2008 Woodie Awards
Hawks head south to take on Sooners
Matthew De George '10
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Sports
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Their first round opponent is Oklahoma, who finished the regular season fourth in the Big 12 with a 22-11 overall record, 9-7 in conference. In addition to their success in conference, the Sooners also boast six wins against Tournament teams (Gonzaga, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Baylor twice, and a double-overtime thriller over West Virginia). In total, the Sooners are 6-6 against teams in the Big Dance, with all six losses coming in conference. By contrast, the Hawks are 6-5 against teams who are going dancing.
Oklahoma presents the Hawks with serious matchup problems in the low post, with a pair of giants patrolling the paint. McDonald's All-American Blake Griffin has been overshadowed somewhat by the amazing crop of freshmen across the country, but would have garnered consideration for Big 12 Freshman of the Year were it not for standout Michael Beasley at Kansas State. Griffin is a physical presence at 6'10", 243 pounds, and is averaging nearly a double-double with 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, and has 47 dunks in 30 games played. He has struggled with a knee injury, but returned sooner than expected after less than two weeks on the sidelines in early March.
On the other side of the paint is Oklahoma's elder statesman, Longar Longar. The 6'11" senior is having a successful season despite being sidelined with a broken bone in his leg that caused him to miss only two games in early February. He overcame that injury to become the team's second leading scorer, averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg.
The two big men provide huge matchup problems for the Hawks, and Oklahoma will no doubt try to exploit that at every chance they get. Ahmad Nivins, '09, and Arvydas Lidzius, '08, are the team's only true post players, and it is easily the team's thinnest position. As a result, Rob Ferguson, '08, will be dragged into the paint often, outside of his area of expertise, as he will have to defend either Longar or Griffin when they're on the court at the same time. That leaves Idris Hilliard, '11, although he is undersized, as the only other option to slow down the Sooners' pair of big men.
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