Tag: Creighton Blue Jays

Oklahoma Sooners skyrocket in latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Oklahoma rose 10 spots in the latest USA Today Sports Coaches Poll and now sits at No. 12.

Oklahoma is on a heck of a run to start the season. The Sooners are stacking wins and building a strong resume that has them on the path to breaking their NCAA Tournament drought.

Oklahoma sits 9-0 and will have two games this week to continue building an impressive resume as the nonconference slate starts to wind down. The rest of the nation notices what Porter Moser is doing with his basketball team in Norman.

On Monday, the newest edition of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was released, and the Sooners had the most significant rise of any team in the top 25 moving from No. 22 to No. 12.

That 10-spot jump comes on the heels of Oklahoma dominating two Power Five opponents from two of the best basketball conferences in the country in Providence from the Big East and Arkansas from the SEC.

Oklahoma remains one of seven teams in Division 1 basketball that is unbeaten.

Arizona is the No. 1 team after they dismantled Wisconsin. The standard bearer of the Big 12, Kansas, is ranked second, while the newest Big 12 member, Houston, led by former Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson, comes in at third.

Purdue and Connecticut round out the top five. Another undefeated Big 12 team, Baylor, ranks sixth, while Marquette and Creighton rank 7th and 8th.

Oklahoma will take on the now No. 9 UNC Tarheels in a massive matchup on Saturday. Tennessee and Clemson round out the schools right in front of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has a chance to make a significant splash this week with a win in Charlotte, North Carolina in the Jumpman Invitational against a talented UNC squad led by Hubert Davis. A win there, and the Sooners could be on the cusp of a top-five ranking by the time the calendar turns to 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma in the field for 2024 ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ tournament

Oklahoma looks set to join the 2024 ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ in-season tournament.

Oklahoma basketball will take a trip to the Bahamas next season. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein name-dropped the Sooners as one of eight teams that will play in one of college basketball’s most coveted early-season tournaments, “Battle 4 Atlantis.”

This year’s tournament features a slew of talented programs, as Villanova, Texas Tech, Michigan, Memphis, Arkansas, Stanford, North Carolina, and Northern Iowa all are slated to participate.

Two of this year’s participants are already on Oklahoma’s schedule as Arkansas, and Oklahoma will lace up their sneaks and play at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Towards the end of their non-conference slate, Oklahoma will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on the Tarheels for the Jumpman Invitational.

Oklahoma was previously supposed to participate in this year’s Battle 4 Atlantis. Oklahoma’s likely inclusion in the Rady Children’s Invitational probably was the difference in them not participating this year. The Sooners will take up that offer for the 2024 season, though.

Next year’s field will include Arizona, Indiana, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Lousiville, Creighton, and Davidson. It’s a field loaded with several big-time college basketball brands like Indiana, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Lousiville.

Creighton has been a formidable program for a while and should not be slept on. Davidson is the alma mater of NBA superstar Steph Curry and is a tough team from the A-10.

Oklahoma has quite a bit of familiarity with West Virginia from all their battles in the Big 12. However, Oklahoma’s move to the SEC will mark the first time the schools will meet as nonconference foes since West Virginia joined the Big 12 in 2012.

The tournament usually coincides with the Thanksgiving holiday. It gives family, friends, and fans of all the participating programs a unique high-level basketball experience in a tropical paradise every participant can be thankful for.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

5 players Porter Moser and OU hoops should consider via the transfer portal

A look at a few names the Oklahoma Sooners are targeting in the transfer portal and a couple more they should make a run at.

Oklahoma basketball is experiencing a retooling following consecutive years with no NCAA tournament berths. This year’s Sooners finished last in the Big 12 and, along with Texas Tech, were the only teams from the conference that didn’t make the tourney.

Those results have likely made Porter Moser’s seat somewhat warm, as making the NCAA Tournament is a fairly reasonable bar for most Power Five programs. Oklahoma has a reasonably strong history of basketball success as a program but has never won a national title.

No one expects Porter Moser to turn Oklahoma into the second coming of Coach K and Duke. Still, consistent tournament appearances and fighting for the Big 12 crown seem reasonable.

The blowback from two consecutive seasons of missed postseasons has been evident. [autotag]Jalen Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Groves[/autotag], Benny Schröder, Joe Bamisile, Bijan Cortes, and [autotag]C.J. Noland[/autotag] are all no longer with the team after entering the transfer portal. Noland committed to Saint Louis, while Schröder landed with George Washington.

