Now is time to see Trae Young
Trae Young dribbled down the court heading directly toward an Oklahoma State defender, and you wondered what he was doing.
But as soon as the Sooner phenom reached the unsuspecting Cowboy on Wednesday night, he crossed over his dribble, right to left. In a flash, he was in the open, and you wondered how he did that.
The crowd inside the Lloyd Noble Center started oohing and aahing long before Young put the ball through the basket.
It was fun for anyone watching.
It was even better in person.
During a week in which we rang in the new year and the Big 12 heralded the start of conference play, there were reminders a plenty that the clock
is ticking. Only a couple months of the regular season remain. Three months from now, we’ll stand on the precipice of the national championship game.
The clock may be ticking, too, on Trae Young.
Talk around town when the point guard committed and signed with Oklahoma out of Norman North was that he planned to spend a couple years in college before leaving for the NBA. The probable thinking was that his first season would be an adjustment, physically and mentality, and that with experience, development and some more time in the weight room, his skills would really start to shine during his second season.
That timeline has been accelerated.
As a freshman — and a freshman point guard at that — Young is authoring one of the most dazzling and dominating seasons that college basketball has seen in quite some time.
After OU’s Bedlam win Wednesday night, he is averaging 29.4 points and 10.6 assists a game. He leads the country in both categories, something that has never been done before.
Ever.
Not by a freshman. Not by anyone. Ever.
The website The Ringer compiled a chart of the seven point guards who have won the Wooden Award, which has been given annually to college basketball’s best player since its inception in 1977. Comparing Young’s numbers to theirs — remember, these are some of the best to ever play college ball — he would rank first in scoring and assists, second in 3-point percentage and third in field goal percentage.
His numbers may well sag during Big 12 play, but what if they don’t?
OU opened conference play with TCU and OSU, and both squads are stout defensively. The Frogs and the Cowboys got physical with Young,who had seven turnovers against TCU and six against OSU. Way more than he wanted.
And still, he averaged 33.0 points and 12.0 assists in those two wins.
“The thing about it, he’s so consistent at such a high level,” Sooner coach Lon Kruger said. “It’s not consistent average. He’s consistent exceptional.”
But for all the eye-popping numbers, it’s the way Young plays that is most amazing. If you’ve never been to watch him in person, go. See. Witness. You’ll be glad you did.
I actually wrote those last few sentences a year ago during Young’s sensational senior year at Norman North. We headlined it, “THE TRAE YOUNG EXPERIENCE: Why you need to go see the Norman North point guard before his high school days are done.”
At that point, we didn’t know where Young would play in college. OU and OSU were among his finalists, but so were Kansas and Texas Tech, Kentucky and Washington. He could’ve been playing Wednesday night in Rupp Arena instead of Lloyd Noble, and it would’ve been a lot harder to see him in person.
But since Young picked the Sooners, The Experience stayed in state.
But I’ll say now what I said a year ago — don’t wait to go see him.
I have to admit that I don’t quite understand how Young does what he does. He isn’t an athletic marvel.
A year ago when I wrote about him, I termed him “slight and thin.” That hasn’t changed. I stood by him the other day during a post-practice interview scrum, and I’m pretty sure I could get my hands around his biceps, index finger to index finger and thumb to thumb. And I don’t have particularly large mitts.
Young shows signs of time spent in the weight room, but strength isn’t his superpower. Neither is speed. Or ups. He has all those skills and many more, but what makes him a superstar is his fearlessness. He isn’t afraid to use his range or his handles even when the defense or the conventional wisdom says otherwise.
Pull up from 35 feet and shoot with a hand in his face? Sure.
Bounce a pass through a defender’s legs? OK.
Turn college basketball on its head? Why not?
The packed seats Wednesday night at the Lloyd Noble Center — and the already announced sellouts of the TCU and Kansas games later this month — are evidence that people are making an effort to see Young. But I’m imploring you to join them.
You won’t regret it.