Bradford’s career has been haunted by injuries and questionable player personnel acquisitions and draft picks.

I firmly believe that Bradford would be best served by a fresh start, and according to a Yahoo Sports article, that might just be on the verge of happening. The team that is eyeing Bradford appears to be the Buffalo Bills. There are some compelling reasons why this would be a good fit, but also let’s be honest its still Buffalo. The Bills have several things going for them that Bradford never really had in St. Louis.

Here are my reasons why this could be a good fit

1- A quality WR core

Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and even former Sooner Justin Brown as light years ahead of the weapons Bradford had in St. Louis.

2- A much easier path to the playoffs

The AFC East is a much easier division to play in. The Bills get the Jets and Dolphins twice a year. Yes they have the Patriots, but the NFC West is filled with games against the Cardinals, 49ers, and Seahawks. The Patriots are obviously the Super Bowl champs, but still this is a much easier path to success in Buffalo.

There are several reasons why this could end bad for Sam

1- Weather

QB’s in Buffalo have to have elite arm strength as outdoor games in Buffalo in December can be brutal on QB’s with even the strongest of arms.

2- Rex Ryan

He is meh as a head coach as far as I’m concerned. His foot obsession is also really weird. I don’t know if he is the answer to a team that has been mired in mediocrity and hasn’t made the playoffs since the 1999 season.

All of that being said, Bradford could find himself in a really good situation in Buffalo. A fresh start could be the best thing for him. He is also no slouch on the field when healthy. The last time he was healthy for a full season he ended the year with over 3700 yards passing, 21 TDs 13 INTs, and a QB rating of 82.6

Here’s to hoping that Bradford gets a fresh start even if it is in Buffalo.

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Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting / Sooners Offer 2016 LB Pernell Jefferson

The Sooners need for linebacker in the class of 2016 is big. While already having one commitment in Jon-Michael Terry, the Sooners have continued to evaluate and offer prospects for the class of 2016. That evaluation led to the offer of linebacker Pernell Jefferson. Pernell tweeted out the offer.

#Blessed to be Offered by Oklahoma Sooners http://ift.tt/1zDGbOr

— #32 Problems (@PDJ32) February 24, 2015

Jefferson plays for Warren East Senior High School in New Orleans, LA. He possesses great size 6-3/230 and he has some great film.

Pernell has offers from Miss St., Mizzou, TCU, Tulane, and now the Sooners. He was also the teammate of class of 2015 LB Arthur McGinnis.

It will be interesting to see if Jefferson wants to play with his teammate as the Sooner offer now gives him that chance. Should Pernell find himself apart of the class of 2016, he would fit in nicely at OLB.

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Oklahoma Baseball Notes | Carpenter Claims National And Conference Honors – Wise Out With Broken Hand

Kolby Carpenter’s big week earned him some honors both locally and nationally. On Monday the Big 12 Conference named him the Player of the Week and Collegiate Baseball News dubbed him as the National Player of the Week.

In Oklahoma’s five games last week he batted .471, scored seven times, drove in 9 runs, hit three home runs while also recording a double and a triple. I guess you could say that the kid was busy. Carpenter makes it back-to-back weeks for the Sooners having a conference Player of the Week. Pitcher Jake Elliott was recognized last week for his performance on opening day against Notre Dame.

In a bit of bad news for the Sooners, junior outfielder Alex Wise will miss six to eight weeks after suffering a broken left hand. The injury occurred against the Washington Huskies when he was hit by a pitch. Wise has scored eight runs this season and driven in five.

Oklahoma’s Tuesday game at Dallas Baptist has been postponed due to the winter storm. The Sooners are scheduled to host BYU for a four game series that is set to start on Thursday.

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Oklahoma Sooners Football / Jordan Phillips Combine and Draft Overview

Jordan Phillips time at OU was shortened by reoccurring back injuries and declaring for the NFL draft after his redshirt junior season. At time he was unblockable and then he would often disappear for games at a time. That being said he could in the right situation (3-4 defense) and with a run of good health become a dominant force in the NFL. Here is his combine overview and draft prediction.