These departures also combine with Grant Sherfield’s decision to pursue NBA opportunities. At the same time, Tanner Groves has decided to move on from college basketball entirely after graduating.

As it stands, Oklahoma has lost eight players this offseason, with six of those players logging starter or significant bench minutes. Oklahoma essentially needs a brand-new team. They bring in two four-star prospects in Kaden Cooper and Jacolb Cole, but that won’t be enough especially considering they are true freshmen.

The transfer portal is the only way to rebuild this roster, and we have a few targets Oklahoma should look at.

Twitter reacts to end of game foul call in Creighton vs San Diego State

An end of game foul on Creighton in their Elite Eight loss to San Diego State has caused quite the stir on Twitter.

The Creighton Blue Jays and San Diego Aztecs followed up their NCAA Tournament meeting in 2022 with another fantastic game on Sunday afternoon in Louisville.

While the Aztecs came away on top with a 57-56 win, the large amount of conversation following the game surrounded a controversial foul call in the final seconds of the game.

To set up the scene…

After a Baylor Scheierman layup tied the game up for Creighton at 56-56, San Diego would get the ball with what would for all intents and purposes be the last full possession of the game.

With a foul to give, Creighton’s Trey Alexander would intentionally foul, stopping the clock with seven seconds remaining, which would also kill the shot clock.

After timeouts by both sides, San Diego State would get the chance for an in-bounds play from the left sideline. After the Aztecs’ original play was foiled by the Blue Jays, guard Darion Trammell would take a mid-range floater from near the free-throw line, the original shot missing. However, on the shot, Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard was called for a shooting foul.

Trammell would miss his first free throw before making his second to give San Diego State a 57-56 lead with 1.2 seconds remaining. The ensuing inbound pass by Creighton would be unsuccessful, hitting off several fingertips before landing out of bounds. After an officials review, it was deemed that the clock should’ve expired and the game was over, with San Diego State moving on.

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It wasn’t the movie-like ending that many love to see at the end of an NCAA Tournament matchup but it was certainly an ending that caused its fair share of discussion on social media.

College basketball fans hated how the refs decided the end to the San Diego State-Creighton game

The refs really took over at the end.

San Diego State is heading to the Final Four for the first time in the program’s history, but how it got there won’t rank up with the most thrilling of NCAA tournament moments.

We thank can the officials for that.

With time winding down in a tie game against Creighton, San Diego State’s Darrion Trammell drew a foul with 1.2 seconds lefts in the game (after a review). Trammell missed the first free throw but knocked down the second, giving SDSU a one-point lead and leaving Creighton with little time for a desperation play.

The foul itself was awfully questionable given how the game was called. There was a hand on Trammell’s hip, but it didn’t seem to impact the shot in any significant way.

After the free throws, Creighton ended up having Baylor Scheierman attempt a full-court pass to set up a last-second shot, but that pass deflected out of bounds as time appeared to expire. That should have been the moment for San Diego State to celebrate, but everything was put on hold because college basketball officials insist on reviewing everything.

Like, that should have been it. The ball was deflected and went out of bounds as time expired. The officials would review the play and determine just that, breaking out a stop watch because the clock actually started late.

This was how the game really ended:

So dull, so anticlimactic. College basketball fans didn’t love how the officials took over those final sequences of the game.

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Power Ranking the remaining teams in the Sweet 16

16 teams remain in this year’s NCAA Tournament but who has looked the best so far?

The NCAA Men’s Tournament is officially moving into the second week and the field has narrowed from 68 to just 16. It’s one of the more diverse Sweet 16 teams in recent memory.

Just two No. 1 seeds remain in Alabama and Houston, coincidentally, the top two seeds in the tournament. Beyond the Crimson Tide and Cougars, seven of the remaining teams are four seeds or higher in Texas, UCLA, Xavier, Gonzaga, Kansas State, and UConn. Then you have tournament long shots in Arkansas, Creighton, FAU, Michigan State, and Princeton.

A few things are clear after the opening weekend about the 16 teams remaining but plenty still remains unclear as well. You can view some of the biggest takeaways from the first two rounds in our article from earlier on Monday.

That being said, the one thing that for certain is that the parity in this year’s tournament is quite strong. While Alabama looks the part of a tournament favorite, beyond the Crimson Tide, there are strong arguments for five or six other programs to potentially come out on top next month in Houston. That makes it quite hard to power rank the 16 teams remaining heading into week two. That being said, we gave it a go and did just that.

