Summers in Washington were supposed to …

Summers in Washington were supposed to be a celebration of basketball: Jamal Crawford’s Crawsover tournament and the Drew League. Plus everyday runs and Thomas’ own event, the Zeke-End, in the town of Tacoma where he moved as a boy. Even there, however, he was forced to watch from the sidelines. He longed to play again. “Not touching a basketball—that was depressing, for real,” he says. His father, James, saw the devastation in his eyes. “It just felt like everything was turning upside down,” he says. “We had the bottom knocked out from us as a family; not just with my daughter’s death but with Isaiah being injured at the same time.”

Over time, Thomas’ hip improved, though …

Over time, Thomas’ hip improved, though little could be done for his heart. Tina, who was not Chyna’s mother, recognized a helplessness in Isaiah for having lost his younger sibling in particular. “He was like the protector of his little sister,” she says. “I kept saying, ‘It’s not your fault.’” In difficult moments, James would grab hold of Isaiah and dig deep for words of encouragement: “It’s gonna be all right. We got to stay together. We got to get over this wall,” he would say. “We’ve been through it before. Not through this, not through death, but through the walls coming up.” Thomas’ path had been full of them, and more stood ahead.

The Thomases try to put those figures …

The Thomases try to put those figures out of mind. They are a family that preaches positive energy, swearing off toxic thoughts. Plus, as Kayla says, “We’re definitely not hurting. We live a very blessed life.” Thomas himself remains conflicted about the money, conceding that he does still wonder about it. “To go from being about to make a $100-something million to making a million or two, that hurt right here,” he says, tapping his chest. “It’s just having that security. It’s making sure everybody in my family is good. All I’m worried about now is making sure my kids is good, and my wife, my parents. That’s all I care about.”

A statistical look at Oklahoma’s opponent (Baylor)

A statistical deep-dive into Oklahoma’s opponent, the twelfth ranked Baylor Bears.

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Win in Waco.

This is one of the final boxes the Sooners will need to check if they have any chance of making the College Football Playoff.

No. 9 Oklahoma (8-1) and No. 12 Baylor (9-0) are set to play one of the top-ranked matchups in their series history this week, and the game will certainly have playoff implications for the victor.

Here is a statistical deep-dive into Baylor and Oklahoma’s best stats to attack on Saturday.

Hot Lamb

It’s no secret the Sooners will need Lamb to be good the rest of the year to have a shot at winning out, but this week he’ll need to be great. The Bears currently have the second-ranked defense in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, as they allowed just 9 points in regulation last week. But they’ve have a big-play problem all season long, and that’s where Lamb comes in. The Sooners No. 1 receiver has made it a habit to rip off long, explosive plays this season, and they’ll need exactly that this Saturday in Waco. He currently averages 22.3 yards per catch.

Good luck, Charlie

Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer hasn’t exactly been on his A-game lately, but neither has Alex Grinch’s defense. Brewer on his worst day is still one of the top quarterbacks in the Big 12, as he’s already thrown for 2,338 yard this season, with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The Oklahoma defense will have to find ways to limit Brewer, or they’ll be in another shootout, and they might not leave with the win this time. 

Run Lincoln, run

Despite Kennedy Brooks having over 100 yards rushing last week, it still felt sporadic, and the Sooners couldn’t establish a thing offensively in the second half. Baylor’s defense is going to make stops, they have the talent and speed to do it. The Sooners will need to wear them out with consistent run game, and control the time of possession with the ground game. BU has given up 127.1 rushing yards per game so far this season.

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