Can one player really make this much difference?
A year ago, Oklahoma was losing 20 games, with the Sooners’ 11-20 record best known for a number of close losses (nine by six points or less) that might’ve indicated a very good team was lying underneath the surface, if not for how regularly OU was losing those close games.
As Bill Parcells famously said, “you are what your record says you are,” and Oklahoma’s record said it was a team that had a long leap to make to NIT contention, much less the NCAA Tournament or a chase for another Final Four trip after it reached that level in 2016.
It’s a completely different story this year, as the Sooners are one of the hottest offensive teams in the country and particularly have the hottest player in the country. Freshman Trae Young has become the talk of the sport with his dazzling displays, which included his latest and greatest yet Tuesday night with an almost unimaginable 20-20 performance in the Sooners’ 105-68 blowout of Northwestern State.
Young finished with 26 points but also an incredible 22 assists, tying the NCAA record for helpers. Not since 1989 has that number been reached, and he joined some legendary company that includes Syracuse legend Sherman Douglas, former Southern guard (and current Alabama coach) Avery Johnson, and Tony Fairley of Charleston Southern (then known as Baptist College) as the only to hit that mark since assists became an official statistic in 1983-84.
At times, Young looked like he was simply toying with the Demons, flinging passes form seemingly every imaginable angle. At other times, he was simply making the most basic of passes around the perimeter with teammates knocking down jump shots, as Oklahoma has done expertly so far this year. Even without great post play, the Sooners are shooting nearly 50% from the field and average 10.7 three-pointers per game.
Oklahoma has been electric offensively, averaging nearly 95 points per game and topping 90 seven times in 10 games. For the most part, though, Young is the main change in the team (fellow freshman Brady Manek also has been a quality addition, averaging in double figures and second on the team to Young in threes made). Otherwise, this is a squad that ranked 281st in NCAA Division I a year ago in field goal percentage, shooting just 42.3%.
Obviously a team putting up so many points is more than one or two players, and clearly a number of Sooners have upped their offensive games. And undoubtedly some of the early results are the product of schedule. But still…
Best player in the country? Most valuable one? Right now, the answer seems pretty clear cut either way.
Side Dishes:
- Texas A&M played without Admon Gilder and Robert Williams, with Gilder announced Monday as out 2-3 weeks with a knee injury and Williams a gameday scratch due to a concussion. It was little surprise, then, that the Aggies would have a tough time with a good Northern Kentucky team, and A&M was pushed before holding off the Norse 64-58. The Aggies went 2-for-20 from three-point range but survived as Tyler Davis (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Savion Flagg (12 and 10) both had double-doubles.
- Late in the night, a stunner on the West Coast and the latest sign of USC‘s struggles as Princeton won at Southern California 103-93 in overtime. It took the Trojans rallying from eight down in the final 1:24 in regulation just to get to OT in a game Princeton controlled. It’s been some time coming for the Tigers, who have played a difficult schedule and been close against almost everyone. Myles Stephens was excellent with 30 points and Sebastian Much added 19 including five three-pointers. The Trojans were severely shorthanded in this one with Bennie Boatwright and Jonah Mathews out (as well as Deryck Thornton still sidelined), but still: this was a team whose depth was as touted as any team in the country coming into the season, and too many players sold as stars before the year aren’t playing like it with any consistency.
- Clemson has had an awfully good couple days. The Tigers knocked off an Elite Eight team from this year’s NCAA tourney when they topped Florida on Saturday, and they did even better with a 64-48 roll over Final Four squad (and in-state rival) South Carolina, which suddenly looks like one of the weaker links in the SEC this year. Marquise Reed scored 25 in this one for Clemson, and while Frank Martin’s teams have become well known for defense, don’t forget about Brad Brownell coaching that side of the ball, too. Just two teams have topped 70 points against the Tigers so far in their 10-1 start.
- Elsewhere, it was a night marked by near misses. Stephen F. Austin came ever-so-close to knocking off its second SEC opponent on the road in four days, but Missouri escaped with an 82-81 win. This was some heavyweight battle, and the Tigers don’t win this if they don’t hit their first six three-point attempts early and shoot 55.8% for the game as well as 23 of 27 from the foul line (85.2%). We’ve eyed Kassius Robertson as a key to Mizzou since early on, and he had 23 points including several huge buckets late. The Lumberjacks, meanwhile, did nothing to dissuade our belief in them; this is a team capable of competing in any conference in the country.
- Auburn earned a tough 81-77 road win at Murray State, the Tigers prevailing with a 7-0 run in the final two minutes to take a game that was back and forth all night. Jared Harper scored 11 of his 17 in the final four minutes. What a great atmosphere it was here in Murray, Ky., the type of game this sport needs more of. And the SEC continues to win seemingly every close game this year.