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Baylor Scheierman to withdraw from NBA draft, transfer to Creighton

Scheierman committed to Creighton over the likes of Arkansas, Clemson, Duke and Nebraska among others.

Former South Dakota State guard Baylor Scheierman will reportedly withdraw from the 2022 NBA draft and transfer to Creighton University, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Scheierman, who has two years of eligibility left, declared for the draft in March with the option to return to school. He then opted to enter the transfer portal and eventually committed to Creighton over Arkansas, Clemson, Duke and Nebraska among others.

The 21-year-old was among the prospects that competed in the NBA G League Elite Camp last week in Chicago, Illinois. He went scoreless in his first scrimmage game but recorded nine points, eight rebounds and two assists in his second appearance on May 17.

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Scheierman was named the Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 35 games last season. He shot 46.9% from 3-point range and was the only Division I player to lead his team in rebounding and assists.

The addition of Scheierman should make Creighton among the favorites in the Big East next season. He was viewed as one of the top transfer players on the market and will only strengthen their program.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman commits to Creighton

Just one day after narrowing his options down to five schools, Scheierman has made a decision on his collegiate future.

South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman on Tuesday told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he has committed to play at Creighton University after three seasons with the Jackrabbits.

Scheierman, who narrowed down his options to five schools on Monday, chose Creighton over Arkansas, Clemson, Duke and Nebraska. He entered the transfer portal last month and was immediately viewed as one of the top players on the market.

The 6-foot-6 guard was named the Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 35 games. He shot 46.9% from 3-point range and was the only Division I player to lead his team in rebounding and assists.

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Scheierman also declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility prior to committing to the Bluejays. He was reportedly invited to compete in the NBA G League Elite Camp, which will take place May 16-17 in Chicago.

He will have the opportunity to compete with other prospects in front of teams and gain feedback on his potential draft stock. He told ESPN that he would remain in the draft if he can get selected and earn a guaranteed contract.

Prospects that have declared for the NBA draft have until June 1 to withdraw their name and maintain their remaining collegiate eligibility.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Greg McDermott said what he meant and meant what he said when he spoke of the ‘plantation’

Simply awful.

Creighton basketball coach Greg McDermott has apologized for telling his players, after a loss late last month, that “I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can’t have anybody leave the plantation.”

McDermott got out in front of the story by being the one to reveal what had happened when he sent out his mea culpa — typed on Notes, of course — Tuesday night. He says that he has “never used that analogy” and that it’s “not indicative” of who he is as a person.

That may very well be true, and McDermott is saying the right things about how he’ll try to move forward: There’s still work to be done and he’s going to listen to his Black players as they work through this.

Creighton assistant coach Terrence Rencher, who is Black and a member of the Coaches For Action coalition that seeks to use basketball to raise awareness of social injustice, also released a statement decrying McDermott’s language and saying he was focused on helping the players through this time.

We’ll have to wait and see what comes from this. Of course Creighton’s Black players want to push through now; they’ve spent hours upon hours this year, and throughout their lives, trying to get better so they can win games and are 13-5 in Big East play. Asking them to disrupt the season because their coach said something racist would be absurd.

After the season, though? McDermott is going to need to do more than just meet with a savvy public relations pro for more advice on how to spin this. Let’s give him the chance to do that work.

But let’s also acknowledge that he absolutely meant what he said — and that his charged language had very clear targets. McDermott wanted more from his Black players, and wanted them not to falter under the most difficult conditions. So he literally invoked slavery.

That’s horrifying, but also indicative of the attitude that still pervades among college coaches. Players have got to be all in, even though they don’t own the rights to their own name, image and likeness. They’ve got to be willing to go the extra mile, even though their scholarship isn’t guaranteed. They’ve got to listen to Coach when it feels like he’s trying to break them, but also never forget that student comes first in “student-athlete!”

As an athlete you’ve got to go all out — don’t for a moment think about running toward the transfer portal, that’s ungrateful — even though you know your coach is on the phone with his agent when a bigger job opens up.

If McDermott survives this and if the Blue Jays manage to go on any sort of run in March — and I hope they do — it will purely be because of the strength and grace of the players he aimed his unfathomable diatribe toward.

McDermott should give them space to lead here and turn his attention to coaching them: by working on technique and strategy, finding weaknesses in opponents and lifting players up when they sag under the pressure he helped to create.

Maybe that will be enough to make McDermott truly understand he should not run his program as if he’s an overseer pushing his players to fill baskets. He can find other ways to win.

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