Anyone want to discuss Oklahoma, Kansas and UNC?

[nccardfan]

the Kansas/Oklahoma game was a instant classic. 3 overtimes, but you could sense that the home team was going to win. Hield was dominating but after sheer exhaustion made two bad turnovers and cost them the game. UNC really worries me, especially without another defender like Mango in the post. Brice Johnson was a beast on the boards.

 

[JohnKBA]

UK fan here - I watched both of those games last night and feel like all three of those teams would run us out of the building. I fear revenge will be sweet for Kansas when we walk into Allen Fieldhouse this year. I doubt we can keep it in single digits.

 

[NENCHeel]

Kansas and UNC have the potential to play great..and the potential to play terribly for stretches. I think Oklahoma may be too one-dimensional and if the threes ever fail they can be an early Touney casualty.

 

[Cue Card]

I agree about OU. They need better balance to go deep, but they obviously have a great player. KU is KU. Some things never seem to change, and I don't think they're going to lose the B12 this year either. They've owned it. They'll continue to own it. UNC has better days coming. They're so talented, but they haven't put it all together just yet which is fine in early January. By mid February, they'll be clicking on all cylinders IMO.

 

[NENCHeel]

I can only hope so. We should know more when Meeks gets back into the rotation.

 

[Majestic Red]

That was probably the best game we'll see all season.

 

[ulcards1]

Kansas owns the Big 12, I don't really take any other team in that league seriously until they prove otherwise. The last Big 12 team other than Kansas to go to the Final 4 was Okla St. in 2004.

I snickered when I saw that the Big 12 is currently ranked as the best conference, with ACC second.

 

[tn00nan]

Brice Johnson had insane numbers the other night (39 pts and 20+ rebounds or something like that). He and Paige are probably 1st or 2nd team (at worse) AAs. That was a crazy game against Fl St. Both teams were running up and down the court and knocking down 3s. Fl State just couldn't stop anybody ever.

UNC doesn't have Meeks back yet - still injured.

I think it's boiling down to KU and UNC in the title game.

We are better and deeper than last year in my view, but it would take a great game and maybe a down game on their part to beat either of those teams.

 

[Cue Card]

Brice Johnson had insane numbers the other night (39 pts and 20+ rebounds or something like that). He and Paige are probably 1st or 2nd team (at worse) AAs. That was a crazy game against Fl St. Both teams were running up and down the court and knocking down 3s. Fl State just couldn't stop anybody ever.

UNC doesn't have Meeks back yet - still injured.

I think it's boiling down to KU and UNC in the title game.

We are better and deeper than last year in my view, but it would take a great game and maybe a down game on their part to beat either of those teams.

Great post, and the other team that might make it to that level IF they get Valentine back 100% healthy is Michigan State. You can never count out a Tom Izzo coached team.

 

[LouisvilleKid79]

Agree with the previous post that this will probably be the best game we see all season. KU and OU are both really good. Instant classic in a great atmosphere. I would like to see both of those teams on a neutral court. I am not so sure KU is a lock for the Big 12 title. Agree about OU being a little heavily dependent on the 3 ball, but both teams are shooting 46% from behind the arc.

While watching the game I could not help but think about how would the Cards fair in a game like this?

UNC is looking like the team everyone thought they would be. Looking forward to the Cards match up with UNC on 2/1.

Hield and Johnson are really good players. Is Lee capable of having a 30+ point game? He's had a couple of 24 point games and he had 27 against UK.

 

[davecmc]

I think the 4 best teams 'when healthy' have materialized. UNC, Mich. St., Kansas and Oklahoma.

We will have a good idea of how we stack up since we will have at least 3 games under our belt vs. that group heading into NCAA Tourney play.

 

[NENCHeel]

What scares me about you guys is that you are like Mich State.... you almost never peak early and come on at your best in the Tourneys.

 

[tn00nan]

Great post, and the other team that might make it to that level IF they get Valentine back 100% healthy is Michigan State. You can never count out a Tom Izzo coached team.

I actually think Michigan St., was over-rated. Valentine is a great college player and you are right, you can't count out IZZO. But I think the rest of the team is just good - their best other player in my view is a tall forward who I think is a FR but whose name I can't remember. But I think we should have beaten them and would have beaten them on a neutral court. Awful charging call on Lee at the end.

The best 3 in my estimation so far is:
UNC
KU (I simply haven't seen enough of them)
OK (based on what I'm hearing in all honestly - plus the great game against KU)

I think the 4th is up for grabs between Xavier (seriously - terrible game against Villanova but that can happen on the road esp., when one of your starters goes down - and Villanova could not miss), Villanova, Arizona, Michigan St., Miami and possibly UL.

I'm leaving UK out because I think they are way too up and down. Sure they beat us at their home but they shot out of their heads to do it and at home. They don't seem deep to me.