OU JOURNAL
Lattin puts history on hold
LAWRENCE, KAN. — Khadeem Lattin keeps putting history on hold.
On Monday, even his entrance into the game was delayed.
The OU forward came off the bench in Monday’s 104-74 loss to Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, snapping a streak of 94 consecutive starts.
Though he didn’t start a game as a freshman, Lattin had started every game of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
Lattin got into the game with 16:27 to play in the first half, but didn’t get into a groove.
He played 11 minutes and finished with four points and two rebounds.
More notably, Lattin didn’t block a shot.
Lattin entered Monday’s game with 229 career blocked shots, one short of
Al Beal’s school record. That record’s been within reach for three games. But shots haven’t been.
Monday’s game was Lattin’s third straight without a blocked shot.
The last time Lattin went more than two games without a blocked shot since
a string of four straight during February 2015, his freshman season.
Young’s POY grip slipping
Fans booed Trae Young and taunted him. Students shouted about his sluggish scoring and chanted “Overrated!” after he had a shot blocked.
The OU freshman struggled for much of Monday night — he scored 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting — and that continued a trend.
“I didn’t think we guarded great,” Kansas coach Bill Self said, “but I thought we did a good job on Trae.”
Young entered Monday’s game shooting 31 percent from the floor and 14.8 percent from 3-point range over the Sooners’ previous three games.
That’s led to a cooling of his candidacy for National Player of the Year honors.
Offshore sports book Bovada released Associated Press Player of the Year odds on Monday at 2/3. Villanova’s Jalen
Brunson was second at 10/3.
Still, the sense is that Young’s chances are slipping as OU struggles.
“I do think he is starting to lose — not starting, continuing to lose — whatever grip he had on the National Player of the Year race,” CBS college basketball writer Gary Parrish said Monday on the Eye on College Basketball podcast. “If I were voting today, I would still vote for him, because I still think a guy leading the nation in scoring and assists on a team that’s gonna play in the NCAA Tournament — that would be playing in the NCAA Tournament if it started today — that’s gonna be good enough for me.”
Faces in the crowd
Former OU great Alvan
Adams attended Monday’s game, sitting in the front row of bleachers behind the Sooners bench.
Adams played at OU from 1972-75 and averaged 23.4 points per game over his three seasons. His 26.6 scoring average in 1974-75 ranks second in OU history, though Young entered Monday averaging 29, which would rank first over a full season.
Adams also attended OU’s home last Saturday against Texas.
He wasn’t the only notable name in attendance. Florida attorney Laurence
Leavy — better known as Marlins Man — spent the first half in front of a section of KU students. Leavy, who’s become well-known for his attendance at sporting events all over the country, wore a bright orange Marlins jersey and visor.
Up next: Kansas State
The Sooners head back home on Saturday for a date with Kansas State at Lloyd Noble Center (5 p.m., ESPN2).
The Wildcats beat OU 87-69 on Jan. 18 in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State is 4-3 on the road in Big 12 play entering Wednesday night’s game at Texas. The Wildcats have won three of four games entering Wednesday’s game.