- On that account, see: Alabama. The Crimson Tide trailed for a good share of the game to Mercer, then saw the Bears make a huge rally late…but still held on 80-79 for their fourth win by four points or less this year.
- Buffalo was right there at Syracuse, but the hosts held on for an 81-74 win at the Carrier Dome. When did Syracuse become a great foul-shooting team? Once one of the most reliable traditions in the sport was the Orange stinking it up at the stripe, but they shot 24 of 29 here (82.8%).
- South Dakota also led UCLA at halftime, and the Coyotes then rallied from a 24-point second-half deficit to get within two in the final seconds. The Bruins held on to win 85-82.
- One surprise that did come through was Northern Colorado winning at Wyoming 91-84. Andre Spight scored 24, the Bears are 9-3, and give it up for their perimeter defense-a Cowboys team that ranks among the nation’s leaders in three-point attempts tried just nine triples all night, making three.
- Some ACC teams having way more trouble than expected: Notre Dame held off Dartmouth but gave up a whopping 87 points, needing every bit of Bonzie Colson’s 37 points in a 97-87 win. Also, Pittsburgh broke out to a 27-point lead on Delaware State, but then still needed to sweat as the Hornets got within two late before the Panthers held on for a 74-68 win. Oy.
- Belmont may be just 8-5, but the Bruins have two mighty nice road wins. Belmont won at Middle Tennessee State last month and now has a victory at Western Kentucky after draining 14 three-pointers in a 75-72 win.
- Saint Mary’s surged in the second half to take care of Dayton 69-54 for a win that in other seasons would be excellent, but this year will be a bummer for the Gaels as the Flyers obviously are not what they’ve been. A good sign for SMC: freshman Jordan Ford scored 16 points.
- Another sign of just how many capable teams there are out there around the country: UNC Asheville used a huge second half to rally on the road past UNC Greensboro 67-60, spoiling the Spartans’ good vibes after winning at N.C. State on Saturday.
- There’s no easy way to put this: Florida Gulf Coast has been perplexing in the non-conference season. The Eagles fell at home to Oral Roberts by 19 their last time out (the Golden Eagles proceeded to be drilled by Arkansas 104-69 in their next time out last night) and FGCU followed it up with a 91-88 loss at Florida International. Good for the Panthers (and what a show by Trejon Jacob, who scored 38 in this one), but something seems to be amiss with the Eagles.
- Georgetown dismissed freshman center Chris Sodom from the team yesterday for violation of team rules. The 7-foot-3 Sodom had played 27 minutes through six games with minimal production, but he was a fairly touted recruit who initially was headed to New Mexico before Craig Neal was let go there.
- Also, a plug for our notebook posted yesterday, which we’re feeling good about after seeing the performances last night of a number of teams we mentioned.
Today’s Menu:
- We’ve got some afternoon hoops now with finals done, starting with Bradley at SE Missouri State at 1 p.m. Cape Girardeau, Mo. time.
- The first TV offerings come from the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase event in Connecticut, with Saint Joseph’s against St. John’s in the first game (4:30 p.m. Eastern, ESPNU), a solid prelude to a huge second game between Houston and Providence (7 p.m., ESPNU). The Cougars sure could use a win like this, but given their struggles of late, so could the Friars.
- Other than that, the night on TV includes a whole lot of guarantee game fare. Shame on ESPN and other networks for devoting so much time to these games when they could be using their matchmaking muscle to give viewers something better. At least pesky Albany can test Louisville if the Cardinals aren’t on their game (9 p.m., ESPNU), while Nebraska has had buy game losses at home each of the last three years about this time in December, and Texas-San Antonio-which pushed Oklahoma recently-certainly is capable of tripping the Huskers this night (8 p.m., Big Ten Network).
- Two always well-coached teams meet with Northeastern at St. Bonaventure. The surging Huskies have won five straight, including victories over the likes of Bucknell, Harvard and Vermont.
- Furman is 9-3, but the Paladins haven’t been close in their three losses (Butler, Duke and Winthrop). That makes one think Tennessee shouldn’t have much trouble at home against them tonight…we’ll see (9 p.m., SEC Network).
- It’s a rematch of a game from the illustrious Vegas 16 Tournament from a couple years ago as Towson goes to Oakland. The Tigers are 10-1 and have been off the last 11 days, and now their tough, defense-minded style will be tested on the road first with the freewheeling Golden Grizzlies.
- Central Arkansas drilled California on the road and nearly won at UCLA, so the Bears’ trip to Oregon is worth keeping an eye on (11 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
- A Big 12 team plays on the road for just the eighth time this non-conference season when Kansas State plays at Washington State (11 p.m., ESPN2). Somehow this one makes the national television cut.
Enjoy your Wednesday, and five more shopping days until Christmas.