HT: 6-5

WT: 329

ARM LENGTH: 34 3/4″

HANDS: 9 3/8″

40 YARD DASH: 5.17 seconds

BENCH PRESS: 28 reps

VERTICAL: 30″

BROAD JUMP: 8’9″

3 CONE DRILL: 7.88 seconds

20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.68 seconds

McShay says you have to be comfortable with Jordan Phillips. Mentioned his weight being an issue.

— Dan Kadar (@MockingTheDraft) February 23, 2015

WATCH: @OU_Football‘s Jordan Phillips (T-#5 interior DL via Mayock) runs 5.17 40 http://t.co/wodSct0ldS #NFLCombine http://ift.tt/1a9pbK1

— NFL (@nfl) February 22, 2015

Also check out this article from the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel for several scouts take on Jordan Phillips (you will need to scroll down a bit to find it).

Phillips will in my opinion be a huge boom or bust player. He has all the potential in the world to anchor a 3-4 defense at nose guard for a decade,  but he will need to continue to improve and put in the work necessary to see his NFL career live up to his potential. He would fit in nicely with the Browns at pick number 43.

DRAFT PREDICTIONS:

RICH: 2nd Round

MATT: 2nd Round

DONNIE- 2nd Round

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Oklahoma Sooners Move Up One Spot To No. 16 In Latest AP Poll

While the major story line around college basketball continues to center around the legitimate possibility of the Kentucky Wildcats running the table, a few other teams are peaking. One of those programs happens to be the Oklahoma Sooners who recently found a bit of bench scoring, a much needed aspect of the game if the gang hopes to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

After a tough loss last week on the road, Oklahoma responded with two wins including a 71-69 win victory over the Texas Longhorns. Sweeping both rivals during the regular season, the Sooners now hold the No. 16 national ranking. With three games to go, the potential to jump inside the top ten remains. Can OU continue to climb the ladder?

AP Top 25

Rank	Team	Record	Pts	Last
1	Kentucky Wildcats (65)	27-0	1625	1
2	Virginia Cavaliers	25-1	1526	2
3	Gonzaga Bulldogs	28-1	1471	3
4	Duke Blue Devils	24-3	1448	4
5	Wisconsin Badgers	25-2	1390	5
6	Villanova Wildcats	25-2	1306	6
7	Arizona Wildcats	24-3	1228	7
8	Kansas Jayhawks	22-5	1111	8
9	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	24-4	1109	9
10	Northern Iowa Panthers	26-2	1032	11
11	Wichita State Shockers	25-3	930	13
12	Iowa State Cyclones	20-6	887	14
13	Utah Utes	21-5	876	9
14	Maryland Terrapins	22-5	695	16
15	North Carolina Tar Heels	19-8	655	15
16	Oklahoma Sooners	19-8	622	17
17	Louisville Cardinals	21-6	613	12
18	Arkansas Razorbacks	22-5	564	18
19	Baylor Bears	20-7	473	20
20	West Virginia Mountaineers	21-6	453	23
21	SMU Mustangs	22-5	357	21
22	Virginia Commonwealth Rams	21-6	182	25
23	Butler Bulldogs	19-8	165	19
24	San Diego State Aztecs	22-6	117	27
25	Providence Friars	19-8	72	28
Others Receiving Votes: Georgetown 58, Michigan St. 56, Murray St. 42, Oklahoma St. 25, Ohio St. 12, Murray St. 20, Valparaiso 10, Texas A&M 8, Rhode Island 3, S.F. Austin 2, Texas 1, Oregon 1

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Oklahoma Sooners Football / Tyrus Thompson Combine and Draft Overview

Tyrus Thompson had every opportunity to improve his draft stock at the combine. Here is our 4th installment overviewing every draft eligible player for the Sooners. Tyrus anchored the left side of the offensive line for the Sooners for what seemed like a decade. He decided to not run the 40 yard dash at the combine in order to make sure he was as healthy as possible when he runs. He will most assuredly run at OU’s pro day. Here is an overview of his combine workouts and our draft projections for him.

