Oklahoma has had a couple days to enjoy Hawaii but it’s back to business tonight against the hosting team, the University of Hawaii. Oklahoma is ranked third nationally with a (9-0) record, while Hawaii is unranked but has a respectable (8-1) record with a few really good wins. This won’t be an easy game either, presuming the Hawaiian crowd will be in full effect tonight.
Oklahoma has a very powerful and elusive offense, averaging 87.8 points per game and winning their last eight games by 26.1 points on average, with their largest showcase of talent coming where? In Hawaii against the No. 9 team at the time, Villanova, where they thrashed a top 10 talent 78-55 in a game where from the tip, they appeared to be the better team. Their second game in Hawaii was a breeze, beating Washington State 88-60.
“We’ve got to adjust because this is the life we choose and part of it is traveling on the road so we’re used to this,” senior guard Buddy Hield told ESPN. “… and we’ve just got to be ready for whatever the task at hand is and come out and play.”
Oklahoma is off to it’s best start since the 2008-2009 season, with Blake Griffin leading the way during that time… But as we all know, the new big name surrounding OU basketball is Buddy Hield.
Ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game for the season and 29.3 points in his last three games, also making 12-of-21 3-pointers also.. He shoots 51.8 percent from three. Buddy isn’t the only one on the team that can shoot from long-range though. The Sooners are No. 2 in the country from out there, shooting just over 47 percent.
Not to mention, this team plays well on the other end of the court too, holding opponents to 26.1 percent shooting this season, with Creighton being the only other squad that shot better than 40 percent.
“Defensively, we created some activity and had some deflections that we turned into transition opportunities and I thought we had some pretty good looks defensively in the first half, but we didn’t come up with the loose balls and didn’t guard through late in the shot clock,” coach Lon Kruger said. “In the second half we played much better defensively and moved the ball offensively.”
This semifinal game tonight against Hawaii will be aired on ESPN2 at 8 p.m.