STILL DANCING
The Sooners' time in the NCAA Tournament continues after a big first-round win
COLUMBIA, S.C. — When Rashard Odomes checked out for the final time in the first half, coach Lon Kruger beamed up at his 6- foot- 6 guard and twice bumped his fist on Odomes' chest.
The pride on Kruger's face was undeniable. Odomes, a senior guard playing like a forward, dominated Ole Miss' undersized perimeter players. Junior forward Kristian Doolittle did much the same inside — not caring if he faced a slow-footed center or too small a guard.
In a game plan that can be credited to assistant coach Chris Crutchfield, the Sooners hunted a medley of mismatches that resulted in a 95- 72 rout of Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
No. 9 seed Oklahoma will await No. 1 seed Virginia in the second round of the South Regional on Sunday.
Oklahoma played what Lon Kruger described as his team's best game of the season. The Sooners made eight of their first nine shots, building a 14-2 lead to begin the game.
Doolittle yelled “Let's go” and Odomes flexed his biceps after Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis called an early timeout to stop the Oklahoma roll. But the Rebels found themselves running uphill on a downward slope with no end.
“When I started watching Oklahoma the first five
A season of frustration was washed into the Congaree River. Doolittle launched his campaign as Oklahoma's own Mount Zion, Rashard Odomes scored seven straight points in 91 seconds and Christian James had swished all three of his 3-point shots before TruTV's third timeout at Colonial Life Arena.
These mostly-forgotten Sooners play clunky games with the same regularity that Carolinians eat pimento cheese, but this was a training manual on how to play basketball. The Sooners shot 58 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the foul line.
Where did Lon Kruger hatch this offensive efficiency, which mirrored Oklahoma football more than Oklahoma basketball? A squad that scored 100 points on Baylor in two games combined, a squad that shot 34.1 percent in two games combined against Texas Tech, a squad that scored 53 total two games ago against Kansas State, torpedoed Ole Miss.
The Sooners made eight of their first nine shots to start the game, then seven of their first eight shots of the second half. They committed just three turnovers until the final four seconds of the game. Doolittle had monster numbers, 19 points and 15 rebounds; Odomes had four 3-point plays; and Manek and James combined to make six of 10 3-point shots.
It was all very Warrioresque, and even the nation's most-feared defensive team took note.
After top-seeded Virginia dispatched Gardner-Webb 71-56 later Friday to set up a South Regional quarterfinal against the Sooners, UVA coach Tony Bennett was asked if he could relax now that the Cavaliers had eliminated the bitterness of a first-round upset last March.
“Did you watch Oklahoma play?” Bennett asked.
Yes we did, but that doesn't mean we believe it.
“Kind of everything clicked in one day, right?” Kruger said. “Pretty sharp.”
Give credit to Kruger. He's long been an offensive mastermind, but that was lost in these three frustrating seasons since the 2016 Final Four. It was found Friday, as the Sooners discovered mismatches with Ole Miss' lineup and holes in Ole Miss' defense. From the beginning, the Sooners played like a team that knew it had the winning ticket.
“Our coaching staff did a great job preparing us,” said senior Miles Reynolds. “We got after it ever since our name was called on Selection Sunday. We were just so locked in that nothing could stop us.
“We knew they had a great trio of guards that were going to take and make tough shots. We couldn't let those shots discourage us. We knew we were going to get better looks on our end. By the percentages, we knew we were going to be in pretty good shape today.”
That's it. The Sooners got much better shots than did Ole Miss, and when you couple that with hot-shooting, you get the most impressive blowout of the NCAA Tournament's first round.
Kruger deflected credit, saying the world is bright and cheery when shots go in, but in a matter of days, Kruger persuaded this team that it had the winning formula. Doolittle going one-on-one with Ole Miss' outmanned interior players. Odomes manhandling smaller wings. Manek and James shooting over smaller defenders. The Sooners believed it, and from the start Ole Miss was on the run.
The second half was a coronation of a successful season. A team picked eighth in the Big 12 preseason poll has reached the second round of the NCAAs, after surviving choppy waters. The Sooners even made Virginia take pause. Yes, we all watched Oklahoma, and we all were impressed. Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.