HT: 6-5

WT: 324

ARMS: 34 7/8″

HANDS: 10 1/4″

BENCH PRESS: 29 reps

VERTICAL: 29″

BROAD JUMP: 8’1″

20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.92 seconds

Tyrus Thompson with 34 7/8’s” arms knocking out 29 bench reps? And he dropped down to 324 lbs? Great start for the big OT prospect

— Alex Brown (@OS_AlexBrown) February 19, 2015

@johnowning I wouldn’t call myself a big fan, but I wound up grading him higher than the RT -who i still like as a great 4th round option

— Alex Brown (@OS_AlexBrown) February 19, 2015

DRAFT PREDICTIONS:

RICH: 6th

MATT: 6th

DONNIE: 5th

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Seventh Inning Rally Leads Sooners To Third Consecutive Win

Sunday was a special day for Oklahoma junior Kolby Carpenter. As the Sooners were trying to closeout a winning week of baseball in Arizona it was Carpenter who literally provided the punch OU desperately needed.

Trailing 3-1 going into the seventh inning, the Sooners were on the verge of a rally. A one-out single (and then advancing to second on a throwing error) by Anthony Hermelyn give Oklahoma momentum. Austin O’Brien then knocked him home to cut the Utes lead to a single run at 3-2. Finally it was Carpenter’s time to shine and that’s exactly what he did. The 6-0/175 native of Waco, TX sent a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left-center to push the Sooners out front by what would ultimately be the final score of 4-3.

It was Carpenter’s second long ball of the day and third in the last four games. He also tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second with a shot that was pretty much placed in the exact same spot as his seventh inning bomb.

“Carpenter has been our most consistent player since day one and offensively he was awesome today,” Oklahoma head coach Pete Hughes said after the game.

Not lost in the heroics of Carpenter was another solid outing from the mound by Oklahoma’s pitching staff. Starter Corey Copping was responsible for all three of Utah’s runs. The Utes scored one run in the first and the other two in the third. Copping gave way in the fourth to Robert Tasin who pitched five innings of shutout ball and allowed just two hits while fanning six batters. Jacob Evans closed the game out by pitching the ninth.

Oklahoma’s ends with a 3-1 record in the Big 12/Pac 12 Challenge and a 3-2 overall record in Arizona. The also wrap up a brutal stretch of the season where they’ve played ten games in ten days. Recording a 6-4 record during that time, the Sooners are currently riding a three-game winning streak.

OU may be done in the desert but they still have one more stop before completing the trip home. The Sooners are scheduled to play at Dallas Baptist on Tuesday night before hosting BYU for a four-game series that is set to begin on Thursday.

Notables

* Sunday was Oklahoma’s ninth different lineup in ten games.

* An error on starting pitcher Corey Copping (pick-off attempt) snapped a four-game error free streak for the Sooners.

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Oklahoma Sooners Football / Adam Shead Combine and Draft Overview

Sorry for the delay in getting these out. Sometimes the job that pays the bills has to take precedence. That being said here is our 3rd installment giving an overview each draft eligible player for the Sooners. This article will look at Adam Shead.

HT: 6-4

WT: 338

40 YARD DASH: 5.74 seconds

ARM LENGTH: 33 3/4″

HANDS: 10 3/8″

BENCH PRESS: 26 reps

Add #OU Guard Adam Shead to names of players that have met/plan to meet with the #Redskins at the combine. Underrated player.

— Emmanual Benton (@Manny_PPI) February 19, 2015

@Spencer_NFL Agreed. I liked his film a good bit though.

— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) February 20, 2015

Shead’s career at OU was one that was seemingly always plagued by injuries. At time when healthy he was one of the best linemen in the Big 12. Sadly this level of play wasn’t always that case because of back and other nagging injuries.

DRAFT PREDICTIONS (Again Feel Free to Let Us Know How Off We Are)

RICH- 4th Round

MATT- 5th Round

DONNIE- 6th Round

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The College Football Oscars go to…

Oh, you thought awards season was over for college football? Well, yeah, it is, but that does not mean we cannot have a little more fun during what is typically a slow time, right? In honor of the Academy Awards tonight, here are some selections for College Football Academy Awards. Feel free to share your…

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