Scouting OU

[PonyPride]

Courtesy of The Sporting News (Posted two days ago, before SMU beat UT-Pan Am and OU beat Oral Roberts)


Sooners Team Report
By Jerome Solomon/Houston Chronicle

DECEMBER 27, 2000


ROTATION REPORT

There is always uncertainty when a coach brings in junior college players. In most cases, the coach doesn't know how the player will react to the different level of competition.

When a coach has to bring in several junior college players, the uncertainty is usually turned into downright worry. Even with four junior college players joining this year's team, Kelvin Sampson wasn't that worried. He said he expected to get solid production from them.

But there is no way he could have imagined it would be as solid as it has been. Three of the transfers have made significant contributions so far this season (the fourth, center Jozsef Szendrei, averages 4.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, but has played in just two games after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and might redshirt).

The trio of forwards has accounted for 35 percent of the team's points and 35 percent of its rebounds through eight games. Aaron McGhee leads the team with his 17.2 points per game and averages 5.1 rebounds. Daryan Selvy is averaging 9.0 points and a team-high 5.8 boards per game. And Ronnie Griffin is averaging 7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds. Griffin is averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 boards over the past two outings.


THE WEEK AHEAD

The Sooners face Oral Roberts on Friday in the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City, then should get a decent test from SMU (assuming the Mustangs beat Texas-Pan American in the other semifinal) on Saturday. SMU should have little trouble getting past Texas-Pan American and the same holds true for the Sooners against Oral Roberts. The best matchup should be between SMU's Jeryl Sasser, a lanky swingman with range and an uncanny scoring knack, and OU's answer Nolan Johnson, who does most of his damage from 15 feet and in.


OUT OF BOUNDS

Kelvin Sampson said OU picked up more than just a win in taking out Arkansas last week with a spectacular come-from-behind effort.

"You can't put a value on confidence," Sampson said. "It's an amazing, amazing drug. This gives us great confidence and a sense that we can climb mountains."

The Sooners were all but dead, trailing by nine points with 1:45 seconds remaining, but Kelly Newton hit a couple of 3-pointers and Daryan Selvy tied the game with 11 seconds remaining to force overtime. Hollis Price took over in the extra period, scoring nine of his 21 points to help the Sooners capture a runaway 88-79 win.

[Hoofprint]

That's good stuff, PonyPride! Here's a link to OU's official men's basketball home page, with stats, archived stories, etc.

<A HREF="http://soonersports.fansonly.com/sports/m-baskbl/okla-m-baskbl-body.html" TARGET=_blank>http://soonersports.fansonly.com/sports/m-baskbl/okla-m-baskbl-body.html</A>