Three Thoughts on Oklahoma’s Win Over Missouri
Here are three thoughts following Oklahoma’s win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
THE RUN THAT WON
The Oklahoma Sooners won this game with a run coming out of the under-4 time out of the second half. OU was up just one point, 58-57, with 3:44 left after Dru Smith of Missouri made two free throws. From there, Jalen Hill was going for an alley-oop that he couldn’t make. But he was calm enough to come down with the ball and find Brady Manek on the wing for a 3-pointer to push the OU lead to four points with 3:22 left. After Missouri failed to score on the next possession, Sooners guard Elijah Harkless drove to the elbow and stepped back to make a jumper with 2:51 left to push the Sooners’ lead to 65-57. Then, after Missouri missed another basket on their end, Austin Reaves drew a foul and made two free throws with 2:15 left to give Oklahoma a 65-57 lead. From there, the Sooners hung on. Yes, the Tigers made it a one-possession game, and Smith nearly willed them to a tie game (he had 22 points and two late 3-pointers). But that run put Oklahoma in enough control to win the game. Reaves had a huge game with 23 points (and 10 straight made free throws after missing his first two). Manek finished with 19 points. And the Sooners moved on, winning 72-68.
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WITHOUT DE’VION
Losing De’Vion Harmon to COVID-19 for the first two games of the NCAA Tournament just plain hurts for Oklahoma. Harmon started nearly every game for OU and was averaging 12.9 points going into the NCAA Tournament. Harmon also had 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, and was shooting 33 percent from 3-point range. If you’re looking ahead to next season, Harmon should be among the Top 5 returning guards in the conference. Without him, Sooners head coach Lon Kruger turned to Jalen Hill in the starting lineup, who finished with only four points (though his last two free throws gave the Sooners their final margin). It really wasn’t the jolt that Kruger was hoping for. But, then again, there really isn’t anyone on the roster that gives them the jolt that Harmon gives them.
ELIJAH’S BIG NIGHT
When the season started, OU head coach Lon Kruger had no idea if Elijah Harkless would even play this season. Harkless was waiting for the NCAA to examine his transfer waiver, and OU was getting impatient, especially since Umoja Gibson’s transfer waiver had been examined and approved before the season. But, once the NCAA decided to grant EVERYONE’s waiver in mid-December, Harkless was able to hit the floor. He’s been a super sub and a starter for this OU team this season, and his game on Saturday night was pure gold — 16 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and two steals. He’s emerged as OU’s grittiest defender, and now that he’s scoring points and grabbing boards on a regular basis, when you look ahead to next season you see a returning starter that could end up being the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22. Right now, the Sooners just need him to keep doing what he’s doing.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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